Monuments are Important

The children of Israel wandered in the desert for forty years for one reason. After being led from Egypt by the hand of God and the leadership of Moses the Jews did nothing but complain and cry. They forgot the miracles, the plagues and trekking on the dry Red Sea floor.

Under new leadership, Joshua led the Jewish people to the banks of the Jordan river and prepared them to gain their freedom in the land of promise. Joshua warned the people that it will be easy to forget the ways in which God saved them.

Across the river, in the land of freedom, Joshua prepared two monuments. One monument was constructed on the freedom side of the river. He instructed a leader from each of the twelve tribes to retrieve a stone from the riverbed. With the stones a monument of remembrance was built.

Joshua told the people that the monument would be a point of instruction and remembrance. It would be a point of instruction for those who pass by and did not know the story of how God saved the Jews and led them to their new land. It stood as a point of remembrance because an object that they could look upon would reinforce their memory and understanding.

The second monument Joshua constructed in the center of the riverbed . He placed twelve stones as a monument, a memorial, that signified the unseen. Many Jews perished in their wanderings. There were heartaches and perils in gaining their new freedom. Many dark times were encountered and survived. The unseen monument was just as important, in different ways, as the visible monument.

The visible monument was intended to remind the Jews of the great freedom they enjoyed and the failures that demanded the forty years of wandering. There is a powerful connection between the eyes and the mind. A vivid example is the American flag. A passing American flag leading a parade brings sincere people to their feet.

Our flag represents this land. Only a fool would believe that all of our history has been honorable and just. We understand the atrocities and crimes that were a real part of our history. Knowing our struggles and the opportunities of freedom and person liberty brings a sense of hope, pride, and appreciation.

Our land is a beacon of hope in the world of oppression and deprivation. Let us keep it that way.