Now again, we have the instruction concerning the gathering of twelve stones.
Devariym (Deuteronomy) 27:1-4
And Mosheh with the elders of Yisra’el commanded את eth-the people, saying, Guard את eth-all the commandments which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over את eth-Yarden unto the land which YAHUAH ELOHAYKA gives you, that you shall set up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: 3 And you shall write upon them את eth-all the words of this Torah, when you are passed over, that you may go in unto the land which YAHUAH ELOHAYKA gives you, a land that flows with milk and honey; as YAHUAH ELOHIYM of your fathers has promised you. 4 Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over את eth-Yarden, that ye shall set up את eth-these stones, which I command you this day, in Mount Eyval, and you shall plaister them with plaister.
And as time came to pass, it was Yahusha (Joshua) and not Mosheh, who led the whole of the house of Yisra’el out from the wilderness into the land of the Covenant, the Promised Land, the inheritance of Avraham, Yitshaq, and Ya’aqov.
The timing of this arrival is so very important. The summary is here. Ya’aqov was the 22nd generation from Adam – reflecting the 22 letters of the Hebrew aleph-beit. The entry of the house of Yisra’el into the land took place on the first day of the first year at the end of the fiftieth jubilee from the breath of life in the nostrils of Adam. The timing of YAH is perfect and specific, even unto the very minute. Let’s take a look at how and when the instruction was followed.
Yahusha (Joshua) 4:1-9
And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over את eth-Yarden, that YAHUAH spoke unto El-Yahusha, saying, 2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Yarden, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4 Then Yahusha called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Yisra’el, out of every tribe a man: 5 And Yahusha said unto them, Pass over before the Ark of YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM into the midst of Yarden, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Yisra’el: 6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? 7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Yarden were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of YAHUAH; when it passed over Yarden, the waters of Yarden were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Yisra’el forever. 8 And the children of Yisra’el did so as Yahusha commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Yarden, as YAHUAH spoke unto El-Yahusha, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Yisra’el, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 And Yahusha set up twelve stones in the midst of Yarden, in the place where the feet of the priests which bore the Ark of the Covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
Where are the twelve stones? Are they still there? Consider the last of this:
Yahusha (Joshua) 4:19-24
And the people came up out of Yarden on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Yeriycho. 20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Yarden, did Yahusha pitch in Gilgal. 21 And he spoke unto the children of Yisra’el, saying, When your children shall ask את eth-their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? 22 Then ye shall let את eth-your children know, saying, Yisra’el came over את eth-this Yarden on dry land. 23 For YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM dried up את eth-the waters of Yarden from before you, until ye were passed over, as YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: 24 That all the people of the earth might know את eth-the hand of YAHUAH, that it is mighty: that ye might fear את eth-YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM forever.
Let us not forget the meaning of these stones.
As we consider a few more verses on this subject of the stones, let’s take a moment to consider the hewn stones discussed in the now famous prophecy of Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 9:
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 9:8-10
ADONAI sent a word into Ya`aqov, and it has lighted upon Yisra’el. 9 And all the people shall know, even Ephrayim and the in-habitant of Shomeron, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart, 10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.
The crafting of a stone is contrary to the instruction concerning the sacred altar, which must not be cut with tools (unhewn). The replacing of the bricks with hewn stones is also the call for the replacing of that which is sacred with that which is man-crafted and profane, namely, hewn stones. It is this replacement which brings judgment; the judgment of the remainder of Yesha’yahu 9 and 10.
There are further prophecies found in Yesha’yahu that are worthy of consideration.
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 54:11-17
O you afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with fair colours, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make your windows of agotes [Asher], and your gates of carbuncles [Leviy], and all your borders of pleasant stones [the tribes if Yisra’el]. 13 And all your children shall be taught of YAHUAH; and great shall be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness shall you be established: you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near you. 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 17 No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of YAHUAH, and their righteousness is of me, says YAHUAH.