Then you shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
The purposes of the memorial stones were the same as the purposes of the miracle at the Red Sea. They manifested the power of Yahweh to all people (Joshua 4:24; cf. Exodus 14:4; Exodus 14:18), and they caused God’s people to fear Him (Joshua 4:24; cf. Exodus 14:31). "Fear the Lord" is the most common expression calling for faith in God in the Old Testament.