What does God have to say about a memorial?

Independence Day. Memorial Day. Veterans Day. Your Birthday.

These are all special days set aside to celebrate, or commemorate an event in history. Special days set aside to remind us of what was lost and what was born, perhaps even out of tragedy. Do some of these memorial days bring back painful memories for some? Absolutely, but they were still a part of our history, and we can learn positive lessons from them all.

What does the Bible have to say about special events in history? Are memorials, statues, special things we pass down to our children something only from our “modern world”, or was this practiced in scripture as well?

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 Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

Joshua 4:6-7

Memorial statues, or landmarks are nothing new. People who have a desire to tear down and change the past also is a recurring theme throughout history. This time we are living in did not take God by surprise. He is not shocked, overwhelmed, and distraught about what’s happening today.

If you want to read what God says about people tearing down memorials, and destroying cities, I encourage you to read Psalm 9:6-11. I will summarize it for you here:

The destruction is nothing new. There will come a time when the tearing down will cease, but God, my friends, is forever. Those destroying today may not have to answer for it here on earth, but will certainly answer to God one day. The most encouraging part for us? Amidst all the destruction and overwhelm, we can turn to the Lord always. He has never forsaken his people. He has always made a way for us to bear trials and hardships. Our job in the midst of all the turmoil is to sing God’s praises, and declare Him to the world.