You may recall that the Menorah is the golden lampstand that once stood in the Tabernacle and the Temple. The design of the Menorah, which was very specific, was given by the Lord to Moses. The design included six branches and a central staff. Each branch held a lamp as well as the central staff. The center lamp is known as the Servant Lamp.

The Bible contains many scriptual Menorah designs. Such designs are composed of seven items or factors, and the central item or factor refers to the Lord, or light, or fire. God is light (I John 1:5). Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12 & 12:46).

The Book of Joshua is a history of the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land by the Children of Israel under the leadership of Joshua. The Book of Joshua contains a Menorah design in stone. The Menorah design is found in the stone memorials created by the Children of Israel.

The first memorial was made by taking twelve stones from where the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stood in the bed of the River Jordan. These stones were a memorial of the crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 4:7). The second memorial was a large pile of stones that was a reminder of the sin of Achan and the trouble that sin brought on all the tribes (Joshua 7:26). The third memorial was a large pile of stones placed at the gate of the defeated and destroyed city of Ai (Joshua 8:29).

The fourth memorial, in the Servant Lamp position, was a collection of stones upon which Joshua inscribed God's instructions, the Law of Moses (Joshua 8:32). What an archaelogical find that would be! Perhaps Vendyl Jones will make that his next project (after he finds the Ark).

The fifth memorial was a large pile of stones placed at the mouth of the cave where the five defeated kings tried to hide (Joshua 10:27). The sixth memorial was the altar built by the two and one-half tribes who were given land east of the Jordan River (Joshua 22:10). The seventh and last memorial is a large stone set up under an oak tree by Joshua in Shechem (Joshua 24:26).

The Bible does not indicate why the Lord placed this Menorah design of stone in the Book of Joshua. I believe that the Lord wanted to memorialize the importance of the Land of Israel and the everlasting permanence of His promises. You could say that this promise was written in stone. Some of the Children of Israel are in the Land of Israel today. Because the Lord promised it, I believe someday they will possess the entire Land and will live in peace. I look forward to that day.