SCRIPTURE: JOSHUA 3
IMPORTANT VERSES:
“Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Joshua 2:5)
CROSSING THE JORDAN (vs. 1-17)
Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out form Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘when you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.'”
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord – the Lord of all the earth – set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
THOUGHTS (From Life Application Study Bible)
The ark of the Covenant was Israel’s most sacred treasure. It was a symbol of God’s presence and power. The Ark was a gold rectangular box with two cherubim (angels) facing each other on the lid. Inside the Ark were the tablets of the Ten Commandments Moses received from God, a jar of manna (the bread God miraculously sent form heaven during the wilderness wanderings) and Aaron’s staff )the symbol of the high priest’s authority). According to God’ ds law, only the Levites could carry the Ark. The Ark was constructed at the same time as the Tabernacle and placed in the sanctuary’s most sacred room.
Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were to perform a purification ceremony. This was done before making a sacrifice or before witnessing a great act of God. God’s law stated that a person could become unclean for many reasons – eating certain foods, childbirth, disease, touching a dead person. God used these various outward signs of uncleanness to illustrate man’s inward uncleanness that comes as a result of sin. The purification ceremony pictured the importance of approaching God with a pure heart. Like the Israelites, we need God’s forgiveness before we approach him.
Joshua gathered the people to hear the words of the Lord before crossing over into the Promised Land. We too must take time to focus on what wants before we rush on to our activities.
God wanted the Israelites to drive out the nations from their native land because the people of Canaan were wicked and deserved to be punished for their terrible sins. Besides, Israel, as a holy nation, could not live among such evil and idolatrous people. The only way t avoid sin and being infected by evil religions was to drive everyone out.
The Israelites were eager to enter the Promised Land , conquer nations and live peacefully. But first, they had to cross the flood-=level waters of the jOrdan River. God gave them specific instructions. In order to crosss, the priests had to step into the water. Ofdten God proveds no solution to our problems until we trust him and move ahead with whatg we know we should do. What are the rivers or obstacles in your life? In obedience to God, take that first step into the water.
God had parted the wateres of the Red Sea to let the people out of Egypte and here, he parted the Jordan River to let them enter Canaan. These miracles showed Israel that God keeps his promises. God’s presence among his people and his faithfulness to them made the entire journey from egypt to the Promised land possible. He was with them at the end of their wanderings just as he was with them in the beginning.
the Israelites crossed the Jordan River in the spring, when it was overflowing its banks. God chose the time when the river was at its highest to demonstrate his power – parting the waters so that the entire nation could cross on dry ground.