Joshua 3:1-17

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. 13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

(ESV)

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Having received confirmation from the spies that they could move forward in confidence, Joshua moved the camp of Israel up to the Jordan river and they camped there for three days to prepare. At the time the Jordan river was in flood so the water had broken the banks and the people must have wondered how they were all going to get across safely. Joshua prepared the people by telling them they were to follow the ark of the covenant of the Lord but at a safe distance of almost 1km. The ark represented God’s presence among Israel and He was to be respected with fear, not treated with familiarity. Joshua didn’t yet know how they were going to get across to Jericho but he told the people to consecrate themselves in preparation. They were about to go into battle and Joshua told them to prepare themselves spiritually rather than to prepare for battle. Joshua anticipated God doing wonders and the people had to be right with God for God to work among them. Only after Joshua prepared everything in faith did God reveal His plan. God told Joshua that He would exalt him in the eyes of Israel so they would know that He was with Joshua as He had been with Moses. Joshua communicated the plan by pointing out that what God was going to do would be how they would know that God was with them and would go before them to drive out all the people of the land they had been promised. When the priests feet touched the water of the overflowing river, the water backed up far upstream and all the water flowed downstream, the riverbed dried up and they were all able to cross over on dry ground.

When you come to that seemingly impossible situation where God’s promises are ahead but you can’t seem to get there, this story reminds us that we can’t move forward with human effort. The only way forward is by a life of faith and obedience.


Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

Water from the Rock: Exodus 17