Crossing Jordan

Crossing Jordan

Joshua 3:7-17

Moses had taken Israel as far as he could. It wasn’t because Moses had succumbed to old age as Deuteronomy 34 tells us he was still vigorous. It is because He had failed earlier to glorify Yahweh in front of the people at Meribah and struck the rock in anger rather than speak to it as commanded. It would now be up to Joshua, the son of Nun to replace Moses and take the Children of Israel into the Land which Yahweh had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would someday inherit it. The 400 years had passed, and not was the appointed time to take possession. The iniquity of the inhabitants was full. Truly, their sins were great. Therefore, Yahweh had taken their right of deed away and had given it to Israel. Not only this, but with few exceptions, they would also perish.

It was important that Israel would trust and accept their new leader, Joshua, the son of Nun. He along with Caleb were the only two who trusted in the LORD’s promise that they said the obstacles the spies saw in the land could not prevent Israel from taking possession of it, so long as Yahweh had promised to deliver it to them. If the people had only listened earlier to Joshua, the terrible punishment meted out to Israel that they would wander forty years in the wilderness until all the generation of adults which had crossed the Red Sea had died. Only Joshua and Caleb were spared. Now the children of Israel were to obey Joshua whom the LORD had appointed to be their leader. Israel had not been all that good to listen to Moses. They grumbled and complained much. They suffered catastrophic judgments as a result. But the people had to respect Moses through whom the LORD had performed many wonders and signs.

This passage starts with the LORD encouraging Joshua by saying that he would now begin to exalt Joshua among the people of Israel as He had with Moses. He then command him to assemble the priests to come to the banks of the Jordan and step into the river. The text tells us that the Jordan overflows all of its banks during the season. Normally, the Jordan is much calmer and might easily be crosses. The detail that the Jordan River was at flood stage and dangerous by human means to cross, especially for children and the infirm. But the LORD did not say to wait until the flood subsided but for the priests to enter the raging waters. The LORD was about to demonstrate His power. What happens hear reminds us to the previous generation of Israel whose backs were at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s chariots coming upon them. God had miraculously divided the waters and allowed the Children of Israel to pass over on dry land. Not only this, Pharaoh’s army got drowned in the middle of the Red Sea when they tried to cross. This crossing would remind the current generation of Israelites that it was the same LORD who would protect them from the ravages of the water as well as the threats of enemy armies in Canaan.

The Levites were to lead the procession across the Jordan. They carried the Ark of the Covenant which was Yahweh’s special presence in Israel. The LORD would go before them, and this miracle served as a sign that He would continue to be with them. Twelve elders, one from each tribe would go along with the Levites to witness what was about to happen. As soon as the feet of the priests and Levites stepped into the raging torrent that the waters dried up. the water coming down from upstream was somehow dammed up and stood in a heap far away, and the water in front of them headed to the Dead Sea dried up the crossing. Then the Children of Israel crossed to the other side on dry land. the first part of their possession of the Land had started. Now they faced the walled cities like Jericho as well as iron chariots.

We know later from what Rahab says in Joshua 2:9-11 that the inhabitants of Jericho were already terrified. Joshua had sent spies to Jericho before Israel crossed to gain intelligence of the city. Joshua learned that the Canaanites were terrified of Israel and their God Yahweh. They had heard of the crossing of the Red Sea. They could have seen themselves as doubly safe at this time by both the raging Jordan as well as their high stone walls. How much greater their terror would be when they heard that Israel had crossed Jordan on the dry riverbed!

In chapter 4 of Joshua we learn of what the twelve elders were supposed to do. They were to take the stones from the riverbed upon which the Levites stood and make a heap of witness on the other shore as a reminder of what the LORD had done for Israel.