Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3)

Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 3:7-17

INTRODUCTION:
We sing a song that is based on the text which we will consider in this study. The song was written by Samuel Stennett.

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
and cast a wishful eye
to Canaan's fair and happy land,
where my possessions lie.

2 O'er all those wide extended plains
shines one eternal day;
there God the Son forever reigns,
and scatters night away.

3 No chilling winds or poisonous breath
can reach that healthful shore;
sickness and sorrow, pain and death,
are felt and feared no more.

4 When I shall reach that happy place,
I'll be forever blest,
for I shall see my Father's face,
and in his bosom rest.

Let’s feed our spirits on the message from God in Joshua 3. When we understand what the message was for the Israelites, then we’ll understand what the message is for Christians.

MARCHING TO JORDAN - 3:1:
Israel left Egypt in Exodus 13-14 and God brought them to Mount Sinai in order give them the law and help create some cohesion within the nation that perhaps they did not have while they were in Egypt. Israel stayed at Mount Sinai for little over a year, long enough to celebrate the Passover a second time after its first celebration in Egypt. Then Israel left Mount Sinai in Numbers 10.

Again, it should have only take a couple weeks to get to the Promised Land from Egypt if Israel had not disobeyed out of a lack of faithlessness in Numbers 13-14. Then God promised that Israel would wander around in the wilderness one year for every day they were in the land spying it out - which amounted to a total of 40 years in the wilderness. During that 40 years, however, God also promised that He would kill everyone from twenty years old and above. There are a few exceptions to that rule, like the Levites appear to have been excluded, but largely speaking, Joshua is now dealing with the second generation of Israelites.

These are not the same Israelites who crossed the Red Sea on dry land under Moses. These were their children and grandchildren. Now, under Joshua, Israel is about to take the Promised Land that God had originally promised to Abraham way back in Genesis 12 which amounts to a promise that is about 500 years old.

Israel has come to “Shittim” (with emphasis on the last syllable) or as some translations have “acadia woods / grove.” This location is just to the east of the city of Jericho (ver. 16). They lodged here until they prepared to cross the Jordan River.

In chapter 2, Joshua has sent out two spies and this time, they come back with a faithful report. It is interesting that God chose to reveal the names of the first dozen spies back in Numbers 13 (of whom Joshua was one), but this time He did not choose to reveal them.

PREPARING FOR GOD TO WORK - 3:2-5:
Israel camps at Shittim for three days before the “officers” go throughout the camp of Israel and share with them God’s command in verse 3. We do not know who these officers are; the word was translated “foremen” back in Exodus 5 when they were in Egypt. They had some type of leadership position in Israel.

So they waited three days. Perhaps one reason why they waited three days is because Joshua was waiting for Jehovah God to speak. At the heart, the essence of faithfulness to God, is the patience to wait for God to speak. We do not move forward until we have searched the Scriptures to see what God has said. It is also possible that God let Israel stay there for three days so that they could see that the Jordan River was at the height of the flood season (ver. 15) and the impossibility of what is about to happen would be impressed upon their hearts and minds.

Joshua has proven his faithfulness and his trustworthiness ever since Exodus 17 when he led Israel’s fight against the Amalekites. Joshua is patient and he is dedicated. So the officers tell Israel…

The ark of the covenant is central to this particular event, mentioned 16 times in chapters 3 and 4. The ark of the covenant was the first piece of furniture which God tells Israel to make back in Exodus 25. It was made from the very same type of trees where they were camping - acacia wood. It was a box 45” long, so just shy of 4’ and 27” wide or just over 2’ wide and the same dimensions high - 27”. It was covered with gold. It had four gold rings, one on each corner, through which acacia poles were inserted so that it could be carried on the shoulders of the Levites from the family of Kohath.

Above the ark of the covenant was the so-called “mercy seat” or “lid of atonement,” also made from acacia wood, overlaid with gold, of the same length and width dimensions as the ark. At each end of the lid of atonement were made cherubim, some type of winged creature with the cherubim facing each other with their wings spread out. In Exodus 25:22, God says that He would speak with Israel from between the cherubim above the ark of the covenant. Consequently, the ark came to be referred to metaphorically as the “throne of God” (Psalm 80:1).

As I mentioned, the sons of Kohath, the son of Levi, had the responsibility to transport the ark (Num. 4:27-32). Now, before Israel could travel, the priests had the responsibility to prepare the ark for transport and they were to lay a covering of porpoise skin over it and then a cloth of blue or violet over it (Num. 5:5-6). Only after the priests had prepared the ark for transport could the Kohathites come and pick up the ark by the poles. Even if the Kohathites touched the ark, they would die (Num. 5:15). When Israel donated a bunch of carts to be used for carrying all the utensils that were used in tabernacle worship - Numbers 7 - God explicitly says that Kohath does not need any carts since they carried the furniture with the poles (7:9).

Now we know why the officers told Israel (Joshua 3:4), that they were to keep 2,000 cubits distance between them and the ark: “Do not come near it.” Two thousand cubits is 3,000 feet. We have two examples of people not respecting the ark of the covenant like they should have - the Philistines in 1 Samuel 5-6 and King David in 2 Samuel 6. The ark of the covenant at this particular point symbolized God’s presence, and God said, “Respect My presence.”

God also told Israel that they needed to listen to Him and follow the priests carrying the ark because they had never been that way before (ver. 4). That summaries the essence of our lives, right? There are so many steps we take in life when we have not ever done that before - getting married, having children, getting a job, having a child die, or a parent die, or getting ready for death ourselves. Those are all steps we take in life and we haven’t done it before. We have to walk with Christ so that He can guide us through the uncertainties of life.

Then in verse 5, Joshua tells Israel to “consecrate themselves.” It is clear and obvious that only God can make something holy. But He requires mankind - whether Israelites here or Christians - to do something in order to be made holy. Back at Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:10-11, before God revealed the Law to Moses, God told Israel to consecrate themselves by washing their clothes and abstaining from sexual relations with their spouse. I suspect that’s what we have here, along with mentally and spiritually preparing one’s self to see God work in their lives.

The fact that one needs to prepare his or her heart to see God work is illustrated in the times when someone - I’m thinking of Numbers 16 - sees God punish miraculously someone else and that person still does not change their heart or their behavior. We have to prepare ourselves for worship, mentally and spiritually, in order to see God work in our lives.

To refer to a miracle as a “wonder” is to emphasize man’s response to the miracle; he wonders at the power exhibited. This Hebrew word is translated “miracle” (NASV) in Exodus 3:20. The verb means to be different, conspicuous, or curious.

THE COMMAND TO OBEY - 3:6-13:
Joshua tells the priests to lead the way with the ark of the covenant. Then the people are to follow.

In verse 7, we have the first reference to Jehovah speaking in this event. He tells Joshua He will not begin to “exalt” Joshua in the sight of all Israel so that they would all, just as they did with Moses, recognize Joshua is now God’s chosen leader. We have emphasized that the purpose of miracles was to confirm the message of a spokesman from God. We see that illustrated here. God had performed a miracle with Moses at the Red Sea where everyone passed on dry land; here, God will do the same with Joshua - a very, very similar miracle.

We know from verse 15 that the Jordan was flooded but in verse 8 God tells Joshua to command the priests to carry the ark into the middle of the Jordan River and just stand there. So then in verse 9, Joshua calls for Israel to listen to the words of God. Here is what they need to do.

In verse 10, Joshua tells Israel that the “living God” - in contrast to non-living idols - is among them and they will dispossess all the pagans living in the land. So this miracle was to serve as a foundation-strengthening event so that Israel would have more faith and confidence to fight for their Promised Land because was going to give it to them. He could miraculously carry them across the Jordan; He could help them defeat their enemies.

Notice in verses 11 and 13 that God is referred to as the “God / Master of all the earth.” God is not limited to Mount Sinai; He is not limited to this land or that land. He reigns and rules over all the earth. They will never leave Him behind nor will He ever move because He is available everywhere. Joshua was to take 12 men from the tribes of Israel and when the priests stand in the middle of the river, the 12 men will each take a stone and create a memorial in the middle of the river to remind Israel of the miracle God had performed for them at this time (see 4:6-7).

THE DESCENT INTO THE RIVER - 3:14-17:
Finally, in this last paragraph, Israel obeys God / Joshua. So God - through the Ark of the covenant - passed through the challenge first. His ark came and remained in the middle of the river while God’s people passed through.

“So the people crossed opposite Jericho” - that’s the essence of this passage. The people followed God’s presence, the ark of the covenant, and they passed through the Jordan River at the height of the flood season, on dry land. While’s God’s priests held the waters away. The whole nation - all 2 million people - crossed the Jordan River on dry land. And Joshua was affirmed to be God’s special, chosen leader.

CONCLUSION:
You and I are making our way through life, headed to our own Promised Land. Next month we will study Hebrews 3 and in April, Hebrews 4, where the Hebrew writer uses the Promised Land and its rest as a metaphor for the rest we have in Jesus Christ.

As I have mentioned, we have challenges that we have to pass through in our lives and we haven’t done it before. We need to follow Jesus Christ. Even with death, Jesus passed through death before we did. He has experienced it. He has shown us that death is not the end. And He is standing in the middle of the river, as it were, and calling us to come follow Him because we have not “passed this way before.”

But one more point I want to make, relative to the twelve stones set up in the Jordan River - every generation has to be reminded of the fundamental facts and truths of Christianity. We need to see the miracles which God has done in the Bible, including the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and these miracles need to strengthen our convictions in the word of God, the nature of Jesus Christ, and the power God has to provide for our needs.

Take home message: Life's challenges may be tough, but with Jesus by our side, victory is certain. Stay confident in His leading.