The Crossing of the Jordan | Part One

Joshua 3-4

The spies had returned and it was time to march into the Promised Land. As Israel prepared, God instructed Joshua regarding the Ark of the Covenant.

The priests were to carry it in front of the people, leading the way to the edge of the flooded Jordan River.

The Ark was the holiest and most central object in the tabernacle, the place in which God met with Moses. The ornate box contained the law given to Moses.

For the people of Israel, this sacred object was a clear representation of God's presence and God's word. As Joshua watched the priests carrying it to the front of the nation of Israel, God's commands from chapter one must have echoed in his mind. Don't be afraid Joshua. I'm with you. Focus on my law.

Joshua's confidence in God shines through in verse five when he commands the people to "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." We see no indication that he knew what would happen once the nation reached the Jordan at this point; yet he is sure that God will do wondrous things.

He's trusting in God's presence and God's word, moving ahead with confidence. THEN, God lays out the plan: Just as the Exodus began with a miraculously parted Sea, so it would end with a miraculously dammed river.

Those carrying the Ark were to step into the great river and wait for the waters to stop. Then the nation would cross on dry land, passing by the Ark in the middle of the riverbed.

As they passed the Ark, there could be no doubt that this was an act of God. The same God that gave them the law. What a visual teaching moment for God's people.

God didn't have to do it this way. He could have beamed the inhabitants of the land out an the Israelites in. In fact, the Israelites didn't even need a miraculous crossing. They were in no hurry. There was an Egyptian army on their heels when Moses led them through the Red Sea. This time they could have built rafts if they wanted to.

But God ordained that they would cross a miraculously dried up riverbed, the Ark standing between them and the piled up waters.

The message: trust in God and walk in His law.

The ultimate fulfillment: Jesus Christ. Jesus is God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is the word in person (John 1). Jesus stands between us and the piled up waters of damnation and disaster. Follow him as the Israelites followed the Ark of the Covenant and you will be saved.