Joshua 3 (4)

So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.” Joshua 3.9-13

Reflect.
1.  God gave Israel signs and tokens to persuade them that everything He had promised would be theirs. “This,” He said to them, “is the guarantee of that.” Does He still do this? 

2.  Joshua declared to the people that God was “among” them and “before” them. In what sense is this true for us as well?

Think about it.
God was “among” the people of Israel and would go “before” them to drive out their enemies and secure the land of promise for them (vv. 10, 11). The mention of the various pagan nations in verse 10 would have served two purposes. First, it would have reminded the people of Israel of the vast scope of God’s promises – all those nations! Second, though God would go before them to drive out the pagan peoples, Israel would have understood that a good bit of work lay ahead before the promised land was theirs.

We can only deduce how Joshua understood what God was planning for the crossing of the Jordan. He remembered what God had done at the Red Sea, and he believed God would do this again, even though the Jordan was at flood stage (v. 15) and the waters would be swift. Had God revealed this to Joshua? Did more conversation pass between God and His chosen leader than is recorded here? This must have been the case, because as he assembled the people, Joshua called them to “hear the words of the LORD your God” (v. 9).

Joshua’s instruction in verse 12 might have caused some people to wonder. What does he have in mind for these twelve men? No particular qualifications are provided for the men who were to be chosen, but we can safely assume that the people sought out able men. Joshua would explain their task in due course. One thing at a time.

Can you hear the gasps of amazement and surprise that must have rippled through the assembly as Joshua explained what God was going to do (v. 13)? The parting of the Jordan would be the definitive sign of God’s presence. It would remind the people of their dramatic rescue from Egypt, and it would demonstrate the power that was going before them to subdue their enemies and secure God’s promises. We can be certain that those who observed this miracle would never forget it.

Meditate and discuss.
1.  “And Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that the living God is among you…” How would they know that? How do we know today that God is in us and working through and for us?

2.  Imagine you’re one of those twelve men, chosen by your tribe for this as-yet-unnamed task. Are you willing to do it? Why or why not? When God calls you to step forward and follow Him each day, do you always know what to expect, or what will be required of you? 

3.  Parting the waters of the Jordan was not merely God showing off. What would have been the effects of this on the people of Israel? On the nations of Canaan, as they learned of it? What miracle has God provided to encourage us that everything He has promised will one day be ours, if we are faithful to obey His Word?

“What great things were manifested before! The Red Sea was crossed on foot, manna was given from heaven, springs were burst open in the wilderness, the law was given through Moses. Many signs and marvels were performed in the wilderness, but nowhere is it said that Jesus [Joshua] was ‘exalted.’ But where the Jordan is crossed, there it is said to Jesus [Joshua], ‘In this day I am beginning to exalt you in the sight of the people.’” Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

I know You will go before me today, Lord, as I take up the hard work of…

Pray Psalm 128.
Prayer is an excellent setting for rehearsing the promises of God, and for thanking Him for the miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the giving of His Spirit. These sure tokens are the guarantee of blessings to come. Thanks be to God!

Psalm 128 (Fountain: There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood)
How blest are they who fear You, Lord,
Who walk within Your ways!
Rejoicing in Your bounteous Word,
They prosper all their days!
They prosper all their days, they prosper all their days!
Rejoicing in Your bounteous Word,
They prosper all their days!

Their homes with happy children bloom
Who fear Your holy Name;
Their tables and their every room 
Declare Your glorious fame!
Declare Your glorious fame, declare Your glorious fame!
Their tables and their every room
Declare Your glorious fame!

O Lord, from Zion send Your peace,
And prosp’rous make our ways;
Thus may Your blessings e’er increase
Upon us all our days!
Upon us all our days, upon us all our days!
Thus may Your blessings e’er increase
Upon all us all our days!

T. M. Moore

Where does the book of Joshua fit in the ongoing story of God’s covenant? Our workbook, God’s Covenant, can help you discover the place in God’s work of redemption not only of Joshua but of all the books of the Bible. God’s Covenant is a valuable resource to guide you in all your studies in God’s Word. To order your copy, click here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).