Joshua 3, Step into the Jordan

Joshua is ready to enter the region around Jericho.  But there are some preparations required....

Joshua 3: 1-4, Follow the ark

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.

    

After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

The Israelites are to follow the ark but to keep well away from it!  (There is no explanation for how the priests got these instructions.)

In verse 4 "about a thousand yards" is the translation for the Hebrew phrase literally "two thousand cubits."

Joshua 3: 5-8, Consecrate yourselves

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

    

Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.

    

And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: `When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.'"

It is clear that the people are to expect God to work.  Their instructions are to simply follow Him.

Jericho was just west of the Jordan River; the Israelites are currently on the east side, outside Canaan.

Joshua 3: 9-13, Waters will be cut off

Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.

    

"Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD--the Lord of all the earth--set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap."

Joshua explains the miracle that is about to occur. (The numbers seven and twelve show up again in this passage.  The occurrence of twelve is obvious but do you see the appearance of seven?)

In verse 13, YHWH is described as the Lord of all the earth.  He is not a regional God but Creator of the earth (universe) and thus has the power to change nature.

Joshua 3: 14-17, The Jordan River stops flowing

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

    

The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

The Salt Sea in verse 16 is the Dead Sea.

The Jordan stops flowing just as those carrying the ark touch the water's edge. The ark plays a critical part throughout this story.

One can come up with a variety of "natural" explanations for this dry land crossing, just as one might for the Israelites crossing the Sea of Reeds in Exodus.  Here people have suggested a large earthquake damming the river.  The area does have earthquakes and this might also explain the walls of Jericho collapsing in chapter 6.  But those of us who believe God acts through natural laws should not be surprised by this. 

Hubbard points out that the dry land crossings of Exodus and Joshua are bookends to the desert wanderings of the Jews. The forty years of wanderings begin with YHWH's prophet Moses dividing the Sea of Reeds and end with YHWH's prophet Joshua dividing the Jordan.