INTRODUCTION: Let’s review the five primary themes of this book, just to keep an overall perspective on what it’s all about.
FIVE PRIMARY THEMES of the Book:
1) SUCCESS – Success came when Israel obeyed GOD, trusting in GOD’s abilities, His promises, His faithfulness rather than their own military might and other human resources.
2) FAITH – By trusting GOD they would be assured of GOD’s salvation and leading. Observing GOD’s faithfulness gave them the faith to continue trusting in GOD.
3) GUIDANCE – GOD’s instructions to Israel for every aspect of life followed through by His faithful attendance to their needs and their GOD-given ability to claim the land promised to them.
4) LEADERSHIP – Joshua was an excellent leader, demonstrating his confidence in the LORD’s strength, being courageous in the face of opposition and willing to always seek GOD’s counsel.
5) CONQUEST – GOD commanded His people to conquer the land, bring judgment to the unrepentant Canaanites and acquire all of their land.
And as we discussed before, this book is divided into three sections:
1) ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND – the people of Israel cross over the Jordan into Canaan (JOSH 1:1-5:12)
2) CONQUERING THE PROMISED LAND – The nation begins their GOD-ordained mandate to take the land promised to them (JOSH 5:13-12:24)
3) DIVIDING THE PROMISED LAND – The twelve tribes received their land allotments. (JOSH 13:1-24:33)
JOSHUA 3:1-4
1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. 2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."
Joshua and all Israel left Acacia Grove… (sounds like a nice name for a street or a quaint little town!) and approached the Jordan River. The time of year that they came to that river was typical for its banks to be flooded making it much wider than usual. The LORD could have had them arrive any time of the year – why then, when it was most impassible?
That’s why! There are times in our lives when the LORD will allow “an impossible situation” just to show us that He is still the “GOD of the HIMpossible”!
The LORD wants to show His people that just as He was with Moses, He was also with Joshua. And just as with Moses facing the Red Sea, and the people seeing the hand of GOD, so too at this point with the Jordan River!
JEREMIAH 32:17, 27“Success came when Israel obeyed GOD, trusting in GOD’s abilities, His promises, His faithfulness rather than their own military might and other human resources.”
17 'Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. 27 "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
It's been rightly declared that if we can believe GENESIS 1:1, then the rest of the Bible is easy to believe. I would add that if we can believe LUKE 24:6 then everything pertaining to our salvation is easy to believe!
ROMANS 8:16-17Our GOD is a faithful Savior – and just as He was careful in His attentiveness with Israel, providing for them every step of the way, so He is with you, His beloved saint in Christ! And even when it doesn’t seem that way, don’t forget that “all” still means ALL (ROMANS 8:28)!
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. See 2 COR 1:22; 5:5; EPH 1:13; 4:30
ROMANS 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? See ROM 4:25; 5:6,10.
Why was this order given to provide a substantial distance between the ark of the Covenant and the people of Israel? Two thousand cubits – that amounts to about half a mile. I think there were two reasons:
No one but the Levites were even permitted to carry the holy things of the Tabernacle, and most especially not the very ark of the Holy Covenant! So a safe distance away was necessary because any except the Levites that touched the ark of the Covenant was slain, even if their intentions were good (1 CHRON 13:7-10; had David consulted the Scripture he would have known that carrying the ark on an ox cart was not according to the LORD’s instructions. That ignorance cost Uzza his life! The Law of GOD teaches us that disobedience (sin) brings death! ROM 6:23a).
The other (more logistically practical) reason that’s specified in the text, was to provide sufficient distance so that all twelve tribes marching after it would have a clear view, and know what direction it was going in as they traversed these unfamiliar lands.
After some time in the camp, they assembled to cross over Jordan; and how many days were they encamped? Three days – we see “three days” everywhere in Scripture and it’s a subtle hint as to their importance. It points to the most important event in human history!
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-4JOSHUA 3:5-6
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you." 6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
The people weren’t really following the (Levitical) priests – they were following what they were carrying – the ark of GOD. And what was in the ark? Among a couple other items, the Law of GOD. You can do no better than to follow the Law of the LORD, that is to say, the comprehensive revelation of inspired Scripture, from GENESIS to REVELATION!
PSALM 1:2-3Consider PSALM 119 that is all about the Word of GOD, describing its many aspects: “the law, precepts, statutes, word, testimonies, commandments, judgments”. This Bible is the complete revelation of GOD with no need for anything else for our spiritual life. True, there are many good and useful books written by godly authors who knew/know Christ, but none of them are inspired Scripture as is the Bible.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
It’s our bread and water, our milk and meat, a veritable spiritual cornucopia! It’s our compass and guide, our light, our comfort, our high tower and refuge, our mirror, counselor, companion – everything that we have need of, without any supplemental additions necessary.
1 THESSALONIANS 2:13The Bible is a living Book whose truth when absorbed into the mind and heart actively work at “rewriting our software that’s been corrupted by sin. With the program that is GOD’s Word, the virus of sin is increasingly eradicated and we are being rewritten according to GOD’s design!”
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
"Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you..."
Sanctification intimates preparation, it is to cleanse or setting something or someone apart for special use and relationship; to commit oneself to holiness. Here in JOSHUA we’re looking at a people who will behold the wondrous work of our miraculous GOD. Such sights are not for the vulgar, for the carnal, for those spiritually dull of heart.
Without such attitudes and preparation one is like Isaiah who was apparently caught unawares when the LORD gave him that vision in ISAIAH 6. All he could say was “Woe is me, I am undone – a man of unclean lips…” (ISA 6:1-8; see also EXOD 19:10,14-15; LEV 20:7; JOSH 7:13)
But GOD sanctified the prophet, who was then greatly used of GOD, being so inspired by His Spirit to pen this incredible 66 Chapter book of the same name. It’s no coincidence that this prophet’s lips were touched by the fiery coal from off GOD’s alter, for Isaiah came to be known as “The Messianic Prophet”. There are more prophecies concerning Christ in this book than any other in the Canon!
JOSHUA 3:7-9
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 "You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.'" 9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God."
GOD says here that He will exalt Joshua. This tells us something about this successor to Moses. That just as Moses was a humble man – the most humble in all the Earth besides Jesus Christ Himself - so too was Joshua, for GOD exalts the humble (and puts down the proud; JAMES 4:6-10)!
GOD confirms His intentions toward Joshua and to all Israel. He is going to manifest His miraculous power before the people, authenticating Joshua’s leadership as divinely authorized – just as He had done with Moses. The command from GOD was that the priests who bear the ark shall stand in the Jordan, that is, at the banks of the river. GOD told them to get their feet wet!
A step of faith means you don’t remain where you were when GOD commands, instructs, guides you according to His will. When the disciples were frightened while in their little ship tossed about on the Galilee, they saw the LORD and became all the more afraid. But Peter cried out, “LORD, if that’s you, bid me to come to you on the water.”
The LORD spoke one word: “Come.” Peter took that step of faith, while the others remained in the boat where is was relatively safer. So long as Peter kept his focus on Christ, he was a water walker (MATT 14:26-29)!
FROM The MIND Of FIRE has a good article about this incident:
A DIFFERENT SERMON ON ANOTHER MOUNT
Elizabeth Elliot was fond of pointing out, “It’s hard to steer a parked car.” When GOD says move, we move – we don’t “pray about it.” And once our feet get wet, we get to watch GOD move!
JOSHUA 3:10-11
10 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: 11 "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
The LORD has proven Himself to His people Israel through the wilderness wanderings by way of His miraculous provisions, granting Israel victory against impossible odds, doing miracles well beyond natural phenomenon. Yet He’s going to do something marvelous at the Jordan River as well – a sort of reminder as to Who Israel has on their side! This will serve Israel well, once they are face to face with these various tribes of the Canaanites and will have need of courage. They can remember the Jordan and GOD’s word to them: “…you shall know that the living God is among you…”
The LORD told Jehoshaphat the same thing:
2 CHRONICLES 20:17Recall what the LORD told Abram regarding his descendants becoming slaves to foreigners for 400 years, and after their deliver and exodus from Egypt they would return to Canaan land:
'You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."
GENESIS 15:13-16“GOD’s instructions to Israel for every aspect of life was followed through by His faithful attendance to their needs and their GOD-given ability to claim the land promised to them.”
13 Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 "And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 "Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 "But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."
Israel taking the land wasn’t an Imperialistic ploy; it was a legitimate claim on “manifest destiny” – it was simply an act of GOD Who was using Israel as His means of judging these pagan nations that refused to repent of their iniquities and to possess the land. It wasn’t only that these pagan nations were rebellious, committing atrocious evils, but they also spread insidious STD’s.
And if that wasn’t all, there was interaction between fallen angels and human females in the region (King Og, the sons of Anak (from the people of Anakim) and entire tribes such as the Rephaim, Zanzummim, Emim), creating giants in the land (NUM 13:33). Even in GENESIS 4 it states that there were giants in the land (nephilim) in those days [the days of Noah] and also after that (indicating that they made a return to the world – specifically Canaan. But why return? These giants were likely Satan’s ploy in an attempt to prevent Israel from inheriting the land.
JOSHUA 11:18-22
18 Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. 19 There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle. 20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses (DEUT 20:16-17).
21 And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities (JOSH 15:13-14).
22 None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod (1 SAM 17:1-7)
For a very thorough and in-depth article on the nephilim, check this out from KNOWING SCRIPTURE: Giants In The Land:
A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF THE NEPHILIM, ANAKIM, REPHAIM (AND GOLIATH).
JOSHUA 3:12-13
12 "Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. 13 "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."
Here we have something of a repeat performance of what happened at the Red Sea, but in this case, being a river, whose high volume of moving water in a unilateral direction made it a significant challenge (at least in the eyes of the people!).
Still, the waters were “cut off” and stood “as a heap”, i.e., piled up in a mound. This didn’t happen while the priests stood on the shore – they had to take a step [of faith] and that’s when GOD moved and stopped the river! And these twelve men – one from each tribe, represented the whole of the nation. The entire nation was then prepared to follow the lead of those twelve men, who themselves were to follow the priests that bore the Ark of the Covenant.
A conjecture on my part: This event could have been witnessed by the inhabitants of the land, and they would report what they saw to citizens dwelling at nearby Jericho. Perhaps there were some of that mighty city who doubted the accounts as they were told from far off Egypt, and in the Wilderness of Sin (JOSH 2:9-11). They could have assumed that those earlier reports were gross exaggerations – propaganda even to strike fear in the hearts of the Canaanites.
But now these reports are coming in from “around the corner” from kings and leaders that were known personally in Canaan (JOSH 5:1). The GOD of these Hebrews – did He really split the powerful Jordan River so that His people could cross – into their native land and take it over?
JOSHUA 3:14-17
14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
From the Patrick, Lowth, Whitby and Lowman Commentary we have the following:
“The waters which came down from above stood stopped and ran no farther; but were driven back unto those that were coming down. Rose up upon a heap Instead of flowing down the channel, were lifted up in the air; and appeared like a mountain, as the Vulgar Latin translated it.The priests remained “on dry ground” in the midst of the Jordan (it wasn’t muddy at all. but dry!) while the children of Israel passed through. The priests didn’t move until the last of the Hebrews made it safely across.
“Very far from the city Adam, At a great distance from a city then called Adam, which lay upon the river. That is beside Zaretan; The former was a small city, and therefore its situation is described by a place of greater note called Zaretan, which lay on one side of it, in the plain of Jordan, as we read 1 KINGS 7:46.
“Those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, Those waters of the river, which were below, towards the salt sea, into which Jordan emptied itself, ran all thither, and so left the channel perfectly dry, that the people might pass over, which they did, directly over against Jericho.
“The people passed over right against Jericho. Having that famous city in their view; from whence, perhaps, the people on the walls might, with amazement, see the Israelites walk through the river on dry ground. It was a great refreshment also to the Israelites after their march, to pitch their tents in so goodly a plain as this before Jericho.”
Like those priests, we as saints perform priestly duties in praying for one another (1 PET 2:9), and even for lost souls. We don’t want to stop remaining “in the gap” until we “pray it through” and receive answers to our intercessions. As the church of GOD, we want to leave no single member behind but ensure that we are all together and advancing the kingdom of GOD collectively. None can be left behind: the eye cannot spare the ear, nor can the hand, the foot, nor the eye, the ear. And those parts less comely must also be brought along (1 COR 12:13-27)!
I had mentioned it again, and I’ll touch on it here (but in greater detail in the next Chapter), that this crossing over Jordan is not a type of a saint who crosses over this life, through death, and into the glorious domain of the Here After. If it were, that would mean that there are giants, enemies, struggles, obstacles as well as failures and setbacks in heaven! Not a chance! What this is, is a picture of the repentant saint, delivered from the bondage of sin (just as Israel was delivered from Egypt) and enters into the new life – where indeed we will encounter spiritual warfare, struggles, suffering – but through it all, as we yield to the grace of GOD and the power of the Spirit, GOD will advance us in spiritual prosperity, just as Israel’s claim on Canaan land increased as they took territory promised to them by the LORD GOD.
That’s all for now – we’ll pick up on Chapter 4 next time! GOD bless you all, WAY TOO MUCH!!
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