seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Joshua 3:1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
6 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.
7 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. 8 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.’”
9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 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. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 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.”
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 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, 16 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 (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Here's a link to the commentary I use. Please go read the commentary. David Guzick made some pretty good comments on faith.I've been haunted by the "Dry Ground" the Israelites walked across when they left Egypt. I've been thinking about the natural ways God could dry up a river. I've been wishing I could just go back and write about it. And now Joshua is going to do the same thing Moses did.
Joshua is about to cross the Jordan.... ON DRY GROUND TOO!
The Jordan was at flood stage [verse 15]. The priests carrying the Arc of the Covenant, loaded with those stone tablets. and other articles of remembrance was so heavy it took several men to carry it.
Those priests had to walk with that heavy burden across a riverbed. As they came up to the river, I wonder if they were wondering how they would keep their footing. After all, the river was at flood stage... they would have to battle the force of the rushing river water... and walk where they could not see their footing. I wonder if they were afraid of dropping the Arc!
Remember... Joshua was there when the Israelites had to cross the Red Sea. But all the people who doubted the Promised Land had died off. God wouldn't let them into the Promised Land because they refused to believe they would be able to battle the giants that currently lived in the Promised Land.
And then.... look! It's another "Red Sea" chance. Joshua, taking the place of Moses, will lead the people across a river, swollen and flowing.
As soon as the toes of the first priest dipped into the water.... it dried up! Just like when their parents or grandparents walked across the Red Sea.
There is no doubt the priests carrying the Arc had heard about the "dry ground" story. But never in their wildest dreams did they think they would witness such a thing. After all, people my age remember Vietnam and Kent State, but ask a teen about either and the blank stare amazes me every time.
Now... How could this happen? Well.... It's a river tsunami. When an earthquake happens and water is involved, water flops around like water in a bowl. A tsunami would suck up the water in front of it and hold up the water behind it. We've all seen the clips of how the water dried up during the tsunami that recently hit India.
So... when the priests started across the Jordan... the tsunami happened.... I wonder if they felt the quake....
So... now I should have a clearer mind... I got to revisit the "Red Sea" story and provide an answer that eases my ridiculously old mind.
Thank you for letting me post my Bible Study every morning.
So... here we go... Joshua crossed across from Jericho [verse 16].
ON DRY GROUND TOO!
