Joshua 3:15–16: “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), 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.”

March 24th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In order to enter the Promise Land the children of Israel would have to cross the Jordan. God directed that the Ark be carried first into the river by the priest, 1000 yards ahead of the people, which would cause the river to dry up so the people could pass over on a dry riverbed. The author of Joshua points out that this was not the time of year when the Jordan trickled down to a small stream, but the time of the spring rains, when the river was swollen and overflowing its banks. This is probably why God wanted such a large area of separation between the Ark and the people. He wanted them to clearly see that the river had stopped flowing for them. From the priests’ point of view, they were stepping into a flooding river. We can’t help but wonder if there was any hesitation as they stepped in, doubting for a moment whether the river would actually dry up. We usually want the river to be completely dry before we even begin to take a step, but here God was calling Israel to step out in faith.

If we desire to successfully pass through the deep waters of this life, we also need to follow God’s directing. We only get one shot at this thing called life, trying to live it the best way we can. Only a fool would attempt it without God, without following His guidance and receiving His blessing of eternal life. We are tempted to think we know better than what God’s Word says, and so we fail to follow it and inevitably get into trouble. If we trust Him, we realize He is the only One who really knows the way for us.

Some struggle to understand just how the Jordan River suddenly stopped flowing. The Lord may have used a natural occurrence like an earthquake, but whatever it was, we can safely say that the timing of it was in the hand of God and that in some miraculous manner He stopped the flow of the river. This story is evidence of the trust Joshua, the priests, and the people had in the God they knew was present with them. We should have the same confidence in God’s directing hand in our own lives today as we face flooding rivers.

“LORD, we trust You today.”

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Joshua 3 KJV

¹ And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ² And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; ³ And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. ⁴ Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.  ⁵And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. ⁶ And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. ⁷ And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. ⁸ And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. ⁹ And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORDyour God. ¹⁰ And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and thathe 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 passeth over before you into Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. ¹³ And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. ¹⁴ And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; ¹⁵ And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) ¹⁶ That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. ¹⁷ And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.