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.<\/p>\n
If we desire to successfully pass through the deep waters of this life, we also need to follow God\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“LORD, we trust You today.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joshua 3 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0And 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.\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0Yet 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\u00a0<\/em>way heretofore.\u00a0\u00a05<\/sup>And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will do wonders among you.\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And 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<\/sup>\u00a0And the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said 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,\u00a0so\u00a0<\/em>I will be with thee.\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0And 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<\/sup>\u00a0And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the\u00a0LORDyour God. 10<\/sup>\u00a0And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>among you, and\u00a0that<\/em>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.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the\u00a0LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan,\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>the waters of Jordan shall be cut off\u00a0from\u00a0<\/em>the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. 14<\/sup> 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;\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0And 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,)\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0That the waters which came down from above stood and\u00a0<\/em>rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain,\u00a0even\u00a0<\/em>the salt sea, failed,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0stood 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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. 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