Moses guided the Israelites to the land promised to them, with the Lord leading them to Mount Nebo. There, the Lord revealed the promised land and reminded Moses of the oath made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although Moses beheld the land with his own eyes, he was not destined to enter it. Following Moses' passing, Joshua was appointed as the new leader to guide the Israelites into the promised land.
God Blessed Joshua to Lead the Israelites
Joshua 1:5-9 - 'No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” '
To access Jericho and enter the promised land, the Israelites faced the formidable challenge of crossing the River Jordan, which posed as a significant obstacle. Adding to the difficulty, the river was swollen and overflowing due to the bountiful harvest season.
The Israelites found themselves in a profound dilemma: on one side, God had promised them entry into the Promised Land, but on the opposite side, they were confronted with the sight of a turbulent river. The actions taken by Joshua and the Israelites during this time hold numerous spiritual lessons for us to glean from.
Joshua's Leadership in Action
Joshua lead them like how Moses did, He gave commands to the people and the priest
Orders to People
Joshua orders the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant Joshua 3:3 - '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. '
Ark of the Covenant - The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred and significant artifact for the Israelites. It was a wooden chest overlaid with gold, containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron's rod. It represented God's presence and served as a symbol of His covenant with the Israelites.
As you follow - Maintain a distance of 2000 Cubits (18 to 24 Inches) Joshua 3:4 - '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.” '
Consecrate yourself - Make yourself Holy and clean before the Lord who will do amazing things Joshua 3:5 - 'Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” '
Orders to Priest
Take up the Ark of Covenant - Only the Levites were allowed to Carry the Ark of Covenant as they were ordained priests by Moses Joshua 3:6 - '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. '
Pass ahead of the people
They took it up and went ahead of people to lead from front
God’s Response
Joshua 3:7-13 - '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.’ ” 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.” '
When they placed God first to lead them from front God spoke to Joshua and said “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. “ God assures him that he will see the Glory of God in his own eyes
Instructions to priest on how to cross the river - 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.’ ”
God will lead from front - See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.
God’s miracle will manifest - 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.” '
Miracle explained
Joshua 3:15-17 - '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 (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 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.'
As Soon as the priest touched the waters edge Jordan river - The upstream water stopped flowing “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”
There was a invisible wall built in front of them like how God did when they crossed Red Sea “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. “
Dry Ground in middle of Jordan river - “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.'”
After they crossed the river was back to normal - Joshua 4:18 'And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord . No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. '
God‘s Glory manifested - Joshua 4:23-24 'For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”'
Brought Fear in Enemy camp’s - Joshua 5:1 - 'Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites. '
Lessons for us to learn
While this may look like a story for us to see thru. Lessons to learn here
Similar to the Israelites, we encounter God's promises and numerous metaphorical "Jordan rivers" in our daily lives. The challenge we face is whether to rely on ourselves or trust in God as we navigate these obstacles. It is a constant battle as we strive to follow God faithfully each day.
Just as Joshua put his trust in God and His promise, we should also place our trust in God and His promises, even when our eyes cannot see thru.
Joshua trusted God with this promise “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Our God is the same God who lead Joshua, he gives us the same promise to us as well.
Joshua issued instructions to the people and the priests, and they obediently followed his orders. Similarly, God asks us to obey certain things as we encounter the metaphorical "Jordan rivers" in our lives. However, many times we fail to heed His instructions.
Joshua encouraged the people to consecrate themselves, emphasizing the importance of purifying their hearts and putting God first. By doing so, they would witness the amazing works of God. God reveals His glory when we cleanse ourselves and prioritize Him. All our actions should ultimately lead to the manifestation of God's glory.
Joshua prioritized the Ark of the Covenant and faithfully followed God's instructions. Similarly, in our own lives, when faced with challenges, we must set aside our selfish desires and seek God's guidance to navigate the metaphorical Jordan rivers. Often, our ego tempts us to rely on our own understanding, leading us astray and causing us to blame God for our failures.
Similar to the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant, we should take a small step of faith. When we do, we can trust that God will perform miracles and create a path where there seems to be no way.
Once they had crossed the Jordan, the Israelites obediently followed God's instructions to erect twelve stones as a testament to His glory and faithfulness. Joshua 4:23-24 - 'For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”'
After successfully navigating the challenges and obstacles in our lives, we often forget to acknowledge the actions of the Lord and mistakenly attribute all the praise and honor to ourselves, neglecting to give rightful credit to God. We have to learn from Joshua as he did in Joshua 4:23-24
Just as the enemies of the Israelites were filled with fear, your own adversaries will tremble with fear when God leads you through difficult situations. Do not worry about the magnitude of your obstacles or problems, for God is capable of performing mighty acts.