Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JOSHUA 3
Crossing the Jordan
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.
Application Notes
3:2-4 The ark of the covenant was Israel's most sacred treasure. It was a symbol of God's presence and power. The ark was a gold-covered rectangular box with two cherubim (angels) facing each other on the lid. Inside the ark were the tablets of the Ten Commandments Moses had received from God, a jar of manna (the bread God had miraculously sent from heaven during the wilderness wanderings), and Aaron’s staff (the symbol of the high priest's authority). According to God's Iaw, only the Levites could carry the ark. The ark was constructed at the same time as the tabernacle (Exodus 37:1-9) and placed in the sanctuary's most sacred room.
3:5 Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were to perform a consecration ceremony. This was often done before making a sacrifice or, as in this case, before witnessing a great act of God. God's law stated that a person could become unclean for many reasons—eating certain foods (Leviticus 11), giving birth (Leviticus 12), dealing with disease (Leviticus 13-14), touching a dead person (Numbers 19:11-22). God used these various outward signs of uncleanness to illustrate a person's inward uncleanness that comes as a result of sin. The consecration ceremony pictured the importance of approaching God with a pure heart and mind. Like the Israelites, we need God's forgiveness to cleanse our hearts and minds before we approach him.
3:9 Just before crossing over into the Promised Land, Joshua gathered the people to hear the words of the Lord. Their excitement was high. No doubt they wanted to rush into action, but Joshua made them stop and listen to what God wanted to tell them at that moment. We live in a fast-paced age where everyone is rushing here and there to keep up with their full agendas. We get caught up in the next task, too busy to listen to God's words—too busy to see what's most important. Before diving into your agenda each day, pause for a moment and focus on listening to God and seeking to know what he wants for you. Hearing from God before you rush into your day will remind you of his presence and clarify what he wants to do through and in you.
3:10 Why would God help the Israelites drive out these nations from their native land? God had punished the people of Israel first for their disobedience. He then turned to the rest of the nations. Genesis 15:16 implies that the people of Canaan were an evil people and needed to be punished by God for their terrible sins. Israel was to be God's vehicle for this punishment. Even more important was the fact that Israel, chosen by God to be a nation that worshiped him alone, could not live among people who worshiped multiple gods and had no regard for the one true God, the God of Israel. Living in such an environment would make it difficult for the Israelites to reject their sinful practices. The only way to prevent Israel from being infected by these negative influences was to drive them out. But the Israelites failed to drive everyone out as God had told them to do. And sure enough, it wasn't long before God's people began following the pagan practices of the Canaanites.
3:13-17 God had parted the waters of the Red Sea to let the people out of Egypt (Exodus 14), and here he parted the Jordan River to let them enter Canaan. These miracles showed Israel that God keeps his promises. God's presence among his people and his faithfulness to them made the entire journey from Egypt to the Promised Land possible. He was with them at the end of the wanderings just as he had been with them at the begining.
3:13-14 The Israelites were eager to enter the Promised Land, conquer nations and live peacefully. But first they had to cross the flood-level water of the Jordan River. God gave them specific instructions: In order to cross, the priests had to step into the water. What if these priests had been afraid to take that first step? Often God provide no solution for our problems until we trust him and move ahead with what we know he wants us to do. What are the rivers, or obstacles, in your life? In Obedience to God, take that first step.
3:15-16 The Israelites crossed the Jordan River in the spring, when it was overflowing its banks. God chose the time when the river was at its highest to demonstrate his power—parting the waters so that the entire nation could cross on dry ground. It had been many years since Israel had witnessed God's miracle of parting the Red Sea, and the younger people had only heard about it. So witnessing this miracle would have been a great encouragement that God was still with them. Some say that God used a natural occurrence (such as a landslide) to stop the waters of the Jordan; others say he did it by a direct act. In either case, God showed his great power by working a miracle of timing and location to allow his people to cross the river on dry ground. This testimony of God's supernatural power served to build the Israelites’ hope in God and to give them a reputation among their enemies, who greatly outnumbered them.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)