Joshua 3: 1 – 17
3 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.
Today's Scripture recorded a miracle, a miracle that God performed for the people of Israel. This miracle is comparable to the parting of the Red Sea. In both miracles, the leaders of the Israelites obeyed and actioned God's command (Moses raised his hand and cane towards the Red Sea, and the priests carrying the ark stood in the river), the Red Sea and the river immediately parted, allowing the People of Israel to walk through the dry land and marching on in their journey.
For the Israelites, the Red Sea and the river could have ended their lives. In the Book of Exodus, as they exited Egypt, Pharoah’s army was closing in on them. The Red Sea blocked their escape route. How were they to cross over it? There was no escape from the pursuit of Pharoah’s soldiers. They were in grave danger! In the Book of Joshua, the Israelites were ordered by God to cross the River to enter Canaan to drive out the local Gentiles. This posed a problem for the priests who were carrying the ark. The River Jordan is not a sleeping stream, it was raging and was flooding at the time. There were no bridges, and it was dangerous to cross. On top of it, they were carrying a very heavy ark! How could they avoid being drowned?
We cannot help but ask: Why did the Lord God put the Israelites in such a difficult situation? God could have blocked the Pharaoh’s army with His hand, holding them back from the Israelites, then the Israelites would be able to take their time to further their distance from the Egyptian army! In Joshua, the priests were innocent parties who just followed God’s command and waded into the river. Why did our loving God treat His people this way?
Today's Scripture clearly states that God will lead His people into a path that they have never been before. (Jos. 3:4) This “path” will let His people see with their own eyes and personally experience God’s miraculous deeds in their midst. So, when the priests stepped into the River Jordan, its water flowing downstream was cut off and stood up in a heap! It formed a wall of water, allowing the people of Israel to pass through safely on the dry land. This miracle let the Israelite “know that the living God is among (them).” (Jos. 3:10). It is as important as the miracle of the Red Sea parting led by Moses. Both miracles are signs of experiencing God’s salvation by His people, the Israelites.
So, what are some of the signs that mark the presence of God in your life, especially during a period of distress? How can we turn the life storms, not matter how great or small, into a time when we can experience His presence? Let us review the miracle described in the Book of Joshua.
During the miracle, the moment the priests entered the water, the river was completely cut off. The most important step was not when the priests stepped into the water, but the fact that they were carrying the ark when they entered the water. When they stood on the dry ground in the middle of the Jordan River, carrying the ark, it was as if God Himself stood in the river and intercepted the flow of the gushing river, almost like building a dyke to stop the water from flowing so that the People of Israel was able to pass through. It was the ark, the Lord's merciful intervention that made miracle possible! The priests were simply following God’s order. This tells us that when one is willing to obey God's words, then by the grace of God, miracles will happen.
Today, the whole world is suffering the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only are nearly 2 million people infected worldwide, but nearly 120,000 people have lost their lives. Around the corner lurks the possible collapse of the global economy. We feel helpless, but can we be like the priests and stand solidly in this storm holding onto the ark? What must we do to obey God's words even during this pandemic? How can we use this time to experience God’s presence?
God promised: When we "take up the ark" and daringly follow Him, He will part the water, so that we can safely pass through any storms in our lives. Amen!