Joshua 3

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3:1 Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing the river. 3:2 After three days the leaders went through the camp 3:3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here and walk behind it. 3:4 But stay about three thousand feet behind it. Keep your distance so you can see which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before.”

This chapter and the next describe the crossing of the Jordan. Thus, the desert was put behind them and the last barrier to the promised land overcome. Ch. 3 gives the events in order; ch. 4 returns to and elaborates on several points, especially the memorial of stones at Gilgal.

‘There are four speeches preparing the people for the crossing: one by the officers to the people (2-4), one by Joshua to the people and to the priests (5-6), one by the LORD to Joshua (7-8), and one by Joshua to the whole nation (9-13). Each speech reveals a bit more about the marvel to happen, reaching a climax in Joshua’s final address.’ (NBC)

“The ark of the covenant” – The ark was a gold-plated chest, 4 by 2 by 2 ft. It symbolised the throne of God and was sometimes carried into battle, Nu. 10:35; 1 Sa. 4-6. ‘Housing the Ten Commandments, Israel’s constitution (Dt. 10:1-4; 31:26), the ark stood for his ethical rule and Israel’s covenantal relationship with him. It also symbolizes the gospel for, in addition to housing the law by which all will be judged (see Rom. 2:12-16), its lid, the mercy seat, sprinkled with atoning blood, prefigures the cleansing blood of Christ (Heb. 9).’ (NBC)

‘See Ex. 25:10-22; Deut. 10:5. The ark plays a prominent role in chs. 3; 4; 6; and 8. It signifies not only the presence of the Lord (Num. 10:33-36), but specifically His covenant, which means His commitment to His promises as well as the consequent obligations of Israel.’ (New Geneva)

“A distance of about a thousand yards” – The purpose of the separation may be to ensure that the ark will be visible to the maximum number of people.

3:5 Joshua told the people, “Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will perform miraculous deeds among you.” 3:6 Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.

“Consecrate yourselves” – ‘If the experience of Israel at Mt. Sinai was the pattern (Ex. 19:9–15), “sanctify yourselves” meant that everybody bathed and changed their clothes and that the married couples devoted themselves wholly to the Lord (1 Cor. 7:1–6).’ (Wiersbe)

‘Something which belonged to God in the Old Testament was holy simply because it was his, and by consecrating themselves the people were marking themselves off as belonging to God. It is not necessarily the case that God will not work through an “unclean vessel”, since he seems to delight in working with people (such as David) who have made massive mistakes, but it is certainly true that in the Old Testament as a whole God summons his people to consecration at points where he is about to act significantly among them [cf. Num 11:18]. This principle is then embedded more clearly in the call of Israel’s Torah, which insists that Israel is to be holy because Yahweh is holy [e.g. Lev 19:1f], a theme which the New Testament also applies to the life of the church. Rather than particular moments of consecration, the New Testament expects consecration to mark the entire life of the church. However, we should not make too sharp a distinction between the Testaments here, because the Torah also expects lifelong holiness from Israel. In addition, as here, there may well be times when some special moment of consecration is expected from God’s people as they engage in his mission.’ (Firth, BST)

The principle remains

‘See what preparation we must make to receive the discoveries of God’s glory and the communications of his grace: we must sanctify ourselves.’ (MHC)

‘Although Yahweh may not now cut a path through rivers for his people every month or so, the principle remains. Do you prepare yourself for the practice of the public worship of God? If we are not impressed with the grandeur of the living God in public worship, is it because we have not prepared ourselves to see him as such? Could it be that we even fail to detect the Lord’s marvelous working in the routine affairs of our lives simply because we have not prepared ourselves to see or even expect that?’ (Davis)

3:7 The LORD told Joshua, “This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israel so they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 3:8 Instruct the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, ‘When you reach the bank of the Jordan River, wade into the water.’ ”

“So that they may know” – ‘God’s acts are often said to have the purpose of bringing about knowledge (Ex. 8:10; Deut. 4:35; 2 Kin. 19:19; Isa. 45:6). Such knowledge is never merely intellectual. It is, however, attainable through hearing the news of God’s acts, as well as by seeing them (2:9, 10; 4:24). Here the object of knowledge is the presence of God with Joshua (1:5 note; cf. Ex. 14:31), which the people will experience through the faithfulness of God to His promises.’ (New Geneva)

‘Joshua prefigures Christ who leads his church out of the wilderness of this world to cross the river of death in their pilgrimage to the heavenly city.’ (NBC)

3:9 Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God!” 3:10 Joshua continued, “This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 3:11 Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you. 3:12 Now select for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. 3:13 When the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Ruler of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, the water coming downstream toward you will stop flowing and pile up.”

Seven nations are mentioned – the number probably symbolising completeness:

‘The OT contains nearly 24 lists like this one, including five in Joshua (Josh 3:10; 9:1; 11:3; 12:8; 24:11). The names and order vary, but in most instances, seven names are given, perhaps indicating a symbolic completeness. However, 12 people groups occur when the lists are compared—likely a deliberate, symbolic correspondence to the 12 tribes of Israel.’ (Faithlife Study Bible)

3:14 So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water—(the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)—3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 3:17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.

The Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time – The crossing took place in April, at the time of the first harvest. The river was swollen, mainly as a result of snowmelt from Mount Hermon. This circumstances magnifies God’s power in bringing his people across the river (for at most other times of the year it was readily fordable). Moreover, there is a parallel between Moses and Joshua, in that the crossing of the Red Sea took place at the same time of year.

Firth (BST) remarks that:

‘The note about the flood emphasizes the power of Yahweh in ensuring Israel crossed on dry land when they could not have done so themselves. In addition, along with the flax on Rahab’s roof, it sets the narrative in spring, preparing for the celebration of Passover in chapter 5.’

The people crossed over opposite Jericho – facing a problem as daunting as the crossing of the Jordan river. Jericho’s threatening walls could be seen in the distance, seemingly impregnable.

Crossing the Jordan

Josh 3:14 When the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 3:15 When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water—(the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time)—3:16 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. 3:17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.

This is one of three miracles in the book of Joshua (the others being the fall of Jericho’s walls in Josh 6:20 and the lengthening of the day in Josh 10:12-14) that critics tend to regard as legendary.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are those like Roger Ellsworth, who in his popular-level treatment of Joshua, regards the incident as pure miracle:

If we believe in God, we have no reason to doubt the miracles of the Bible. God made this world and put in place the laws by which it operates, but he is not shut out of his own world. He can, when it so pleases him, step in to suspend the very laws he has made and do that which is extraordinary.’ (Opening Up Joshua)

But it is no less honouring to God to suggest that, rather than suspending his own laws, he used them.

Colin Humphreys interprets this event as reflecting the ordinary processes of nature, where the miracle is that of the timing of the event.

Humphreys notes the rather precise geographical indicators given here.  In particular, he says, it is noteworthy that the text states that the water ‘piled up in a heap a great distance away’, and even tells us exactly where.  This itself counts strongly against the story being fictional.

As for the city called Adam, scholars are generally agreed that it was what is now called Damia (i.e. dropping the Hebrew breathing at the beginning of the name, retaining the two consonants, and adding an Arabic ending.  This town is some 17 miles north of Jericho, on the banks of the Jordan River.

It is to be noted that the River Jordan lies along the great rift valley, which is know for its frequent earthquakes due to tectonic activity.  For Humphries, a likely scenario is that an earthquake caused a mudslide upstream, leading to a temporary interruption in the flow of water.  The flow of the Jordan River has been cut off temporarily on a number of occasions (1096, 1160, 1267, 1546, 1834, 1906, and 1927).  These generally lasted one or two days.  The 1927 cutoff (which lasted about 21 hours) was caused, as the others probably were, by an earthquake leading to a landslide.  It is possible that the earthquake that caused the cutoff recorded here also led to aftershocks that resulted in the collapse of Jericho’s walls.

Instone-Brewer (Science and the Bible) adopts the same view, noting that:

‘Someone who knows the area would know that when the Jordan passes near the town of Adam (modern-day Damiya, eighteen miles north of their crossing), it bends around a steep slope of loose mud and stones. Every now and then a section of the steep bank collapses and dams the river; then, after several hours, the water breaks through and pushes the mud aside. This is a very rare event…but the possibility is obvious to anyone who sees the site.’

Kaiser (The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable And Relevant?) agrees that:

‘Since Jericho is located in the most famous Rift Valley where earthquakes are frequent, it should come as no surprise that the Jordan was dammed up or that Jericho’s collapse may have resulted from a serious aftershock.’

Hess concurs:

‘From a geological perspective, the Jordan River Valley lies at the juncture of tectonic plates that create an unstable region. Earthquakes can occur and have been known to block the flow of the river.’

But, Hess adds:

‘No mention of an earthquake appears in the account in Joshua. Whatever secondary causes there were, the primary purpose was the exaltation of Israel’s God and his people.’

Although it is of some interest to consider a possible mechanism for this event (so that it becomes a ‘miracle of timing’, rather than a divine act totally separated from the laws that God has built into nature) the text is specially interested in the theological implications.  These are well drawn out by Firth (BST), who notes

(a) the similarity between the crossing of the Reed Sea (marking the beginning of the wilderness wanderings) and the crossing of the Jordan (marking their end).

(b) that this miracle is a witness to the Israelites and all the surrounding nations that Yahweh is Lord of all.

Some practical implications:

  1. God is in complete control of every aspect of his universe
  2. God never fails
  3. God’s timing is perfect
  4. God’s plan for our lives can be trusted
  5. God’s plan is the best plan for our lives

(Source)

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