Berean Study Bible Crossing the JordanJoshua acted promptly after receiving the spies’ report and prepared the nation to move at God’s direction. His diligence recalls Abraham’s early obedience when called to offer Isaac and reflects the faithful readiness required of a leader entrusted with God’s people. Jos 6:12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests… Joshua got up and left Shittim Shittim, or Abel-shittim, lay in the plains of Moab east of the Jordan and had been Israel’s final encampment before entering Canaan. From this place, marked by both past failure and recent renewal, Joshua led Israel away from the wilderness side of the river toward the inheritance God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Mic 6:5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab… with all the Israelites. The whole covenant community moved together: warriors, families, elders, priests, and children. Possession of the land was not merely a military objective but the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to the nation He had redeemed from Egypt. Deu 31:3 The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you.… They went as far as the Jordan, The Jordan formed the final boundary between Israel and the land of promise. Its waters stood as an impassable obstacle apart from God’s intervention, just as the Red Sea had done at the beginning of Israel’s journey. The nation would enter Canaan only by the power and faithfulness of the Lord. Deu 11:31 For you are about to cross the Jordan… where they camped before crossing over. The camp beside the river provided time for the people to receive instruction, consecrate themselves, and wait for God’s appointed moment. Israel’s entry into the land would begin not with human strength or strategy, but with reverence, obedience, and confidence in the Lord who went before them. Num 22:1 Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains… After three days Israel remained encamped beside the Jordan after Joshua’s command to prepare provisions, for within three days they would cross into the land God had promised them (Joshua 1:10–11). The waiting period allowed the people to order their affairs, prepare for the crossing, and turn their hearts toward the Lord’s coming work. Their entrance into Canaan would not be achieved by military strength but by God’s presence and power. Jos 1:11 Go through the camp and tell the people,… the officers went through the camp Joshua’s officers carried his instructions throughout the tribes, ensuring that every household knew how to respond when the ark of the covenant moved before them. The orderly communication through the camp prepared Israel to follow the visible sign of the Lord’s presence. As the nation stood at the boundary of the promised inheritance, obedience to God’s appointed leadership would lead them through an obstacle no human effort could overcome. Jos 1:10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: and commanded the people: Israel’s officers conveyed Joshua’s instructions throughout the camp, preparing the nation to move as one people under God’s appointed leader. Orderly obedience was essential as Israel approached the Jordan and the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jos 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:… “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God The ark represented the holy presence of the covenant-making God in Israel’s midst. It was associated with the tablets of the covenant and recalled the Lord’s law, faithfulness, and mercy. Israel was not advancing merely under military direction; the LORD Himself was leading His people into the land. Deu 31:26 Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark… being carried by the Levitical priests, The priests bore the ark because its holiness required consecrated servants to handle it according to God’s command. Their place at the head of the nation showed that Israel’s future depended upon the Lord’s presence rather than human strength. Their ministry also points forward to Christ, the perfect High Priest who brings His people into fellowship with God. Jos 8:33 All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders… you are to set out from your positions and follow it. Every tribe and household was to leave its place in the camp and follow where God led. Crossing the Jordan required faith, since the river stood before them and the conquest lay beyond it. Israel’s calling was to follow the Lord’s presence in obedient trust, just as God’s people are called to follow Christ wherever He leads. Num 10:33 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. About two thousand cubits, roughly 3,000 feet or 900 meters, separated the people from the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark bore the testimony of God’s covenant and represented His dwelling presence among Israel. Its holiness required reverence, while its elevated position before the nation enabled all Israel to see where God was leading them. The priests and Levites alone were appointed to carry it. Exo 19:12-13 And you are to set up a boundary for the people… Do not go near it, Israel was not to treat the Ark as a common object or approach God casually. The deaths of Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire and of Uzzah for touching the Ark showed the seriousness of God’s holiness. The required distance reminded the people of their sinfulness and of the need to approach the Lord according to His command. Num 4:19-20 In order that they may live and not die when they come… so that you can see the way to go, The Ark went before Israel as the visible sign of God’s leadership, just as the pillar of cloud and fire had guided the nation through the wilderness. God did not merely send Israel into Canaan; He went before them. The Ark’s leading role at the Jordan prepared the people to trust the Lord before they saw how He would make a way through the flooded river. Exo 13:21-22 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud… since you have never traveled this way before.” Israel stood at the threshold of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, facing a route and a future unknown to them. The Lord knew the way into the land and the battles that awaited them. His people were called to follow rather than to rely on their own experience or strength. Christ likewise leads His people in the way of life, for He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Deu 1:30-33 The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you,… Then Joshua told the people, Joshua addressed Israel as they camped at the Jordan River, facing the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses had died east of the Jordan, and the Lord had appointed Joshua to lead the nation forward. Like Moses, Joshua stood as God’s servant before the people; yet his leadership also foreshadows Christ, who leads His people into the fullness of God’s promised inheritance. Jos 1:10-11 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:… “Consecrate yourselves, Joshua commanded the people to set themselves apart for the Lord before they witnessed His work. Consecration involved repentance, cleansing, and readiness to obey God’s commands. Israel could not treat the approaching display of divine power as an ordinary event. The holy God who had redeemed them from Egypt would go before them, and His people were called to respond with reverence and faith. God’s people remain set apart for holy living because He is holy. Lev 11:44-45 For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves… for tomorrow The crossing of the Jordan would occur according to God’s appointed time. Israel had waited forty years in the wilderness because of unbelief, but the next day would begin a new stage in the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise. Joshua’s command required the people to prepare before they saw how God would act. Jos 7:13 Get up and consecrate the people, saying,… the LORD will do wonders among you.” The Lord would stop the flooded Jordan River so that Israel could cross on dry ground, displaying His presence and power as He had done at the Red Sea. The miracle would confirm Joshua’s leadership, strengthen Israel’s faith, and declare that the living God was with them as they entered Canaan. God’s wonders revealed His covenant faithfulness and anticipated the greater saving work accomplished through Jesus Christ, whose resurrection secures the inheritance of all who belong to Him. Psa 77:14 You are the God who works wonders; You display Your strength… And he said to the priests, Joshua, Moses’ appointed successor, directed the priests as Israel prepared to enter Canaan. The Levites bore responsibility for the Ark and for representing the holiness of God before the nation. Deu 31:9-13 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests,… “Take the ark of the covenant The Ark was the sacred sign of God’s covenant presence with Israel. It was associated with the tablets of the covenant, Aaron’s rod, and the manna preserved as testimony to God’s provision and authority. Exo 25:10-22 And they are to construct an ark of acacia wood,… and go on ahead of the people.” God would lead His people into the land He had promised their fathers. Israel’s future depended not on military strength or human strategy, but on following the Lord who went before them. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… So they carried the ark of the covenant The priests obeyed without delay, bearing the holy Ark according to God’s commands. Their obedience prepared the way for the Lord’s power to be displayed at the Jordan. Num 4:15 When Aaron and his sons have finished covering… and went ahead of them. The Ark’s place before the people declared that God Himself was Israel’s true leader. Joshua’s leadership pointed beyond itself to Christ, who goes before His people, brings them into God’s promised rest, and serves as the final High Priest in the presence of God. Deu 31:8 The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you.… Now the LORD said to Joshua, God addressed Joshua directly, as He had spoken with Moses, confirming that Israel’s new leader served under divine authority. The Lord’s guidance did not end with Moses’ death; His covenant purposes and faithful presence continued as Israel prepared to enter the land. Deu 31:23 Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun… “Today I will begin to exalt you The crossing of the Jordan would publicly establish Joshua before the nation. God would honor Joshua’s office through an act no human leader could accomplish, making clear that Joshua’s authority rested upon the Lord rather than personal strength or ambition. Jos 4:14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight… in the sight of all Israel, Every tribe would witness the Lord’s work at the Jordan. Israel needed confidence in Joshua’s leadership as they faced the conquest of Canaan, and the public miracle would unite the people around the leader God had appointed. Deu 34:9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom… so they may know that I am with you Joshua’s effectiveness depended upon the Lord’s presence, not military skill or natural ability. God’s presence assured Israel that the same God who delivered them from Egypt and sustained them in the wilderness would lead them into their inheritance. Exo 3:12 “I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be…”… just as I was with Moses. The comparison with Moses affirmed an unbroken continuity in God’s dealings with Israel. As the Red Sea crossing confirmed Moses before the people, the Jordan crossing would confirm Joshua, demonstrating that the Lord remained faithful to His promises and fully able to accomplish all He had spoken. Exo 33:11 Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, … Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: The Levitical priests bore the Ark, the visible sign of the Lord’s covenant presence and kingship among Israel. As the Ark went before the people, God Himself led them into the land He had promised. The tablets of the covenant within the Ark testified that Israel’s inheritance depended on the faithful God who had bound Himself to His people and called them to obey His word. 1Ch 15:15 And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders… ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, The Jordan stood at flood stage during the harvest season, forming an impassable boundary between Israel and Canaan. Israel could not enter by human strength or military skill; the Lord would make a way as He had done at the Red Sea. The priests were required to approach the river before its waters were stopped, demonstrating that faith obeys God’s command before seeing His provision. 2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up,… stand in the Jordan.’” The priests were to enter and remain in the rushing waters while carrying the Ark, placing the symbol of God’s presence at the forefront of Israel’s passage. Their obedience became the means by which the Lord displayed His power, stopped the river, and brought His people into their inheritance. The crossing anticipates the believer’s passage from the old life into new life through union with Christ, who leads His people into the rest and inheritance secured by His covenant faithfulness. Psa 114:5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan,… So Joshua told the Israelites, Joshua exercised the authority God had given him as Moses’ successor, gathering the nation at a decisive moment before they entered Canaan. Israel needed to hear God’s command before witnessing His power at the Jordan River. Jos 24:1-2 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.… “Come here The people were summoned to draw near together, setting aside distraction and preparing to receive instruction. Their entrance into the Promised Land would depend not on military strength but on faithful obedience to the God who went before them. Deu 5:27 Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says.… and listen to the words Israel’s calling required attentive hearing that led to obedience. As at Sinai and throughout Moses’ teaching, God’s people were to receive His word with reverence and order their lives by it. Deu 4:1 Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances… of the LORD your God.” The LORD remained Israel’s covenant God, faithful to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Before the waters of the Jordan were divided, Joshua directed the people’s attention to the One whose presence and power would secure their passage and their inheritance. Exo 20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out… He continued, Joshua spoke as the Lord’s appointed leader, preparing Israel to witness God’s power at the Jordan. His words directed the people away from fear and toward the certainty of God’s covenant faithfulness. Deu 31:7-8 Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him… “This is how you will know that the living God is among you Israel would receive visible confirmation of God’s presence when the Jordan River stopped before the ark of the covenant. The living God was not like the powerless idols of Canaan but actively ruled creation, led His people, and fulfilled His word. His presence among Israel fulfilled His promise to dwell with the nation He had redeemed. 1Sa 17:26 David asked the men who were standing with him,…… and that He will surely drive out before you The crossing of the Jordan served as a pledge that God would also give Israel victory in the land. Israel would fight, obey, and possess the inheritance, but the decisive power belonged to the Lord. God’s promise reached back to His covenant with Abraham and demonstrated that His purposes could not be overcome by fortified cities or stronger armies. Exo 23:27-30 I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion… the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. These peoples occupied the land promised to Abraham and had persisted in idolatry and moral corruption for generations. Their removal came under God’s righteous judgment and made way for Israel to live as His holy people. The comprehensive list emphasizes that no nation in Canaan could prevent the Lord from accomplishing what He had promised. Deu 7:1-2 When the LORD your God brings you into the land… Behold, Joshua calls Israel to fixed attention because the moment before them reveals the Lord’s power and faithfulness. The crossing of the Jordan will confirm that the God who brought Israel out of Egypt is still leading them into the inheritance He promised. Isa 40:9 Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news.… the ark of the covenant The Ark was the holy sign of the Lord’s covenant presence among His people. It contained the tablets of the covenant, and it stood in the Most Holy Place beneath the mercy seat, where the Lord manifested His glory. Its movement before Israel showed that their entrance into Canaan depended on God’s presence, not human strength. Deu 10:8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi… of the Lord of all the earth Israel’s God rules not merely over one nation or territory but over the whole creation. The Jordan, the peoples of Canaan, and the land itself stand under His authority. He is able to give His people the land because all the earth belongs to Him. Zec 6:5 And the angel told me, “These are the four spirits of heaven… will go ahead of you The priests carry the Ark first into the river, showing that the Lord Himself leads His people into the land. Israel is not sent forward to find God’s help; God goes before them, making a way and calling them to follow in obedient faith. Num 10:35-36 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say, “Rise up, O LORD!… into the Jordan. The Jordan marked the boundary between Israel’s wilderness wandering and its appointed inheritance. As the waters stopped before the Ark, the Lord repeated the pattern of the Red Sea crossing and established Joshua’s leadership before the nation. The crossing displays the necessity of leaving the old life of unbelief behind and entering God’s promises by faith. 2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up,… Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, Joshua appoints representatives from the whole nation in preparation for the memorial God will establish after Israel crosses the Jordan. The twelve men embody Israel’s unity under the Lord’s covenant, even though the tribes have distinct territories and responsibilities. Their selection anticipates the twelve stones taken from the riverbed in Joshua 4, preserving the memory of God’s power for later generations. Jos 4:2-3 Choose twelve men from among the people,… one from each tribe. Equal representation affirms that every tribe shares in both the miracle and the inheritance of the Promised Land. Israel crosses the Jordan as one covenant people, not as separate tribal groups. The twelve representatives also foreshadow Christ’s choice of twelve apostles, through whom He would gather and establish His people. Num 1:4 And one man from each tribe, the head of each family,… When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD— The ark represented the holy presence of God dwelling among His covenant people. It bore the tablets of the covenant, and the wilderness memorials associated with it recalled God’s provision and His confirmation of Aaron’s priesthood. The priests led the nation not by human strength but by obediently carrying the visible sign of the Lord’s presence before them. Jos 4:10-11 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing… the Lord of all the earth— Israel’s God ruled not merely Canaan or the Jordan Valley but every land, nation, and force of creation. The title assured Israel that the river, the inhabitants of Canaan, and the land itself stood under His authority. The God who promised the land also possessed the power to give it. Psa 97:5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,… touch down in the waters of the Jordan, The priests had to enter the flood-swollen river before the waters stopped. Their obedience required faith in God’s spoken promise, while the people waited behind them. The Jordan marked the boundary between Israel’s years of wilderness wandering and the inheritance God had pledged to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2Ki 2:8-14 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up,… its flowing waters will be cut off The Lord would remove the barrier no human effort could overcome. As He had opened the Red Sea for the generation leaving Egypt, He would open the Jordan for their children entering Canaan. The miracle testified that God remained faithful despite the passing of Moses and the change of leadership to Joshua. Nam 1:4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers… and will stand up in a heap.” God restrained the river at His command and made a dry path for the whole nation. The crossing displayed His mastery over the waters and established Joshua before Israel as the leader chosen to bring them into the land. It also called the people to remember that their inheritance came by God’s power and covenant faithfulness. Psa 78:13 He split the sea and brought them through;… So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, Israel moved from the plains of Moab after three days of preparation, obeying the instructions Joshua had received from the Lord. The Jordan stood before them at flood stage, an impassable boundary by ordinary human strength. Their crossing marked the end of wilderness wandering for the new generation and the beginning of receiving the inheritance God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As at the Red Sea, the Lord would make a way where none existed, showing that His power and faithfulness had not diminished. Jos 4:10-11 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing… the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them. The ark represented the holy presence of the covenant-making God among His people. By placing it at the head of the procession, Israel acknowledged that the Lord Himself was leading them into the land and would secure the victory. The priests bore the ark according to God’s appointed order, demonstrating that His presence was not to be approached casually. The ark’s leading role points forward to Christ, the greater High Priest, who has gone before His people and brings them into the promised rest of God. Num 10:33-36 So they set out on a three-day journey from the mountain… Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. Israel entered Canaan at the time of the spring harvest, when runoff from Mount Hermon and seasonal rains made the Jordan broad, swift, and dangerous. The river presented a barrier human strength could not overcome, just as the Red Sea had stood before the generation that left Egypt. God brought His people to the land of promise when passage was impossible apart from His intervention. 1Ch 12:15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan… But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan The ark represented the holy presence of the covenant God who went before Israel. Carried by the priests, it reminded the nation that victory and inheritance depended not on military power but on the Lord’s faithfulness. The God who had led Israel through the wilderness would lead them into the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deu 31:9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests,… and their feet touched the water’s edge, The priests had to obey before the waters were stopped. Their first step into the flooding river displayed trust in God’s command and opened the way for all Israel to cross. The crossing recalled the Red Sea and established Joshua as Moses’ appointed successor, while teaching the nation that the Lord’s presence makes a path where none can be seen. 2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up,… the flowing water stood still. The Lord halted the Jordan at flood stage, opening a dry path for Israel just as He had divided the Red Sea for the generation of the exodus. The miracle confirmed that the living God went before His people and that Joshua led under the same divine authority given to Moses. God alone can restrain the forces that appear impossible to overcome and make a way into the inheritance He has promised. Psa 114:3 The sea observed and fled; the Jordan turned back; It backed up as far upstream as Adam, Adam lay roughly eighteen miles north of the crossing, near the Jordan River. The distance reached by the backed-up waters reveals the scale of God’s intervention. Israel did not cross through a shallow ford or a temporary opening; the river was held back by the power of the Lord. The name Adam, meaning man, also fittingly recalls a new beginning as Israel entered the land prepared for them. Exo 15:8 At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up;… a city in the area of Zarethan, Zarethan was a known location in the Jordan Valley and is later associated with Solomon’s administration and bronze work for the temple (1 Kings 4:12; 7:46). Such geographical detail places the event in Israel’s real history and identifies the extent of the waters held back upstream. 1Ki 7:46 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain… while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. The Jordan’s flow southward into the Dead Sea ceased, leaving a broad, dry crossing place before Israel. The complete interruption of the river displayed God’s sovereign rule over creation and His faithfulness to bring His people safely into Canaan. Deu 3:17 The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it… So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Jericho stood as the first fortified obstacle in the land, yet Israel entered Canaan by God’s power before any battle was fought. The crossing prepared the nation for the conquest and taught them that victory would come through obedience and trust in the Lord. Passing through the waters into a new life in the promised land also foreshadows the believer’s identification with God’s saving work and a life set apart for His purposes. Deu 34:1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo,… The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD The Ark represented the holy presence of the covenant-making God among His people. It was associated with the tablets of the covenant, Aaron’s rod, and the pot of manna, bearing witness to God’s law, provision, and appointed priesthood. The priests carried it according to God’s command, showing that Israel’s advance into Canaan depended upon the LORD’s presence rather than military strength. Deu 31:9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests,… stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, The Jordan had overflowed its banks at harvest time, yet the waters ceased when the priests entered it. They remained at their post until every tribe had passed, demonstrating obedient faith and God’s power over creation. The crossing deliberately recalls the Red Sea, where the LORD delivered Israel from Egypt; now He brought the next generation into the inheritance promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2Ki 2:8 And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up,… while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, Every Israelite crossed safely, from the strongest to the most vulnerable. The dry riverbed left no doubt that the passage came by divine intervention. Israel entered the land as one covenant people, led by the presence of God and sustained by His faithfulness. The event points forward to the greater deliverance accomplished by Christ, who brings His people from bondage into the promised inheritance of eternal life. Exo 14:22 and the Israelites went through the sea.… until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan. God did not remove His protection until His purpose for the nation had been fully accomplished. The completed crossing marked the end of Israel’s wilderness wandering and the beginning of life in the land God had sworn to give them. The LORD who had preserved them in the wilderness remained faithful as they faced the conflicts and responsibilities awaiting them in Canaan. Jos 4:11 and after everyone had finished crossing… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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