Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over, Joshua 3:1. The word ‘Jordan’ means ‘descender,’ and it does, about 1,000 feet from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea and so with that drop and being at flood stage, the water would be moving swiftly. So, Joshua and the people now really do face a great test.
We have already accomplished that Joshua was a real man of action and on the basis of the report from the spies they moved for Shittim to the edge of the Jordan, Joshua 3:1, and at least this time around they are moving in the right direction. They stayed at the river for three days, Joshua 3:2, and it was probably during this time that the instructions were being passed on to the people.
The officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people saying when they see the ark of the covenant and the Levitical priests carrying it, they are to move out from their positions and follow it, Joshua 3:3. Notice the ark is among them, and the people were to follow the ark now, Joshua 3:3, not the cloud which led them before.
Henry, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the symbolism of following the ark.
‘Christians should follow their pastors, only as far as the pastors were holding up the Word of God. They (Israel) must follow the priests as far as they carried the ark, but no further, so we must follow our ministers only as they follow Christ.’
Israel will know which way to go when they follow the ark, since they have never been that way before, Joshua 3:4. The ark symbolised the Lord Himself, which was equivalent to saying that the Lord was leading them into Canaan and it represented God’s character and God’s covenant.
They were to get no closer than two thousand cubits, or about one thousand yards. Joshua 3:4. This reminded them of the holiness of God and this also allowed the largest number of people to see it so that they followed it in the right direction.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning a number of other ‘special occasions’ upon which the priests replaced the Kohathites as bearers of the ark.
1. When they compassed Jericho, Joshua 6:7. 2. When they took it to war against the Philistines, 2 Samuel 15:25. 3. When David sent it back to Jerusalem. 4. When it was taken out of the tabernacle to be deposited in the temple, 1 Kings 8:6-11.’
The ark of the covenant was a sacred portable chest which-along with its two related items, the mercy seat, and cherubim were the most important sacred object of the Israelites during the wilderness period. It was also known as the ark of the Lord, Joshua 6:11, the ark of God, 1 Samuel 3:3, and the ark of the Testimony, Exodus 25:22.
The ark of the covenant was the only article of furniture in the innermost room, or Holy of Holies, of Moses’ tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple. From between the two cherubim that were on the ark of the Testimony, God spoke to Moses. Once a year the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, but only with sacrificial blood that he sprinkled on the mercy seat for the atonement of sin.
The Hebrew word translated as ark is also translated as coffin. In the last verse of the book of Genesis, this word is used of the coffin in which Joseph’s embalmed body was placed after he died in Egypt, Genesis 50:26. The ark of the covenant was also a ‘coffin,’ or chest two and a half long, one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits deep or, in inches, about 45 by 27 by 27. The builder of the ark was a man named Bezaleel, Exodus 37:1.
The ark was made of acacia wood, the KJV uses the word shittim wood, and it was overlaid with gold. It had four rings of gold through which carrying poles were inserted, Exodus 37:1-9. These poles were never removed from the rings, apparently to show that the ark was a portable sanctuary. Even when the ark was placed in Solomon’s Temple, the poles stayed in place, and they could be seen from a certain point outside the inner sanctuary, 1 Kings 8:8.
The ark had a gold cover known as the ‘mercy seat’, Exodus 25:17-22 because the Israelites believed the ark was God’s throne. The ark had a gold moulding or ‘crown’ surrounding the top edge. The mercy seat was a slab of pure gold which fit exactly within the crown of the ark, so the mercy-seat could not slide around during transportation. Of one piece with the mercy seat were two angelic statues called cherubim.
They stood at opposite ends of the mercy seat, facing each other with wings outstretched above and their faces bowed toward the mercy seat. They marked the place where the Lord dwelled as well as the place where the Lord communicated with Moses.
Within the ark were the two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments, Exodus 25:16 / Exodus 25:21 / Hebrews 9:4, considered to be the basis of the covenant between God and His people Israel. Thus, the ark was often called the ark of the Testimony. The golden pot of manna, which God miraculously preserved as a testimony to future generations, Exodus 16:32-34 / Hebrews 9:4, was also deposited in the ark. The third item in the ark was Aaron’s rod that budded to prove that Aaron was God’s chosen, Numbers 17:1-11 / Hebrews 9:4.
While the New Testament states that the ark contained these three items, Hebrews 9:4, the ark must have lost two of them through the years. At the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, Aaron’s rod, and the golden pot of manna were gone, 1 Kings 8:9.
The ark was carried by the sons of Levi during the wilderness wanderings, Deuteronomy 31:9. Carried into the Jordan River by the priests, the ark caused the waters to part so Israel could cross on dry ground, Joshua 3:6-4:18. During the conquest of the land of Canaan, the ark was carried at the fall of Jericho, Joshua 6:4-11; later it was deposited at Shiloh, which had become the home of the tabernacle, Joshua 18:1.
Trusting the ‘magic power’ of the ark rather than God, the Israelites took the ark into battle against the Philistines and suffered a crushing defeat, 1 Samuel 4:1-11. The Philistines captured the ark, only to send it back when disaster struck their camp, 1 Samuel 5-6. It remained at Kirjath Jearim until David brought it to Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 13:3-14 / 1 Chronicles 15:1-28.
Solomon established it in the Holy of Holies of the Temple which he built. Nothing is known of what became of the ark. It disappeared when Nebuchadnezzar’s armies destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC and were not available when the second and third temples were built.
Just like Joshua had to be prepared for entering the Promised Land, God now requires His people to be prepared by way of consecration, Joshua 3:5. Notice the people are instructed to consecrate themselves, Joshua 3:5, they aren’t instructed to get their weapons ready. In other words, the people were to get themselves ready spiritually, Exodus 19:10 / 2 Corinthians 7:1 / 2 Timothy 2:21 / 1 John 3:3.
Joshua tells the priests to take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people and so they took it up and went ahead of them, Joshua 3:6. This implies that God Himself is leading the way. God speaks to Joshua and says that He is going to exalt Joshua, Joshua 3:7. God is going to show the people that just as He had been with Moses, Joshua 3:7, so He will be with Joshua, Exodus 34:10.
Whatever doubts and fears Joshua may have had at the beginning, surely, they were gone now. Joshua isn’t acting on blind faith, oh no, he will be acting on facts, God’s direct revelation to him and notice the priests are to carry the ark into the river, Joshua 3:8 / 1 Chronicles 15:2. So, Joshua speaks to the people come closer and listen to the words of God, Joshua 3:9. He tells them that they will be shown that God is with them and how He is going to drive out the other nations, Joshua 3:10.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The seven peoples enumerated here were the principal racial divisions of the fragmented city-states of the land of Canaan. Several times in the Old Testament these lists appear, not always exactly as they are here. Similar lists are given in Genesis 15:19-21 / Exodus 3:17 / Exodus 23:28 / Deuteronomy 7:1.’
And so, the ark would cross over before them and one man is to be selected from each tribe, Joshua 3:12, and when the feet of those carrying the ark touch the water it will be stopped, Joshua 3:13.
When the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them, Joshua 3:14. Too many times we go through life thinking this or that is just too big and therefore, impossible to do. In many ways, I guess, the Jordan River looked like one of those impossible problems to the Israelites.
The Jordan River is often pictured as an obstacle to be overcome. In songs and poems, it is the last cold barricade to cross before reaching heaven. To the Christian it illustrates change, on one side is a desert, a life lived on its own, and on the other side is the Christ-filled life of faith and obedience.
But make no mistake about it, the Jordan was formidable, especially at this time of the year when it was flooding, Joshua 3:15. In this particular area, it would probably be about 100 yards wide. Notice however, that when the priest’s feet touched the water a miracle happened.
The water flowing down piled up in a heap, Joshua 3:15-16, this was all the way back to Adam, Joshua 3:16. Some think this city was sixteen miles away but we can’t be sure but what we do know is that the water past that spot, and then it was cut off, Joshua 3:16.
Bush, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Duty often calls us to take one step without knowing how we shall take the next; but if brought thus far by the leadings of Providence, and while engaged in his service, we may safely leave the event to him.’
Rivers serve to teach important lessons, even today children learn about the great rivers of the world, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rhine, the Nile etc. In the Bible, the river most thought of is the Jordan and what we see here is that by crossing the Jordan, the people committed themselves to follow God.
The people crossed over and the ark went before them. The priests moved to the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, which is another miracle, Exodus 14:21, and all the people passed over, Joshua 3:17. Some commentators suggest there would have been around two million Israelites who crossed the river this day.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This event bore many similarities to the crossing of the Red Sea, Joshua 3:13 / Exodus 14. In contrast, Moses had divided the waters of the Red Sea with his rod. Joshua divided the waters of the Jordan with the ark that had become the divinely appointed symbol of God’s presence since God gave the Mosaic Covenant, Joshua 3:8.
When we read this account, there are several things which happened which are almost always overlooked. Several things happened at this crossing. God was glorified, Joshua was exalted, Israel was encouraged and the Canaanites were terrorised.
I guess one big lesson is this, at what point did the waters stop flowing. When the priest’s feet actually went into the water, Joshua 3:15. So many times we want God to deliver the miracle first and then we will trust Him but here we clearly see the opposite.
We must step out in faith first and trust that God will show up to help us with the next step. That’s what real faith is, real faith never stands still, it leads us to do something with it.