JOSHUA LESSON 3
We will begin this lesson in Joshua 3:1 "And Joshua rose early in
the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and
all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over."
This is, probably, speaking of early the next morning, after
Joshua heard the report of the two spies. He would lose no time
getting into position to cross over Jordan. This mass of people,
possibly, took all day to move to this spot. They moved on the request
of Joshua. They have not even questioned, how they would cross the
Jordan?
Joshua 3:2 "And it came to pass after three days, that the
officers went through the host;"
We are not told, whether the journey had taken three days, or
whether they got to this spot near the Jordan, and spent two days in
preparation of their crossing. That point really does not concern us
in this spiritual study. The officers took their orders from Joshua.
Joshua 3:3 "And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see
the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the
Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after
it."
The ark of the covenant symbolized the presence of God. The
removal of the ark to the head of the people, was their signal to
follow. Christians along with these Israelites, must realize that we
must make an effort of our own to follow God.
Joshua 3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about
two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may
know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed [this] way
heretofore."
Two thousand cubits is about three thousand feet. Looking at the
ark gave them courage to go on. The three thousand feet space helped
everyone to be able to see the ark as it moved. Had they been closer,
the people would have seen the other people ahead of them, and not the
ark.
Joshua 3:5 "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves:
for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
"Sanctify" means set aside for God's purpose. In this case, it
was, probably, a ceremonial sanctification. It was a separation from
worldliness for a short period of time, perhaps overnight.
Joshua 3:6 "And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up
the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they
took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people."
The confidence of the people was in God, not in their own
ability. The ark passed before them to build their faith that God was
with them, and would lead them. Again, it is the Levitical priests who
carry the ark. This is a holy war led of God.
Joshua 3:7 "And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin
to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that,
as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee."
Under the leadership of Joshua, God had not done the miraculous
things He had done with Moses leading. God will now manifest His great
miracles under the leadership of Joshua. This will show the people
that God is with Joshua, as He was with Moses.
Joshua 3:8 "And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark
of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of
Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan."
Notice, this is not at Jordan, but in Jordan. The priests will
step out in the edge of the Jordan with the ark. This will take a
great deal of faith on the priests' part, as well as Joshua's part.
The minute the ark, carried by the priests enters the water, the flow
of the river stops.
Joshua 3:9 "And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come
hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God."
Joshua speaks to all of the people, and tells them to listen to
the Words of the LORD.
Joshua 3:10 "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the
living God [is] among you, and [that] he will without fail drive out
from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and
the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the
Jebusites."
Their fathers had experienced the crossing of the Red Sea. Now,
they will experience the crossing of the Jordan River, and know that
God is with them. This will help them to know that God, who can stop
the flow of the River Jordan, will drive their enemies out before
them. The Canaanites were the descendents of Cain, who slew his
brother, Abel. All of the above mentioned people were worshipping
false gods. God gave them a time to search for Him, and they did not.
Now, they are doomed.
Joshua 3:11 "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all
the earth passeth over before you into Jordan."
This ark of the covenant, not only symbolized the presence of God
with them, but also, was a constant reminder of God's covenant with
them.
Joshua 3:12 "Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes
of Israel, out of every tribe a man."
One man of each tribe was chosen to represent his tribe, in a way
to be revealed after the crossing of the Jordan.
Joshua 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of
the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all
the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of
Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above;
and they shall stand upon an heap."
This is the same thing that had happened at the Red Sea, except
in this case, the Jordan stopped running as the priests stepped into
the water. At the Red Sea, the priesthood had not been established.
The water stood at attention at either side, and made passage way for
the ark and the people. The water stopped flowing into this area, for
the time the priests were in the water.
Joshua 3:14 "And it came to pass, when the people removed from
their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of
the covenant before the people;" Joshua 3:15 "And as they that bare
the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare
the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth
all his banks all the time of harvest,)"
This is just saying, they did not have to walk out into the deep.
They just had to step into the edge of the water, for the water to
stop. The people removed from their tents to follow the ark.
Joshua 3:16 "That the waters which came down from above stood
[and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is]
beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain,
[even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: and the people passed
over right against Jericho."
The city, Adam, is not mentioned in other Scriptures. Some
believe this might have been near the garden of Eden. I really believe
this is speaking of any city that is of this world, in that area. I do
not believe it is the name of a city. It is the name of a fallen
condition. The Jordan and the Salt Sea stood in a heap, and did not
flow.
Joshua 3:17 "And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of
the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the
Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed
clean over Jordan."
This crossing was to put them in perfect position to take
Jericho. The priests stood in the River Jordan, until everyone had
passed over safely. They even passed over themselves before the Jordan
began to flow again. God is in control of all natural forces upon the
earth. The Jordan is just one example.
Joshua 3 Questions
1. Where did they camp, just before going into the promised land?
2. How much later did the officers go through the host?
3. Who will bear the ark of the covenant in this situation?
4. The ark of the covenant symbolized the __________ of ___.
5. What was the signal the people were to follow?
6. How many cubits behind the ark were the people to be?
7. Why was this necessary?
8. What does "sanctify" mean?
9. What type of sanctification is verse 5 speaking of?
10. Who did Joshua tell to take the ark before the people?
11. The confidence of the people was in ______, not in their own
___________.
12. What promise does God make Joshua in verse 7?
13. What must we notice about where the priests stood?
14. What happens, when the priests step into the water?
15. Who will God drive out of the land before them?
16. The Canaanites were the descendents of ________.
17. What was the ark a constant reminder of?
18. How did the miracle at Jordan River differ from the miracle at the
Red Sea?
19. Where did the people remove themselves from?
20. Where else is the city, Adam, mentioned?
21. What does the author believe this to be?
22. When did the Jordan return to its course?
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