Today's Reading:

Joshua 3
Joshua 4
Joshua 5
Joshua 6

The 12 stones that Joshua set up in the middle of the Jordan River stood as a monument to God’s power and authority. The stones plucked from the dry riverbed where the priests had stood marked the safe passage from the Wilderness into the Promised Land. The priests had trust in the Lord to step into a flooded riverbed and let the water touch their feet. The miracle of receding waters showed how we must have trust and faith and take the first step towards God. About 1,500 years later, John the Baptist, standing in the same river, could have pointed to where the stones had been set up by Joshua to tell John’s followers of the faith that their ancestors had to cross the river not by their own strength, but through the power of God. God did not need perfection from His people; He wanted obedience, heart, and trust. Trust in Him to part the river. Are you trusting God to part the rivers in your life? It means we must take the first steps into the roaring flood water and believe He will see our obedience and match it with His power and grace.

 

Joshua had confirmation from the spies he sent to Jericho that the people feared the Lord. He told the people to consecrate themselves- make ready by preparing their hearts, washing, and abstaining from sexual intercourse (Exodus 19). This was a call to pay attention, that God was about to act. The Jordan River was at flood stage, making it wider and more dangerous to cross with families, animals, and supplies. The Ark of the Covenant was to go first, and the priests were to walk into the river. They must be touching the water. This was important and showed that they were obedient and trusted in the Lord. This second parting of a river was different. In Exodus 14, Moses stretched out his staff, and God parted the water before anyone stepped foot in the water. Now, with Joshua, God was teaching Israel to trust and that He does not always move before we act.

There were 2 sets of stones set up. The first set was taken from the middle of the river by one man from each tribe. Those 12 stones that were taken were then set up in their camp at Gilgal as a permanent memorial that God did this for all of Israel; each tribe was important. They were to be used to teach the future generations and remind them of the crossing. Joshua, himself, set up the second set of 12 stones in the middle of the river. This was a hidden memorial as a reminder of where they stood in obedience and a marker of faith. In the New Testament, 1500 years later, when John the Baptist would have stood in the same waters, he could have reflected and pointed to this moment of Israel crossing the river on dry ground. God brought the people through the water and made a way when the crossing seemed impossible. The priests with the Ark stood in the middle of the river until the entire nation crossed.

To prepare the Israelites further, God had Joshua circumcise the new generation. They had not been circumcised in the wilderness, and this was needed to renew the covenant faithfulness. The wilderness generation had been rescued from Egypt but died without entering the Promised Land because of their unbelief. Circumcision marked the new generation as God’s covenant people, brought back obedience, and was a symbol of removing the shame of slavery and unfaithfulness. They celebrated Passover, and the next day, the manna that God had been providing in the wilderness stopped. The Israelites were to now rely on the land for their provisions.

Joshua encountered God in human form (Theophany) and was commanded to take off his sandals. The place Joshua was standing was considered holy ground (remember this was the same place that the Lord told Moses at the burning bush, Exodus 3). Not that the city or land was holy, but that God himself was in Joshua’s presence, and He was holy.

God gave Joshua detailed instructions for taking down Jericho. The army was to march around the city once a day for six days carrying the Ark before them. On the seventh day, they were to march around seven times and then blast the horns and shout. The walls of Jericho would then collapse. This victory was not fought with swords or by the people. This was God’s victory. I cannot help but wonder what the people inside Jericho were thinking as they watched the Israelites march around the city each day. The entire city was destroyed except Rahab and her family, who were saved by the grace of God for hiding the spies. Joshua put a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho, that the death of their firstborn son and their youngest son (This will be fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34). While we may not always witness huge miracles like Israel did, we are reminded that God’s power is always at work for His glory. The parting of the Jordan River, the fall of Jericho’s walls, and the saving grace shown to Rahab reveal a God who acts decisively and faithfully on behalf of His people. Our role is to be witnesses to His work, to trust and obey His ways and to stand in awe of His sovereign authority.

 

Today's Discussion question: 

How are you trusting God to part the rivers in your life? It means we have to take the first steps into the roaring flood water and believe He will see our obedience and match it with His power and grace.

 
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