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What is the significance of the Jordan Crossing compared to the Red Sea Crossing?
The Red Sea crossing and Jordan crossing are bookends around the Israelite’s long journey from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land in Canaan. As they left Egypt, they crossed the Red Sea to freedom. Now they are standing on the edge of the Jordan River preparing to cross into the Promised Land.
How many people left Egypt with Moses?
Numbers 1:45 says there were 603,550 men 20-years-old and up who were able to serve in the military among the Israelites. This number does not include women, children, and the elderly.
How long did the Israelites wander in the desert?
What started out as a two-week flight from Egypt turned into a 40-year, multi-generational wandering in the wilderness. And the journey was filled with mourning.
Why did the Israelites wander for 40 years?
In Numbers 14:29, because of the Israelites’ lack of faith, God declared that the entire generation of Israelites who left Egypt, apart from Joshua and Caleb, would not enter the Promised Land. They would die in the wilderness.
So, as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, over 600,000 adult men who escaped from Egypt died. That is almost 300 men a week, and this number doesn’t include the elderly men who weren’t in the army or women and children who died.
Joshua 3 Summary
As we begin the Joshua 3 summary, Israel 1.0 is no more, except for Caleb and Joshua. Now we have Israel 2.0, and there is a big contrast between the 1.0 and 2.0 version. They have transformed from fugitive slaves to an organized army. From spiritually lawless to armed with the commandments, the Book of the Law, Tabernacle, and the Ark. They’ve gone from pursued by the enemy to pursuing the enemy. And they’ve recently seen a big change in leadership from Moses to Joshua.
What was inside the Ark of the Covenant?
The Ark of the Covenant contains the tablets of the law and represents God’s presence among His people. Joshua 3:1-5 says when the Ark moves among them “amazing things” will happen. The implication is that the holy presence of God Himself will do things only God can do.
But first the people must consecrate themselves. Consecration is a ritual purification through bathing, wearing clean clothing, and abstaining from sex to prepare for encountering the holy. See Leviticus for the fascinating details of these purification rituals.
How many Israelites crossed over the Jordan River?
In Joshua 3:6-13 two million Israelites finally receive their instructions for crossing over the Jordan River and taking their first steps into the Promised Land. All their lives they’ve heard about the Red Sea, but only a few of them who were children at the time actually witnessed it. Now they all get to see the miracle for themselves.
Can you imagine the breaking news racing through this camp of two million people? It would make for some great headlines: Experience the Water Wall, The Red Sea Re-enactment, H2O Gives Way for Israel 2.0.
And God does not disappoint. It is going to be an amazing thing. A miracle.
Where is the Jordan River?
The Jordan River originates in the northernmost point of Israel in Mount Hermon near Lebanon. It travels south and into Lake Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee. Then it continues all the way straight down and ends in the Dead Sea.
How deep was the Jordan River when the Israelites crossed?
The Israelites are crossing slightly north of the Dead Sea near Jericho. Most of the year it would have been 60 to 90 feet wide, but the crossing is at flood stage making it much wider. It will be rushing fast.
What is special about the Jordan River?
The Jordan River is a symbol of transition and the start of a new life.
- For the Israelites, when the Jordan River parts, it is their transition to the Promised Land.
- For Jesus, in Matthew 3 when John baptizes Him in the Jordan River, the heavens part (instead of the river) and Jesus transitions into ministry.
- For Elijah and Elisha, in 2 Kings 2 we will hear more about the Jordan River parting once for each of them.
What does crossing the Jordan represent?
As we read Joshua 3:14-17, if we put ourselves in the Israelite’s shoes, we can see some interesting correlations.
- The Israelites look to the river for their entrance to the Promised Land. We look to the cross for our entrance into our own Promised Land, heaven and the promise of eternal life.
- This is an intense, frightening moment for the Israelites. They are on the brink of leaving the only life they’ve ever known as wanderers in the desert for a better life in the Promised Land. But they must face death to get there. In a similar way, eventually we all must leave the only world we’ve ever known and face death to get to our Promised Land of eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
- Crossing the river is a big step of faith for the Israelites, not only because they must trust the water will hold, but also they have no idea what it will be like when they get to the other side. They must trust that God has better things in store for them in the Promised Land. In a similar way, we have no idea exactly what it will be like when we get to the other side. We must trust God has better things in store for us in heaven.
- Just as the presence of God will pass through the Jordan in the Ark of the Old Covenant, the presence of God passes through the Jordan in Jesus Christ at His baptism. The Jordan parting leads the Israelites to their promise of land, and the heavens parting leads us to our promise of eternal life in heaven.
- When the Israelites “come up” out of the river, they receive a new life in the Promised Land. When Jesus “comes up” out of the river, He begins His ministry to bring us a new life and the gift of living water, the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized and “come up” out of the water, it is a symbol, and a public memorial stone, that we have received the Holy Spirit and we’re beginning a new life.
- Rivers are sources of life. People have built great civilizations around them. As we live our new life in Christ, John 7 says the river of the Holy Spirit will flow from within us.
Reflection Point
For most of the Israelites, crossing the Red Sea or Jordan River was scary. Most people couldn’t swim and, even if they could, to make it across an entire sea or a rushing river would be risky. But they stepped out in faith just as Peter did in the book of Matthew. He sees Jesus walking on water and believes he can too until he becomes afraid and falters. But even then Jesus saves him.
All God requires is for us to step out in faith. It doesn’t mean we won’t be afraid, and it doesn’t mean we won’t fail. He knows we will falter. That’s why He sent His son to do what we could not.
Joshua 4 Summary
As we head into the Joshua 4 summary, the memorial stones for the 12 tribes in verses 1-9 are a sign to help future generations remember the Jordan River crossing. Remembering what God has done is a huge theme in Deuteronomy, and Moses uses many of his last words to remind the Israelites what God has done for them.
Why? Because remembering what God has done builds our faith for what God can do in the future. The more we trust God, the more we can join Him in accomplishing His purposes.
So, what has God done for you? Do you have memorials of the miracles to help you remember?
Joshua’s Exaltation and Leadership
Poor Moses. He fought to earn and keep the Israelites respect. Then in verses 10-18 Joshua seems to easily be handed that same respect. But Moses was the trainer for the nation, and clearly he trained them well. The faith of Israel 2.0 is greater than their predecessors. The Red Sea isn’t enough for the first generation, whereas the Jordan River is enough for the second generation.
In Joshua 4:19-24, just as their parents crossed through the Red Sea now they have crossed through the Jordan. And it’s neat that it happens at the same time of year as their parent’s departure from Egypt.
God is so good to build the Israelite’s faith in such a tangible way. He wants them to know, and for the other nations to hear, He is the one true God. The Psalmist describes it well in Psalm 114. And they will tremble in the next few chapters!
Joshua 5 Summary
By verse 1 of our Joshua 5 summary, the hearts of their enemies are figuratively melting in fear. It’s exactly what Rahab said would happen in our last chapter, and it may be connected to the river ordeal.
What is the river ordeal?
The river ordeal, also known as trial by drowning, is an ancient method of judgment. A trial based on the belief that the gods will intervene to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused. The accused person is tied up and thrown into a river. If they drown, it’s a sign the gods found them guilty and did not provide protection so they died. If they float or survive, it is seen as a sign of innocence.
Examples of the river ordeal can be found in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and other civilizations in the region. It’s also documented in the Code of Hammurabi.
God purposely exposes the weird, mystic beliefs of unbelievers to show them the truth. When the entire Israelite nation walks through the flooded, racing Jordan River, the Canaanites may have feared it was a divine sign from the gods that the Israelites were protected, or innocent, in their campaign against Canaan. And it would have made the Red Sea crossing they’d heard about even more real to them.
What does circumcision mean in the Bible?
By Joshua 5:2-9 the Israelites have arrived in the Promised Land and it’s time for all their men to be circumcised. The practice of circumcision first occurred in Genesis 17 as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham. It identifies the Israelites as belonging to God and therefore heirs to the promises made to Abraham.
The use of the Hebrew word for roll in these verses, which sounds like Gilgal, carries the message that God is rolling away the pitiful life the Israelites have lived up until now.
Passover in the Promised Land
The Israelites were commanded to celebrate the Passover to help them remember the night of the 10th plague when death struck every firstborn in Egypt but spared every firstborn in Israel. Now it has been exactly 40 years since that first Passover and their redemption from slavery. So in Joshua 5:10-12 the people faithfully remember what God has done for them through Moses by celebrating the Passover on the 14th day of the first month in perfect conformity to the law.
Then the manna stops. They have finally arrived.
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