Israel Crosses the Jordan

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Introduction

The Israelites had been wandering through the wilderness for 40 years. The man who led them out of Egypt was dead, but God had provided another leader to guide his people.

• • Write on the board, “How does the Jordan crossing relate to the Red Sea crossing?”
  Who was leading the Israelites now? God called Joshua to lead his people.
• What is the historical connection between Joshua as the leader and the spies he sent to Jericho? Joshua was one of the spies Moses had sent into the promised land 40 years earlier, encouraging the people to listen to God’s command to take the land. Now, he was the one who sent the spies into the land and who would lead the Israelites in.

  Joshua had commanded the people to prepare themselves to enter the land (1:10–11). As the spies returned with the news that the inhabitants were in fear of the Israelites (2:24), Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into the land he had promised them through Abraham.

  Today, we are going to look at how God brought them into the land and how that entrance was to be remembered.

Crossing the Jordan

After the battles with the Amorite kings, the ones Rahab had heard of, the land to the west of the Jordan was given to the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh’s tribe. Their warriors along with the rest of the tribes were about to cross into the promised land, and our next four lessons will walk through this period of history. Refer to the History of Israel poster.

Let’s read Joshua 3:1–17 together. Divide the passage for class members to read aloud.

• What activity happens in the first verse? Joshua leads the people from Shittim to the Jordan. This is a preview statement of what is about to happen in the narrative.
• How does this timing relate to verses 1:11 and 2:22? It seems that these three days are the same time period, just described in an overlapping format. The events are happening simultaneously, but related in two different chapters. It seems best to explain this as Joshua sending the spies immediately after he hears from God (1:9) and at the same time sending the officers (1:10) to tell the people to be ready in three days.
• When did the people move? They moved once they saw the ark of the covenant pass.
• Who was carrying the ark? The Levitical priests. This was unusual as the clan of the Kohathites was instructed to carry the holy articles of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:15).
• How were the people to follow? They were to trail behind the ark at a distance of 2,000 cubits, a little more than half a mile.
• What did Joshua command the people to do in preparation? They were to consecrate themselves.
• What were the people to expect? God would do wonders, or miraculous signs, before them.
• What did God intend to do for Joshua? He would exalt Joshua before the people just as he had done for Moses. Joshua would be divinely affirmed as the leader of Israel.
• What did Joshua prophesy before the people? He told the people what God would do as a sign of his favor on them.
• How did Joshua refer to God in verses 10 and 11? The living God and the God of all the earth.
• What was the miraculous sign intended to confirm for the people? God was going to drive out the inhabitants of the promised land.
• What were the priests instructed to do at the river? They were to stop at the edge of the Jordan.
• What function does verse 12 serve in the narrative? This is a foreshadowing of what happens in chapter 4, so this builds an anticipation to see what these 12 men will do.
• What happened as the priests approached the Jordan River? As soon as their feet touched the water, the waters stopped flowing.
• What did the ark represent? The ark represented the presence of God and was generally concealed in the holiest place in the tabernacle.
• How is the stopping of the waters described? The waters “stood and rose up in a heap” north to the city of Adam and the waters south toward the Dead Sea as the waters were “completely cut off.”
• What makes it clear that this was a miracle? The parenthetical comment talks about the condition of the river overflowing its banks. This is the time of the spring harvest when runoff from Mount Herman would swell the banks of the river. This was not just a little river, but a flooded river. The fact that the ground was dry also is miraculous.
• What was the condition of the riverbed as they crossed? The people crossed on “dry ground” as the priests stood in the middle of the river on dry ground.
• How long did this crossing take? The “whole nation” crossed over, so it must have been many hours for the crossing. 4:10 notes that the people passed over in haste.
• How is the phrase “pass over” used in this passage? The phrase is used in verses 1, 11, 14, 16, and 17 to talk about the people crossing the Jordan River. The phrase is repeated and emphasized as the major transition as the people entered the promised land.

Discover the Truth

God’s promise given to Abraham hundreds of years earlier was finally coming to fruition as the land was now occupied by his descendants. The Israelites who had crossed the Red Sea were now between the ages of 40 and 60, while many who had been born in the wilderness were seeing this miracle for the first time. While probably not as dramatic as the Red Sea crossing, it was an undeniable miracle.

• What does 4:15–18 tell us about the waters? As soon as the priests stepped out of the river bed, the floodwaters returned.

  The waters stood in a heap, the ground was dry, and the floodwaters returned immediately after the priests stepped out with the ark. God had done a mighty work for all of his people to see. Joshua had prophesied this miracle, and now the people had experienced it.

• There was another purpose in the miracle. What does 4:14 tell us the miracle accomplished? Joshua was established as the leader and exalted in the eyes of the people just as Moses had been. This fulfills God’s promise from 3:7.

  Joshua now knew beyond any doubt that he was truly called of God to take the leadership in Moses’ absence. He was now the prophet and leader of the Israelites. God’s people were safely across the river at the leading of their God, and their leader was clearly established to direct the task at hand. The land flowing with milk and honey was about to be theirs.

Twelve Stones

We mentioned some foreshadowing in chapter 3 where Joshua chose 12 men. Let’s find out what they did as we read parts of chapter 4. Verses 1–8 describe what happened and verses 19–24 tell us the significance. Have someone read the passages aloud.

• What was the task of the 12 tribal representatives? Each was to take a stone from the riverbed where the priests were standing.
• How big were the stones? No specific size is given, but each was supposed to take up “a stone upon his shoulder,” so they were of significant size.
• Where were the stones placed? They were carried to the camp at Gilgal where Joshua set them up as a memorial.
• What was the purpose of the stones according to verse 7? They were to be a memorial forever of the miracle God did.
• Who was the memorial erected for? Verses 6 and 21 speak of the children of the future who would ask about the memorial, but the general audience is the “people of Israel” as in verse 8.
• How is the memorial connected to God? In the reminders listed in verses 23 and 24, God is given all of the credit multiple times. The memorial is not about the event, but about the God behind the miracle.
• How did Joshua connect this crossing to the past? He used the same language to connect back to the Red Sea where the people passed on dry ground (Exodus 14:21–22), attributing both to God.
• What do we learn about God’s relationship to Israel in verses 23 and 24? The phrase “your God” is used three times, reminding us of the fact that the Israelites were God’s chosen people.
• What two specific purposes of the miracles are given in verse 24 (“so that”)? The miracles would show all the peoples in Canaan that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and another purpose of the miracles was so that the Israelites would fear their God forever.

Discover the Truth

We have seen many times how prone the Israelites were to forget all God had done for them. As they crossed over the Jordan, these stones were to serve as a memorial—not only for the adults, but for future generations. Just as many who crossed on that day were not present on the journey out of Egypt, future generations would also need to be told of God’s provision for his people.

• What attributes of God were to be recalled through the memorial? God’s omnipotence in controlling nature and God’s faithfulness in bringing the promises to pass are the primary points. Discuss others you or the students recognize.

  We can learn a valuable lesson from this account. We need to be taking time to recount to our children and grandchildren the good things God has done for us. While we might not pile up physical stones, sharing stories of God’s power and faithfulness in our lives can encourage our children to trust God and keep us mindful of God’s blessings on our lives. And as we see what he has done in the past, we can trust him to keep his promises in the future.

Crossing Parallels Activity

Connect to the Truth

Let’s talk about what you found.

Exodus 14:4; Joshua 3:10 God’s power was displayed before the pagan nations.

Exodus 14:19–20; Joshua 3:14 God’s presence was with his people in the cloud and in the ark.

Exodus 14:16, 14:21; Joshua 3:15–16 As God’s command was obeyed, the miracle occurred as the waters were parted/stopped flowing.

Exodus 14:22; Joshua 3:15–16 The waters were parted in a visible way.

Exodus 14:22; Joshua 3:17 The Israelites crossed on dry ground where there should have been impassable mud.

Exodus 14:26–28; Joshua 4:15–18 The waters returned to their original position at God’s command through the leader.

Exodus 14:31; Joshua 4:24 The people had a reverent fear of God in light of his miracle.

Exodus 15:1; Joshua 4:23–24 The leader declared God’s deliverance and power.

• Are there any significant differences that you can think of? Discuss various answers.

  The Red Sea and Jordan River crossings are used in imagery throughout the Old Testament to remind the Israelites of all that God had done for them. Psalms 78:13 and 136:13 both look back to the Red Sea crossing as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to his promises and power to bring about his plans. The memorial stones were to serve the same function. Both of these events were major points in Israel’s history that they could look back upon to see God’s character displayed, and we can do the same in our lives.

Application

Hundreds of years prior, God told Abraham that he would give the land of Canaan to his descendants. Crossing over the Jordan was the benchmark moment where God was present among his people, represented in the ark of the covenant, leading them into the fulfillment of his promise. God’s timing is perfect, and we know that as God brought his people into the land to bless them, he was also bringing judgment to the inhabitants of Canaan.

And God wanted his people to teach their children about his faithfulness and power. The 12-stone memorial was the means to do that. While we cannot see those stones today, we still have the memory of what God did for his people in the precious book we hold in our hands today. Our reminder is found in the perfect record of all he did for the Israelites.

We also have memorials of all that God has done for us in Christ. On the final night they were together before his death, Jesus gave his disciples the bread and the cup as a memorial of the new covenant, of which we are a part (Luke 22:19–20). Let us not forget all that has been done for us in Christ, and let us not forget to pass those things on to the next generation, as well.

Let us make sure that we think of how we can apply these ideas as we leave and go out into the world we live in. We want to make sure that we are not merely hearing the Word, but seeking to be doers of what we read in it.

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  As you consider what we read and studied from God’s Word today, what has been helpful or insightful for you? Discuss various answers.
• Have you ever visited a monument to some biblical event or some event in church history? What was the value of the visit? Discuss various answers and point out the importance of remembering all that God has done in light of fulfilling his future promises.
• How do we use the idea or phrase of “crossing over Jordan” in our churches today? This phrase is used in hymns and songs to refer to passing into the eternal state after death.
• How can you use the events in your family, where God has shown himself faithful, to encourage trust in him? Make a memory book where you record the ways God has blessed your family and shown his faithfulness. At the end of each year or at each person’s birthday, spend time talking about all that God has done in the past year. Remember that even illnesses and trials can be things to praise God for as we grow to be more like Christ.
• In what way would this miraculous event be explained away by those who doubt the Bible? Discuss various answers. The most likely explanation would be some sort of natural element like an earthquake that caused a landslide to block the river that coincidentally happened as the Israelites arrived. While there is historical evidence of such things happening in this area, this cannot explain the fact that the ground was dry as they crossed. Even if God did use a landslide, it is still in his sovereign control of events, and there still had to be a miraculous drying of the ground in a matter of minutes.

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class before you dismiss them.

• Praise God for his faithfulness in bringing his people to the Promised Land.
• Ask God for wisdom in remembering his gracious acts in the past.
• Thank God for giving us reminders of his power in the Bible.