INTRODUCTION: The crossing of the Jordan River marks a major change in the lives of the Israelites. They are leaving the wilderness behind and entering into the Promised Land. The Jordan River becomes a type of death to us. It pictures death to self for the believer and a more victorious Christian life. Or, it can picture physical death and our entrance into the eternal land of promise. Are you ready to cross the Jordan?
- PREPARATION FOR THE CROSSING (Joshua 3:1-6)
- Moving to the Banks of the Jordan (Joshua 3:1)
- Commanded To Follow the Ark (Joshua 3:2-4)
- Go after it (Joshua 3:2-3).
- Come not near unto it (Joshua 3:4a).
- Ye have not passed this way heretofore (Joshua 3:4b).
- Sanctified in Preparation for Divine Wonders (Joshua 3:5)
- The Ark Placed in Front of the Congregation (Joshua 3:6)
- INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CROSSING (Joshua 3:7-13)
- Instructions to Joshua (Joshua 3:7-8)
- The Lord will magnify Joshua in the sight of Israel (Joshua 3:7).
- Joshua is to command the priests that bear the ark to stand still in the Jordan (Joshua 3:8).
- Instructions to the Children of Israel (Joshua 3:9-13)
- The people are to come near and hear the words of God (Joshua 3:9).
- The people will receive a token of Gods presence (Joshua 3:10-11).
- The waters of Jordan will be cut off (Joshua 3:13).
- THE ACTUAL CROSSING OF THE JORDAN (Joshua 3:14-17)
- The Drying Up of the Jordan (Joshua 3:14-16)
- When the priests stepped into the water (Joshua 3:14-15a)
- At the time of the flooding (Joshua 3:15b)
- Drying up a long section of river (Joshua 3:16)
- From the city Adam: about 15 miles north of Jericho
- To the salt (Dead) sea: about 5 miles south of Jericho
- The Passing Over of the Israelites (Joshua 3:17)
- The priests stood firm on dry ground.
- All the Israelites passed over on dry ground.
- THE SETTING UP OF MEMORIALS (Joshua 4:1-9)
- Twelve Stones Taken Out of Jordan (Joshua 4:1-8)
- To be carried by twelve chosen men (Joshua 4:1-5)
- Men to be chosen from every tribe (Joshua 4:1-2)
- Twelve stones to be removed from the Jordan and placed in the lodging place of the children of Israel (Joshua 4:3)
- Joshua instructs the twelve men (Joshua 4:4-5).
- As a sign to the children (Joshua 4:6-7)
- When the children ask questions concerning the stones (Joshua 4:6)
- The fathers can tell the story of the crossing of Jordan (Joshua 4:7).
- The instructions obeyed by the twelve (Joshua 4:8)
- Twelve Stones Placed in the Midst of the Jordan (Joshua 4:9)
- Joshua placed twelve other stones in the Jordan.
- He placed them in the location where the feet of the priests stood.
- THE PEOPLE ALL GET ACROSS (Joshua 4:10-13)
- The Children of Israel (Joshua 4:10-11)
- The priests stood their ground until everyone passed over (Joshua 4:10).
- The people hasted to pass over (Joshua 4:10).
- The priests passed over with the ark (Joshua 4:11).
- The Two-and-a-Half Tribes (Joshua 4:12-13)
- They passed over armed before their brethren (Joshua 4:12).
- They were about 40,000 in number (Joshua 4:13).
- This is a drastic decline from the number of soldiers in Numbers 1.
- The number of the two-and-a-half tribes then would have been about 108,250.
- Reuben had 46,500 (Numbers 1:20-21).
- Gad had 45,650 (Numbers 1:24-25).
- Half the tribe of Manasseh would have been 16,100 (Numbers 1:34-35).
- This demonstrates that it will be the minority of those who leave Egypt that will actually cross the Jordan. This is true of the Christian life as well. Only a minority of those who are saved by the blood of Christ will make it through the wilderness times and cross the Jordan. Crossing the Jordan is a picture of crossing into the victorious Christian life. Very few will do it.
- THE PRIESTS COME UP OUT OF JORDAN (Joshua 4:14-18)
- Joshua is Magnified in the Sight of Israel (Joshua 4:14).
- The Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all the people.
- The people feared Joshua as they feared Moses.
- The Priests are Commanded To Come Out (Joshua 4:15-17).
- This seems to be a retelling of the events with more detail.
- This shows that the priests stayed in the Jordan until Joshua commanded them to come out (Joshua 4:16-17).
- The Waters of the Jordan Return (Joshua 4:18)
- When the soles of the priests feet touch the dry land, the waters returned.
- The waters returned to their overflowing of the banks.
- THE ARRIVAL OF THE PEOPLE IN GILGAL (Joshua 4:19-24)
- They Set Up Camp (Joshua 4:19).
- The people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month.
- They encamped in Gilgal.
- They Set Up the Memorial of Stones (Joshua 4:20-24).
- The stones placed (Joshua 4:20)
- The lessons they teach (Joshua 4:21-24)
- To the children of the Israelites (Joshua 4:21-23)
- The drying up of the Red Sea
- The drying up of the Jordan
- To all the people of the earth (Joshua 4:24)
CONCLUSION: They are in the Promised Land! Now, all they have to do is conquer it in order to receive their inheritance. In a way, that is what the Christian life is about. The land is ours but we must go and possess our possession (Joshua 1:11; Obadiah 17).