The Parted Jordan

7Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.” 10Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you. 11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you into the Jordan. 12Now therefore take twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. 13It shall be that when the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of Yahweh, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan will be cut off. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one heap.” 14When the people moved from their tents to pass over the Jordan, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant being before the people, 15and when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest), 16the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho. 17The priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.

However fine a vessel may be, it can be used only if it is clean. Even a vessel of gold cannot hold food unless it is clean. Given a silver bowl and a wooden one, people looking for a dish to serve food in will care less about what it is made of than about which one is clean. God, too, uses people who have been washed clean by his word. So we must keep ourselves holy.

Yet because people value the outward over the inward and labor for their own advantage rather than for God’s will, they do not receive his grace. The life given to us was given so that we might grow by polishing our inner selves day by day, but because we do not realize this, we resent God at every turn and pour out our complaints.

Before foolish words leave your mouth as they left the mouths of the Israelites, I hope you will stop and ask why these circumstances have been given to you. When Israel rejected the manna God sent down and complained, God took away the fence of his protection. Then fiery serpents tormented them. The fiery serpents had always been near them throughout their life in the wilderness, but because God was protecting his people, the serpents could not come near them. Having lived in constant peace, surrounded by such wonderful love, the Israelites had come to take God’s absolute protection for granted.

This world, too, is full of fiery serpents, so there is no safe place for us. God protects us with the fence of the Holy Spirit, and thanks to that we live without trouble, yet we take it for granted. He helps us so that we lack nothing, but because we feel no gratitude at all, our words and actions turn proud. Had they been more thankful and humbler instead of proud, God would have helped them live without want. If God were to take away the fence he made to protect us, we would meet the fiery serpents at once. What we must do, then, is sanctify ourselves so that God’s fence is never stripped away.

God is urging us to overcome sin. In the garden of Eden, when Eve looked at the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God had commanded that it must never be eaten, yet Satan urged her to eat it. What Eve should have done in that moment was to tell the tempter firmly that, according to God’s word, she would not eat. Had Eve obeyed God’s word and spoken firmly, God would have granted many blessings to the Eve who had overcome sin.

When God commanded Adam never to eat from that tree, Satan was also in the garden of Eden. In other words, it is not that God created the garden first and made Satan afterward. God made the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden even though he knew Satan would tempt Adam and Eve, because his children could receive the salvation he had prepared only by overcoming sin. He hoped they would overcome Satan’s temptation. But Adam and Eve cared more about what they could see than about God’s command, and Satan used that heart to tempt them into sin.

Here we see that the heart of a person who does not obey the word is, for Satan, a fine instrument for opposing God. In the wilderness the Israelites sometimes sinned against God as Adam and Eve had, and sometimes repented and cried to him for help. Yet however often people’s hearts shift, God’s promise and providence do not change, and they are fulfilled. It is a sign that no human merit can enter into God’s work. God’s promise and blessing did not change, and still Judas Iscariot and the apostle Paul chose differently. The difference lay in whether or not the truth stood at the center of their hearts. For only those who hold the truth can choose rightly.

Joshua 3:7

7Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

God raised up Joshua as leader to succeed Moses. And so that the people would trust and follow Joshua, God also promised that he himself would act. Since it was almighty God who promised to set Joshua over the people and to work directly so that he would be recognized, from a human point of view this is a miracle.

Joshua was skilled in war and wise in spirit. Yet although he had these gifts, God gave him a promise once again, because Joshua’s life and abilities alike all belonged to God. Joshua’s great victories would be the sign that God was with him, and for that reason the people would obey him. God raised Joshua high as the way to make the people follow him. The world, too, has many heroes. They also possess outstanding wisdom, but because theirs is human wisdom, in the end they only work for the darkness.

God’s wisdom enables us to see the heart of the matter in resolving the affairs of life, and it gives us the clear, logical thinking with which to judge. Whatever the matter, we fail when we are in a hurry, and we make mistakes when we cannot free ourselves from the thought that our own judgment is right.

As you go through life and some event confronts you, if you think of only one thing, you cannot become a person of real breadth. You must put everything into one bowl and shake it together: the things that could happen around that one event, the people connected with it, the timing, and even the feelings that come with it. Then you will grasp the wisdom that rises to the surface, the person standing at the center of the problem, the way to resolve it, and even the reasons for thanksgiving. These things may seem unrelated now, but if you have the wisdom to see them all at once, you will no longer create needless trouble. A person with this kind of wisdom is the spiritual adult God is looking for.

Those who deal only with what is right in front of them will meet, one after another, the further problems that arise from it, and then the problems that arise from those in turn. But if you have wisdom, you can head off what is coming. This is how to see life broadly. By showing us how he is now leading his people into Canaan, God is telling us to learn wisdom.

To fulfill his plan, God is binding the people, Joshua, and the ark together as one and carrying out his work perfectly. First, he sanctified the hearts of the people so that they could follow Joshua. Once sanctified, the people came to know that God was helping Joshua, and as they saw the miracles that came through him, they served him. Seeing this, Joshua gained the assurance that God was helping him, and he grew confident.

Now, last of all, it was time for God to work the miracle of the Jordan through the obedience of the priests, who believed in his mighty work. Having come to know God’s will, the priests took up the ark as soon as Joshua gave the command and walked straight toward the Jordan.

Hebrews 3:18-19

18To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

Those who lived and died in the wilderness during those forty years had come out of Egypt with Moses and experienced miracles, yet they failed to obey God. They knew they were on their way to Canaan, but they complained for the sake of immediate comfort, and they did not enter his rest. Loved as no other nation was, they still fell short of that rest, which shows that they themselves shut the door toward God and did not go into Canaan.

At that time it was April, the season of the barley harvest along the Jordan. The snow that had covered Mount Hermon was melting, and the river was overflowing. The Sea of Galilee was at its highest, and its water was pouring down into the Jordan, so crossing the river on foot was extremely dangerous. Now the Jordan flowed before Israel, and on the other side seven nations lay waiting. In that situation, God’s promise alone was their refuge.

If you were Joshua, or one of the priests carrying the ark, could you confidently cross the rushing Jordan? You would have to decide whether or not to cross with nothing in hand but God’s promise. To step into the Jordan with the ark on your shoulders, on nothing more than Joshua’s word, is never easy unless you have prepared yourself by faith.

We too fail to live by faith, even though God has told us through Scripture that more than five hundred people saw Jesus come to this earth, atone for sin, and ascend. Jesus told us that he had finished everything on the cross, and that if we step by faith into the river of this world, our fear of the world, our evil nature, Satan’s temptations, and our unhappy hearts will all disappear. And still we do not believe his word.

Before Israel now waited the descendants of Anak, whom they could not defeat by their own strength, and the river was running hard. Yet the priests stepped into the Jordan without doubting. You too may have circumstances and people around you that wear you down, but the promise of God you have received has the power to make you overcome all of it. So I hope you will not be afraid but will live by faith. If you try to take on the world yourself, you will never win, but if you trust God’s promise and sanctify yourself, living a holy life, God will work on your behalf.

Joshua 3:16

16the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people passed over near Jericho.

As soon as the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the water, a miracle took place. When the priests stepped out believing a promise they could not see, the Jordan, wonderfully, parted starting from their feet. The miracle is complete the moment God speaks, but for us to see that promise fulfilled with our own eyes takes time, the appointed hour, faith, and obedience. When the priests obeyed in faith, the promise God had given Abraham came true. In this way God’s promise works hand in hand with the obedience and devotion of his people.

But here there is something you need to know. It is true, of course, that the priests’ faith brought this about. Yet the river did not part because of the priests themselves, simply because those carrying the ark set foot in the Jordan. The Jordan parted because God worked: the God who had led them until now, the God who watched the priests obey, the God who gave them the grace to step out in faith. It is said that when the Canaanites saw the miracle that happened as Israel obeyed, their hearts melted. This is how the world meets God, by seeing the faith of those who believe.

It is just as the people, seeing the miracle that happened when Joshua obeyed, acknowledged that God was with him.

God gives promises to you as well, and he wants those promises fulfilled. The promise given to everyone is the same, but its fulfillment may differ according to God’s timing and our obedience. Someone who has understood God’s will and lived by faith will have prepared a large vessel, while someone who has lived for themselves will have prepared a small one. The timing will be set by how hard we have labored to live sanctified lives, and the answer, too, will differ according to the vessel each of us brings.

Every student in school pays tuition. Paying tuition shows that the student is enrolled, whether they do well in their studies or not. Yet parents handing over the tuition will likely be hoping that, since their child is there anyway, the child will do well. If the child understands the parents’ heart and studies as hard as they can, they will gain more opportunities than their classmates.

The Israelites, too, were all given an opportunity. Without distinction, every one of them could do God’s work. But their reward would differ depending on whether they simply went along with the faith the way everyone else did, or grew in faith as they came to understand God’s will. Would they become a leader guiding the people, like Joshua, or a foolish Achan who stole even after crossing the Jordan by grace? Their lives would turn out according to their choice.

It is not that God failed to give them an opportunity, but that they made their own choice. Now and then I hear people in the church say that they do not have faith yet. The truth is not that they lack faith but that they have not chosen it. If they chose faith, God would work on behalf of that faith. They say they cannot serve or give themselves to the work because they are not yet filled, but in truth they have not tried to be filled, and they have not poured time and effort into service and devotion. If they make the effort, God will surely create circumstances in which they can devote themselves.

Hebrews 5:7

7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,

Though he was the Son of God, Jesus did not avoid suffering but obeyed God’s will and was made perfect. Because he gave himself up, he became the eternal Savior of all who obey God. Through the sacrifice of Christ, who suffered to make atonement, we have crossed safely over the rushing river of sin. Christ parted the river of sin, which no one could cross, and gave us the grace to walk on the dry ground of salvation into Canaan.

Only obedience to the word can part the Jordan, so the obedience of the priests who carried the ark plays a precious part in fulfilling God’s promise. When they set foot in the Jordan, the water flowing down stopped, and it rose up in one heap a great way off as the river flowed backward. “Rose up in one heap” means that the water piled upward, like a person rising from a seat, or as though something were holding back the flowing water.

The priests carrying the ark stood in the middle of the parted Jordan until all Israel had crossed. This shows that the world obeys God’s command. God did not tell the people to get across the Jordan however they could. Instead, the word stood in the middle, holding back the waters of hardship so that the people would not stumble, and helped them go on toward Canaan. Where the word is, there is no fear. The rivers of the world will not overwhelm or threaten those who understand God’s word. You must believe the word of God, which has such power. You must be sure that as long as God’s word walks with you, the world can never sweep over you.

The waters of the Jordan, which until then had blocked Israel’s way to Canaan, were cut off in an instant. In the same way, the suffering that has flowed through your life as if to swallow it will be cut off the moment you step out in faith with the word. Poverty, sickness, and hardship will be cut off in an instant, and the people and circumstances that have tormented you will vanish in a moment. Those who believe that the word is working with such mighty power will receive eternal life.

Hebrews 4:12

12For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The word of God is living and sharper than any sword, and it gives us strength to resist Satan and helps us discern the world. When we come to understand God’s word, it gives us the wisdom to judge accurately who is false and who is honest, so we are never deceived. If you have been given so powerful a word, then the self you had before you believed, full of lies, unbelief, and sin, must be broken. Just as the Jordan was cut off in an instant, you must throw everything away as rubbish and be born again. Only when you, born again, carry the ark and stand in the middle of the Jordan can your brothers and sisters who are weak in faith cross over without fear.

Should you not also see and enjoy here on earth blessings like the Jordan parting and rising up like a mountain, as Israel saw and enjoyed them? Since you have known miraculous blessings unfolding in your own life, you must live passing that grace on to others. When you experience God’s work and, on the strength of that experience, deepen your relationship with him, the Jordan will part day after day.

The parting of the Jordan is not an old tale recorded in the pages of the Bible. It is a miracle and a grace that can happen in your life every day. May the experience of the priests who carried the ark, stood in the middle of the Jordan, and helped the weak among the people pass through, become your own. To you who have such beautiful faith, God will grant still more blessing, and he will entrust much to you, so that you can take up a greater calling for Jesus on this earth.

May you always fulfill your calling as priests who bear the ark of the covenant. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.