LEARNING DAILY

 

Joshua 3:13, “And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

 

You have to think back to the time the people of Israel left Egypt and remember the series of miracles they had experienced. That generation had experienced the miracle of the Red Sea, crossing over it on dry land as the water was parted. That generation had died in the forty years wilderness experience and a new generation was about to experience the Jordan River parting in order to cross over into the Promised land.

 

Before I go on there are two important points to understand about the people and the Jordan River. First, verse 15 tells us that the Lord brought Israel to the banks of the Jordan River at harvest time; at harvest time the water of the Jordan overflows its bank. Why? Once again the Lord desired the people (and you and me) to witness and see Him demonstrate His power. Continue reading and you will see the moment the sole of the feet of the priests hit the water, the water parted and “all Israel crossed over on dry land”.

 

Secondly, the Lord had told Joshua to have the people sanctify themselves to cross the river (verse 5). There was a need to prepare themselves spiritually for God to work on their behalf. In other words, the people needed to be right with God. The act of sanctification points to the principle that God will not act on behalf of His people unless they (we) are inwardly and aligned with His will. That was done by making sure their (our) hearts were pure and their desires were guided by God.

 

The parting of the Jordan River was a sign to the people that God was with him as He had been with Moses when the Red Sea was parted. Remember God had told Joshua he needed to be strong and of good courage. Now God was showing the people His power (few had seen the parting of the Red Sea – a new generation) in order to strengthen the faith of His people to face the challenges of possessing the Promised Land; they, too, needed to be strong and of good courage. Without it, they could not have taken the fortified cities, defeated superior armies, and conquered the land.

 

What is your Jordan River today? What are you facing that requires God to move on your behalf? I know you might be thinking about what happens if the Lord does not part your Jordan River. I have found He often does not act the way I want Him to. I think I have the perfect way and the waters do not part but keep on flowing, overflowing the banks.  It is at those times I am reminded to be strong and have good courage; yes, that takes faith and trust that God will do what He has said. The people’s faith began with a small step. Our faith begins with a small step of faith – the Bible tells us that step needs to be only the size of a mustard seed. Whatever happen with your Jordan River, let your trust be in the Lord Jesus Christ!