Men of Faith: Joshua Session 5 March 18th, 2026
Joshua 3: The Crossing of the Jordan
- Joshua and the people were still residing at Shittim, a tree-ladened oasis in Moab
- Shittim wood/Acacia wood is what was used to build the Ark of the Covenant
- Joshua rose early, came to the Jordan and waited 3 days.
- The Jordan river= “descending from Dan” (Hebrew.) Originates at the base of Mt. Hermon, near Caesarea-Philippi. There is a subterranean aquifer that is sustained from snow-melt, and supplies several of the 5 heads of the river. ~156 miles long
- From the region of Dan it feeds down into the Sea of Galilee. This first section is called the Upper Jordan. The Lower Jordan comes out of the Sea of Galilee and southward to the Dead Sea. It would be in this section that the Israelites would prepare to cross at a place called Bethabara, ‘the house of Passage.’
- Total of 3 times were the waters of the Jordan river dried up to allow the crossing of God’s people:
- By God through Joshua
- By God through Elijah’s anointed mantle
- By God through Elisha using Elijah’s anointed mantle (2 Kings 2)
- Naaman was baptized in the Jordan river 7 times
- John 1:28 shows John the Baptist would baptize Jesus in the Jordan at: Bethany or ‘Bethabara’ the house of the Passage!! (Judges 7:24) This is THE SPOT of the crossing of Joshua and the nation of Israel, and most likely the spot for Elijah/Elisha too. We could venture that this location is rather special, and holy to the Lord.
- “After 3 days,”…( actually 6 days from Rahab’s covenant)
- Verse 3: The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God. 4 x 2x 2 and overlaid with gold, and a gold lid called the Seat of Mercy. Weight range: appx 175-0ver 600 lbs and carried by 4 men with poles. Potentially 150 lbs/man!! These were from the tribe of Levi (so were Moses and Aaron). They alone were consecrated to transport the Ark. Wait for it to go in front of you…stand a half mile away…watch it, because you’ve not been this way before!!!
- Sanctify yourself, tomorrow you will see the Lord do miracles. Cleanse yourselves, not just physically but rather spiritually. Get ready for spiritual warfare. (1 Peter 1:16, 1 John 1:9-10)
- Verse 6: (Day 7 from Rahab’s promise) Take up the Ark and go in front of the people.
- Verse 7-8 God told Joshua He would begin to magnify Joshua before the people, and prove to them that He is with him, just like Moses. The priest will come to the edge and stand still IN Jordan.
- Verse 10: Lists 7 nations: Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and the Jebusites.
- Verse 11: “The ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” never spoken like this before to this point. The ark represents the coming Messiah Jesus.
- Verse 12-13: Take the 12 men/officers from the tribes and have them ready. As soon as the priest’s feet are in the water, the water shall be cut off and they shall stand up in a heap. God has told Joshua what will occur, and Joshua is telling the people what is going to happen: a miracle of God. Not a natural occurrence.
- Verse 14-15: The priests walk into the water’s edge and stopped, still holding the ark. The timing of this crossing was at it’s peak and the brim of the water was hundreds of feet on either side. This was harvest time: April/May.
- Verse 16: The waters actually “stood up in a heap!” How did this miracle happen? Was it due to an earthquake like some say, or another natural occurrence…or was it just by the power of God? I favor the latter!!! The presence of the living God was there and the ark was the visible symbol. (Colossians 1:15…”and He is the exact image of the invisible God.) (Reference to the city of Adam is interesting.) Romans 5:12 by one man’s sin and death had entered the world. By the last Adam we were delivered. 1 Cor.15:45 is a picture of baptism. The nation of Israel had just been baptized in the Jordan.
- Verse 17: The priests stood on solid, dry ground until all the people were completely passed over to the other side of Jordan.
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