Commentary - Joshua 3:1-4

Bird's-eye view

The book of Joshua is about conquest and inheritance, but it is fundamentally a book about rest. This might seem a paradox, but it is the biblical pattern. The greater Joshua, our Lord Jesus, entered into His rest through the strenuous warfare of the cross. And so it is with God's people. In these opening verses of the third chapter, we find Israel on the very brink of that inheritance. They have been wandering for forty years, and now the promises of God are just across the river. This passage is about the critical moment of transition, a divinely orchestrated event designed to sanctify the people, glorify God, and establish Joshua's leadership. The entire affair is a reenacted echo of the Red Sea crossing, a powerful reminder to a new generation that the God who delivered their fathers is the same God who will fight for them now. This is not merely a logistical account of a river crossing; it is a theological statement about how God's people enter into His promises: by following His presence, represented by the Ark, into uncharted territory.

The central theme here is God-led, God-ordained progress into the unknown. The people are not to rush ahead. They are not to rely on their own wits or military prowess. They are to fix their eyes on the Ark of the Covenant, the tangible symbol of Yahweh's throne and presence among them. The specific instructions about the distance they are to keep from the Ark and the role of the Levitical priests all serve to underscore the holiness of God and the necessity of faith-filled obedience. They are going a way they have not gone before, and so they must be led in a way they have not been led before. This is a picture of the Christian life. We too are called to cross our Jordans, to enter into new realms of obedience and blessing, and we do so not by mapping it all out ourselves, but by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Outline

Context In Joshua

Coming off the heels of the successful mission of the two spies to Jericho in chapter 2, the morale of Israel is high. Rahab's testimony has confirmed what God had already promised: the fear of Israel has fallen upon the inhabitants of Canaan. The stage is set. Chapter 3 marks the definitive end of the wilderness generation and the beginning of the conquest generation. The forty years of wandering are over. The period of judgment and waiting is concluded. Now is the time for action, for taking possession of the land. This chapter is the hinge upon which the entire book turns. Everything that has come before in Joshua, the commissioning of the new leader, the charge to be courageous, the securing of the tribes on the east bank, the report from Jericho, has been leading to this moment. And everything that follows, the conquest of Jericho, Ai, and the southern and northern kings, depends on the successful and obedient crossing of this river. The Jordan at flood stage is a formidable natural barrier, a symbol of the impossible obstacle that stands between God's people and their inheritance. This crossing, therefore, is not just a military maneuver; it is a foundational miracle for this new generation, intended to do for them what the Red Sea did for their parents.

Commentary

1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed.

Joshua's rising early in the morning is a recurring mark of a diligent and faithful leader in Scripture. Abraham did it, Jacob did it, Moses did it. It shows a man who is not sluggish, a man eager to do the will of God. The task before him is immense, and he meets it with readiness. They set out from Shittim, which is a place name that should ring a bell. It was at Shittim that Israel fell into gross idolatry and sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab (Numbers 25). It was a place of deep shame and divine judgment. Now, it is the launching point for their entry into the Promised Land. This is a picture of the gospel. God takes us from our places of failure and sin, and from there, He begins His work of bringing us into our inheritance. They come to the Jordan and they lodge there. There is a pause. God is not in a hurry. This waiting period of three days builds anticipation and provides time for the final instructions to be given. It forces the people to look at the obstacle, the Jordan at flood stage, and recognize their utter inability to cross it on their own. God often brings us to the edge of our impossibilities before He acts, so that there is no question as to who gets the glory.

2 Now it happened that at the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;

The three-day pause is significant. It is a time of waiting on the Lord. In the biblical pattern, three days is often a period of transition, of death and resurrection. Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights. Our Lord Jesus was in the heart of the earth for three days. Here, Israel waits for three days before their "resurrection" into the new life of the Promised Land. The old life of wandering is dying, and the new life of conquest and inheritance is about to begin. The officers, the leaders under Joshua, move through the camp. This is an orderly, organized affair. This is not a chaotic mob rushing toward the river. God is a God of order, and His people are to reflect that. The instructions are disseminated systematically, ensuring that every person in the camp knows exactly what is required of them. This is covenantal leadership in action, Joshua receives the word from God, and he delegates its transmission through the appointed officers.

3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

Here is the heart of the instruction. The signal to move is not a trumpet blast or a military commander's shout. The signal is the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the central object in Israel's worship. It was a wooden box overlaid with gold, containing the tablets of the Law, a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that budded. On top of it was the mercy seat, where the blood of atonement was sprinkled. It represented the very throne and presence of Yahweh among His people. So, the command is simple: watch for God, and when He moves, you move. Follow Him. Their progress is entirely dependent upon His presence going before them. Notice also who carries it: the Levitical priests. This is not a military standard carried by soldiers; it is a holy object carried by consecrated ministers. This whole endeavor is an act of worship before it is an act of war. The battle for Canaan will be won not by the sword primarily, but by faithful obedience to the God who fights for them. This is a profound lesson for the church. Our mission in the world, our "conquest," is not to be led by worldly strategies or carnal might, but by the manifest presence of God going before us. We follow Christ, our Ark, into the world.

4 However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

This is a fascinating detail. A distance of 2,000 cubits, roughly half a mile, is to be maintained between the people and the Ark. Why? Two reasons are given. The first is practical and is stated explicitly: "that you may know the way by which you shall go." With a crowd of this size, likely over a million people, if they were all bunched up at the front, no one in the back would be able to see their guide. The distance ensures that the Ark remains visible to the entire congregation. It is a high and lifted up standard. But there is a deeper, theological reason implied in the command, "Do not come near it." This distance is a buffer of holiness. The Ark represents the raw, unmediated presence of a holy God. He is not to be trifled with. He is not our buddy or pal. He is Yahweh, the sovereign Creator, and a consuming fire. This space enforces a sense of holy reverence and awe. It reminds the people that while God is with them, He is also utterly distinct from them. This combination of God's nearness (leading them) and His transcendence (the required distance) is central to a right understanding of God. The final clause is the summary of their situation, and ours: "for you have not passed this way before." This is true of every new stage of obedience. Every day presents a path we have not trod. We do not know the way. We cannot see the future. Therefore, we must not trust in ourselves, but rather fix our eyes on our guide, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has gone this way before. He knows the path, for He is the path. Our job is to keep a holy distance of reverence, and a close enough distance of sight, so that we can follow Him wherever He leads.

Application

The principles laid out in this short passage are the bedrock of Christian discipleship. We, like Israel, stand at the edge of our own Jordans. These might be new callings, difficult trials, or the daunting task of raising our children in a hostile world. The temptation is always to rely on our own maps, our own experience, our own strength. But God's command to us is the same as it was to them: Fix your eyes on the Ark.

Our Ark is not a box of wood and gold, but the person of Jesus Christ. He is the presence of God made flesh. He has gone before us, through the floodwaters of death and judgment, and has emerged victorious on the other side. The command for us is to follow Him. This means our lives must be oriented around His presence. Our decisions, our plans, our ambitions must all be subordinated to the question, "Where is the Ark going?"

We must also heed the command to keep our distance. This is not a distance of alienation, but of reverence. We are not to become overly familiar with the holy things of God. We are to approach Him with awe and godly fear, recognizing that He is God and we are not. This reverence is what allows us to see Him clearly. When we get too close, in a presumptuous way, our own shadow gets in the way. When we maintain that holy respect, we can see Him as our guide, high and lifted up.

And finally, we must embrace the reality that we have not passed this way before. This is not a cause for fear, but a cause for faith. It is what makes the Christian life an adventure. We do not need to know the way, because we know the Guide. He has promised to lead us, to part the waters for us, and to bring us safely into our inheritance. Our task is to rise early, ready to obey, and to follow where He leads.