Commentary - Joshua 3:14-17

Bird's-eye view

In Joshua 3:14-17, we have the account of Israel's miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. This is not just a convenient way to get an army across a river; it is a profound theological event, thick with meaning. The entire episode is a reenacted echo of the Red Sea crossing, a powerful demonstration to a new generation of Israelites, and to the terrified Canaanites, that the God of Moses is also the God of Joshua. The central elements are the Ark of the Covenant, representing the very presence of God, leading the way; the priests, who must step into the floodwaters in an act of faith; and the waters themselves, which obey the command of their Creator. This passage is about God going before His people, the necessity of obedient faith, and the transition from the wilderness of wandering to the promised inheritance. It is a living baptismal portrait, showing us how we too pass from death to life through the work of our great Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The structure is straightforward. The people begin their march, following the Ark. The priests carrying the Ark step into the Jordan at flood stage, a key detail showing the supernatural nature of the event. The waters immediately respond, piling up in a heap far upstream and cutting off the flow downstream. This creates a wide, dry path for the entire nation to cross over. The priests stand firm in the middle of the riverbed until everyone is safely across. This is a picture of God's faithfulness, a visible sermon on how His people enter into His promises not by their own strength, but by following His presence and trusting His word.

Outline

Context In Joshua

This passage is the climax of the first major section of the book of Joshua, which deals with the entrance into the land. For forty years, Israel has wandered. The generation that came out of Egypt perished in the wilderness because of unbelief. Now, a new generation stands ready to inherit the promise. But between them and the land of Canaan flows the Jordan River, swollen and impassable at harvest time. This is a natural barrier, but more importantly, it is a spiritual one. How will they get across? The answer is that God will take them across. This event serves to accomplish several things: it confirms Joshua's leadership as Moses' successor, it strikes fear into the hearts of the Canaanites, and it teaches Israel that their conquest will be a work of God from start to finish. It is a bookend to the Exodus, with the Red Sea on one side and the Jordan on the other, showing the continuity of God's covenant faithfulness.

Key Issues

Commentary

14 So it happened that when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people,

The action begins. The people break camp, and the procession is not a chaotic mob, but an ordered march. And what is at the head of this procession? Not the fiercest warriors from Reuben or Gad, but the priests carrying the Ark. This is crucial. The Ark of the Covenant was the tangible sign of God's presence among His people; it was, in a manner of speaking, His portable throne room. Inside were the tablets of the law, the testimony. So, when Israel moves, they are following the testimony of God. They are following God Himself. Their movement into the land is not a mere military invasion; it is a theological act. God is leading the way, and the people are following. This is the paradigm for all Christian life. We do not charge ahead based on our own wits or strength. We follow where the Lord leads.

15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest),

Here we have the central act of faith. The priests, bearing the weight of the Ark, had to walk directly into a raging river. Notice, the waters did not part before they stepped in. The miracle did not happen while they were standing safely on the bank, waiting for a sign. The command was to move, and the miracle was contingent upon their obedience. The soles of their feet had to get wet. This is how faith operates. It is not a leap in the dark, but rather a step into the water at God's command. The parenthetical note is important, this was not the dry season. The Jordan was a torrent, overflowing its banks. This removes any possibility of a naturalistic explanation. God is putting His power on display, and He is doing so at a time when the obstacle is at its most formidable. He gets the most glory when the difficulty is greatest.

16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.

The moment the priests' feet touch the water, the laws of nature are suspended by the Lawgiver. The water flowing from upstream stops. The text says it "rose up in one heap." This is the language of miracle, the language of creation power. God is not simply diverting the water; He is commanding it. He is the Lord of the flood. The water is stopped a great distance away, at a city named Adam. This is likely a deliberate theological echo. Just as in Adam all humanity fell and was cut off from the paradise of God, so here at a place called Adam, the barrier to the promised land is removed. The flow toward the Salt Sea, the Dead Sea, is cut off. This is a picture of salvation. The torrent of judgment that flows toward death is stopped by the presence of God, and a way is made for His people to cross over into life. And they did this directly opposite Jericho, the first great obstacle in their conquest, in full view of their enemies.

17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground until all the nation had completed crossing the Jordan.

The priests do not just dip their toes and retreat. They walk to the middle of the riverbed and stand firm. They are the anchor point for this entire miracle. Their steadfast presence, with the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh, is what holds the waters back. They are standing on dry ground, not muddy ground, but dry ground. God's deliverance is thorough. As long as the presence of the Lord is in the midst of the river, the way is safe. All of Israel, the entire nation, crossed over. No one was left behind. This is a picture of the finished work of Christ. He entered the waters of judgment for us. He stood firm in the place of death, and because He did, the way is open for all of His people to pass safely from the wilderness of this world into the promised inheritance of the new heavens and the new earth. He waits until the very last of His sheep is safely across before His work is considered complete.

Application

The application for us is manifold. First, we must recognize that our entrance into the Christian life, and our progress in it, is a miracle of God. We were cut off, with an impassable river of sin and judgment before us. But our great Joshua, Jesus, went before us. He is our Ark of the Covenant, the very presence and testimony of God.

Second, this passage teaches us the nature of faith. Faith is not passive; it gets its feet wet. God calls us to step out in obedience to His Word, even when the circumstances look impossible. The priests had to step into the flood before it parted. We are often called to obey before we see the outcome, to trust the Promiser before we see the promise fulfilled. Whether it is in our parenting, our business, or our evangelism, we must act on God's Word.

Finally, this is a profound picture of baptism. In baptism, we are identified with Christ in His death and resurrection. We pass through the waters of judgment, but we do so safely because He has gone before us. The waters that should have destroyed us are held back by His power. We are brought out of the wilderness of our old life and into the promised land of our new life in Him. This event at the Jordan reminds us that our salvation is not our own achievement. God leads the way, God opens the way, and God ensures we make it all the way across. Our duty is to follow, to trust, and to give Him all the glory.