Joshua 3:1-17
Through the Jordan
Read the passage
1Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
2After three days the officers went through the camp
3and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
4But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
5Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
6And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
7Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.
8Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’”
9So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.”
10He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites.
11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
12Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.
13When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.
15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,
16the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Israel leaves early in the morning and comes to the Jordan, but the river is overflowing its banks during harvest season. The people are facing a real obstacle, not a shallow stream that makes the crossing easy. The priests carry the ark ahead of them, and the officers tell the people to keep a distance so they can see the way.
Joshua tells Israel to consecrate itself because the LORD will do wonders among them. Joshua does not describe the crossing as a feat of courage produced by the people. He says the living God is among them and will drive out the nations before them.
The priests are told to step into the water carrying the ark. As soon as their feet touch the river, the water stops upstream and stands in a heap. The priests then stand on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while the whole nation crosses.
The LORD also says this crossing will show Israel that He is with Joshua as He was with Moses. The priests remain in the riverbed until everyone has crossed. The living God goes before His people and brings the whole nation through.
How We Know
Psalm 114:3–7 remembers both the sea fleeing and the Jordan turning back, calling the earth to tremble before the God of Jacob. This is a later biblical recollection of the crossing in worship; it does not supply a separate archaeological explanation.
Questions
1 What condition is the Jordan in when Israel arrives?
AnswerThe Jordan is overflowing its banks during harvest, making the crossing a serious physical obstacle for the nation.
2 What does the ark do in the procession?
AnswerThe priests carry it ahead of the people, marking the LORD's covenant presence at the center of their movement.
3 What must the priests do before the water stops?
AnswerTheir feet must touch the water's edge while they carry the ark. The water then stops upstream, and they stand on dry ground in the riverbed.
4 How does the whole nation cross?
AnswerEveryone crosses on dry ground while the priests remain in the river until the entire nation has passed over.
What This Means for Us
The passage does not ask us to call every obstacle a miracle or assume every desired outcome will happen on our timetable. It does show a God who can meet His people at an impossible-looking boundary.
When your household faces a frightening transition, put God's presence ahead of your panic. Take the next faithful step, and remember that the people crossing with you also need patience and room to arrive safely.
Prayer
Living God, meet us at the boundaries we cannot cross by ourselves. Lead our household with Your presence, give us courage for the next step, and keep us mindful of one another. Amen.