Joshua 3:14-17
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Where it all falls apart
Joshua 3:15 says, “as soon as the priests feet touched the water’s edge…” the water stopped flowing.
It’s at the water’s edge where it all falls apart for most of us. This is the difference between, as Hebrews 11 says, confidence in what we hope for, and just hope. And I don’t know about you, but this where I often find myself—standing six feet back from the water’s edge waiting for the water to stop flowing.
A few verses earlier, in verse 8, God had said to Joshua, “Tell the priests, when you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.”
Go, in all your priestly garments, all your clothes, carrying that ark, and walk into the flooded river. Then, only then, will the water stop flowing.
A line in the sand
It’s like God drew a line in the sand on the beach. He said, a million people will walk up to that line and say, “If only God would do a miracle, we could cross this river.”
“If only God would stop the flow of the flooded waters, then I could take the next step.”
We call this faith, because we say we believe He can, but here we stand, still on our shore, on our side of the line, still having not received the promise of the covenant, the land He promised each of us.
This is what James chapter 2 is referring to when it says in verse 17 that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
So God says to the Israelites, when you take the step of faith, when your feet touch the water, then you will see me work. This is how you will cross the flooded Jordan River.
And I wonder if the priests—even though they were carrying the Ark of the Testimony itself—hesitated before they took the last step. Even though they had every reason to believe God was going to do what He said He would, I wonder if they paused for a moment before they took that last step.
Faith is not easy
I suppose that many of us need to take a step of faith today.
Maybe you have heard of God’s promise of eternal life, but have just stood on the sand looking at that line, waiting for God to do something more, to show Himself again. He already has, and you’re surrounded by a great testimony to the truth that Jesus, who lived and died, also rose again. And all around you are people whose lives have been transformed when they received the promise of eternal life and the promised Holy Spirit.
For you, the first step of faith may literally be into the water, to be baptized. If you have not taken that step, I encourage you to talk to a pastor or elder at a church in your community today.
And I suppose that others will need to take some other step of faith today, to go where God is leading. And instead of waiting for the phone to ring, you may need to make the phone call and make things right, restore a relationship.
Maybe you’ve been waiting for a better job, or some other windfall. You’ve said, when God provides more money, then I’ll give generously. But like the Israelites, you need to step into the water, and make your offering today.
This is how you will cross
So the Israelites approached the Jordan River. There was no bridge; there was no boat; there was no shallow spot to wade through. The only way to cross was to trust the One who had provided the way so many times before.
Step into the water? Yes. And that is exactly what they did. And then God provided a way for them to cross on dry ground—but not a moment before.
What have you been waiting for? In what circumstance in your life have you been standing back wondering if God would provide a way?
In this serious of posts, studying Joshua 3 and 4, we look at faith from the shore of the flooded Jordan River. Other posts include: This is how you will know which way to go, This is how you will know that the living God is among you, and This is how you will remember.