9 “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, 10 and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, 11 and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth 12 passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. 13 And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; 14 and they shall stand in one heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, that the priests that bare the ark of the covenant being before the people; 15 and when they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brink of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all its banks 16 all the time of harvest) that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericho. And 17 the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over Jordan.”
Golden Text.— “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” Isa. 43:2.
Special Helps.— “Patriarchs and Prophets,” Ch. 44, pp. 483-486.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What invitation did Joshua give to the people? Verse 9. Note 1. (2) What was about to be shown in a marked manner? And what was the “living God” to do for His people? Verse 10. Note 2. (3) To what was their attention especially called? Verse 11. Note 3. (4) What were they commanded to do? Verse 12. Note 4. (5) Then what should come to pass? Verse 13. Note 5. (6) What was the next move? In what position was the ark? Verse 14. (7) What is said of the Jordan at this season. Verse 15. Note 6. (8) When the priest’s feet touched the water, what took place? What then did the people do? Verse 16. Note 7. (9) What position did the priests bearing the ark take while the people passed over? Verse 17.
NOTES.
1. Wherever and whenever the people give heed to the Word of the Lord, success crowns every effort, and they are established in their goings. To properly hear the Word of the Lord, the hearing that brings blessing and guidance, implies obedience. Eze. 33:31; Matt. 7:24-29.
2. “Hereby ye shall know,” etc. Just as though they had not had evidence upon evidence, “line upon line, precept upon precept,” the Lord gives His people another striking proof that, notwithstanding their persistent waywardness, He was still among them, ready to fulfil His promise made to them and to their fathers. There were now many in Israel who did not witness the parting of the Red Sea on the deliverance from Egypt, so a like proof of God’s power was to be given on their entrance into the promised land.
3. The Lord was true to His covenant, altho the people had broken it. Israel is assured of this fact by the ark of the covenant being placed in the forefront when God would especially make Himself known. The ark contained the perfect law (Ps. 19:7) of the Lord, by whose power the waters were held in check until all the people had passed over in order and in safety.
4. “Every tribe a man.” The Lord would have all His people represented in the conduct of His work. See also Ch. 4:1-4. If it should ever come to the point of a one-man authority in spiritual things, that would be proof that only one man was loyal to the truth. Whoever assumes such a position makes himself a judge, and is not recognized by the Lord at all. See Matt. 7:1, 2; Rom 2:1.
5. The test of faith was the same as that at the Red Sea. On that occasion, while the sea was yet in its natural condition, the command was to go forward. Ex. 14:15, 16.
6. The barley harvest in that region is in the latter part of March and beginning of April. At this time the river at this point, ordinarily ninety to one hundred feet wide, is half a mile or more in width. Why not choose a time of year when the water was low, only three feet deep at the ford, and narrow?—Because the people were to be thrown upon the resources of the country for a food supply, and barley harvest was the appropriate time. Then, too, it could be demonstrated that no obstacle could hinder when the Lord was leading.
7. The water was cut off at the city of Adam, about fifteen miles above the ford. Here the river passes through a narrow gorge in the hills, and the backed-up water would spread out in the valley above the gorge, leaving all below clear. Thus while the division of the water was wholly miraculous, topographical conditions were utilized.
