A Lesson for the Inconsiderate and Rash.
In Joshua 3:4 is a lesson worthy of heed in these days of inconsiderate and inconclusive haste. When Israel passed over Jordan, the ark of God, the symbol of His presence, containing His holy law, entered the river before them. After this ark the Israelites were to go. “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure; come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which you must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” That is, if the people had been allowed to rush on and gather around the ark, it would have been lost to view, and the people would have been left a confused mass without a guide. While God does want prompt obedience, He does not want in these days of peril, inconsiderate haste or rashness. Be sure that God leads, and follow as He commands.