Joshua Calls Israel at the Jordan Riverby GrahamWeir
3:5Joshua 3:5
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
Joshua 3:5 belongs to the preparation for the passage over the Jordan into the promised land recorded in Joshua 3 and 4, and the experiences of Israel in traveling to Canaan there are to be studied carefully, keeping heart and mind in training by refreshing the memory with the lessons the Lord taught His ancient people, so that the teachings of His Word will ever be interesting and impressive as He designed. The command came as Israel faced the Jordan in spring flood, when crossing at the usual fords was impossible without divine aid, and the crossing was to be a miracle requiring spiritual preparation because the Lord would perform wonders among them the next day. To sanctify themselves meant to consecrate and prepare spiritually for what God would do the next day, putting away sin and cleansing from outward impurity. The promised wonder for the morrow was God's willed miraculous passage of Israel over the Jordan on dry land, carried out at the appointed time.
The priests carrying the ark were to take it up and bear it before the people to lead them, and the ark was a symbol of God's presence containing the law of God. Christ went before the ark, and the waters of the Jordan were cut off before Him. When the priests' feet were dipped in the brim of the Jordan the waters from above were cut off, the priests stood in the bed of the river halfway over until all Israel had passed over, and then at Joshua's command they came up onto dry land, whereupon the Jordan rolled on as before and overflowed its banks. The crossing showed that the waters of the Jordan were subject to the same divine power Israel had seen at the Red Sea, and it strengthened and greatly increased their faith. It fulfilled God's word that He would begin to magnify Joshua in the sight of all Israel so they would know that as He was with Moses so He would be with Joshua, and it convinced the generation then living, many of whom had passed through the Red Sea as children forty years before and now passed over as men of war equipped for battle.
The crossing was to be remembered by stones taken from where the priests' feet stood and erected as a monument in Gilgal that Israel passed over the Jordan on dry land. God will do marvelous things for those who trust in Him and will help His believing children in every emergency when they place their entire confidence in Him and obey His word implicitly without questioning or doubt, while lack of strength comes from trusting too much to their own wisdom and strength and not giving the Lord opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. The promised wonders require giving up all desire for self-exaltation and humbly submitting to the divine will, and then God works mightily, manifests His power, and brings freedom and victory, as when the Majesty of Heaven with His army of angels leveled the walls of Jericho before His people so that the armed warriors of Israel had no cause to glory in their own achievements.
God's covenant-keeping people must sanctify themselves to His service by always doing what the Lord commands and moving forward guardedly yet courageously. When they yield themselves to Him in love and faithful, trusting service, the Lord will be with them and work in their behalf, purify all who yield, work with mighty power through humble, faithful men, strengthen them, and cooperate with their efforts. He will give them precious victories and success in arousing souls dead in trespasses and sins, will not suffer them to become a reproach, and will make them a praise in the earth, for nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church.
Joshua 3:5 belongs to the preparation for the passage over the Jordan into the promised land recorded in Joshua 3 and 4, and the experiences of Israel in traveling to Canaan there are to be studied carefully, keeping heart and mind in training by refreshing the memory with the lessons the Lord taught His ancient people, so that the teachings of His Word will ever be interesting and impressive as He designed. The command came as Israel faced the Jordan in spring flood, when crossing at the usual fords was impossible without divine aid, and the crossing was to be a miracle requiring spiritual preparation because the Lord would perform wonders among them the next day. To sanctify themselves meant to consecrate and prepare spiritually for what God would do the next day, putting away sin and cleansing from outward impurity. The promised wonder for the morrow was God's willed miraculous passage of Israel over the Jordan on dry land, carried out at the appointed time.
The priests carrying the ark were to take it up and bear it before the people to lead them, and the ark was a symbol of God's presence containing the law of God. Christ went before the ark, and the waters of the Jordan were cut off before Him. When the priests' feet were dipped in the brim of the Jordan the waters from above were cut off, the priests stood in the bed of the river halfway over until all Israel had passed over, and then at Joshua's command they came up onto dry land, whereupon the Jordan rolled on as before and overflowed its banks. The crossing showed that the waters of the Jordan were subject to the same divine power Israel had seen at the Red Sea, and it strengthened and greatly increased their faith. It fulfilled God's word that He would begin to magnify Joshua in the sight of all Israel so they would know that as He was with Moses so He would be with Joshua, and it convinced the generation then living, many of whom had passed through the Red Sea as children forty years before and now passed over as men of war equipped for battle.
The crossing was to be remembered by stones taken from where the priests' feet stood and erected as a monument in Gilgal that Israel passed over the Jordan on dry land. God will do marvelous things for those who trust in Him and will help His believing children in every emergency when they place their entire confidence in Him and obey His word implicitly without questioning or doubt, while lack of strength comes from trusting too much to their own wisdom and strength and not giving the Lord opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. The promised wonders require giving up all desire for self-exaltation and humbly submitting to the divine will, and then God works mightily, manifests His power, and brings freedom and victory, as when the Majesty of Heaven with His army of angels leveled the walls of Jericho before His people so that the armed warriors of Israel had no cause to glory in their own achievements.
God's covenant-keeping people must sanctify themselves to His service by always doing what the Lord commands and moving forward guardedly yet courageously. When they yield themselves to Him in love and faithful, trusting service, the Lord will be with them and work in their behalf, purify all who yield, work with mighty power through humble, faithful men, strengthen them, and cooperate with their efforts. He will give them precious victories and success in arousing souls dead in trespasses and sins, will not suffer them to become a reproach, and will make them a praise in the earth, for nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church.