The Israelites were in a pickle. Their great leader, Moses, was dead. Joshua was now at their helm. (Joshua 3:1-17). The Israelites left their camp at Acacia and were met by the Jordan River. And it was in flood stage. How in the world were they going to get across? Would they ever reach the Promised Land?
The Lord told Joshua that the priests carrying the covenant box must step into the river and stand near the bank. Well, I can imagine what some of the people thought. The river was rolling, rumbling, charging toward the Dead Sea and it must have been a fearsome sight, but the priests obeyed. And, when they obeyed, the Lord stopped the waters of the Jordan. That muddy, roaring current shut down as if it encountered a gigantic dam. The waters must have surged and struggled, foamed and writhed but the Lord was mightier than the Jordan River and the river had to obey. Scriptures says the people crossed over the Jordan near Jericho on dry ground. Not muddy, mind you, but dry. Maybe the Israelites’ hearts were pounding, maybe they were scared or…maybe not. Anyway, they obeyed the Lord.
A promise came with the obedience of the people. The Lord promised to drive out their enemies ahead of them, and, He did. I’ve wondered what would have happened if the people had looked at the flooding Jordan and said, “No way. We’ll be drowned.” What if they had not done what God told them, would He have driven out their enemies? I don’t think so. Obedience, seems to me, was the key to a miracle. It was true then, and it’s true today.
Speak Your Mind