Above chart from http://chrisedmondson.blogspot.com/2010/07/joshua-book-of-conquest.html
(1) *Early the next morning Joshua and all the
Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the **Jordan
River, where they camped before crossing.
- *Early the next morning:
- Joshua doesn't suffer from procrastination. He's had his marching orders, he
receives the report from the two spies and he moves - that's a leader. - "Procrastination is 'the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.' "
- - Dr. Wayne Dyer - During the American Revolution, it is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops
at Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that
General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and
didn't bother to read it until the game finished. Then, realizing the seriousness of the situation,
he hurriedly tried to rally his men to meet the coming attack. It was too late. His procrastination
was his undoing. He and many of his men were killed, and the rest of the regiment was
captured. Unlike Colonel Rahl, Joshua was one commander who didn't hesitate to take action.
When faced with tasks that are frightening or disagreeable, many people choose to put them off
as long as possible. They find excuses to avoid unpleasant situations or make difficult
decisions. But what a mistake that is. Often it only makes matters worse. If
you are faced with a challenging situation, don't procrastinate. Trust in God's strength and wisdom.
Claim His promises of presence and protection. Then, get up "early in the morning" and go to it.
At the end of the day, you'll be glad you did. - General McClellan is often mentioned as someone who procrastinated with disastrous effects and was eventually replaced by Lincoln.
- Genesis 22:3: The next morning Abraham got up early...
- **Jordan River: God told the people of Israel to wait three days at shores of the Jordan River (Joshua 1:11).
(2) *Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp,
- *Three days:
- Whether the latter two are the same three days spoken of in chapter 2:11 seems to be rather
unclear; but the spiritual lesson of three days is the most important, speaking of resurrection,
thus Israel acting in "newness of life," the energy of resurrection power. - See notes about the number three on chapter 1 verse 11 at http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/08/joshua-1.html.
- Although the Jordan River was only about a hundred feet wide most of the year, during the spring
flood season it overflowed its banks and became up to a mile wide. - There must have been a lot of conflicting thoughts going through the minds of the people waiting
through those three days, just as there are for us when we're faced with our own inadequacy and
impotence to have any effect whatsoever on circumstances. Some of them would have said, "Let's
go back to Shittim." It was a lush oasis of acacia groves, a beautiful setting. Or, "Let's spread
out with the two and a half tribes and take it easy and be safe. Why take the risk? It's comfortable
here." Stepping out into the unknown can be scary, but you can't progress by standing
still. How many people fail to reach their potential and fully use their God-given talents
because they're afraid to move out of their comfort zone?
- Whether the latter two are the same three days spoken of in chapter 2:11 seems to be rather
(3) giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the
*Levitical priests carrying **the Ark of the Covenant of the ***Lord
your ***God, move out from your positions and follow them.
- *Levitical priests: Usually the ark was carried by the sons of Kohath (Numbers 4:4,15). The fact that it was carried here by
the Levitical priests shows the significance of this particular event (also the cloud apparently was not visible). - *the Ark:
- The ark is referred to 14 times in these 17 verses.
- What’s so important about the Ark? It represented the person and promises of God. It pointed
to the fact that as the people of Israel set out to cross the Jordan, invade, and possess the land,
they must do so not in their own strength, but in God’s, for it was God Himself who
was going before them as their source of victory. - We read now nothing more of the movement of the pillar of cloud and of fire,
so prominent at the Red Sea and during the wilderness journey. - The ark of the covenant of the Lord appears in the foreground to lead the way and made a way through
the overflowing waters. Taken up by the priests, carried towards the river, as soon as the priests
touched the brim of it, the waters were stemmed back, till all the people had passed over on dry
ground. - The ark with the blood-sprinkled mercy seat is the type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the type of our Lord going into the deep waters of death to make a way through them for His
people. The distance between the ark and the people was to be two thousand cubits. It illustrates
the fact that our Lord had to do this work alone. Peter declared that he would go with Him into
death, but the Lord told him in John 13:36, "“You can’t go with
me now, but you will follow me later.”" There was none with Him, when He made the way,
but He takes all His people through death into resurrection life and glory. - The Shekinah Cloud of Glory had been the symbol of God’s presence with His people during
the Wilderness Wandering period, but now it was replaced by the ark of the covenant which sat in
the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. - The ark had been in the middle of the procession before (Numbers 12:17), but
then the pillar of cloud led them. Now the ark with the law, the mercy seat and the presence
of the Lord, would go before them. They were to follow it spiritually, too. - **Lord: YHVH (Yahweh).
- ***God: Elohim
(4) Since you have *never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a **half mile behind them, keeping a clear
distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”
- *never traveled this way before
- Have you ever come to such a place where you can move forward or sit still? Moving forward
in faith is not always easy - the key here is following the Ark (Jesus). - Here, they are to have the Ark lead them - Jesus is to lead us. Too often, we say to the Lord
(and I've been guilty of this), "I'm doing this and going this way, are you
following me? Are you going to help me do what I want
to do?" - **half mile: Hebrew about 2,000 cubits. Some see this as the source of the rabbis’ limit for a Sabbath day’s journey - the "Sabbath Day's walk". God required that they keep some 1,000 yards behind the ark. This was for two reasons. First, to respect the holy nature of the ark of the covenant. But also, it was to make sure that everyone a clear view of the ark. Israel would accomplish
this impossible task as they set their eyes upon God’s presence, and followed only after His presence.
(5) Then Joshua told the people, “*Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
- *Purify yourselves:
- “Purify” is the Hebrew qadash and here it means, “consecrate yourselves,
set yourselves apart, prepare yourselves.” This points out personal responsibility
versus Exodus 19:10 where Moses consecrates the people. This also shows that they are about to enter
not just a physical battle, but a spiritual battle. - The language in the Old Testament for consecration, "sanctify", is language which on the one level
suggests separation. But interestingly, on the other hand the idea of "shining."
So that taking those ideas together, it seems to suggest that we give ourselves unreservedly to
the Lord in such a way that we separate from the agenda that characterizes the world and as a consequence,
we begin to shine. As we give ourselves and walk into His presence, God’s
own glory begins to reflect itself in us and upon us. - God does not use unclean vessels. For believers, those saved and cleansed by the work of Christ,
this command for consecration demonstrates the necessity for cleansing through confession or getting
right with God and with men in order to be used of God and to experience His deliverance. To experience
God’s power, protection, and deliverance, we need to prepare our hearts and deal with the
known sin in our lives through confession. - Exodus 19:10: Then the Lord told Moses, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them
today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. - When something was consecrated it meant that it was purified and set apart for a sacred use. Today,
it means to be “spiritually prepared”. God will not use us unless we are ready to be used. - Turning away from sinful behaviors. It is not only recognizing when we are doing what is wrong, it is being truly
repentant (that is more than being simply “sorry”). It means we make the changes necessary to stop wrong behavior. - Adopting a Godly attitude. We must be soft, teachable, humble before the Lord.
- Living an obedient life. The person set apart for God does what God has
commanded. They start by being obedient in the little things of life such as: honesty, integrity,
humility, love, respect, and reverence.
(6) In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the *Ark of the
Covenant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went
ahead of the people.
- *Ark of the Covent ant: The central thing in chapter three is not purification or consecration,
it is the presence of the Ark of the covenant of God. The Ark of the covenant, was a little
box, the size of an ottoman. It was made under the command of God to be a physical symbol
of the presence of God. It was more than that: a physical symbol of the very throne
of God. That’s why the cherubim were built onto the end of it, covering the mercy seat
of gold that was placed on top of the ark. It was between the cherubim that God would make Himself
known to his people. The New Testament tells us in detail what this box means. Just as Joshua’s
experience in leadership is a miniature of the way in which God will bring salvation to His people
in Jesus Christ; so this box, the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, which has the mercy seat, and the
tables of the law written on tablets of stone in its heart, is a miniature of the true Ark of the
covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a display in Old Testament terms, of where men and women have
to look in order that they might be brought into the blessings of God’s salvation. That’s
why Hebrews tells us that Moses and Joshua had faith to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan. Now, what
you have to do is to fix your eyes on Jesus who is author and finisher of our faith. That
is why you are to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us, as you cross from condemnation
to salvation. - Faith leads us into greater victories than law ever could.
(7) The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin
to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will
know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.
(8) Give this command to the priests who
carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the *banks of the Jordan
River, take a few steps into the river and stop
there.’”
- *banks: The edge of the water not the bank which, at this time of year, was under
water. After going to the water, the priests would wait for the water below them to flow away, then
go to the middle with the ark. - We usually want the river to be dry before we even make a step; but God was calling Israel
to step out in faith. - What do we gather from this? It reminds us of our part in the plan of God. We must
learn to step out in faith and obedience to the principles and promises of Scripture. It reminds us
of the need to rest in God’s promises. They were not to run down into the waters, but they were
to ACT. This is just like the words of Moses in Exodus 14:13-14
when they were hemmed in with the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh and his chariots behind them:
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue
you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you.
Just stay calm.”
(9) So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the
Lord your God says.
(10) Today you will know that the living *God is among you. He will surely drive
out the **Canaanites, ***Hittites, ****Hivites, *****Perizzites, ******Girgashites, *******Amorites,
and ********Jebusites ahead of you.
- Deuteronomy 7:1: When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are about
to enter and occupy, he will clear away many nations ahead of you: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These seven nations are greater and more numerous
than you. - Genesis 15:16: After four generations your descendants will return here to
this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” - *God: Hebrew El. A LIVING God as contrasted to the dead idols of the Canaanites.
“the living God” This is the meaning of the name “YHWH” (cf. Exod. 3:14).
It is from the Hebrew VERB “to be.” He is the ever living, only living God. - **Canaanites: The descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham. The "Canaanites," as distinguished
from the Amalekites, the Anakim and the Rephaim, were "dwellers in the lowlands" (Numbers 13:29),
the great plains and valleys, the richest and most important parts of Palestine. Tyre and Sidon, their
famous cities, were the centers of great commercial activity; and hence the name "Canaanite" came
to signify a "trader" or "merchant". The name "Canaanite" is also sometimes used to designate the
non-Israelite inhabitants of the land in general. The Israelites, when they were led to the Promised
Land, were commanded utterly to destroy the descendants of Canaan then possessing it (Exodus 23:23;
Numbers 33:52-53; Deuteronomy 20:16-17). The extermination of these tribes, however, was never fully
carried out. Jerusalem was not taken till the time of David (2 Samuel 5:6-7). In the days of Solomon,
bond-service was exacted from the fragments of the tribes still remaining in the land (1 Kings 9:20-21).
Even after the return from captivity, survivors of five of the Canaanitish tribes were still found
in the land. In the Tell-el-Amarna tablets, Canaan is found under the forms of Kinakhna and Kinakhkhi.
Under the name of Kanana, the Canaanites appear on Egyptian monuments, wearing a coat of mail and
helmet, and distinguished by the use of spear and javelin and the battle-axe. They were called Phoenicians
by the Greeks and Poeni by the Romans. The chief object of their worship was the sun-god, who was
addressed by the name Baal. - ***Hittites: The Hittites played a prominent role in Old Testament history. They
interacted with biblical figures as early as Abraham and as late as Solomon. They are mentioned in
Genesis 15:20 as people who inhabited the land of Canaan. 1 Kings 10:29 records that they purchased
chariots and horses from King Solomon. The most prominent Hittite in the Bible is Uriah, the husband
of Bathsheba. The Hittites were a powerful force in the Middle East from 1750 B.C. until 1200 B.C.
Prior to the late 19th century, nothing was known of the Hittites outside the Bible, and many critics
alleged that they were an invention of the biblical authors. In 1876, a dramatic discovery changed
this perception. A British scholar named A. H. Sayce found inscriptions carved on rocks in Turkey.
He suspected that they might be evidence of the Hittite nation. Ten years later, more clay tablets
were found in Turkey at a place called Boghaz-koy. German cuneiform expert Hugo Winckler investigated
the tablets and began his own expedition at the site in 1906. Winckler's excavations uncovered five
temples, a fortified citadel and several massive sculptures. In one storeroom he found over ten thousand
clay tablets. One of the documents proved to be a record of a treaty between Ramesses II and the Hittite
king. Other tablets showed that Boghaz-koy was the capital of the Hittite kingdom. Its original name
was Hattusha and the city covered an area of 300 acres. The Hittite nation had been discovered! - ****Hivites: One of the original tribes scattered over Palestine, from Hermon to
Gibeon in the south. The name is interpreted as "midlanders" or "villagers" (Genesis 10:17; 1 Chronicles
1:15). They were probably a branch of the Hittites. At the time of Jacob's return to Canaan, Hamor
the Hivite was the "prince of the land" (Genesis 24:2-28). They are next mentioned during the Conquest
(Joshua 9:7; Joshua 11:19). They principally inhabited the northern confines of Western Palestine
(Joshua 11:3; Judges 3:3). A remnant of them still existed in the time of Solomon (1 Kings 9:20). - *****Perizzites: Villagers; dwellers in the open country, the Canaanitish nation
inhabiting the fertile regions south and south-west of Carmel. "They were the grazers, farmers, and
peasants of the time." They were to be driven out of the land by the descendants of Abraham (Genesis
15:20; Exodus 3:8, Exodus 3:17; Exodus 23:23; Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11). They are afterwards named
among the conquered tribes (Joshua 24:11). Still lingering in the land, however, they were reduced
to servitude by Solomon (1 Kings 9:20). - ******Girgashites were descendants of Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah. The name
means "dwelling on clay soil". The area where they lived is not known in great detail, except
to be generally located in central Canaan. The name of this people has been discovered in the Ugaritic
inscriptions as grgs and bn-grgs, that is, Girgash and the sons or children of Girgash. They are also
known to us in the Hittite documents as the karkm; and in Egyptian records as the Kirkash. They settled
to the east of the river Jordan between Galilee and the Dead Sea. - *******Amorites: Highlanders, or hillmen, the name given to the descendants of
one of the sons of Canaan (Genesis 14:7), called Amurra or Amurri in the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions.
On the early Babylonian monuments, all Syria, including Palestine, is known as "the land of the Amorites."
The southern slopes of the mountains of Judea are called the "mount of the Amorites" (Deuteronomy
1:7). They seem to have originally occupied the land stretching from the heights west of the Dead
Sea (Genesis 14:7) to Hebron (Genesis 13), embracing "all Gilead and all Bashan" (Deuteronomy 3:10),
with the Jordan valley on the east of the river (Deuteronomy 4:49), the land of the "two kings of
the Amorites," Sihon and Og (Deuteronomy 31:4; Joshua 2:10; Joshua 9:10). The five kings of the Amorites
were defeated with great slaughter by Joshua (Joshua 10:10). They were again defeated at the waters
of Merom by Joshua, who smote them till there were none remaining (Joshua 11:8). The Amorites were
warlike mountaineers. They are represented on the Egyptian monuments with fair skins, light hair,
blue eyes, hook noses and pointed beards. They are supposed to have been men of great stature; their
king, Og, is described by Moses as the last "of the remnant of the giants" (Deuteronomy 3:11). - *********Jebusites: The name of the original inhabitants of Jebus, mentioned frequently
among the seven nations doomed to destruction. At the time of the arrival of the Israelites in Palestine,
they were ruled by Adonizedek (Joshua 10). They were defeated by Joshua and their king was slain;
but, they were not entirely driven out of Jebus till the time of David, who made it the capital of
his kingdom instead of Hebron. The site on which the temple was afterwards built belonged to Araunah,
a Jebusite, from whom it was purchased by David, who refused to accept it as a free gift (2 Samuel
24:16; 1 Chronicles 21:24-25).
(11) Look, the *Ark of the Covenant, which
belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across
the *Jordan River!
- *Jordan River:
- Genesis 32:10 (Jacob speaking to Esau): I
am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown
to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I
owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large
camps! - Numbers 22:1 (Balak Sends for Balaam): Then
the people of Israel traveled to the plains of Moab and camped east of
the Jordan River, across from Jericho. - 2 Kings 2:6-8: Then Elijah
said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the Lord has told me
to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As
surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave
you.” So they went on together. Fifty men from the group of prophets
also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped
beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his cloak together
and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them
went across on dry ground! - 2 Kings 5:10-15: But Elisha sent a
messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself
seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be
restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” But Naaman became
angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet
me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and
call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of
Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of
Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned
and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and
said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult,
wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he
says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down
to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man
of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as
the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed! Then Naaman
and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood
before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all
the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” - Psalm 114:3: The Red Sea saw them
coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan
River turned away. - Matthew 3:6: And when they confessed
their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. - Matthew 3:13: Then Jesus went from
Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
- Genesis 32:10 (Jacob speaking to Esau): I
(12) Now choose *twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from
each tribe.
- *twelve men: Their purpose is stated in chapter 4 (to gather stones as a
memorial). Notice that this does not include the tribe of Levi.
(13) The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of
all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water,
the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up
like a wall.”
- Joshua 4:23: For the Lord your God dried up
the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all
across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had
all crossed over. - Exodus 15:8: At the blast of your breath,
the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in
the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard. - These priests who were carrying the ark had to act in faith to
enter the turbulent waters of the overflowing Jordan. All of them
had to get their feet into the water before it would divide. This
is another sign of the faith that God required of His people.
(14) So the people *left their camp to cross the Jordan, and
the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of
them.
- *left their camp: literally means “to pull tent pegs”.
- At last a little group emerged from those densely crowded hosts.
It was the chosen band of priests, white-robed, barefooted, who slowly
descended the terraced bank of the river, bearing on their shoulders
the sacred ark, its golden lid and bending cherubim hidden beneath
their covering of blue. How awful the silence! How fixed the gaze that
followed them every step! How hushed the voices of wiseacres and
gainsayers who had been loud all the previous days in protesting that
the passage was impossible; and that it would be wiser to wait until
the mile of water had dwindled to the normal width of thirty yards when
the stream was four or six feet deep, and easily fordable! But
when the feet of the priests were dipped into the tiny wavelets, brown
with mud, yeasty with the foam of their hurried rush, a marvelous
change took place. They began to divide and shrink away. And as the
priests pursued them, descending ever farther toward the midst of
Jordan, they fled before them as if panic-stricken. The feet of the
priests stood firm till every individual of the redeemed race had
crossed the river. It is a blessed anticipation of the keeping
back of a more awful flood until without one exception the entire host
of the Church has entered that city whose walls are Salvation, and its
gates Praise.
(15) It was the *harvest season, and the **Jordan
was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of
the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the
river’s edge,
- 1 Chronicles 12:15: These were the men who crossed the Jordan River during
its seasonal flooding at the beginning of the year and drove out all the people living in the lowlands
on both the east and west banks. - *harvest: The barley harvest. Several factors harmonize to give us confidence that
the Bible is an accurate history. It was the time of the harvest. The first grain was barley (Ruth
1:22, 2 Samuel 21:9). The river was crossed on the tenth day of the first month (Joshua 4:19). (The
calendar began in the spring.). On the 15th day, the "first fruits" were presented to the Lord (Leviticus
23:10). Being below sea level, the area was relatively hot making harvest sooner. The river was already
full from snow melting. The fact that Rahab had bundles of flax also is a clue about the season. Barley
ripens at the same time (Exodus 9:31). We are shown a consistent picture of early spring. - **Jordan was overflowing:
- It was springtime, and the Jordan River — usually about 100 feet wide — had swollen
to a width of roughly a mile and was overflowing its banks. This seasonal flooding was caused
by the melting snows on Mt. Hermon feeding the headwaters of the Jordan.The people of Israel saw
a rushing river, swollen with spring rains laying in front of them. They must have asked,
“How can we ever cross this river?” Remember, Joshua and Caleb, who were now about
eighty years old, were the only ones who were adults and still alive who saw God open the way
through the Red Sea. There is a seemingly impossible obstacle blocking the way - how will God
do this one? - J. Vernon McGee describes the Jordan at this time of year this way: “ This was the
spring of the year. That land had two rainy seasons: in the fall and in the spring. The spring
rains were most abundant. The Jordan was at flood stage. It was entirely possible
that the people at the west side of the Jordan felt that they had several days, or maybe several
weeks before the Israelites could get across the river. They probably felt that there
was no immediate danger.”
- It was springtime, and the Jordan River — usually about 100 feet wide — had swollen
(16) the water above that point began backing up a great
distance away at a town called *Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the
water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the
riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the
town of Jericho.
- *Adam was about 16 miles north. At Adam, the Jordan river flows through clay banks
40 feet high, which are subject to landslides. In 1927, an earthquake caused the banks to collapse
and dam up the river, so that no water flowed past them for 21 hours. - Jesus, 1400 years later, was baptized in the Jordan at the same place where Joshua crossed.
- Psalm 74:15: You caused the springs and streams to gush forth, and you dried
up rivers that never run dry. - Psalm 114:5: What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their
way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?
(17) Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark
of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed
as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel
had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.
- Joshua 4:6-7: We will use these stones to
build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do
these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that
the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant
went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the
people of Israel forever.” - The work is accomplished for all His people. Not one is left behind; the weakest and the smallest
pass over. What effect it must have had upon the enemies, and especially upon Jericho! Jericho was
only five miles away. No doubt, they watched the hosts of Israel before the passage. They felt secure
on account of the mighty waters of Jordan, which seemed to bar the Israelitish invasion. How panic-stricken
they must have become when they saw or heard of the great miracle and that God's people had reached
the other shore! But one person was calm in Jericho. One enjoyed peace and rest and did not fear.
The one from whose window there streamed the scarlet line. - We learn from 4:10 that the people hurried across. Apparently the priests were growing very weary of holding the heavy,
gold-covered ark for the hours it must have taken for the large number of people to cross.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is
the New Living Translation.
NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html
