Sunday: Crossing the Jordan
Daily Lesson for Sunday 12th of October 2025
Read Joshua 3:1-5 and Numbers 14:41-44. Why did God ask the Israelites to specially prepare for what was about to happen?
This is the first time the ark of the covenant is mentioned in the book of Joshua. Until this point in the Old Testament narrative, the ark has appeared in the context of the sanctuary (Exodus 40:21) in Israel’s journey from Sinai (Numbers 10:33-36), and at the unsuccessful attempt to begin the conquest of Canaan (Numbers 14:44). It was the most sacred object in the Israelite sanctuary, and it held three objects, each expressing Israel’s special relationship with God: (1) the tablets containing the Ten Commandments; (2) the rod of Aaron, the high priest; and (3) a jar of manna (Exodus 16:33, Hebrews 9:4).
Image © Jim Howard at Goodsalt.com
The ark and the preparations to cross the Jordan reminded the Israelites that they were not entering Canaan in their own manner and time. The conquest would be successful only if they followed God’s way and timing. God—who is described as enthroned above the cherubim that were covering the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:22, Numbers 7:89) and whose movements are identified with the ark’s movements—enters Canaan in front of the Israelites as the One leading the conquest.
The term translated “sanctify” (Joshua 3:5) or “consecrate” (ESV) refers to a purification process similar to what the priests followed before beginning their service in the sanctuary (Exodus 28:41, Exodus 29:1) and what the people of Israel carried out prior to God’s revelation at Sinai (Exodus 19:10,14). This consecration involved the laying aside of sin and the removal of all ritual impurities. The same command appears in Numbers 11:18, relating to an impending miracle of God. Such a preparation also was required before battles were fought in a war (Deuteronomy 23:14). Before God can fight for Israel in battle, they must show their allegiance to Him and trust in Him as their Commander.
The miracle of crossing the Jordan was going to prove to the Israelites that the Lord’s promise to drive out these people in the land could be trusted. He who could secure a dry passage through the Jordan also could grant them the gift of the land.
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God does not always part the Jordan. His interventions are not always so obvious. How do you think we can develop the spiritual preparedness to experience and discern God’s interventions on our behalf? |
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The Jordan River is not a big river. In Australia we would call it a creek. I suspect that in springtime, when the snow melts on Mount Hermon in the north there is a bit of flooding, but for the rest of the year it is not what you would call an obstacle. Nowadays I think a big bulldozer could probably build a coffer dam in a day or two to hold the flow.
But crossing the Jordan River was much more than just a physical crossing. It was entering a new phase of life for the Hebrews. It was entering the promised land. And that can be a bit scary.
In my farming days, the sheep would eat the grass down to almost the last blade in the paddock they occupied and we would decide it was time to put them in another paddock which wsa brim full of ryegrass and clover, their favourite food. We would round them up with the dogs and move them on to the open gate where their food awaited them. And every time, they would stand at the gate and stamp their feet. They would turn around and head-butt the dogs. They just did not want to go through. It was a change in the status quo. We had a couple of tricks to get them through, and they usually worked.
The Hebrews, were at the gate, they knew their existence in the future was on the other side of the gate, but they needed to prepare for it. It required a change in their mindset from being nomads to being settlers. The miracle of crossing the Jordan wasn’t so much the parting of the waters, but the preparation of the people for their new role.
Is there a lesson in this for us? How much do we need to change our mindset to enter the next phase of our spiritual journey? Or are we satisfied with our eaten-out paddock, looking through the fence at the land of plenty and waiting for the Holy Spirit to set the dogs on to us?
I have to admit a bit of sloppy research when I wrote this comment this morning. I had made the assumption that harvest time was autumn and the description in Joshua did not fit my view. It was later in the day when I was out in the hot sun in the Australian Spring, that I remembered that grain is harvested now, springtime. Wheat and barley are grown as winter crops and are harvested in spring.
Of course in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is in March, April. The snow on Mount Hermon would be melting, and the Jordan River would be running high. Phew! I am glad I worked that out.
Thank you Maurice for sharing this insightful reflection I truly enjoyed how you connected the seasons and geography with the biblical context. Your mention of the Australian spring made the scene come alive. One day, I hope to experience Australia myself your words make me look forward to it even more.
Even if the water of the Jordan wasn’t vast like the Red Sea, it still stood between God’s people and their promise.
Here are the spiritual lessons we can draw from water as interference:
1. Every obstacle, great or small, tests our faith.
It doesn’t matter how deep the water is what matters is whether we trust God to make a way.
Sometimes it’s not the size of the obstacle, but the strength of our obedience that determines the miracle.
2. God allows barriers to reveal our dependence on Him.
The Jordan stood between Israel and Canaan to remind them that they could not enter the promise by human strength.
Before every new level of blessing, God allows something that only His power can move.
Faith acts before the interference moves.
The priests had to step into the water before it stopped flowing.
God removes barriers for those who walk forward, not for those who wait for the way to clear.
Even small resistance can reveal great unbelief.
The Israelites had crossed the mighty Red Sea before, yet even the smaller Jordan required renewed faith.
Every challenge — no matter how small — reminds us we need fresh trust for every new season.
What stands in the way becomes a testimony.
The same water that once blocked their path became a place of remembrance. Stones were taken from the Jordan as a memorial of God’s faithfulness.
What once hindered you will become your story of victory.
Even when the water isn’t deep, obedience is still required.
What seems like a small obstacle may be the final test before a great promise.
If the Jordan River was swollen and rushing with Spring rains, that means that Israel had 3 days on the shores facing something that seemed increasingly intimidating and impossible. I think sometimes God holds off on fulfilling His promises to build up the impossibility of the situation for us. The longer the people stood there, the greater the spiritual challenge to turn away from fear and making contingency plans.
They needed to stay focused on God‘s presence and word rather than on their problems. They needed to take God seriously rather than themselves… Realizing that their own wisdom and strength quickly fail, and just aren’t enough. They needed to separate from common thoughts to see the Lord doing wonders among them and to focus on the miracle about to be wrought on their behalf.
After they crossed, I think God wanted there to be no doubt in their minds that the dry, safe pathway through the racing waters was a divine miracle of love and not just chance or some natural phenomenon. Just as now, I think God longs for us to attribute all the many blessings of each day to His intervention and love.
This reminds me of Peters experience in prison, how in his darkest hour, God stepped in and turned his captivity into deliverance. It is often when we come to the end of ourselves that God begins His greatest work. And like the experience of the Israelites truly “Man’s extremity is Gods opportunity to work”
One interesting thing I noticed and I’m not sure of the significance. Regarding the Red Sea crossing, it says the wind blew all night to dry the ground for the people to walk over. With regard to the crossing of the Jordan, it appears the Lord instantly dried the ground with no need of the wind.
I am not averse to the idea that these miracles were accomplished by natural means. I think the illustrations we see in children's Bible story books are somewhat imaginative when they show kids throwing rocks at walls of water. It looks good in art, but is not necessarily what happened. Maybe the sea and river just disappeared for a while and scientific minds may show that it was caused by a georgraphic event. That does not stop God from being the cause. We should remember that God is Lord oer nature and it well within his power to use natural means to accomplish his purpose.Getting the timing right is a miracle.
Good explanation
“Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you”( Joshua 3:5, NKJV).
Even though God had promised to give the Promised Land to the Children of Israel(Genesis 15:18–21; Exodus 3:8), they were required to prepare the entry by sanctifying themselves. The crossing of the Jordan River and the possession of the land were not a military manoeuvre but a manifestation of God’s divine power. Through ceremonial sanctification, Israel was acknowledging God’s holiness and faithfulness. God’s promises are holy, and to receive them requires preparation and a posture of humility and holiness. God works with people who are prepared.
“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT).
Likewise, for us to cross into the promised heavenly Canaan, God requires us to sanctify ourselves in preparation.
• Hebrews 12:14 — “Pursue… holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 — “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
• 1 Peter 1:15–16 — “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Spiritual preparation and readiness are essential prerequisites for receiving God’s grace and promises. These require consecration.
I like the thought you mentioned above: "God works with people who are prepared".
Amen to that!
As the children of Israel are busy preparing to cross the Jordan, with high excitement and hopes filling their hearts: “This is the day! We will stand on the brink of a dream and return to the place of promise our forefathers missed-indeed an emotional moment; only this time, we will obey!” But as they approached the river, what they saw was both confusing and dreadful the Jordan was uncrossable. Scripture says, “Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season” (Joshua 3:15). The gentle river had become a raging flood, with currents reaching up to 64 km/h and the surrounding plains choked with tangled brush and dense thickets (Jeremiah 12:5). The river stretched nearly two kilometers wide and up to twelve feet deep, making it impossible to cross.
For over 72 hours Israel camped beside the torrent as doubt eroded their confidence. Around the night fires, they wondered how families, the weak, and the aged could possibly make it through. Like them, many of us face “personal Jordans” obstacles so overwhelming that we feel stuck on the wrong side of God’s promises. We read about the abundant life yet remain stalled in the wilderness. Churches, too, can feel trapped between God’s promise and the barriers before them.
Yet with God, a “no way” becomes a highway. The question remains: will we walk by sight or by faith? Joshua 3 and Luke 18:27 remind us, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Israel’s crossing marked a breakthrough a new generation learned that victory depends wholly on Him. Likewise, as we face our own “uncrossable” moments, we can trust the God who turns impossibility into triumph, moving us from being stuck to success, from the wilderness to the wonder of His promises.
Beautifully said ❤️
Amen,blessed are those who trust in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is.
Jer 17:7
Our personal Jordan only challenge us to meet our God personally🙏. I'd rather trust my God and see my miracle than trusting in human.
Two months ago, I received a call from an old friend's wife, informing me that he had a crucial message for our close-knit group. I wasn't anxious, but a sense of melancholy washed over me, knowing what to expect - our friend's impending departure. I drove 140 kilometers to visit him, and upon arrival, the other two members of our tight-knit gang were already waiting. We had made a pact to visit each other with joyful and hopeful faces during difficult times, as Scripture encourages us to "rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15).
As we met, we were required to wear sterile gear and maintain distance due to his low immunity. Despite our efforts to keep joyful faces, our hearts were heavy with sorrow. Two weeks later, he passed away.
Reflecting on Joshua 3:5 - - and the preparation before crossing the Jordan, brought back memories, but also revealed some profound lessons (it may not be the same thing, I know but...). Just like Israel, we need to approach God's promises with:
1. A focus on the price and the significance of the journey
2. Faith leading to obedience, trusting in God's plan
3. A requirement for purity, both outwardly and inwardly, conforming to God's commands
4. The understanding that God's presence provides protection and covering, just like the sterile gear protected us from contaminating the environment.
"Crossing the Jordan" was a serious undertaking.
Stanley, sorry for your loss 😔. I can emphasize was your grief and I do see the similarities with preparation to crossing the River Jordan as well as we all needing make obedient preparations for our spiritual crossover to life eternal . It's extremely important that we daily walk in obedience to God's word. Stay strong and be of good courage .
Thank you, Denise! Every moment is a moment to give praise and honor to God, such moments included.
Preparation Precedes Promise
“Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” — Joshua 3:5
Before God performs His wonders, He calls His people to consecration.
Holiness is not optional it’s the preparation for witnessing God’s power.
In our lives, this means laying aside sin, surrendering pride, and making our hearts ready for God to move.
Just as the ark went ahead of Israel, representing God’s throne and covenant, today the presence of Christ, our true Ark, goes before us.
When we face life’s “Jordan Rivers”—our fears, transitions, or impossibilities—we must let God go first. We do not rush ahead in our own strength, nor lag behind in fear.
“For the Lord your God goes before you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6
The priests had to step into the water before it parted.
Faith always moves first — obedience activates the miracle.
God often waits for us to put our foot into the water before He opens the way.
In the same way, spiritual growth happens when we take steps of obedience, trusting God even when the outcome is unseen.
Throughout Scripture, the Jordan represents transition and transformation:
Israel moved from wilderness wandering to promised rest.
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, symbolizing the beginning of His ministry and the fulfillment of all righteousness.
For believers, crossing the Jordan represents leaving behind the old life of bondage and entering into the victorious life in Christ — a life of faith, obedience, and trust in divine leading.
Numbers 14:41–44 reminds us of Israel’s earlier mistake trying to enter Canaan without God’s presence. They failed because they moved in presumption, not faith.
In Joshua 3, they succeeded because they moved in obedience, not impulse.
The lesson is clear: God’s work done in God’s time brings God’s result
Crossing the Jordan was more than a historical event it was a spiritual statement:
Victory comes not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord. (Zechariah 4:6)
When God leads, waters part, enemies fall, and promises are fulfilled.
But when we lead ourselves, the flood overwhelms.
Amen,Prov 3: 5,6. Trust God and let Him our direct path. He knows the way Where there seems to be no way.
We all have our Jordan to cross. But the Lord promised that he will always be with us. Let us step out in faith.
Knowing that God's promises are always sure.
Today’s Sabbath School lesson focuses on “Crossing the Jordan,” a powerful moment in Israel’s journey of faith (Joshua 3–4).
After forty years in the wilderness, Israel finally stood at the edge of Canaan the Promised Land. Between them and the promise flowed the swollen waters of the Jordan River.
Before Israel crossed the Jordan River, God had already crossed into Jericho not through an army, but through the faith of a woman despised by society.
While the nation was preparing to pass through the waters, Rahab was preparing her heart to pass from death to life.
The story of Rahab silences the judgmental habits of many Christians. There are believers who preach that “Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13), yet they cannot understand how a harlot could be counted among the faithful. But before Israel ever stepped into the Jordan, God had already written Rahab’s name in the Book of Faith (Hebrews 11:31).
At the very moment Israel was commanded, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5), God was already performing a wonder inside the walls of Jericho transforming a sinner’s heart into a believer’s.
While the priests bore the ark toward the river, Rahab bore witness to the living God, saying,
“I know that the Lord has given you the land… for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”
— Joshua 2:9–11
Both scenes reveal the same truth: faith opens the way where there is no way.
At the Jordan, faith divided the waters.
In Jericho, faith divided a sinner from destruction.
Rahab’s scarlet cord hanging from her window was a silent echo of the ark in the Jordan both were symbols of God’s saving presence amid judgment.
As the ark stood in the midst of the waters until all Israel had passed over (Joshua 3:17), so the grace of Christ stands between guilty sinners and the flood of wrath, giving them safe passage into His promise.
Christians today often forget that the journey into the Promised Land began with a harlot’s faith.
Before Israel could march around Jericho’s walls, God was already at work inside those walls.
And before we see victory in our lives or churches, God often begins His work in the most unlikely hearts behind walls we judge as unworthy.
Rahab’s faith teaches that the same God who opened the Jordan for a nation also opened heaven for a sinner.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
The question today starts with: “God does not always part the Jordan;” using the river Jordan as a metaphor for the believer’s journey through life. In yesterday’s comment I considered the Promised Land to be a metaphor for the life in the Kingdom of God. Now, after contemplating my answer to the question, I think that both are equally reflective of life for the person guided by faith.
Each ones journey of faith is different. For one, the journey of faith might have started a while ago, but God’s interventions and guidance going unnoticed. For others their journey started suddenly, more deliberately. Though both traveler's journey brought them to the shores of the 'river Jordan' for making their decission.
‘Three days’’ - for looking deep within for one last examination, making sure of ones willingness to leave the old life behind, knowing that 'crossing this ‘Jordan’, the new life will become a testimony to the Grace of God. From its beginning, true life, regardless of its acceptance, is the evolving journey of faith – 2.Cor.5:7; Heb.11:1; Prov.3:5-6.
After reading the comments, I realized what has been a stumbling block in my walk of faith, my Jordan for a number of years, which is currently history not by mère work alone but through his grace and the decisive action it impelled me to take action. This memorial of the grace of God manifested through his testimony and promise to be with us in all our walk of faith is exemplary of how we could defeat our "other Jordans" in faith and complete obedience knowing full well that God's Goodness leads us in favorable paths to realize his promises.
Today's lesson really made me think! What, or who is my Jordan. I have adult ADHD. I forget important prayer requests to name one. I'm going to challenge God, and myself to heal me of this condition. 🙏🏻
Sometimes we may expect things to happen when they have already happened. Sometimes we expect God to do miracles unseen when the miracle is to be alive. Let's start with the premise that the Lord alone will lead our next move; otherwise, we are precisely where He wants us to be.