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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings in Joshua (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 06.1-Crossing the Jordan 3:7-17
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Gleanings In Joshua
6. Crossing The Jordan
Joshua 3:7-17
The Miracle
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan (Josh. 3:7, 8). Before his death it had been revealed to Moses by the Lord that Joshua should be his successor as the leader of His people, and unto that office he had been solemnly set apart (Num. 27:18-23). Moses had also announced unto Israel that Joshua "should cause them to inherit the Land" (Deut. 1:38), and "the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Deut. 34:9). After the death of Moses the people had avowed their willingness to do whatever Joshua commanded them and to go whither he should send them, and expressed the desire that Divine assistance would be granted him: "the Lord thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses" (Josh. 1:16, 17). In the interval the two spies had reconnoitered Jericho at his orders, the people had followed him from Shittim to the Jordan (Josh. 3:1), and had remained there three days. Now the time had come for the Lord to more fully authenticate His servant.
Joshua had duly discharged his duty and now he was to be rewarded. He had set before the people a noble example by acting faith on God's word, had confidently expressed his assurance that God would make good His promise (Josh. 1:11, 15), and now the Lord would honor the one who had honored Him. Joshua had been faithful in a few things and he should be made ruler over many. Devotedness unto God never passes unrecognized by Him. The Lord would now put signal honor upon Joshua in the sight of Israel as He had done upon Moses at the Red Sea and at Sinai. "The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak unto thee, and believe thee for ever" (Ex. 19:9): thus did He honor and authenticate Moses. And here at the Jordan he magnified Joshua by the authority which He conferred upon him, and attested him as His appointed leader of Israel. The result of this is stated in Joshua 4:15, "on that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared [revered and obeyed] him as they feared Moses, all the days of his [Joshua's] life."
But we must be careful lest we overlook something far more glorious than what has just been pointed out. Surely those words, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel," should at once turn our thoughts to One infinitely superior to Joshua: that what God did here for His servant was a foreshadowment of what later He did to His Son at this same Jordan. No sooner was our blessed Lord baptized in that river than, "Lo, the heavens were opened unto Him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16, 17). Then was He "made manifest to Israel" (John 1:31). Then was He authenticated for His great mission. Then did God "begin to magnify Him." Still more wonderful is the type when we observe at what part of the Jordan this occurred: "These things were done in Beth-abara" (John 1:28), which signified "the place of passage" (John 1:28), so that Christ was attested by the Father at the very place where Israel passed through the river and where Joshua was magnified!
Solemn indeed was the contrast. By what took place at the Jordan Israel knew that Joshua was their Divinely appointed leader and governor, and therefore they "feared him . . . all the days of his life" (Josh. 4:15), rendering implicit and undeviating obedience unto his orders: "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua" (Josh. 24:31). But after the and-typical Joshua had been far more illustriously magnified at the Jordan. identified as the Son of God incarnate, and owned by the Father as the One in whom He delighted, what was Israel's response? Did they love and worship Him? Did they fear and obey Him? Very far otherwise: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). Their hearts were alienated and their ears closed against Him. Though He spake as never man spake, though He went about doing good, though He wrought miracles of power and mercy, they "despised and rejected Him," and after a brief season cried "Away with Him, crucify Him." Marvel, dear Christian reader, that the Lord of glory endured such humiliation "for us men and our salvation." Wonder and adore that He so loved us as not only to be willing to be hated of men but smitten of God that our sins might be put away.
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan" (v. 8). What anointed eye can fail to see here again a shadowing forth of a greater than Joshua! Next after this mention of God's beginning to magnify Joshua in the sight of the people, we find him exercising high authority and giving orders to the priests; and almost the first public act of Christ's after the Father had attested and honored Him at the Jordan is what is recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon on the mount we behold our Savior doing the very same thing: exercising high authority, as He evinced by His frequently repeated "I say unto you," and issuing, orders to His disciples, who, under the new covenant, correspond to the priests under the old; and it is very striking to see how the twofold application of that term and the type appear in that sermon. As we pointed out in our last, the "priests," when bearing the ark of the covenant, were figures of the ministers of the Gospel in their official character, but looked at as those privileged to draw near unto God. The "priests" were types of all the redeemed of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
Now in the opening verses of Matthew 5, it was His servants whom "Christ taught" (vv. 1, 2, 13-16), and to whom He issued commandments, for "His disciples" there are to be understood as "apostles"-as in Matthew 10:1, 2, and 28:16-20. Yet as we continue reading that wondrous discourse we soon perceive that it cannot be restricted unto ministers of the Gospel, but is addressed to the whole company of His people. Therein we learn what is required from the redeemed by the One who is their Lord, possessed of Divine authority: namely, entire subjection unto Him, unreserved conformity to His revealed will. As the priests of Israel must order their actions by the instructions which they received from Joshua, so must the ministers of the Gospel take their orders from their Divine Master, and so also must the whole company of His redeemed be regulated wholly by the injunctions of the Captain of their salvation. Nothing less is due unto Him who endured such shame and suffering on their behalf; nothing else becomes those who owe their all unto Him who died for them. It is in this way that their gratitude and devotion is to be manifested: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:13).
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan." What a testing of their faith and obedience was that! The swollen and unfordable river before them, and they ordered to advance unto the very edge thereof, yea, to stand still in it! How senseless such a procedure unto carnal reason! Such too appears the policy and means appointed by God in the Gospel: "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). And the preaching of Christ crucified, my ministerial friends, is entirely a matter of faith and obedience, for to our natural intellect and perceptions it appears to be utterly inadequate to produce eternal fruits. And even when we have preached Christ to the best of our poor powers, it often seems that our efforts are unavailing, and we are perhaps sorely tempted to act contrary unto that word, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual." Seek grace, then, to heed the lesson pointed by the above verse: discharge your responsibility to the utmost extent and trustfully leave the issue with God, as did the priests.
But there is not only a much-needed message contained in verse 8 for the discouraged servants of Christ, but there is one too for the rank and the of God's people, especially those of them who may be sorely tried by present circumstances. Their faith and obedience must be tested-that its reality may appear. Some of the Lord's commandments present less difficulty, for they are embodied in the laws of our land and respected by all decent people. But there are others of His precepts which are most trying to flesh and blood and which are scoffed at by the unregenerate. Nevertheless, our course is clear: there can be no picking and choosing-"whatsoever He saith unto you, do" (John 2:5). Yes, but when I have sought to obey to the best of my ability I find circumstances all against me, a situation beyond my powers to cope with, a "jordan" too deep and wide for me to pass through. Very well, here is the word exactly suited to your case: come to "the brink of the water" and then "stand still in it": proceed to your utmost limits in the path of duty and then count upon the omnipotent One to undertake for you.
"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God" (v. 9). Once more our minds are carried beyond the type to Antitype, who said unto Israel, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me" (John 7:16), and again, "the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak" (John 12:49). And therefore the most diligent heed is to be given and the most unquestioning obedience rendered unto Him. "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites" (v. 10). That title, "the living God," is used in the Scriptures to point a contrast with the inanimate idols of the heathen (2 Kings 19:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), and doubtless was employed by Joshua on this occasion for the purpose of accentuating the impotency and worthlessness of all false gods, who were utterly incapable of rendering aid, still less of performing prodigies, for their deluded votaries; a warning also to Israel against the sin of idolatry to which they ever were so prone. As Joshua owned Jehovah as "the living God" so also Christ acknowledged the One who had sent Him as the "living Father" (John 6:57).
"And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you" (v. 10). Note carefully the statement which immediately follows: "and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites," etc. We had naturally expected Joshua to say in this connection, God will open a way for you to pass through this Jordan, but instead he gives assurance of the conquest of the "seven nations in the land of Canaan" (Acts 13:19). And why? To assure Israel that the miracle of the Jordan was a Divine earnest, a certain guarantee, that the Lord would continue to show Himself strong in their behalf. And similarly He assures His people today. "Being confident of this very thing: that He which hath begun a good work in you, will finish it" (Phil. 1:6). Israel's supernatural journey through Jordan was a figure of our regeneration, when we pass from death unto life, and that experience ensures that the living God will perfect that which concerneth us" (Ps. 138:8). In a word, regeneration is an infallible earnest of our ultimate glorification. But as Israel concurred with God, and were themselves active in driving out the Canaanites, so we have to mortify our lusts and overcome the world in order to possess our inheritance.
Yes, replies the reader, but that is much easier said than done. True, yet, not only is it indispensable that we should do so, but if due attention be paid to the passage before us and its spiritual application unto ourselves, valuable instruction will be found herein as to the secrets of success. Not to anticipate too much what yet remains to be considered in detail, let us summarize the leading points so far as they bear upon what was just said above. First, Israel was required to act with implicit confidence in God: so must we, if we are to be successful in our warfare, for it is "the good fight of faith" which we are called upon to wage. Second, Israel must render the most exact obedience to God's revealed will: so we can only prevail over our lusts and possess our possessions by walking in the path of His precepts. Third, Israel had to fix their eyes upon "the ark of the covenant": so we are to be subject unto Christ in all things, and make daily use of His cleansing blood-the propitiatory which formed the lid of the ark.
Fourth, "The Lord of all the earth"-God in His unlimited dominion-was the particular character in which Israel here viewed God: so we must rely upon His all-mighty power and count upon Him making us more than conquerors.
"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every man a tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap" (vv. 11-13).
In those words Joshua now specifically announced and described one of the most remarkable of the miracles recorded in Holy Writ. The priests were to proceed unto the edge of the water and then stop-that it might be the more evident that the Jordan was driven back at the presence of the Lord. As Matthew Henry wrote, "God could have divided the river without the priests, but they could not without Him. The priests must herein set a good example and teach the people to do their utmost in the service of God, and trust Him for help in time of need." Note how the opening' word of verse 11 emphasized yet again that attention was to be concentrated upon the ark, which, as we have previously pointed out, was made for the Law and not the Law for it-typifying. Christ, "made under the Law" (Gal. 4:4), magnifying and making it honorable (Isa. 42:21).
Remember too that the propitiatory formed the lid of the ark: it was not only a cover for the sacred coffer, but a shield between the Law and the people of God. The central thing within it was the Law (1 Kings 8:9), and between the cherubim on its mercy seat Jehovah had His throne (Ps. 99:1). That is why all through Joshua 3 and 4 it is termed "the ark of the covenant," for when Moses went up upon Sinai the second time we are told that "he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Ex. 34:28). It should be carefully borne in mind that even under the old covenant the promise preceded the giving of the Law (Ex. 3:17; 12:25), yet the fulfillment thereof was not to be without the enforcing of their accountability. In like manner the ten commandments themselves were prefaced by "I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt," manifesting His "goodness" to them and His "severity" upon their enemies-that was the testimony of His character who entered into covenant with them.
It is to be duly noted that the particular designation given to Jehovah in connection with the ark of the covenant in verse 11 is repeated in verse 13, which at once intimates it is one of special weight and significance. This title, "the Lord of all the earth," is not found in the Pentateuch, occurring here in Joshua 3 for the first time, its force being more or less indicated by what is said in verse 10 and the nature and time of the miracle then wrought. The reference here is unto God the Father, and signifies His absolute sovereignty and universal dominion-the Proprietor and Governor of the earth which He created, the One whom none can successfully resist. This title occurs in the Scriptures seven times! Twice in Joshua 3, then in Psalm 97:5, Micah 4:15, Zechariah 6:5. In Zechariah 4:14, we behold the three Persons of the Godhead in their covenant characters: "these are the two Anointed Ones [Christ and the Holy Spirit] that stand before the Lord of all the earth." But in Isaiah 54:5, we see the incarnate Son, "the Lord of hosts is His name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth shall He be called"-a prophetic intimation of the taking down of the "middle wall of partition," when Jew and Gentile alike should own Him as their God.
As a reward for Joshua's past faithfulness and in order to equip him more thoroughly for the great task before him, the Lord determined to put signal honor upon His servant so that Israel might assuredly know that as the mighty God had been with Moses so He would be with his successor (Josh. 3:7). That at once turns our thoughts back to Exodus 14: and it is both interesting and instructive to trace out the many points of contrast and comparison between what occurred at the Red Sea and here at Jordan. Let us consider first those respects in which they differed.
First, the one terminated Israel's exodus from the house of bondage, while the other initiated their entrance into the land of promise. Second, the former miracle was wrought in order that Israel might escape from the Egyptians, the latter to enable them to approach and conquer the Canaanites. Third, in connection with that, the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind (Ex. 14:21); but with reference to this no means whatever were employed-to demonstrate that He is not tied unto such, but employs or dispenses with them as He pleases. Fourth, the earlier miracle was performed at nighttime (Ex. 14:21), the latter in broad daylight. Fifth, at the Red Sea multitudes were slain, for the Lord "made the waters to return upon the Egyptians, so that it covered the chariots and the horsemen: all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them, there remained not so much as one of them" (Ex. 14:28); whereas at the Jordan not a single soul perished. Sixth, the one was wrought for a people who just previously had been full of unbelief and murmuring, saying unto Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us?" (Ex. 14:11); the other for a people who were believing and obedient (Josh. 2:24; 3:1).
Seventh, with the sole exception of Caleb and Joshua all the adults who benefited by the former miracle perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief, while not a single one of those who were favored to share in the latter failed to "possess their possessions." Eighth, at the Red Sea the waters were divided" (Ex. 14:21), but here at the Jordan they were not so-rather they were made to "stand upon a heap" (Josh. 3:13). Ninth, in the former the believer's judicial death unto sin was typed out; in the latter, his legal oneness with Christ in His resurrection, to be followed by a practical entrance into his inheritance. Tenth, consequently, whereas there was no "sanctify yourselves" before the former, such a call was an imperative requirement for the latter (Josh. 3:5). Eleventh, the response made by Israel's enemies to the Lord's intervention for Israel at the Red Sea was, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them" (Ex. 15:9); but in the latter, "It came to pass when all the people of the Amorites, which were on the other side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites . . . heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan . . . that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more" (Josh. 5:1). Twelfth, after the working of the former "Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore" (Ex. 14:31); after the latter a cairn of twelve stones memorialized the event (Josh. 4:20-24).
It is surely remarkable that there are as many analogies between the two miracles as dissimilarities. Yet that illustrates a principle which the attentive observer will find exemplified all through Scripture, and which the young student is advised to make careful note of. "Two" is the number of witness-as the Lord sent forth the apostles in pairs to testify of Him. It was the minimum number for such under the Law (John 8:17), for if the sworn testimony of two different men agreed, this was considered conclusive. Thus two is also the number of comparison and contrast. Hence it will be found that when there are only two of a kind, such as the miracles of the Red Sea and the Jordan, there is always a number of marked resemblances and divergencies between them. Some may like to work out for themselves the parallels and oppositions between the Old and New Testaments, Sinai and Sion, the first and second advents of Christ, the respective careers of Moses and Joshua, the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, and so on. The same principle is exemplified where a Greek word occurs but twice: as "apopnigo" (Luke 8:7, 23), "apokueo" (James 1:15, 18), "panoplia" (Luke 11:22; Ephesians 6:11). So too when two parables, miracles, incidents, are placed in juxtaposition.
The following are some of the points of resemblance between these two. (1) In each case the miracle was connected with water. (2) Neither was done in a corner or beheld by only a few, but was witnessed by the whole nation of Israel. (3) Each was preceded by an act required of God's servant-Moses, in the stretching forth of his hand (Ex. 14:21); Joshua, in giving command to the people. (4) Each was the removal of a formidable barrier in Israel's path. (5) Each had the design of authenticating Israel's leader (Ex. 14:31; Joshua 4:14). (6) Each presented a severe test unto Israel's faith and obedience (Ex. 14:15; Joshua 3:3). (7) In each case they passed over dry-shod. (8) Both miracles were wrought in silence: neither was accompanied by shouts of triumph, nor was there any sounding of the rams' horns-as, later, in the case of the miraculous fall of Jericho's walls (Josh. 6:9, 20). (9) Afterward both the Red Sea and the waters of the Jordan returned again to their normal state. (10) Each inaugurated a new period in Israel's history. (11) In both there was a prodigious display of Jehovah's power to the consternation of His enemies. (12) Both miracles were celebrated by songs of praise.
Some of our readers may think that we made a slip in the last point: they will recall the songs of Israel in Exodus 15 and ask, But where is there any song of praise celebrating what occurred at the Jordan? Separate celebration there is none, but the two miracles are conjoined and made the special subject of sacred ode, namely in Psalm 114, to which we would now direct attention. Many of those who are best qualified to express a considered opinion on the merits of poetry have freely testified that in this psalm the art of sacred minstrelsy has reached its climax: that no human mind has ever been able to equal, much less to excel, the grandeur of its contents. In it we have most vividly depicted the greatest of inanimate things rendering obeisance unto their Maker. As one beautifully summarized it, "The God of Jacob is exalted as having command over river, sea and mountain, and causing all nature to pay homage and tribute before His majesty."
Psalm 114 is a remarkable one in several respects. First, it is written without any preface. It is as though the soul of its author was so elevated and filled with a sense of the Divine glory that he could not pause to compose an introduction, but rather burst forth at once into the midst of his theme, namely, the wondrous works which were wrought for Israel of old, of which they were the actual eye-witnesses and beneficiaries. Second, in it the rules of grammar are ignored, for in verse two we find the possessive pronoun used without a preceding substantive. The presence of God is concealed in the first verse, for, as Isaac Watts pointed out, "If God had appeared before, there could be no wonder when the mountains should leap and the sea retire-therefore, that these convulsions of nature may be brought in with due surprise, His name is not mentioned till afterwards." Third, this psalm was fittingly made a part of "the Hallelujah" which the Jews of all later generations were wont to sing at their Passover supper. Fourth, all that is portrayed in this psalm was typical of the still greater wonders wrought by the redemptive work of Christ.
That psalm celebrates the marvels performed by Jehovah on behalf of His people of old, particularly their exodus from Egypt and His conducting them through the Red Sea and the Jordan. Such glorious acts of God's power and grace must never be forgotten, but owned in gladsome praise. "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah was His sanctuary, Israel His dominion" (vv. 1 and 2). The Lord delivered His people from the house of bondage that they might serve Him and show forth His praises, in the duties of worship and in obedience to His Law. In order thereto, He set up His "sanctuary among them-first in the tabernacle, then in the temple, finally in Christ His incarnate Son-in which He gave special tokens of His presence. Further, He set up His "dominion" or throne among them, being Himself their Lord, King and Judge. Observe well how that here, as everywhere, privilege and duty, Divine favor and human responsibility, are united. God acted graciously. God maintained the rights of His righteousness. As His "sanctuary" Israel was separated unto God as a peculiar people, a nation of priests, holy unto the Lord. As His "dominion" they were a theocracy, governed directly by Him. So we have been redeemed that we should "serve Him . . . in holiness and righteousness . . . all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74, 75). If we enjoy the favors of His "sanctuary" we must also submit to His "dominion."
"The sea saw, and fled; Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs" (vv. 3, 4). In those words the inspired poet depicts inanimate creation trembling before its Maker. It was because Jehovah was Israel's "sanctuary" and "dominion" that the Red Sea fled before them. Sinai quivered and the waters of Jordan were effectually dammed. The Almighty was at the head of His people, and nothing could stand before Him, or withstand them. The sea saw": it now beheld what it never had previously, namely, "the pillar of cloud" (Ex. 14:19)-symbol of Jehovah's presence; and, unable to endure such a sight, fled to the right and to the left, opening a clear passage for the Hebrews. Jordan, too, as the ark of the covenant entered its brim, was driven back, so that its rapid torrent was stayed, yea, fled uphill. Graphic figures were those of that invincible operation of Divine grace in the hearts of God's elect, when the mighty power of God is so put forth that turbulent rebels are tamed, fierce lusts subdued, proud imaginations cast down, and self-sufficient wiseacres are brought to enter the kingdom of Christ as "little children"!
"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams, ye little hills like lambs?" (vv. 5, 6). That is the language of holy irony, the Spirit of God pouring contempt upon the unbelieving thoughts of men who foolishly imagine that the Almighty can be withstood, yea, thwarted by the creatures of His own hands. "What ailed thee, O thou sea?": the poet apostrophizes it in the terms of mockery. Wast thou so terribly afraid? Did thy proud strength then utterly fail thee? Did thy very heart dry up, so that no resistance wast left in thee?" Such an interrogation also teaches us that it behooves us to inquire after the reason of things when we behold the marvels of nature, and not merely gaze upon them as senseless spectators. We have here also a foreshadowing and sure prophecy of the utter impotency of the wicked in the last great day: if the granite cliffs of Sinai were shaken to their base when Jehovah descended upon it, what consternation and trembling will seize the stoutest hearts when they stand before their awful Judge! See verse 7.
Psalm 114 is by no means the only place where we find celebration made of the miracles witnessed at the Red Sea and Jordan and the other marvels wrought about the same time. The prophet Habakkuk also links together those two wonders, and in language which serves to cast further light upon the Lord's design therein-teaching us the importance and necessity of carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture, if we would obtain a full view of any event or subject, for each passage makes its own distinct contribution unto the whole. In Joshua we behold the Lord acting more in His sovereign grace and covenant faithfulness on behalf of the seed of Abraham, but Habakkuk informs us He was exercising righteous indignation against His enemies, who had devoted themselves unto the most horrible idolatry and unspeakable immorality. It was in holy wrath against both the Egyptians and the Canaanites that God put forth His mighty power, when the iniquity of the Amorites" had come to the "full" (Gen. 15:16). The whole of Habakkuk 3 is exceedingly graphic and solemn, though we must do no more here than make a bare quotation of portions of it.
The Holy One is vividly pictured as manifesting Himself in the whole of that district which lay to the south of Judah, including Sinai, when "His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise" (v. 3). "He stood and measured the earth" (v. 6) or "caused the earth to tremble," as the Jewish Targum renders it, and as appears to be required by the parallelism of the next clause: "He beheld [merely "looked upon"!], and drave asunder the nations." That sixth verse may be regarded as the "text" which is illustrated by God's control over the forces of nature. "Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was Thine anger against the rivers? [when He made the lower waters of the Jordan to flee away, and the higher ones to "stand on a heap"]; was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation?" (v. 8), when, as an invincible Conqueror, Thou didst carry all before Thee! "The mountains [of Sinai] saw Thee and trembled: the overflowing of the water [Joshua 3:15] passed by: the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high" (v. 10)-see Joshua 3:16-as though in token of submission to and adoration of their Maker. "The sun and moon stood still in their habitation" (v. 11)-see Joshua 10:12, 13. "Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger" (v. 12).
Returning to Joshua 3. "Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan . . . And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap" (vv. 11, 13). "He who is your covenant God with you, has both the right and power to command, control, use and dispose of all nations and all creatures. He is 'the Lord of all the earth' and therefore He needs not you, nor can He be benefited by you: therefore it is your honor and happiness to have Him in covenant with you; all the creatures are at your service, when He pleases all shall be employed for you. When we are praising and worshipping God as Israel's God, and ours through Christ, we must remember that He is the Lord of the whole earth, and reverence and trust in Him accordingly . . . While we make God's precepts our rule, His promises our stay, and His providence our guide, we need not dread the greatest difficulties we may meet with in the way of duty" (Matthew Henry).
Here we may see yet another reason-beyond those we have previously pointed out-why the sacred ark was carried so far in advance of the people (v. 4), namely, that the whole congregation might have a better and clearer view of the miracle which God was about to perform for them. The host of Israel standing so far in the rear would have a much plainer opportunity of witnessing and adoring the glorious power of their God.
6. Crossing The Jordan
Joshua 3:7-17
The Miracle
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan (Josh. 3:7, 8). Before his death it had been revealed to Moses by the Lord that Joshua should be his successor as the leader of His people, and unto that office he had been solemnly set apart (Num. 27:18-23). Moses had also announced unto Israel that Joshua "should cause them to inherit the Land" (Deut. 1:38), and "the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Deut. 34:9). After the death of Moses the people had avowed their willingness to do whatever Joshua commanded them and to go whither he should send them, and expressed the desire that Divine assistance would be granted him: "the Lord thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses" (Josh. 1:16, 17). In the interval the two spies had reconnoitered Jericho at his orders, the people had followed him from Shittim to the Jordan (Josh. 3:1), and had remained there three days. Now the time had come for the Lord to more fully authenticate His servant.
Joshua had duly discharged his duty and now he was to be rewarded. He had set before the people a noble example by acting faith on God's word, had confidently expressed his assurance that God would make good His promise (Josh. 1:11, 15), and now the Lord would honor the one who had honored Him. Joshua had been faithful in a few things and he should be made ruler over many. Devotedness unto God never passes unrecognized by Him. The Lord would now put signal honor upon Joshua in the sight of Israel as He had done upon Moses at the Red Sea and at Sinai. "The Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak unto thee, and believe thee for ever" (Ex. 19:9): thus did He honor and authenticate Moses. And here at the Jordan he magnified Joshua by the authority which He conferred upon him, and attested him as His appointed leader of Israel. The result of this is stated in Joshua 4:15, "on that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared [revered and obeyed] him as they feared Moses, all the days of his [Joshua's] life."
But we must be careful lest we overlook something far more glorious than what has just been pointed out. Surely those words, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel," should at once turn our thoughts to One infinitely superior to Joshua: that what God did here for His servant was a foreshadowment of what later He did to His Son at this same Jordan. No sooner was our blessed Lord baptized in that river than, "Lo, the heavens were opened unto Him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16, 17). Then was He "made manifest to Israel" (John 1:31). Then was He authenticated for His great mission. Then did God "begin to magnify Him." Still more wonderful is the type when we observe at what part of the Jordan this occurred: "These things were done in Beth-abara" (John 1:28), which signified "the place of passage" (John 1:28), so that Christ was attested by the Father at the very place where Israel passed through the river and where Joshua was magnified!
Solemn indeed was the contrast. By what took place at the Jordan Israel knew that Joshua was their Divinely appointed leader and governor, and therefore they "feared him . . . all the days of his life" (Josh. 4:15), rendering implicit and undeviating obedience unto his orders: "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua" (Josh. 24:31). But after the and-typical Joshua had been far more illustriously magnified at the Jordan. identified as the Son of God incarnate, and owned by the Father as the One in whom He delighted, what was Israel's response? Did they love and worship Him? Did they fear and obey Him? Very far otherwise: "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). Their hearts were alienated and their ears closed against Him. Though He spake as never man spake, though He went about doing good, though He wrought miracles of power and mercy, they "despised and rejected Him," and after a brief season cried "Away with Him, crucify Him." Marvel, dear Christian reader, that the Lord of glory endured such humiliation "for us men and our salvation." Wonder and adore that He so loved us as not only to be willing to be hated of men but smitten of God that our sins might be put away.
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan" (v. 8). What anointed eye can fail to see here again a shadowing forth of a greater than Joshua! Next after this mention of God's beginning to magnify Joshua in the sight of the people, we find him exercising high authority and giving orders to the priests; and almost the first public act of Christ's after the Father had attested and honored Him at the Jordan is what is recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon on the mount we behold our Savior doing the very same thing: exercising high authority, as He evinced by His frequently repeated "I say unto you," and issuing, orders to His disciples, who, under the new covenant, correspond to the priests under the old; and it is very striking to see how the twofold application of that term and the type appear in that sermon. As we pointed out in our last, the "priests," when bearing the ark of the covenant, were figures of the ministers of the Gospel in their official character, but looked at as those privileged to draw near unto God. The "priests" were types of all the redeemed of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
Now in the opening verses of Matthew 5, it was His servants whom "Christ taught" (vv. 1, 2, 13-16), and to whom He issued commandments, for "His disciples" there are to be understood as "apostles"-as in Matthew 10:1, 2, and 28:16-20. Yet as we continue reading that wondrous discourse we soon perceive that it cannot be restricted unto ministers of the Gospel, but is addressed to the whole company of His people. Therein we learn what is required from the redeemed by the One who is their Lord, possessed of Divine authority: namely, entire subjection unto Him, unreserved conformity to His revealed will. As the priests of Israel must order their actions by the instructions which they received from Joshua, so must the ministers of the Gospel take their orders from their Divine Master, and so also must the whole company of His redeemed be regulated wholly by the injunctions of the Captain of their salvation. Nothing less is due unto Him who endured such shame and suffering on their behalf; nothing else becomes those who owe their all unto Him who died for them. It is in this way that their gratitude and devotion is to be manifested: "If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:13).
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan." What a testing of their faith and obedience was that! The swollen and unfordable river before them, and they ordered to advance unto the very edge thereof, yea, to stand still in it! How senseless such a procedure unto carnal reason! Such too appears the policy and means appointed by God in the Gospel: "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). And the preaching of Christ crucified, my ministerial friends, is entirely a matter of faith and obedience, for to our natural intellect and perceptions it appears to be utterly inadequate to produce eternal fruits. And even when we have preached Christ to the best of our poor powers, it often seems that our efforts are unavailing, and we are perhaps sorely tempted to act contrary unto that word, "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual." Seek grace, then, to heed the lesson pointed by the above verse: discharge your responsibility to the utmost extent and trustfully leave the issue with God, as did the priests.
But there is not only a much-needed message contained in verse 8 for the discouraged servants of Christ, but there is one too for the rank and the of God's people, especially those of them who may be sorely tried by present circumstances. Their faith and obedience must be tested-that its reality may appear. Some of the Lord's commandments present less difficulty, for they are embodied in the laws of our land and respected by all decent people. But there are others of His precepts which are most trying to flesh and blood and which are scoffed at by the unregenerate. Nevertheless, our course is clear: there can be no picking and choosing-"whatsoever He saith unto you, do" (John 2:5). Yes, but when I have sought to obey to the best of my ability I find circumstances all against me, a situation beyond my powers to cope with, a "jordan" too deep and wide for me to pass through. Very well, here is the word exactly suited to your case: come to "the brink of the water" and then "stand still in it": proceed to your utmost limits in the path of duty and then count upon the omnipotent One to undertake for you.
"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God" (v. 9). Once more our minds are carried beyond the type to Antitype, who said unto Israel, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me" (John 7:16), and again, "the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak" (John 12:49). And therefore the most diligent heed is to be given and the most unquestioning obedience rendered unto Him. "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites" (v. 10). That title, "the living God," is used in the Scriptures to point a contrast with the inanimate idols of the heathen (2 Kings 19:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), and doubtless was employed by Joshua on this occasion for the purpose of accentuating the impotency and worthlessness of all false gods, who were utterly incapable of rendering aid, still less of performing prodigies, for their deluded votaries; a warning also to Israel against the sin of idolatry to which they ever were so prone. As Joshua owned Jehovah as "the living God" so also Christ acknowledged the One who had sent Him as the "living Father" (John 6:57).
"And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you" (v. 10). Note carefully the statement which immediately follows: "and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites," etc. We had naturally expected Joshua to say in this connection, God will open a way for you to pass through this Jordan, but instead he gives assurance of the conquest of the "seven nations in the land of Canaan" (Acts 13:19). And why? To assure Israel that the miracle of the Jordan was a Divine earnest, a certain guarantee, that the Lord would continue to show Himself strong in their behalf. And similarly He assures His people today. "Being confident of this very thing: that He which hath begun a good work in you, will finish it" (Phil. 1:6). Israel's supernatural journey through Jordan was a figure of our regeneration, when we pass from death unto life, and that experience ensures that the living God will perfect that which concerneth us" (Ps. 138:8). In a word, regeneration is an infallible earnest of our ultimate glorification. But as Israel concurred with God, and were themselves active in driving out the Canaanites, so we have to mortify our lusts and overcome the world in order to possess our inheritance.
Yes, replies the reader, but that is much easier said than done. True, yet, not only is it indispensable that we should do so, but if due attention be paid to the passage before us and its spiritual application unto ourselves, valuable instruction will be found herein as to the secrets of success. Not to anticipate too much what yet remains to be considered in detail, let us summarize the leading points so far as they bear upon what was just said above. First, Israel was required to act with implicit confidence in God: so must we, if we are to be successful in our warfare, for it is "the good fight of faith" which we are called upon to wage. Second, Israel must render the most exact obedience to God's revealed will: so we can only prevail over our lusts and possess our possessions by walking in the path of His precepts. Third, Israel had to fix their eyes upon "the ark of the covenant": so we are to be subject unto Christ in all things, and make daily use of His cleansing blood-the propitiatory which formed the lid of the ark.
Fourth, "The Lord of all the earth"-God in His unlimited dominion-was the particular character in which Israel here viewed God: so we must rely upon His all-mighty power and count upon Him making us more than conquerors.
"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every man a tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap" (vv. 11-13).
In those words Joshua now specifically announced and described one of the most remarkable of the miracles recorded in Holy Writ. The priests were to proceed unto the edge of the water and then stop-that it might be the more evident that the Jordan was driven back at the presence of the Lord. As Matthew Henry wrote, "God could have divided the river without the priests, but they could not without Him. The priests must herein set a good example and teach the people to do their utmost in the service of God, and trust Him for help in time of need." Note how the opening' word of verse 11 emphasized yet again that attention was to be concentrated upon the ark, which, as we have previously pointed out, was made for the Law and not the Law for it-typifying. Christ, "made under the Law" (Gal. 4:4), magnifying and making it honorable (Isa. 42:21).
Remember too that the propitiatory formed the lid of the ark: it was not only a cover for the sacred coffer, but a shield between the Law and the people of God. The central thing within it was the Law (1 Kings 8:9), and between the cherubim on its mercy seat Jehovah had His throne (Ps. 99:1). That is why all through Joshua 3 and 4 it is termed "the ark of the covenant," for when Moses went up upon Sinai the second time we are told that "he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Ex. 34:28). It should be carefully borne in mind that even under the old covenant the promise preceded the giving of the Law (Ex. 3:17; 12:25), yet the fulfillment thereof was not to be without the enforcing of their accountability. In like manner the ten commandments themselves were prefaced by "I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt," manifesting His "goodness" to them and His "severity" upon their enemies-that was the testimony of His character who entered into covenant with them.
It is to be duly noted that the particular designation given to Jehovah in connection with the ark of the covenant in verse 11 is repeated in verse 13, which at once intimates it is one of special weight and significance. This title, "the Lord of all the earth," is not found in the Pentateuch, occurring here in Joshua 3 for the first time, its force being more or less indicated by what is said in verse 10 and the nature and time of the miracle then wrought. The reference here is unto God the Father, and signifies His absolute sovereignty and universal dominion-the Proprietor and Governor of the earth which He created, the One whom none can successfully resist. This title occurs in the Scriptures seven times! Twice in Joshua 3, then in Psalm 97:5, Micah 4:15, Zechariah 6:5. In Zechariah 4:14, we behold the three Persons of the Godhead in their covenant characters: "these are the two Anointed Ones [Christ and the Holy Spirit] that stand before the Lord of all the earth." But in Isaiah 54:5, we see the incarnate Son, "the Lord of hosts is His name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth shall He be called"-a prophetic intimation of the taking down of the "middle wall of partition," when Jew and Gentile alike should own Him as their God.
As a reward for Joshua's past faithfulness and in order to equip him more thoroughly for the great task before him, the Lord determined to put signal honor upon His servant so that Israel might assuredly know that as the mighty God had been with Moses so He would be with his successor (Josh. 3:7). That at once turns our thoughts back to Exodus 14: and it is both interesting and instructive to trace out the many points of contrast and comparison between what occurred at the Red Sea and here at Jordan. Let us consider first those respects in which they differed.
First, the one terminated Israel's exodus from the house of bondage, while the other initiated their entrance into the land of promise. Second, the former miracle was wrought in order that Israel might escape from the Egyptians, the latter to enable them to approach and conquer the Canaanites. Third, in connection with that, the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind (Ex. 14:21); but with reference to this no means whatever were employed-to demonstrate that He is not tied unto such, but employs or dispenses with them as He pleases. Fourth, the earlier miracle was performed at nighttime (Ex. 14:21), the latter in broad daylight. Fifth, at the Red Sea multitudes were slain, for the Lord "made the waters to return upon the Egyptians, so that it covered the chariots and the horsemen: all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them, there remained not so much as one of them" (Ex. 14:28); whereas at the Jordan not a single soul perished. Sixth, the one was wrought for a people who just previously had been full of unbelief and murmuring, saying unto Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us?" (Ex. 14:11); the other for a people who were believing and obedient (Josh. 2:24; 3:1).
Seventh, with the sole exception of Caleb and Joshua all the adults who benefited by the former miracle perished in the wilderness because of their unbelief, while not a single one of those who were favored to share in the latter failed to "possess their possessions." Eighth, at the Red Sea the waters were divided" (Ex. 14:21), but here at the Jordan they were not so-rather they were made to "stand upon a heap" (Josh. 3:13). Ninth, in the former the believer's judicial death unto sin was typed out; in the latter, his legal oneness with Christ in His resurrection, to be followed by a practical entrance into his inheritance. Tenth, consequently, whereas there was no "sanctify yourselves" before the former, such a call was an imperative requirement for the latter (Josh. 3:5). Eleventh, the response made by Israel's enemies to the Lord's intervention for Israel at the Red Sea was, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them" (Ex. 15:9); but in the latter, "It came to pass when all the people of the Amorites, which were on the other side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites . . . heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan . . . that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more" (Josh. 5:1). Twelfth, after the working of the former "Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore" (Ex. 14:31); after the latter a cairn of twelve stones memorialized the event (Josh. 4:20-24).
It is surely remarkable that there are as many analogies between the two miracles as dissimilarities. Yet that illustrates a principle which the attentive observer will find exemplified all through Scripture, and which the young student is advised to make careful note of. "Two" is the number of witness-as the Lord sent forth the apostles in pairs to testify of Him. It was the minimum number for such under the Law (John 8:17), for if the sworn testimony of two different men agreed, this was considered conclusive. Thus two is also the number of comparison and contrast. Hence it will be found that when there are only two of a kind, such as the miracles of the Red Sea and the Jordan, there is always a number of marked resemblances and divergencies between them. Some may like to work out for themselves the parallels and oppositions between the Old and New Testaments, Sinai and Sion, the first and second advents of Christ, the respective careers of Moses and Joshua, the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, and so on. The same principle is exemplified where a Greek word occurs but twice: as "apopnigo" (Luke 8:7, 23), "apokueo" (James 1:15, 18), "panoplia" (Luke 11:22; Ephesians 6:11). So too when two parables, miracles, incidents, are placed in juxtaposition.
The following are some of the points of resemblance between these two. (1) In each case the miracle was connected with water. (2) Neither was done in a corner or beheld by only a few, but was witnessed by the whole nation of Israel. (3) Each was preceded by an act required of God's servant-Moses, in the stretching forth of his hand (Ex. 14:21); Joshua, in giving command to the people. (4) Each was the removal of a formidable barrier in Israel's path. (5) Each had the design of authenticating Israel's leader (Ex. 14:31; Joshua 4:14). (6) Each presented a severe test unto Israel's faith and obedience (Ex. 14:15; Joshua 3:3). (7) In each case they passed over dry-shod. (8) Both miracles were wrought in silence: neither was accompanied by shouts of triumph, nor was there any sounding of the rams' horns-as, later, in the case of the miraculous fall of Jericho's walls (Josh. 6:9, 20). (9) Afterward both the Red Sea and the waters of the Jordan returned again to their normal state. (10) Each inaugurated a new period in Israel's history. (11) In both there was a prodigious display of Jehovah's power to the consternation of His enemies. (12) Both miracles were celebrated by songs of praise.
Some of our readers may think that we made a slip in the last point: they will recall the songs of Israel in Exodus 15 and ask, But where is there any song of praise celebrating what occurred at the Jordan? Separate celebration there is none, but the two miracles are conjoined and made the special subject of sacred ode, namely in Psalm 114, to which we would now direct attention. Many of those who are best qualified to express a considered opinion on the merits of poetry have freely testified that in this psalm the art of sacred minstrelsy has reached its climax: that no human mind has ever been able to equal, much less to excel, the grandeur of its contents. In it we have most vividly depicted the greatest of inanimate things rendering obeisance unto their Maker. As one beautifully summarized it, "The God of Jacob is exalted as having command over river, sea and mountain, and causing all nature to pay homage and tribute before His majesty."
Psalm 114 is a remarkable one in several respects. First, it is written without any preface. It is as though the soul of its author was so elevated and filled with a sense of the Divine glory that he could not pause to compose an introduction, but rather burst forth at once into the midst of his theme, namely, the wondrous works which were wrought for Israel of old, of which they were the actual eye-witnesses and beneficiaries. Second, in it the rules of grammar are ignored, for in verse two we find the possessive pronoun used without a preceding substantive. The presence of God is concealed in the first verse, for, as Isaac Watts pointed out, "If God had appeared before, there could be no wonder when the mountains should leap and the sea retire-therefore, that these convulsions of nature may be brought in with due surprise, His name is not mentioned till afterwards." Third, this psalm was fittingly made a part of "the Hallelujah" which the Jews of all later generations were wont to sing at their Passover supper. Fourth, all that is portrayed in this psalm was typical of the still greater wonders wrought by the redemptive work of Christ.
That psalm celebrates the marvels performed by Jehovah on behalf of His people of old, particularly their exodus from Egypt and His conducting them through the Red Sea and the Jordan. Such glorious acts of God's power and grace must never be forgotten, but owned in gladsome praise. "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah was His sanctuary, Israel His dominion" (vv. 1 and 2). The Lord delivered His people from the house of bondage that they might serve Him and show forth His praises, in the duties of worship and in obedience to His Law. In order thereto, He set up His "sanctuary among them-first in the tabernacle, then in the temple, finally in Christ His incarnate Son-in which He gave special tokens of His presence. Further, He set up His "dominion" or throne among them, being Himself their Lord, King and Judge. Observe well how that here, as everywhere, privilege and duty, Divine favor and human responsibility, are united. God acted graciously. God maintained the rights of His righteousness. As His "sanctuary" Israel was separated unto God as a peculiar people, a nation of priests, holy unto the Lord. As His "dominion" they were a theocracy, governed directly by Him. So we have been redeemed that we should "serve Him . . . in holiness and righteousness . . . all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74, 75). If we enjoy the favors of His "sanctuary" we must also submit to His "dominion."
"The sea saw, and fled; Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs" (vv. 3, 4). In those words the inspired poet depicts inanimate creation trembling before its Maker. It was because Jehovah was Israel's "sanctuary" and "dominion" that the Red Sea fled before them. Sinai quivered and the waters of Jordan were effectually dammed. The Almighty was at the head of His people, and nothing could stand before Him, or withstand them. The sea saw": it now beheld what it never had previously, namely, "the pillar of cloud" (Ex. 14:19)-symbol of Jehovah's presence; and, unable to endure such a sight, fled to the right and to the left, opening a clear passage for the Hebrews. Jordan, too, as the ark of the covenant entered its brim, was driven back, so that its rapid torrent was stayed, yea, fled uphill. Graphic figures were those of that invincible operation of Divine grace in the hearts of God's elect, when the mighty power of God is so put forth that turbulent rebels are tamed, fierce lusts subdued, proud imaginations cast down, and self-sufficient wiseacres are brought to enter the kingdom of Christ as "little children"!
"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams, ye little hills like lambs?" (vv. 5, 6). That is the language of holy irony, the Spirit of God pouring contempt upon the unbelieving thoughts of men who foolishly imagine that the Almighty can be withstood, yea, thwarted by the creatures of His own hands. "What ailed thee, O thou sea?": the poet apostrophizes it in the terms of mockery. Wast thou so terribly afraid? Did thy proud strength then utterly fail thee? Did thy very heart dry up, so that no resistance wast left in thee?" Such an interrogation also teaches us that it behooves us to inquire after the reason of things when we behold the marvels of nature, and not merely gaze upon them as senseless spectators. We have here also a foreshadowing and sure prophecy of the utter impotency of the wicked in the last great day: if the granite cliffs of Sinai were shaken to their base when Jehovah descended upon it, what consternation and trembling will seize the stoutest hearts when they stand before their awful Judge! See verse 7.
Psalm 114 is by no means the only place where we find celebration made of the miracles witnessed at the Red Sea and Jordan and the other marvels wrought about the same time. The prophet Habakkuk also links together those two wonders, and in language which serves to cast further light upon the Lord's design therein-teaching us the importance and necessity of carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture, if we would obtain a full view of any event or subject, for each passage makes its own distinct contribution unto the whole. In Joshua we behold the Lord acting more in His sovereign grace and covenant faithfulness on behalf of the seed of Abraham, but Habakkuk informs us He was exercising righteous indignation against His enemies, who had devoted themselves unto the most horrible idolatry and unspeakable immorality. It was in holy wrath against both the Egyptians and the Canaanites that God put forth His mighty power, when the iniquity of the Amorites" had come to the "full" (Gen. 15:16). The whole of Habakkuk 3 is exceedingly graphic and solemn, though we must do no more here than make a bare quotation of portions of it.
The Holy One is vividly pictured as manifesting Himself in the whole of that district which lay to the south of Judah, including Sinai, when "His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise" (v. 3). "He stood and measured the earth" (v. 6) or "caused the earth to tremble," as the Jewish Targum renders it, and as appears to be required by the parallelism of the next clause: "He beheld [merely "looked upon"!], and drave asunder the nations." That sixth verse may be regarded as the "text" which is illustrated by God's control over the forces of nature. "Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? was Thine anger against the rivers? [when He made the lower waters of the Jordan to flee away, and the higher ones to "stand on a heap"]; was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation?" (v. 8), when, as an invincible Conqueror, Thou didst carry all before Thee! "The mountains [of Sinai] saw Thee and trembled: the overflowing of the water [Joshua 3:15] passed by: the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high" (v. 10)-see Joshua 3:16-as though in token of submission to and adoration of their Maker. "The sun and moon stood still in their habitation" (v. 11)-see Joshua 10:12, 13. "Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger" (v. 12).
Returning to Joshua 3. "Behold the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan . . . And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap" (vv. 11, 13). "He who is your covenant God with you, has both the right and power to command, control, use and dispose of all nations and all creatures. He is 'the Lord of all the earth' and therefore He needs not you, nor can He be benefited by you: therefore it is your honor and happiness to have Him in covenant with you; all the creatures are at your service, when He pleases all shall be employed for you. When we are praising and worshipping God as Israel's God, and ours through Christ, we must remember that He is the Lord of the whole earth, and reverence and trust in Him accordingly . . . While we make God's precepts our rule, His promises our stay, and His providence our guide, we need not dread the greatest difficulties we may meet with in the way of duty" (Matthew Henry).
Here we may see yet another reason-beyond those we have previously pointed out-why the sacred ark was carried so far in advance of the people (v. 4), namely, that the whole congregation might have a better and clearer view of the miracle which God was about to perform for them. The host of Israel standing so far in the rear would have a much plainer opportunity of witnessing and adoring the glorious power of their God.