David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Joshua 3-5, Psalm 90.

Joshua 3:9-17

And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³ And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

Strength and courage writ large today! No staff-waving. No waiting for the winds to blow back the waters of the Red Sea. No dry ground in advance of their advancement. The waters of the Jordan are flowing. The priests carrying the Ark of the LORD step into the river. The waters stop. They pile high while the priests stand in the riverbed and the people of Israel pass through.

I can imagine the trepidation of everyone involved. Will the river waters really stop? Will the priests stay there while everyone passes over into the land? Will the waters stay piled up until everyone is across and the priests finish their duties? I can imagine people down stream waiting and seeing the waters stop flowing so that the pathway is larger and larger. I can imagine people shaking their heads in disbelief – only they are seeing what they can’t believe. I’m shaking my head now as I imagine this scene.

Joshua is being validated as Israel’s new leader. The priests were giving an object lesson of their function: holding back the waters as an image of their duties to stand between God’s judgment and the people. The people were given a lessons in faith, in God’s providential sovereignty over all things, and in his promise to give them the Promised Land. And Joshua was given a booster shot of courage and strength, for he is seeing the strength of God in their behalf. This is how they will overcome their enemies and occupy the land.

This is but a prelude to the next great sign from God when the walls of Jericho will come a-tumblin’ down. God is delivering on a promise he had made to Abraham centuries before. The deed isn’t done yet, but I cannot help but fast-forward into the centuries ahead. Eventually they will lose their land. They will lose their temple. The final Old Testament prophet – John the Baptist – tells the people of his day that their ancestry means nothing apart from God’s favor and grace. He can raise up stones to become his children (Luke 3:8). That’s why there would need some day to come a Savior the True Israel who will lead his people into the eternal promised land.

Let the crossing of the Jordan remind us of our baptism, by which we gain access into the family of God.

Think of the twelve stones as pointing to the living stones which God is using to build a spiritual house for his praise (1 Peter 2:5).

Imagine Rahab the harlot as foreshadowing of the woman taken in adultery whom Jesus forgave and sent her on her way to a new life (John 8:10-11).

Realize that just as the walls of Jericho fell when the people marched around the city and blew their trumpets at God’s command, just so, the stone in front of Jesus’ grave rolled away at his command and the Champion of Grace, Truth, Love, and Faith will rise. His reign will never end!

This is Holy Week. We’ll see Jesus at every turn even in these Old Testament accounts. Thanks be to God!