Joshua 3 & 4: O God Our Help in Ages Past!

As the Israelites move across the Jordan River into the Promised Land, it got me wondering why God chose to do all that He did. Why did He have to dry up the river? Why did the Israelites need to cross on dry ground? Couldn’t they wait till the dry season when the river would be shallow? They’ve been waiting for 40 years anyway… what are another few months to them? Why did God command the Israelites to set up stones taken from the riverbed to build a memorial? Was there a purpose in all this? I believe the answers to the questions are in the text…

Recognition of Joshua’s authority:

God had been repeating it for quite awhile since Joshua took over as the new leader. Now He says it again, “I will exalt you in the eyes of all people so they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses”. The entire episode served up as a demonstration to the people that Joshua’s position as a leader was authorized by YHWH Himself. And indeed, the people revered him all the days of his life after this. But I also think that God intended it to be a message to Joshua himself. A new leader living under the shadow of another great predecessor needed assurance and affirmation that God would be with him as He was with his predecessor.

Sign of YHWH’s covenant faithfulness:

God tells the Israelites that through this, they would know that He will do as He said when He promised them victory over their enemies. Crossing the Jordan on dry ground became a sign to Israel that YHWH was keeping His side of the covenant. The land was already theirs for the taking, providing they remained faithful. YHWH is faithful!

Memorial for future generations:

The crossing of the Jordan would leave an impact on future generations as well. God just wouldn’t allow them to forget. He had a message to the future Israel… a message from the past. When the Israelites looked at the stones and asked their parents what it meant, they would learn that God caused the Jordan to dry up so that their ancestors could cross on dry land. And they will know who their God is. They will know how powerful the hand of their God is. They will remember…

Testament to the World:

When the other nations hear of what the Lord has done for Israel, they will melt with fear and trembling. They will know that YHWH is the Lord of the whole earth. YHYH is sending a message that will reverberate across the land. He is the sovereign and almighty God.

When I think about my own life, I see many Jordan experiences. I see God’s hand in them. The big question now is this: What will I do with these experiences? Will I let them be reminders that God will be with me as He was with Moses and Joshua? Will I let them be reminders of God’s faithfulness, just as He was faithful to Israel? Will I let them be lessons to my children and the future generations, so that they may remember the God of their forefathers and worship Him? Will I let these experiences be a testament to the world and my neighbors, so that they may know who my God is? The title I gave to these chapters comes from one of my favorite hymns, which I think was really appropriate. O God our help in ages past, our strength for those to come!