Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

Joshua 3 Devotional

The Living God Goes First

“Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.””Joshua 3:5 (BSB)

Israel camps at the edge of the Jordan while the river is overflowing its banks (3:15). The instructions are unusual. The people are to follow the ark of the covenant, the sign of God's presence, but keep a wide gap so that everyone can see it, since none of them has traveled this way before (3:4). Joshua tells them to consecrate themselves, setting themselves apart for God, because the LORD is about to do wonders among them (3:5).

The moment the priests' feet touch the water's edge, the river stops and backs up far upstream (3:15-16). The priests stand on dry ground in the middle while the whole nation crosses (3:17). God says this is how Israel will know that the living God is in their midst and will keep his word about the land (3:10). He did not remove the river before they reached it. He went into it ahead of them. When the way ahead is unfamiliar, you are not asked to know the route, only to follow the One who goes first.

To think about: Where is the way ahead of you unfamiliar, and what would it mean to keep your eyes on the Lord who goes first?

About Joshua 3: Israel Crosses the Jordan

Israel moves from Shittim to the Jordan, where the people are told to follow the ark at a distance and to consecrate themselves for what God will do. God begins to honor Joshua as He had Moses, and when the priests step into the flooded river its waters stop, so the whole nation crosses on dry ground.

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