Wednesday Bible Study: The crossing

Today we leave the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) behind and cross into Joshua, and it is appropriate to use the term "cross", as I show you Joshua 3:16, with a little warm-up added:

Jos 3:14  And it happened, when the people moved from their tents to pass over Jordan, and as the priests carried the ark of the covenant before the people, 
Jos 3:15  and as those who bore the ark had come to Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bore the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for Jordan overflows all its banks, all the time of harvest); 
Jos 3:16  that the waters which came down from above stopped and rose up all in a heap, very far from the city Adam that is beside Zaretan. And those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over across from Jericho. 

So this is the story of how Israel crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land.  It was the time of Jordan flooding, asnd thus was very much out of its banks...

As I learned, the Jordan takes a very steep path from the Sea of Galillee to the Dead Sea, with lots of rapids and falls.  And throw in the flood, and this was not going to be an easy crossing, but for God's miraculous provision.  And on top of that, let me show you just WHERE they were crossing...

Okay, the top circle shows you basically how far back the water was stopped up by God- about 30 miles, so that Israel couldn't even SEE it from where they stopped.  And where were they crossing?  Why right ACROSS from Jericho- the most powerful city in the area- in broad daylight, as one of the commentators pointed out, in full view of the Canaanites, which we learn from Rahab later on were already scared to death of Israel after God defeated Sihon and Og!  This was not only miracluous, it was a pure challenge to the inhabitants of the land.

But you know what?  There is a symbolism here, and it is built around how Israel is passing from their "old life" to a new one in the Land of Promise.  And to think, I didn't get it until I was doing a little more map research.  The Bible says that they were coming from a camp in Shittim.  And of course, I hadda know just where that was, as the map above didn't quite catch it.  So I went to wiki, and wiki gave me co-ordinates, which I clicked.  And when I clicked it, I zoomed in on the crossing point, and guess what I found?

They crossed at the VERY spot where John baptised Jesus!  Now the idea of going from the old life to the Land of Promise REALLY hits home!

Just because this was a short read, I'm going to throw in one more little "thing to think about"... and it deals with what happened next:

Jos 4:1  And it happened when all the people had completely passed over the Jordan, Jehovah spoke to Joshua saying, 

Jos 4:2  Take twelve men for you out of the people, a man out of every tribe, 

Jos 4:3  and command them saying, Take twelve stones from here, out of the middle of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm. And you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the place where you shall stay tonight. 

Jos 4:4  Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared from the sons of Israel, a man out of every tribe. 

Jos 4:5  And Joshua said to them, Pass over in front of the ark of Jehovah your God into the middle of the Jordan. And every man take a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, 

Jos 4:6  so that this may be a sign to you when your sons ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones? 

Jos 4:7  Then you shall answer them, The waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. When it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. 

So, 12 stones in the midst of the water pulled out as a memorial.  Hidden, perhaps, during the rainy season when it floods.  But as Encyclopedia.com says, 

Deep and turbulent during the rainy season, the Jordan is reduced to a sluggish, shallow stream during the summer. 

Does that mean the memorial stones still stood in ancient times, to be seen in the slow, sluggish summer?  Well...

Mat 3:6  And they were baptized by him (John the Baptist) in the Jordan, confessing their sins. 

Mat 3:7  But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 

Mat 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance; 

Mat 3:9  and do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 

Which stones?  Could they have been...