Joshua 3
3:1 a Israel had camped at Acacia Grove since before Balaam’s oracles (Num 22–24 b).3:3 c The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was God’s dwelling place among the Israelites and symbolized his throne. Whenever Israel moved, a contingent of priests carried the Ark before them (Exod 25:13-15 d; Num 10:33-36 e).
3:4 f Stay about half a mile behind them: God did not want his people to take his presence for granted. They were to acknowledge his holiness with reverence, respect, and awe.
3:5 g Purify yourselves: They had to separate themselves from anything unclean that would bar an Israelite from coming into God’s presence (cp. Exod 19:9-20 h; Lev 11:44 i).
3:7 j To reassure the people that he had not brought them this far to abandon them, God made Joshua a great leader like Moses.
3:8 k As they crossed the Jordan River, the Ark led the way until the feet of the priests entered the water; the priests were to stand in the Jordan, not on the dry land. By carrying the Ark into the water first, the obedient priests would show their faith (cp. Jas 2:18 l).
3:10 m Today you will know: The Israelites who were adults when Moses led Israel out of Egypt had died. The people now entering Canaan with Joshua had taken their place. The events about to unfold would signify God’s presence with them and demonstrate his intention to fulfill his promises.
• In Canaan, the Israelites would be living among pagan neighbors and might be tempted to join them in worshiping their gods and goddesses. None of these false gods were worthy of worship. By contrast, the Lord is the living God, and he was present among the Israelites.
• The Canaanites and Amorites were distinct peoples, but their names sometimes indicated all the pre-Israelite peoples of Canaan. The Hittites were related to the earlier Hittite Empire of Asia Minor that controlled much of Canaan. The Jebusites were from the city-state of Jerusalem, which Israel did not conquer fully until David’s time. Little is known about the other three groups.
3:11 n Because the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of the Israelites, they knew that the Lord of the whole earth was leading them into Canaan. Their God was not a limited local deity.
3:12 o Joshua told the people to choose twelve men but did not reveal what this group of men would be doing (4:2-8 p).
3:13 q Even though the Jordan was in its spring flood stage, the water stopped abruptly, an obvious miracle.
3:15 r The Jordan was overflowing its banks as a result of the spring runoff of the winter’s rainfall and snowfall, especially from Mount Hermon.
3:16 s Two wonders occurred. First, the water ... began backing up above Adam (about twenty-five miles away). Second, the entire bed of the river was dry, as remaining water drained to the Dead Sea.
3:17 t The repetition of the phrase on dry ground emphasizes that God performed a miracle.
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