Joshua 4:15-18 show how after the Israelites cross the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua asks the Levitical priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant to come up from the Jordan. As soon as the priests reach the west bank, the LORD miraculously causes the waters to start flowing again as before.
In Joshua 4:15-18Joshua 4:15-18 commentary, commentary God resumes the natural flow of the Jordan River.
In the previous section, the Israelites obeyed Joshua’s command. They took twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan River to match the number of their tribes and carried them over to their lodging place. Then, Joshua commanded another twelve stones to stand amid the river where the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood motionless while the people crossed. About 40,000 soldiers from the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh also crossed over to help their fellow Israelites conquer Canaan. On that day, the LORD magnified Joshua, and the Israelites respected him as their new leader (Joshua 4:8Joshua 4:8 commentary−14). Now that the people had finished crossing the river, the LORD spoke to Joshua (v. 15).
God urged Joshua to command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan (v. 16). The ark of the testimony is another name for the ark of the covenant. It refers to the wooden chest overlaid with gold, which contained the stone tablets on which the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments. It was a sacred object that pictured the presence of God with His covenant people (Exodus 25:10-22Exodus 25:10-22 commentary). The lid of the ark is called “The Mercy Seat” and was where God told Moses He would meet with him,
"There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat." (Exodus 25:22Exodus 25:22 commentary)
When at rest, the ark would be housed in the Tabernacle’s inner sanctum called “The Holy of Holies.”
The Levitical priests had a great responsibility. When they left the camp at Shittim to come to the Jordan River, they marched ahead of the people with the ark that embodied God’s presence to lead the way. Once they arrived at the banks of the Jordan, God stopped the upstream waters and cut off the downstream, allowing the priests to stand motionless on dry ground until all the people had finished crossing the Jordan.
Now that the people were on the other side, the priests could move forward and cross the dry river. So Joshua obeyed the LORD and commanded the priests, saying, ‘Come up from the Jordan’ (v. 17). The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD did what their new leader told them to do. They had come up from the middle of the Jordan. As soon as the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and over all its banks as before (v. 18).
In Joshua 3Joshua 3 commentary, commentary the LORD asked the priests to stand in the Jordan River, and when they did, the upstream and downstream waters ceased (Joshua 3:15Joshua 3:15 commentary−16). In Joshua 4Joshua 4 commentary, commentary the LORD spoke again to Joshua, telling him to ask the priests bearing the ark to leave the Jordan riverbed. Once they touched the dry ground, the LORD miraculously brought the waters of the Jordan back to their initial stages. Thus, the Jordan River, which had ceased to run in that place until the Israelites crossed it, returned to normal and continued to “overflow all its banks,” since it was harvest time and in a flood stage (Joshua 3:15Joshua 3:15 commentary). This event shows the power of Israel’s God. Only when the ark of the covenant stood in the river were the waters stopped. Once the ark was removed from the river, the waters continued. God could stop the Jordan River and return it to normal as needed.
The God who performed those miracles on behalf of Israel is still at work today. He will never lose power. The LORD created the universe in six days. He controls and sustains it. Nothing is beyond His ability because He is all-powerful and unique. The God of Israel reigns forever and ever. Amen.
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Joshua 4:15−18 meaning
In Joshua 4:15-18Joshua 4:15-18 commentary, commentary God resumes the natural flow of the Jordan River.
In the previous section, the Israelites obeyed Joshua’s command. They took twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan River to match the number of their tribes and carried them over to their lodging place. Then, Joshua commanded another twelve stones to stand amid the river where the Levitical priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood motionless while the people crossed. About 40,000 soldiers from the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh also crossed over to help their fellow Israelites conquer Canaan. On that day, the LORD magnified Joshua, and the Israelites respected him as their new leader (Joshua 4:8Joshua 4:8 commentary−14). Now that the people had finished crossing the river, the LORD spoke to Joshua (v. 15).
God urged Joshua to command the priests carrying the ark of the testimony to come up from the Jordan (v. 16). The ark of the testimony is another name for the ark of the covenant. It refers to the wooden chest overlaid with gold, which contained the stone tablets on which the LORD wrote the Ten Commandments. It was a sacred object that pictured the presence of God with His covenant people (Exodus 25:10-22Exodus 25:10-22 commentary). The lid of the ark is called “The Mercy Seat” and was where God told Moses He would meet with him,
"There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat."
(Exodus 25:22Exodus 25:22 commentary)
When at rest, the ark would be housed in the Tabernacle’s inner sanctum called “The Holy of Holies.”
The Levitical priests had a great responsibility. When they left the camp at Shittim to come to the Jordan River, they marched ahead of the people with the ark that embodied God’s presence to lead the way. Once they arrived at the banks of the Jordan, God stopped the upstream waters and cut off the downstream, allowing the priests to stand motionless on dry ground until all the people had finished crossing the Jordan.
Now that the people were on the other side, the priests could move forward and cross the dry river. So Joshua obeyed the LORD and commanded the priests, saying, ‘Come up from the Jordan’ (v. 17). The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD did what their new leader told them to do. They had come up from the middle of the Jordan. As soon as the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and over all its banks as before (v. 18).
In Joshua 3Joshua 3 commentary, commentary the LORD asked the priests to stand in the Jordan River, and when they did, the upstream and downstream waters ceased (Joshua 3:15Joshua 3:15 commentary−16). In Joshua 4Joshua 4 commentary, commentary the LORD spoke again to Joshua, telling him to ask the priests bearing the ark to leave the Jordan riverbed. Once they touched the dry ground, the LORD miraculously brought the waters of the Jordan back to their initial stages. Thus, the Jordan River, which had ceased to run in that place until the Israelites crossed it, returned to normal and continued to “overflow all its banks,” since it was harvest time and in a flood stage (Joshua 3:15Joshua 3:15 commentary). This event shows the power of Israel’s God. Only when the ark of the covenant stood in the river were the waters stopped. Once the ark was removed from the river, the waters continued. God could stop the Jordan River and return it to normal as needed.
The God who performed those miracles on behalf of Israel is still at work today. He will never lose power. The LORD created the universe in six days. He controls and sustains it. Nothing is beyond His ability because He is all-powerful and unique. The God of Israel reigns forever and ever. Amen.