and people, ought to be improved by us for the encouragement of our faith and hope for the future. As for God, his work is perfect. If Jordan's flood cannot keep them out, Canaan's force cannot turn them out again.
5. He directs them to get twelve men ready, one of each tribe, who must be within call, to receive such orders as Joshua should afterward give them, v. 12. It does not appear that they were to attend the priests, and walk with them when they carried the ark, that they might more immediately be witnesses of the wonders done by it, as some think; but they were to be at hand for the service they were called to, ch. 4. 4, &c.
14. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15. And as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks at the time of harvest,) 16. That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan; and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
Here we have a short and plain account of the dividing of the river Jordan, and the passage of the children of Israel through it. The story is not garnished with the flowers of rhetoric, gold needs not to be painted; but it tells us, in short, matter of fact.
1. That this river was now broader and deeper than usually it was at other times of the year, v. 15. The melting of the snow upon the mountains of Lebanon, near which this river had its rise, was the occasion, that, at the time of harvest, barley-harvest, which was the spring of the year, Jordan overflowed all his banks. This great flood, just at that time, (which Providence might have restrained for once, or which he might have ordered them to cross at another time of the year,) very much magnified the power of God and his kindness to Israel. Note, Though the opposition given to the salvation of God's people, have all imaginable advantages, yet God can and will conquer it. Let the banks of Jordan be filled to the brink, filled till they run over, it is as easy to Omnipotence to divide them, and dry them up, as if they were never so narrow, never so shallow; it is all one with the Lord.
2. That as soon as ever the feet of the priests dipped in the brim of the water, the stream stopped immediately, as if a sluice had been made to dam it up, v. 15, 16. So that the waters above swelled, stood on a heap, and ran back, and yet, as it should seem, did not spread, but congealed; which unaccountable rising of the river was observed with amazement by those that lived upward upon it many miles off, and the remembrance of it remained among them long after; the waters on the other side this invisible dam ran down of course, and left the bottom of the river dry as far downward, it is likely, as they swelled upward. When they passed through the Red-sea, the waters were a wall on either hand, here only on the right hand. Note, The God of nature, can, when he pleases, change the course of nature, and alter its properties, can turn fluids into solids, waters into standing rocks, as on the contrary, rocks into standing waters, to serve his own purposes. See Ps. 114. 5, 8. What cannot God do? What will he not do for the perfecting of his people's salvation? Sometimes he cleaves the earth with rivers, Hab. 3. 9. and sometimes, as here, cleaves the rivers without earth. It is easy to imagine how, when the course of this strong and rapid stream was arrested on a sudden, the waters roared and were troubled, so that the mountains seemed to shake with the swelling thereof, Ps. 46. 3. how the floods lifted their voice, the floods lifted up their waves, while the Lord on high showed himself mightier than the noise of these many waters, Ps. 93. 3, 4. With reference to this, the prophet asks, Was the Lord displeased against the rivers, was thine anger against the rivers? Hab. 3. 8. No, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, v. 13. In allusion to this, it is foretold among the great things God will do for the Gospel-church in the latter days, that the great river Euphrates shall be dried up, that the way of the Kings of the east may be prepared, Rev. 16. 12. When the time is come for Israel's entrance into the land of promise, all the difficulties shall be conquered, mountains shall become plains, Zech. 4. 7. and rivers become dry, for the ransomed of the Lord to pass over. When we have finished our pilgrimage through this wilderness, death will be like this Jordan between us and the heavenly Canaan, but the ark of the covenant has prepared us a way through it, it is the last enemy that shall be destroyed.
3. That the people passed over right against Jericho, which was (1.) An instance of their boldness, and a noble defiance of their enemies; Jericho was one of the strongest cities, and yet they dared to face it at their first entrance. (2.) It was an encouragement to them to venture through Jordan, for Jericho was a goodly city, and the country about it extremely pleasant; and having that in view as their own, what difficulties could discourage them from taking possession? (3.) It would increase the confusion and terror of their enemies, who, no doubt, strictly observed their motions, and were the amazed spectators of this work of wonders.
4. That the priests stood still in the midst of Jordan while the people passed over, v. 17. There the ark was appointed to be, to show that the same power that parted the waters, kept them parted as long as there was occasion, and had not the divine presence, of which the ark was a token, been their security, the water had returned upon them and buried them. There the priests were appointed to stand still, (1.) To try their faith, whether they could venture to take their post when God assigned it them, with mountains of water over their heads: as they made a bold step when they set the first foot into Jordan, so now they made a bold stand when they tarried longest in Jordan; but they knew they carried their own protection with them. Note, Ministers in times of peril should be examples of courage and confidence in the divine goodness. (2.) It was to encourage the faith of the people, that they might go triumphantly into Canaan, and fear no evil, no not in this valley of the shadow of death, (for so the divided river was) being assured of God's presence which interposed between them and the greatest danger, between them and the proud waters, which otherwise had gone over their souls.
