Catholic Commentary on Joshua 3

"As soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." (Joshua 3:13)

Crossing the Jordan

The time has come. Joshua tells the people to consecrate themselves because tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things. The ark of the covenant is to go before them into the Jordan, carried by the priests. They are to keep a thousand yards behind it so they can see the way to go, since they have not been this way before. God tells Joshua: today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. As soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.

The Jordan is in flood at harvest time. The moment the priests' feet touch the water, the flow stops and the people cross on dry ground. The miracle deliberately echoes the Red Sea crossing: the new generation receives its own Exodus moment. The Catechism identifies the Jordan crossing as a type of Baptism: as Israel passed through the water into the promised land, the baptised person passes through the water into the life of grace (CCC 1222). Every baptismal font is a Jordan, and every Baptism is a crossing into the inheritance.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, you have not been this way before. The road ahead is genuinely new, and the ark goes in front. The crossing requires that the priests put their feet in the water before it stops flowing. The miracle comes at the moment of committed movement, not before. Put your feet in. The waters will be cut off.

Prayer

Lord God, as the priests' feet touched the Jordan the waters parted. Give us the courage to step into our floods before the path appears. You go before us in the ark of your presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3
Crossing the Jordan
1 Early the next morning Joshua got up and left Shittim * 3:1 Or Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.
 
2 After three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it. 4 But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits † 3:4 2,000 cubits is approximately 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters. between yourselves and the ark. Do not go near it, so that you can see the way to go, since you have never traveled this way before.”
 
5 Then Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 And he said to the priests, “Take the ark of the covenant and go on ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of them.
 
7 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you just as I was with Moses. 8 Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the waters, stand in the Jordan.’ ”
 
9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” 10 He continued, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that He will surely drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
 
12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 When the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD-the Lord of all the earth-touch down in the waters of the Jordan, its flowing waters will be cut off and will stand up in a heap.”
 
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carried the ark of the covenant ahead of them.
 
15 Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ‡ 3:16 That is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.

*3:1 3:1 Or Acacia Grove

†3:4 3:4 2,000 cubits is approximately 3,000 feet or 914.4 meters.

‡3:16 3:16 That is, the Dead Sea

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