Crossing the Jordan: The Holiness and Presence of God

The transition of the Israelites from the wilderness to the Promised Land marks a pivotal moment in redemptive history. After forty years of wandering, the nation stood on the precipice of their inheritance, led by Joshua, the successor to Moses. This crossing of the Jordan River was not merely a logistical movement of people; it was a profound demonstration of God’s holiness, His sovereignty over nature, and His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises.

The Testimony of the Nations

Before the Israelites reached the banks of the Jordan, the reputation of their God had already dismantled the confidence of their enemies. The testimony of Rahab in Jericho reveals that the surrounding nations were acutely aware of the miracles God had performed on behalf of Israel, specifically the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amorite kings. This knowledge did not come through modern communication but through the ancient trade routes—the Via Maris, the Way of the Patriarchs, and the King’s Highway—where travelers witnessed the decimation of Egypt and the supernatural survival of a massive population in the wasteland.

Joshua 2:9-11 (NASB)

and said to the men, ’I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. ’For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. ’When we heard [it], our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Rahab’s inclusion in the narrative serves as a powerful testament to God’s grace. Despite her past and her identity as a Canaanite harlot, her faith in the “God of heaven above and on earth beneath” secured her place not only in the hall of faith but in the very genealogy of the Messiah. Her story emphasizes that God is in the business of rewriting human narratives, transforming the outcast into an integral part of His redemptive plan.

The Barrier of the Flood

When Joshua and the people finally arrived at the Jordan, they faced a natural obstacle that was humanly impassable. The text notes that the Jordan was at flood stage, overflowing its banks during the time of harvest. By choosing this specific moment for the crossing, God ensured that the coming miracle could not be attributed to natural causes or human ingenuity. He frequently allows the “deck to be stacked” against His people so that His subsequent intervention is undeniably divine.

Joshua 3:15 (NASB)

and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest),

The crossing was not about Israel’s military prowess or the bravery of a specialized vanguard. It was entirely about the faithfulness of God going before His people. The focus was directed away from the obstacles and toward the Ark of the Covenant, the physical manifestation of God’s presence among His people.

The Presence and the Distance

The Ark of the Covenant contained three symbols of Israel’s history with God: a jar of manna representing His provision, Aaron’s rod representing His chosen leadership, and the tablets of the Law representing His holy standards. Most significantly, the Ark was topped by the Mercy Seat, the place where God’s presence dwelled. As the priests prepared to carry the Ark into the river, the people were commanded to maintain a distance of approximately 2,000 cubits—over half a mile—between themselves and the Ark.

Joshua 3:4 (NASB)

‘However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.’

This mandatory distance served as a stark reminder of God’s absolute holiness. While God was with His people, He was also separate from them. Throughout the Old Testament, unauthorized proximity to the holiness of God resulted in immediate judgment, as seen in the lives of Nadab, Abihu, and Uzzah. The distance at the Jordan taught the people that while God leads His people, He is to be approached with profound reverence and awe. He is a God who is both terrifying in His purity and faithful in His guidance.

The Miracle of Dry Ground

The miracle occurred the moment the feet of the priests touched the water’s edge. In a display of power echoing the Red Sea crossing under Moses, the waters of the Jordan were cut off far upstream at the city of Adam, while the waters flowing toward the Salt Sea were completely drained. The priests stood firm in the middle of the riverbed on dry ground until the entire nation—estimated between one and two million people—had safely crossed over.

Joshua 3:16-17 (NASB)

the waters which were flowing down from above stood [and] rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

This event served a dual purpose: it vindicated Joshua’s leadership in the eyes of the people, confirming that God was with him as He had been with Moses, and it served as a divine guarantee of future victory. If God could stop a flooding river, He could certainly dispossess the powerful nations occupying the land. The dry ground was a physical testimony that the path into God’s promises is cleared by His hand alone.

The Greater Miracle: The Indwelling Spirit

While the crossing of the Jordan was a spectacular display of external power, it points toward an even more profound theological reality for the believer today: the pneumatological reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, God’s presence was often external, temporary, and required distance. At the Jordan, the people were kept half a mile away. However, through the work of Jesus Christ, the barrier of sin has been removed, allowing a holy God to dwell within a redeemed people.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NASB)

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you?

The New Covenant marks a transition from the Spirit coming upon individuals for specific tasks to the Spirit permanently indwelling the believer. Christ taught that it was to the advantage of His followers that He ascend to the Father, so that the Helper might come to dwell not just with them, but in them. This is the ultimate miracle—not that a river was parted, but that the Holy God now makes His home in the hearts of those who trust in the gospel.

John 14:16-17 (NASB)

’I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Conclusion: Walking by the Spirit

The faithfulness God displayed at the Jordan remains the foundation for the Christian life. Just as the Israelites had to follow the Ark into the unknown, believers are called to walk by the Spirit, bringing their lives into alignment with His leading. The same power that dried the riverbed is the power that breaks the chains of sin and empowers a life of holiness. The history of the Jordan encourages the faithful to recognize that God is not a distant observer but an ever-present guide, dwelling within His people and leading them into the fullness of His promises.

Galatians 5:25 (NASB)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.