**The Crossing of the Jordan River**
The sun rose over the camp of Israel, casting golden light across the tents that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was thick with anticipation, for this was no ordinary morning. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel stood at the edge of the Jordan River, poised to enter the land God had promised to their forefathers. The river, swollen with the spring rains, rushed before them, its waters churning and roaring as if daring them to cross. But the Lord had spoken, and His word was their guide.
Joshua, the newly appointed leader of Israel, rose early and summoned the officers of the people. His voice carried the authority of one who had walked closely with Moses and now bore the mantle of leadership. “Consecrate yourselves,” he commanded, “for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” The people obeyed, purifying themselves and preparing their hearts for the miraculous work of God.
As dawn broke the next day, Joshua addressed the assembly. “Listen to the words of the Lord your God,” he declared. “By this you will know that the living God is among you and that He will certainly drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites before you. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. When the feet of the priests who carry the ark touch the water, the flow of the river will be cut off, and the waters upstream will stand up in a heap.”
The people listened in awe, their hearts stirred by the promise of God’s presence and power. The ark of the covenant, a sacred chest overlaid with gold and containing the tablets of the Law, was a visible reminder of God’s covenant with His people. It was carried by the priests, who stood ready to lead the way.
Joshua continued, “Choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. They will have a special task when we cross the river.” The men were selected, their faces a mixture of curiosity and resolve.
The moment arrived. The priests, bearing the ark on their shoulders, stepped forward. The people followed at a distance, their eyes fixed on the ark as it moved toward the river’s edge. The sound of the rushing water grew louder, but the priests did not falter. As soon as their feet touched the water, the impossible happened. The mighty Jordan River, flowing swiftly and fiercely, was cut off. The waters upstream piled up in a great heap, far away at a town called Adam, near Zarethan. The downstream waters flowed away completely, leaving the riverbed dry.
The priests stood firm in the middle of the Jordan, holding the ark aloft as the entire nation of Israel crossed over on dry ground. The sight was breathtaking—a vast multitude of men, women, and children, along with their livestock and possessions, moving confidently across the exposed riverbed. The ground, once hidden beneath the turbulent waters, was now firm and secure, a testament to the faithfulness of God.
As the people crossed, Joshua called the twelve chosen men to gather stones from the riverbed. “Each of you take a stone on your shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel,” he instructed. “These stones will serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ you will tell them, ‘The flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters were cut off.’ These stones will be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
The men obeyed, carefully selecting twelve large stones and carrying them to the western bank of the Jordan. There, they set them up as a permanent reminder of God’s mighty act. Meanwhile, the priests remained in the riverbed until every last Israelite had crossed over. Only then did they step onto the far shore, and as they did, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, flowing once more with their former strength.
The people of Israel camped at Gilgal, on the eastern border of Jericho. There, Joshua set up the twelve stones they had taken from the Jordan. He gathered the people and said, “In the future, when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as He did to the Red Sea when He dried it up before us until we had crossed. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”
The hearts of the people were filled with awe and gratitude. They had witnessed the power of God firsthand, and their faith was strengthened. The crossing of the Jordan was not merely a physical journey; it was a spiritual milestone, a declaration that the Lord was with them and that His promises were sure.
As the sun set over the camp at Gilgal, the people rested, their minds filled with the wonders of the day. The stones stood as a silent witness, a reminder to future generations of the faithfulness of God. And so, with hearts full of hope, the people of Israel prepared to take possession of the land flowing with milk and honey, confident that the Lord who had brought them this far would see them through to the end.
