(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Joshua 4:10–19, “For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.”
As long as the priests stood in the middle of the Jordan river the water didn’t flow. The Lord held the water back until they moved away. Not only did the people intending to live in the Land go over the river but all those who had decided to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan river sent their armies as well. These men crossed over as soldiers ready to to battle because they had promised to fight with their brother tribes until they had invaded and conquered the Land. The Lord promised that He would increase Joshua’s reputation and He did. After this everyone knew that Joshua was chosen by the Lord and he was accepted and respected as Israel’s leader. As soon as the priests came up out of the river the water started to flow again so there was no doubt that the Lord had stopped the water. Even though the water was dammed up further upstream the Lord planned that the waters would breach the temporary dam so that they would come past the priests just after they left the water.
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