Crossing the Jordan into Canaan
Joshua takes command with the charge to be strong and courageous, and moves the camp to the Jordan at harvest time, when the river is in flood. The priests carrying the ark go first; as their feet touch the water the flow is cut off upstream at Adam, and the nation crosses on dry ground while the priests stand in the riverbed.
Twelve men, one per tribe, each carry a stone from where the priests stood and set them up at Gilgal. The instruction attached to them is the point of the whole episode: when your children ask in time to come what these stones mean, you tell them what happened here.
The crossing deliberately mirrors the Red Sea a generation earlier — the same God, a new leader, and a people entering rather than escaping.
Where in scripture
[1] Now after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, [2] “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go across this Jordan, you, and all these people, to the land which I am giving to them, even to the children of Israel. [3] I have given you every place that the sole of your foot will tread on, as I told Moses. [4] From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even to the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border. [5] No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. …
Joshua 1:1–9 — opening verses
[1] Joshua got up early in the morning; and they moved from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel. They camped there before they crossed over. [2] After three days, the officers went through the middle of the camp; [3] and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then leave your place, and follow it. [4] Yet there shall be a space between you and it of about two thousand cubits by measure—don’t come closer to it—that you may know the way by which you must go; for you have not passed this way before.” [5] Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you.” …
Joshua 3:1–17 — opening verses
[1] When all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan, Yahweh spoke to Joshua, saying, [2] “Take twelve men out of the people, a man out of every tribe, [3] and command them, saying, ‘Take from out of the middle of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the place where you’ll camp tonight.’” [4] Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, a man out of every tribe. [5] Joshua said to them, “Cross before the ark of Yahweh your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you pick up a stone and put it on your shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; …
Joshua 4:1–24 — opening verses
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
