How can this process be broken so that men and women can escape from death and live for ever? Expressed metaphorically: how can men and women cross the River Jordan into the land and gain everlasting life? Only by God’s intervention, and he has done this through Jesus, just as he did long ago through Joshua. Jesus has passed into eternal life and he will lead the people of God across Jordan into the Promised Land. Jesus was raised from the dead and became immortal nearly two thousand years ago, and it is therefore interesting to note that the people were “about two thousand cubits” behind the ark of the covenant v.4.Waiting for response for Joshua 3:4 The ark with its contents and its lid (the mercyseat) represent Jesus, and he has gone ahead of us into life; and all the signs indicate that now, nearly two thousand years later, we are very near the time when he will return to lead his people into the Promised Land and everlasting life.
This chapter records the crossing of the River Jordan into the Promised Land. This event was exhilarating for the people of Israel and is highly significant in God’s representation of his purpose through Christ. Israel escaped from slavery in Egypt, were baptized in the Red Sea, journeyed through the wilderness, and finally crossed the River Jordan into the Promised Land with Joshua. This represents the way of salvation for the disciples of Jesus. Spiritually they escape from the world, are baptized, travel through life as on a wilderness journey, and finally enter the Promised Land with Jesus. With this in mind, it is interesting to observe the detail given in this chapter of the crossing the Jordan. This river flowed from the city of Adam v.16Waiting for response for Joshua 3:16 down into the Dead Sea and well illustrates the condition of mankind: starting with the first man Adam and ending as multitudes of the dead.