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APRIL 7
them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve
stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan,
from the place where the priests’ feet stood
3:10 Canaanite people to be killed or defeated firm. You shall carry them over with you and
were sinful to the point of extreme (see Gen. leave them in the lodging place where you
15:16; Lev. 18:24,25). God, as moral judge, has lodge tonight.’ ”
the right to deal with all people, as at the end 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom
(Rev. 20:11–15) or any other time when He he had appointed from the children of Israel,
deems it appropriate for His purposes. The one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to
5
question is not why God chose to destroy them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD
these sinners, but why He had let them live so your God into the midst of the Jordan, and
long and why all sinners are not destroyed far each one of you take up a stone on his shoul-
sooner than they are.It is grace that allows any der, according to the number of the tribes of
sinner to draw the breath of life (see Gen.2:17; the children of Israel, that this may be a sign
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Ezek. 18:20; Rom. 6:23).
among you when your children ask in time to
come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to
you?’ Then you shall answer them that the
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cut off, the waters that come down from waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark
upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”
So it was, when the people set out from
14 of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed
their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were
cut off. And these stones shall be for a memo-
priests bearing the ark of the covenant before
15
the people, and as those who bore the ark rial to the children of Israel forever.”
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as
came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests
who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the Joshua commanded, and took up twelve
water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the
during the whole time of harvest), that the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the
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waters which came down from upstream number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at and carried them over with them to the place
Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst
waters that went down into the Sea of the
Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of
and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. the priests who bore the ark of the covenant
stood; and they are there to this day.
So the priests who bore the ark stood in
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the midst of the Jordan until everything was
finished that the LORD had commanded
3:16 rose in a heap. The God of all power, Joshua to speak to the people, according to all
who created heaven, earth, and all else that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the
according to Genesis 1, worked miracles here. people hurried and crossed over. Then it
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The waters were dammed up at Adam,a city 15 came to pass, when all the people had com-
miles north of the crossing,and also in tributary pletely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD
creeks. Once the miracle was completed, God and the priests crossed over in the presence of
permitted the waters to flow again (4:18) after the people. And the men of Reuben, the men
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all the people had walked to the other side on of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed
dry ground (3:17). As the Exodus had begun over armed before the children of Israel, as
(see Ex. 14), so it ended.
Moses had spoken to them. About forty
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thousand prepared for war crossed over
before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jeri-
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17 cho. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in
Then the priests who bore the ark of the
covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as
in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
over on dry ground, until all the people had 15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
crossed completely over the Jordan. 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of
And it came to pass, when all the people the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.”
4 had completely crossed over the Jordan, 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests,
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that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” And it
for yourselves twelve men from the people, came to pass, when the priests who bore the
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one man from every tribe, and command ark of the covenant of the LORD had come
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