Scripture Daily

Context No. 1227 of 4322 · Joshua

Context · Reflection

Joshua 4:8-14: in context

8The children of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. They carried them over with them to the place where they camped, and laid them down there. 9Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over. 11When all the people had completely crossed over, the LORD’s ark crossed over with the priests in the presence of the people. 12The children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke to them. 13About forty thousand men, ready and armed for war, passed over before the LORD to battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14On 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.

As Israel crosses the Jordan on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stand in the middle of the riverbed, and the text stresses that they stood firm there until everything was finished, until the whole nation had passed over. Twelve stones are taken from the riverbed for a memorial, and Joshua also sets up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan where the priests' feet stood. The fighting men of the eastern tribes cross over armed ahead of the rest. And on that day, the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, so that they revered him as they had revered Moses.

The image that carries this passage is the priests standing firm in the middle of the river while the whole nation crossed. The waters were held back as long as the ark stood in the riverbed, and the priests did not move; they held their ground in the middle of the Jordan, bearing the ark, keeping the way open, until every last person had passed to the other side. Only when all had crossed did they come up. There is a picture of faithful, load-bearing service in that. Someone has to stand firm in the difficult middle place, holding the way open, while others pass through to safety; someone has to keep bearing the weight until the work is finished. The priests got no glory for it, they simply stood in the riverbed, unmoving, while the crossing they made possible went on around them. It is the unseen faithfulness that holds a passage open for others, the ones who plant themselves in the hard middle and do not move until everyone is through. And it was in this crossing that God magnified Joshua, the leader honored not for his own display but for leading the people through by God's power. The way across was held open by those who stood firm and bore the ark until it was finished.

Am I willing to be one of those who stands firm in the difficult middle place, bearing the weight and holding the way open, until everyone God has given me to serve has safely passed through?

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