Joshua 3:7-13

Joshua 3:7-13

[7] And the LORD  said  unto Joshua,  This day  will I begin  to magnify  thee in the sight  of all Israel,  that they may know  that, as I was with Moses,  [8] And thou shalt command  the priests  that bear  the ark  of the covenant,  saying,  When ye are come  to the brink  of the water  of Jordan,  ye shall stand still  in Jordan.  [9] And Joshua  said  unto the children  of Israel,  Come hither,  and hear  the words  of the LORD  your God.  [10] And Joshua  said,  Hereby ye shall know  that the living  God  is among  you, and that he will without fail  from before  you the Canaanites,  and the Hittites,  and the Hivites,  and the Perizzites,  and the Girgashites,  and the Amorites,  and the Jebusites.  [11] Behold, the ark  of the covenant  of all the earth  passeth over  before  you into Jordan.  [12] Now therefore take  you twelve  men  out of the tribes  of Israel,  out of every  tribe  a man.  [13] And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles  of the feet  of the priests  that bear  the ark  of the LORD,  of all the earth,  shall rest  in the waters  of Jordan,  that the waters  of Jordan  shall be cut off  from the waters  that come down  from above;  and they shall stand  upon an  heap. 

What does Joshua 3:7-13 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The miraculous parting of the Jordan was only the beginning of a series of miracles that demonstrated to the Israelites that their God was indeed among them. He was active for them and working through Joshua to give them victory ( Joshua 3:7).
This event bore many similarities to the crossing of the Red Sea ( Joshua 3:13; cf. Exodus 14). In contrast, Moses had divided the waters of the Red Sea with his rod. Joshua divided the waters of the Jordan with the ark that had become the divinely appointed symbol of God"s presence since God gave the Mosaic Covenant ( Joshua 3:8).
Evidently the pushing back of the waters of the Jordan was to be a sign to the Israelites that God would push back the Canaanites ( Joshua 3:10). The title "the Lord of all the earth" occurs here ( Joshua 3:11) first in Scripture indicating Yahweh"s absolute sovereignty over this planet. Because He was "the Lord of all the earth" He could give Canaan to the Israelites.