Feet in the Water

The Story

After forty years in the wilderness, Israel finally stood on the edge of the Promised Land. Only one thing was in the way: the Jordan River.

And it wasn’t a gentle stream that day. It was harvest season, when the Jordan overflowed its banks. The water was high and fast, and there were no bridges and no boats for a whole nation of men, women, children, and animals.

Joshua told the people, “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Then God gave the priests strange instructions. They were to pick up the ark of the covenant and walk straight into the river. As soon as their feet touched the water, God would stop it.

Imagine being one of those priests. Carrying the heavy ark on your shoulders, walking toward a flooded river, knowing everyone is watching you.

They stepped in. The moment the soles of their feet touched the edge of the water, the river stopped flowing. Far upstream, at a town called Adam, the water stood up in a heap. The riverbed in front of them went dry.

The priests walked to the middle of the Jordan and stood there, holding the ark, while the entire nation crossed over on dry ground.

Reflection