Matthew Henry Commentary Joshua 3
Matthew Henry Commentary
Joshua 3
Matthew Henry Commentary
Joshua 3
"And Joshua rose up early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they passed over. And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore. And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow Jehovah will do wonders among you. And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people." — Joshua 3:1-6 (ASV)
The Israelites came to Jordan in faith, having been told that they should pass it. In the way of duty, let us proceed as far as we can and depend on the Lord. Joshua led them. Particular notice is taken of his early rising, as also on subsequent occasions, which shows how little he sought his own ease. Those who would accomplish great things must rise early.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty. All in public stations should always attend to the duty of their place. The people were to follow the ark. Thus we must walk according to the rule of the word and the direction of the Spirit in everything; so shall peace be upon us as upon the Israel of God. However, we must follow our ministers only as they follow Christ.
Their entire way through the wilderness was an untrodden path, but this was especially true of the path through Jordan. While we are here, we must expect and prepare to travel paths we have not traveled before; but in the path of duty, we may proceed with boldness and cheerfulness.
Whether we are called to suffer poverty, pain, labor, persecution, reproach, or death, we are following the Author and Finisher of our faith. Nor, during our entire journey, can we set our feet in any dangerous or difficult spot, but faith will see there the prints of the Redeemer's feet, who trod that very path to glory above, and invites us to follow Him, so that where He is, we also may be.
The Israelites were to sanctify themselves. If we would experience the effects of God's love and power, we must put away sin and be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
"And Jehovah 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, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, ye shall stand still in the Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of Jehovah your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of Jehovah, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand in one heap." — Joshua 3:7-13 (ASV)
The waters of Jordan shall be cut off. This must be done in a way that had never been done before, except in the dividing of the Red Sea. That miracle is here repeated; God has the same power to finish the salvation of his people as to begin it; the WORD of the Lord was as truly with Joshua as with Moses. God's appearances for his people should encourage faith and hope. God's work is perfect; he will keep his people. Jordan's flood cannot keep Israel out; Canaan's force cannot turn them out again.
"And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over the Jordan, the priests that bare the ark of the covenant being before the people; and when they that bare the ark were come unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (for the Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over the Jordan." — Joshua 3:14-17 (ASV)
Jordan overflowed all its banks. This magnified the power of God, and His kindness to Israel. Although those who oppose the salvation of God's people have all advantages, yet God can and will conquer.
This passage over Jordan, as an entrance to Canaan, after their long, weary wanderings in the wilderness, foreshadowed the believer's passage through death to heaven, after he has finished his wanderings in this sinful world. Jesus, typified by the ark, has gone before, and He crossed the river when it most flooded the country around. Let us treasure up experiences of His faithful and tender care, that they may help our faith and hope in the last conflict.
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