God does not do the same thing twice in exactly the same way. In Joshua 3, we see another parting of the waters. But whereas the waters of the Red Sea parted when Moses raised up his staff, the waters of the Jordan River parted when the priests stepped into its stream.
God calls us to obedience, not to reliance on presuppositions. This means that when He calls us to do something unexpected, we must submit to Him and trust Him.
When we look at the story of Joshua, we need to remember that God has no grandchildren, so to speak—only children. While it is good to look to other Christians as models, we ultimately need to follow God first. This is why God calls Joshua to obedience, and He also calls the people of Israel to look to Joshua as their new leader instead of wishing Moses were still alive.
God promised Joshua that He would be with him, just as God had been with Moses (Joshua 3:7). As a result, God would work the wonder of parting the Jordan River to begin the process of the conquest of Canaan.
It is important to remember that the conquest took seven years. This was to teach the Israelites to obey God and depend on Him. They could not rely on their own strength, but were to follow the Lord in whatever He commanded.
The book of Joshua is a link between the Pentateuch and the remainder of the historical books in the Bible. In it, the tribes enter the land of Canaan and begin to conquer the land. They also begin to settle the land, enjoying God’s covenant blessings as they do so.
Joshua serves as a reminder that victory comes through faith and obedience, not through military might. Even though we may not look to armies for security or peace today, this is still a good reminder for us. After all, we will certainly be tempted to trust in our own strength at some point in our lives.
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Looking to learn more about the book of Joshua or lead a small group through this material? Check out the Talk Thru Overview Joshua Teacher Kit.
This teaching is based on Ken’s Handbook to Scripture.
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