Josué 4

Josué 4

Meyer applies this passage - Evidently the presence of the ark was the one sufficient power by which those waters were restrained; for when the bearers regained the further bank, the stream flowed on as before (Joshua 4:18). Is it not thus that the presence of the Saviour, whom the ark and the priesthood typified, arrests the avalanche of judgment incurred by our sins, and stays the penalty which was our just dessert? And, in addition, we are reminded that we should put Him between us and every threatening stroke of man or devil. Let Him stand between your heart and your dread. Nothing can hurt you, if you shelter yourself behind His living grace and power. But oh, how bitter will be the anguish of those, who, in rejecting Christ, have thrust away the only screen from the waters of death and judgment! It is suggested also that these are held back, only because God's people are yet passing through. (Choice Notes on Joshua) QUESTION - What was the significance of the Jordan crossing? ANSWER - The Israelites’ crossing of the Jordan River on dry land was of tremendous significance to the Israelites. Joshua explained the significance of this event before it took place, stating, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap” (Joshua 3:10–13). Their miraculous crossing affirmed God’s presence with them and His promise to remove their enemies from the land. Why did the Israelites build a memorial? Joshua said, “When your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6–7). The memorial was to serve as a lasting sign of God’s work among the Israelites. The conclusion of this event offers an additional insight into its significance and the reason for the memorial. Joshua 4:23–24 says, “The Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” First, a comparison is made with the crossing that took place at the Red Sea under the leadership of Moses. This emphasis on God’s miraculous provision was an ongoing sign to the people of Israel. Second, there was an emphasis on the power of God. The miracle was done “so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful.” No other god could compare in power. The gods of Israel’s enemies were created things that had no ability to move water and provide dry passage across a river. Third, the result of the miracle was that the Israelites would fear the Lord forever. The idea was that this miracle would leave the people in such awe that they and their descendants would talk about it and live in the fear of God and worship Him as a result. God showed His power and presence in the crossing of the Jordan, and the memorial set up by His people served as a reminder of His might and why the Israelites should fear the Lord. Both the act and its memorial worked to point to God’s glory, presence, and strength, which would empower the Israelites as they took possession of their land in the days ahead. Still today, a look at this powerful miracle reveals the greatness of God, and our only appropriate response—to worship and serve Him.Gotquestions.org. George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 4 18. The soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land. Heb. נתקו nitteku, were plucked up. As upon the entrance into the river, the stream was cut off as soon as the soles of the priests’ feet touched the water, ch. 3:15, so now as soon as they touched the dry land it again resumes its natural course. This would make it evident that the arrest of the river was the effect solely of Divine power, and not owing to any secret natural cause. Flowed over all his banks as they did before. Heb. כתמול שלשם kithmōl shilshōm, as yesterday and the third day. Joshua 4:19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. the tenth of the first month: Ex 12:2-3 Gilgal: Jos 5:9 10:6,43 15:7 1Sa 11:14,15 15:33 Am 4:4 5:5 Mic 6:5 Joshua 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Approximation Location of Gilgal Near Jericho THE E.T.A. FINALLY ARRIVES E.T.A. means estimated time of arrival. For the nation of Israel, tragically that time had been delayed by disobedience for forty years but now had become a reality. THOUGHT - Is your disobedience in some area of your Christian life delaying your "ETA" into some good work which God prepared for you beforehand that you should walk in them (even as Israel was not stepping forth on the Promise of God, beginning to possess their possessions)? (Eph 2:10+) Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho - This is a monumental day in the history of the nation, for it marked the inception of their beginning to possess God's promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a promise made hundreds of years earlier by the Covenant Keeping God. The first month would have been March-April which is called Abib (SEE JEWISH CALENDAR) by the Jews before their Babylonian exile and Nisan by post-exilic Israel. The nation of Israel was now prepared to fulfill its mandate to be the leading nation of the world, "the head and not the tail," "above" and not "underneath" (Dt 28:13+). God's intention was that as the leading nation, the nation of Israel would function as a clear (spiritual) light to show the godless nations the way to the living God Jehovah (cf Acts 13:47+, Isa 49:6). Keil and Delitzsch state that “the crossing took place on the tenth day of the first month, that is to say, on the same day on which, forty years before, Israel had begun to prepare for going out of Egypt by setting apart the paschal lamb (Ex. 12:3).” Cyril Barber on the tenth of the first month - God had been faithful. This reminder of the past prepared the way for the celebration of the Passover which we will read about in our next chapter (Joshua: A Devotional Exposition) As the Israelites saw the waters of the Jordan flow over the path they had just trodden, they knew that now there was no turning back! This is the beginning of a new chapter in the great history of Israel, and this event indicates it is clearly "HIS-story." This specific date should jog your memory if you have studied Exodus for on the tenth day of the first month was the fortieth anniversary of the preparation of the Passover Lamb which anticipated the exodus from Egypt... Exodus 12:2-3+ “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this (FIRST) month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. Davis comments that "we might say this day had marked the beginning of redemption; now it marked its completion. What Yahweh began he brought to completion. Yahweh has written his faithfulness across another date on our calendars! Israel had been a slave; now Israel was an heir. (Focus on the Bible Commentary – Joshua: No Falling Words) Campbell on Gilgal - The name Gilgal means “circle,” and may have been taken from an ancient circle of stones of pagan significance. If so, the more recent circle commemorating Yahweh’s great work would serve to counteract the idolatrous association of the site. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament or Here) Alan Redpath applies Gilgal - Do you know what that word "Gilgal" means? It means that "the reproach has been rolled away." I want to say here that any believer, man or woman, boy or girl, living in the wilderness of carnality and spiritual defeat and failure, is a reproach (ED: See Pr 14:34). But if we have established a bridgehead, and have crossed over Jordan, the reproach has been rolled away, and Gilgal is the place of resurrection (ED: AND "RESURRECTION POWER" - May Paul's prayer be true in your life dear believer. Amen - Eph 1:18-19+). (Victorious Christian Living) Mattoon - Gilgal was a very important center for the nation of Israel. 1. At Gilgal the first king of Israel was crowned (1 Samuel 11). 2. At Gilgal, David was welcomed back after Absalom’s rebellion. (2 Samuel 19) 3. At Gilgal there was a school of the prophets under the leadership of Elijah and Elisha. (2 Kings 2 & 4). (Treasures From Joshua) Gilgal - Holman Bible Dictionary - name meaning, “circle,” and probably referring to a circle of stones or a circular altar. Such a circle of stones could be found almost anywhere in Palestine and led easily to naming towns “Gilgal.” The many references to Gilgal in the Old Testament cannot thus be definitely connected to the same town, since several different Gilgals may well have existed. 1. Gilgal is most closely associated with Joshua, but the number of Gilgals involved continues an unsolved question. After crossing the Jordan, Joshua established the first camp at Gilgal (Joshua 4:19 ). There Joshua took twelve stones from the bed of the river to set up a memorial for the miraculous crossing. Gilgal, the first foothold on Palestinian soil, became Israel's first worship place, where they were circumcised and observed the Passover. There God appeared to Joshua and affirmed his mission (Joshua 5:1 ). This Gilgal apparently became Israel's military base of operations (Joshua 9:6; Joshua 10:6; Joshua 14:6 ), though some scholars would identify this with a Gilgal farther north near Shechem. Joshua set up Gilgal as the border between Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:7; compare Joshua 18:17 ), though many Bible students think the border town must be south of the original camp. Ehud, the judge, passed Gilgal in his mission to slay the king of Moab (Judges 3:19 ,Judges 3:19,3:26 ). David passed through Gilgal as he fled from Absalom (2Samuel 19:15,2 Samuel 19:40 ). This Gilgal is often located at modern khirbet Mefjir, a little more than a mile east of Jericho. Others would locate it at khirbet en-Nitleh, two miles southeast of Jericho. Still others remain baffled at finding a location. The boundary town is often seen as khan el-Ahmar or Araq ed-Deir. The military camp is at times located at tell Jiljulieh east of Shechem but without archaeological support. This could be the same Gilgal of Deuteronomy 11:30 , if Joshua's original town is not meant. Gilgal was also one of the three places where Samuel annually held circuit court (1 Samuel 7:16 ). This could be near tell Jiljulieh or at Joshua's first landing place near the Jordan. Saul was both crowned and rejected as king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:14-15; 1 Samuel 13:14-15 ). Gilgal established itself as a major place of worship for Israel with ancient traditions. However, it also permitted worship associated with other gods and became the object of prophetic judgment (Hosea 4:15; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5 ). 2. Elijah and Elisha were associated closely with Gilgal. At one time Elisha made his headquarters there (2 Kings 4:38 ), where Elijah was taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:1 ). This was apparently tell Jiljulieh about three miles southeast of Shiloh, though it could still be Joshua's original Gilgal. 3. Gilgal of the nations is mentioned as a royal city near Dor (Joshua 12:23 ). The earliest Greek translation reads this as “kings of the nations in Galilee,” which many scholars think is the original reading, a copyist of the Hebrew text using the word “Gilgal” since it had become familiar in the earlier chapters of Joshua. If the Hebrew Gilgal is original, its location is not known. See Beth-gilgal; Elisha; Joshua; Samuel; Saul . Related Resources: What is the importance of Gilgal in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Easton's Bible Dictionary Gilgal Fausset Bible Dictionary Gilgal Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Gilgal 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Gilgal International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Gilgal Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Gilgal McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Gilgal The Jewish Encyclopedia Gilgal George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 4 19. On the tenth day of the first month. That is, of the month Nisan, just forty years, lacking five days, after their departure out of Egypt. This was four days before the annual feast of the Passover, and on the very day when the paschal Lamb was to be set apart for this purpose, Ex. 12:3; God having so ordered it in his providence, that their entrance into the promised land should coincide with the period of that festival. And encamped in Gilgal. In the place afterwards called Gilgal, ch. 5:9, for here the name is given it by anticipation. It is doubtful whether there was either city or town in that place before the arrival of the Israelites. It was situated near the Jordan, on the eastern extremity of the plain of Jericho. There are at present no certain traces of the name or the place in that region. Joshua 4:20 Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. Joshua 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GILGAL: ISRAEL'S FIRST ENCAMPMENT Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal - Apparently the 12 men brought the 12 stones (Josh 4:3, 8), but the honor of setting up the memorial was given to Joshua. Gilgal was like Israel's beachhead. Beachhead - A beachhead is a temporary line created when a military unit reaches a landing beach by sea and begins to defend the area as other reinforcements arrive. Once a large enough unit is assembled, the invading force can begin advancing inland. Between Jordan and Jericho in the area of Samaria, this was once a holy place to God (Jos 5:10-15; 1Sa 10:8; 15:21), but tragically afterwards was desecrated by idol worship (cf. Hos 9:15; Hos 12:11; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5). What happened to these 12 "memorial" stones? A triumphant beginning does not guarantee a triumphant ending. Obedience well begun must be obedience well continued, so that we might finish the course (2Ti 4:7). Israel "stumbled" in their obedience and did not finish the course at this time in world history. Don Anderson - We now have twelve stones in the bed of the river, and we have twelve stones at their first campsite in the land. The question that comes to us is "What is the significance of these two sets of stones?" We have already learned that they are to be a sign or a memorial that God has done a great work and has been faithful in the fulfillment of His promise. The invisible stones in the riverbed are a reminder to Joshua of the place where God was faithful. The visible stones set up at Gilgal are a memorial of the power of God to the children of Israel and the people of the earth. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary - Verses 20-24. It is the duty of parents to tell their children betimes of the words and works of God, that they may be trained up in the way they should go. In all the instruction parents give their children, they should teach them to fear God. Serious godliness is the best learning. Are we not called, as much as the Israelites, to praise the loving-kindness of our God? Shall we not raise a pillar to our God, who has brought us through dangers and distresses in so wonderful a way? For hitherto the Lord hath helped us, as much as he did his saints of old. How great the stupidity and ingratitude of men, who perceive not His hand, and will not acknowledge his goodness, in their frequent deliverances! Sidlow Baxter - A faith that goes all the way with God leaves many a beautiful "Ebenezer" in its wake. The Jordan memorial stones were faith's witness to the power and faithfulness of God. There were two of these cairns or monumental piles-one on the west bank of the river, at Gilgal (verse 3), and the other in the river itself (verse 9), each consisting of twelve great stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The pile on the Canaan side of the Jordan witnessed to the faithfulness of God in His bringing Israel at last into the land promised to their fathers. The pile in the river itself witnessed to the power of God in holding back the swollen flood and cleaving a pathway across the river bed for the great host. In this fourth chapter, then, we have the witness of faith. Those two memorial piles are symbolic. They witness to God's bringing His people right through the river and into the place of blessing. That preposition "through" really comprises the two ideas of "in" and "out" both in one. There must be both a going into and a coming out of to make the meaning of "through." Now the two memorial heaps in this fourth chapter of Joshua bear witness both to the going into and the coming out of the Jordan. Israel actually went down into that river basin; otherwise, how explain that submerged pillar of great stones amid stream? Israel actually came out on Canaan's side; hence that erection at Gilgal. Here is symbolic witness to a great truth: ever does a soul go down into that other Jordan - the death and burial of "selfism" - to find itself deserted. As surely as there is the "into" there is the "out of." God brings the now sanctified soul right through to the resurrection ground of "the heavenlies" in Christ. (Baxter's Explore the Book) A W