Joshua 3:9-13

Joshua's Instructions to the People Joshua 3:9-13

9And 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 drive out 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 the Lord 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, 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 a heap.

10.

Why call Jehovah a living God? Joshua 3:10

Jehovah is called a living God, in contrast with the dead gods of the heathen. God proved Himself to be living and watchful on behalf of His people. His being in the midst of the people did not denote a naked presence but was to a striking degree manifested in extraordinary operations. His presence was seen in the manifestations of peculiar care. The God of Israel would now manifest Himself as a living God by the extermination of the Canaanites, seven tribes of whom are enumerated, as in Deuteronomy 7:1.

11.

Who were the peoples mentioned? Joshua 3:10 b

The Canaanites were, in general, the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, the son of Noah (Genesis 10:1; Genesis 10:6). The word Canaan was used to describe all the land west of the Jordan. The Hittites were the descendants of Heth. The word Hittite is the equivalent of son of Heth (see Genesis 23:5; cf. Genesis 25:9). They enter into the narrative of Israel's history at various times, such as these:

a.

Abraham's day (Genesis 15:20)

b.

Spies-' day (Numbers 13:29)

Some think the Hivites were villagers and that the term Hivite is a general term meaning villager. At times they are confused with the Horites. No name resembling the Hivite term has yet been found in the Egyptian and Babylonian inscriptions. Of them we learn they dwelt in Shechem (Genesis 34:2), at Gibeon (Joshua 9:7), and at the foot of Hermon (Joshua 11:3). They were peaceful and commercial (see 2 Samuel 24:7; cf. Judges 3:3; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 34:23; Genesis 34:28-29).

The word Perizzite also signified a villager, and so corresponds with the Egyptian fellah. Hence the Perizzite is not included among the sons of Canaan in Genesis 10:15-19.

The Girgashites, in the Septuagint called Gergesaios, are also mentioned in Genesis 15:21, Deuteronomy 7:1, and Joshua 24:11; but their dwelling place is unknown. The reading Gergesenoi in Matthew 8:28 is critically suspicious, although this fits them best of all.

The Amorites were inhabitants of the mountain or heights, though the derivation from -ahmin, summit, is not established. They were a branch of the Canaanites, descended from Emor (Amor), who were spread far and wide over the mountains of Judah and beyond the Jordan in the time of Moses, so that in Genesis 15:16; Genesis 48:22, all the Canaanites are comprehended by the name. They were west of the Dead Sea to Hebron (Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13, cf. Numbers 21:13).

The Jebusites were inhabitants of Jebus, afterwards called Jerusalem.
The listing of these names on various occasions emphasizes the fact of God's judgment which was to come upon each and every one of these people. None was to be spared. All were to be dispossessed.

12.

Was the Ark considered as having authority over all the earth? Joshua 3:11

The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord is not called the ruler of the whole earth. The description of Jehovah as Lord of all the earth is very appropriately chosen for the purpose of strengthening confidence in the omnipotence of God. Here His government over all the elements of the world is exhibited. The Israelites had no doubt. The seas and rivers were under His control. The waters though liquid by nature became stable at His nod.

13.

Why did Joshua ask the tribes to take men from among themselves? Joshua 3:12

The purpose for the selection of these men is made clear from the events described in chapter four. Each man was to be from a different tribe. Each of the twelve tribes was to have a man from among themselves to stand ready for Joshua's special orders. They were to select stones from the midst of the river bed and carry them out to the other side. Since each tribe had selected a man from among themselves, each had a part in the memorial which was to be erected. These twelve men stood as representatives of the different tribes, and their participating in the endeavor together symbolized the unity which bound the Israelites in their effort to conquer Palestine.

14.

By what power were the waters to be stopped? Joshua 3:13

The priests themselves had no power. The fact that they were standing in the water would not be sufficient reason for the waters to cease their flowing. They could not make a dam to hold back the waters. The Ark itself had no power to cause the waters to stop. It was the Lord of all the earth who performed the miracle. The fact that the priests stepped into the water demonstrated their faith in God. God chose their standing there as a symbol of the unconquerable faith through which miracles are granted.