Joshua 3: Israel Crosses the Jordan
As noted yesterday, the author of Joshua is fond of repetition, and particularly of invoking the crossing miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. The author of Deuteronomy was fond of invoking Israel's deliverance from Egypt as a way to emphasize God's power and dedication to the people. In the same way, the author of Joshua emphasizes the crossing of thresholds - in this case bodies of water - as a way of emphasizing a transition into a new way of life: that body of water once divided lives of oppression and wandering. Now it divides lives of wandering and settlement, the old covenant outside the promised land and the new one within.
Spies Sent to Jericho: Joshua 2
Joshua sends two spies to scope out the promised land, especially Jericho. They enter the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spend the night there. The scene shifts to the King of Jericho, who is told "Some Israelites have come here tonight to search out the land." What he is not told is where these Israelites are staying - but the biblical author is laconic in speech and the king seems to know that Rahab is harboring the spies. He sends orders for her to "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come only to search out the whole land." Rahab responds that the men did come to her, but she doesn't know where they came from and furthermore they left before the city gate was closed at dark. She urges the king's men to pursue the men who came to her house. As soon as the pursuers leave, the city gate is shut, ironically keeping the pursuers outside their town and the pursuers within.
[The bolded terms above? Let's just say that the biblical author makes good use of diction when speaking about a prostitute, especially because "come to" can also be rendered "come into."]
The biblical author then reveals another dramatic irony [a type of irony - not irony that is dramatic] to us: "She had, however, brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof." But why is she helping them? And why is she drying stalks of flax if she is a prostitute?
Rahab tells the Israelites: "I know that the Lord has given you the land, and the dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you" (Josh. 2.9). The people of the promised land recognize that the Lord is very powerful, drying up the read sea and causing Israel to defeat its enemies: "The Lord you God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below" (Josh. 2.11). This is a great compliment to the Israelites coming from a "pagan" of the promised land. It justifies Israel's actions and reassures them of their future success.
Rahab then asks that her family be spared when the Israelites attack Jericho. The spies agree, on the condition that Rahab does not tell anyone about them.
Rahab lets the spies down by a rope through the window - apparently her house is located along the outside wall of the city [meaning that this is a fortified city and she is living in what is probably a storeroom]. Rahab advises the spies to flee to the hill country, where the pursuers will not find them. The spies respond with commands that if she does not tie a crimson cord in the window, and does not keep her family in her house, and reveals the mission of the spies, then they will be released from the oath.
The spies spend three days in the hills before returning to Joshua. Unlike the return of the spies under Moses, (of whom only Joshua and Caleb gave a positive report, the spies' report this time is positive:
"Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before us."Israel Crosses the Jordan: Joshua 3
The Israelites set out early in the morning for the Jordan, where they camp for three days. On the third day the officers go through the camp and command the people that they are to follow the ark of the covenant (carried by the levitical priests) across the Jordan, keeping a distance of 2,000 cubits (3,000 feet). In this symbolic act, the Israelites are literally following the commands of God as they enter the promised land - anticipating the adherence to God's commands that will hopefully typify Israelite religion in the promised land. Joshua commands that the Israelites sanctify themselves in preparation for the crossing the next day.
The Lord then speaks to Joshua, telling him that he will be treated by God as Moses was and that he will be exalted by the people. The Lord tells Joshua to tell the Levitical priests to stand still when they enter the Jordan.
The scene then cuts to Joshua speaking to the Israelites. He informs them there will be a sign of the "living God" that will drive out all of Israel's enemies from the promised land. Twelve men, one from each tribe, is to be selected. When the soles of the feet of the priests touch the water, "The waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap" (Josh. 3.13). This is the sign of the living God.
The cutting off of water invokes the Red Sea crossing, and in fact this is the second mention of the event in two chapters. Israel must pass through certain phases in order to enter the promised land. They must literally cross boundaries with the help of God. Both boundaries in this instance are the same: a body of water from Egypt to the wilderness, a body of water from the wilderness to the promised land. Once that threshold is crossed, Israel becomes more liberated and steps into a different relationship with God.
When the feet of the priests do touch the Jordan, the waters dam themselves and the people are able to cross.
So begins the Israelites' residence in the promised land.
