The Israelites come to Jordan.
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 afterwards upon other occasions, which shows how little he sought his own ease. Those who would bring great things to pass, 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 must we walk after 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; but we must follow our ministers only as they follow Christ. All their way through the wilderness was an untrodden path, but most so this through Jordan. While we are here, we must expect and prepare to pass ways that we have not passed 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 can we set our feet in any dangerous or difficult spot, through our whole journey, but faith will there see the prints of the Redeemer’s feet, who trod that very path to glory above, and bids us follow him, that where he is, we may be also. They were to sanctify themselves. Would we 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.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-6
1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4 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. 5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. 6 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.
 | Author: Matthew Henry Rank: Priest AD: 1714 Source: Title: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible Author: Matthew Henry |
If the two spies presented Joshua with an actual report, that all Jericho was fainthearted and terrified; and that Rahab has received them and brought them to the roof, from where they set forth to the mountains and then came to him; That was a reference to the word of preaching among the (Catechumens), to realize that, by Jesus Christ the Savior, all the fortresses of evil will be destroyed, the ruler of darkness will be terrified, and the salvation will be realized to him who embraces the mission and gospel of Jesus Christ. ... That would not be realized to them unless they set forth to the Jordan, under the leadership of the “true Joshua” Himself ! Faith has to be sealed by Baptism, to be able to crossover to the inheritance, and to enjoy God’s promises and free gifts ! The departure from Shittim to the Jordan, under the leadership of Joshua, is the commitment of the Catechumens to crossover to Baptism.
They departed from Shittim -- that means (Acacia trees), the location where Balaam tried to curse the people of Israel [Num 22]-[Num 24]; and where the people committed harlotry with the girls of Moab, Midian, and Baal of Pior [Num 25] -- to set forth through the Jordan to the land of promise. They departed from the curse and harlotry (Baal Pior) to the new life, sanctified by Baptism. Yet that setting forth needed their waiting, together with Joshua, for three days, before crossing over the Jordan. Here we enter again into the secret of the three days, of which we have profusely spoken, and we shall go on speaking; being the secret of the resurrection with Christ on the third day. There would be no crossing over of the Jordan, and no enjoyment of the possibilities of Baptism, except through burial with the Lord for three days, and resurrection by and with Him ! The apostle Paul says: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death ? Therefore we were buried with Him through Baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” [Rom 6:3-4]. And he also says, that Baptism is the cross; What happened with Christ in crucifixion and burial, is done to us in Baptism, even if not by the same way. Christ died in flesh and was buried; but we die to sin and are buried ... If you partake of His death and burial, you will also partake of His resurrection and life.
The three days, as we saw in the first chapter, refer to the Holy Trinity; There is no crossing over in the waters of Baptism, except after proclaiming our faith in the Holy Trinity, when we receive sonhood to the Father, through our membership in the body of His only-begotten Son, and our abidance in the Son by the Holy Spirit. In other words, Baptism is the enjoyment of the work of the Holy Trinity in our life. Without faith in Him, Baptism would be to no avail !
They departed from Shittim -- that means (Acacia trees), the location where Balaam tried to curse the people of Israel [Num 22]-[Num 24]; and where the people committed harlotry with the girls of Moab, Midian, and Baal of Pior [Num 25] -- to set forth through the Jordan to the land of promise. They departed from the curse and harlotry (Baal Pior) to the new life, sanctified by Baptism. Yet that setting forth needed their waiting, together with Joshua, for three days, before crossing over the Jordan. Here we enter again into the secret of the three days, of which we have profusely spoken, and we shall go on speaking; being the secret of the resurrection with Christ on the third day. There would be no crossing over of the Jordan, and no enjoyment of the possibilities of Baptism, except through burial with the Lord for three days, and resurrection by and with Him ! The apostle Paul says: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death ? Therefore we were buried with Him through Baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” [Rom 6:3-4]. And he also says, that Baptism is the cross; What happened with Christ in crucifixion and burial, is done to us in Baptism, even if not by the same way. Christ died in flesh and was buried; but we die to sin and are buried ... If you partake of His death and burial, you will also partake of His resurrection and life.
The three days, as we saw in the first chapter, refer to the Holy Trinity; There is no crossing over in the waters of Baptism, except after proclaiming our faith in the Holy Trinity, when we receive sonhood to the Father, through our membership in the body of His only-begotten Son, and our abidance in the Son by the Holy Spirit. In other words, Baptism is the enjoyment of the work of the Holy Trinity in our life. Without faith in Him, Baptism would be to no avail !
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-2
1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
 | Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty Rank: Monk Posted on: 2022-11-10 |
I will pass to Joshua the son of Nun, who was previously called Ause, or better, as in the Hebrew, Hoshea, that is, Savior. For he, according to the epistle of Jude, saved the people of Israel and led them forth out of Egypt and brought them into the land of promise. - "Against Jovinianus 1.21"
 | Author: Jerome Rank: Priest AD: 420 |
But Jesus [Joshua], son of Nave [Nun], was a type of him in many things; for when he began to rule the people, he began from the Jordan; thence also did Christ begin to preach the gospel after he was baptized. The son of Nave [Nun] appoints the twelve to divide the inheritance; and Jesus sends forth the twelve apostles, heralds of truth, into the whole world. He who was the type saved Rahab, the harlot, who had believed; the true Jesus … says, Behold: “the publicans and the harlots are entering the kingdom of God before you.” With but a shout, the walls of Jericho collapsed in the time of the type; and because of these words of Jesus, “There will not be left here one stone upon another,” the temple of the Jews just opposite us is fallen; not that this sentence was the cause of its ruin, but rather the sin of the transgressors. - "Catechetical Lectures 10.11"
 | Author: Cyril of Jerusalem AD: 386 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.
