What is the meaning of Joshua 4:23? For the LORD your God • The verse starts by naming the covenant God who personally shepherds Israel. • “LORD” (Yahweh) ties the miracle to His unchanging character seen in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Joshua 1:9. • Calling Him “your God” stresses relationship, reminding the people that the same God who spoke at Sinai (Exodus 20:2) is still acting on their behalf. • Psalm 100:3 echoes this ownership: “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who has made us, and we are His.” dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over • God exercised direct control over nature, halting the flood-stage Jordan (Joshua 3:15-17). • The drying made the riverbed firm, just as in Psalm 114:3-7 where the earth “trembled at the presence of the LORD.” • The phrase “before you” highlights that the people saw the miracle happen in real time, underscoring Isaiah 43:2—“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” • This act fulfilled His promise in Joshua 1:2-3 that Israel would enter the land, proving His word reliable. just as He did to the Red Sea • Joshua intentionally links the Jordan crossing to the earlier Red Sea deliverance (Exodus 14:21-22). • By repeating the miracle, God shows consistency in power and purpose—Hebrews 13:8 affirms this steady character in Christ. • The parallel bolsters faith: if He rescued then, He will rescue now (Psalm 106:8-9; 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). • It also answers future doubts; Jeremiah 16:14-15 foretells that new generations will recall both events as proof of God’s saving hand. which He dried up before us until we had crossed over • The wording shifts from “you” to “us,” merging the experiences of the Exodus generation with those entering Canaan. • This shared testimony builds communal memory—Deuteronomy 11:2-7 urges parents to tell their children how God dried up the sea. • Judges 2:7 notes that as long as eyewitnesses remained, Israel stayed faithful, showing the power of firsthand remembrance. • Hebrews 11:29 later celebrates both crossings as acts of faith, inviting believers to trust the same God in their obstacles. summary Joshua 4:23 assures Israel—and us—that the Lord who once parted the Red Sea remains active and faithful. By miraculously drying the Jordan, He confirms His covenant love, demonstrates sovereign control over creation, and invites every generation to trust Him for impossible crossings of their own. |
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