Joshua 4:23
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The Red Sea crossing occurred approximately 40 years before the Jordan crossing (around 1446 BCE traditional dating, 1230 BCE alternate dating). The older generation that experienced the Red Sea deliverance had died in the wilderness (except Joshua and Caleb), making the Jordan crossing the defining salvation experience for this new generation. By deliberately connecting the two events, God established continuity of His salvific work across generations.
Ancient Near Eastern peoples viewed water as chaotic and threatening, with sea monsters (Leviathan, Rahab) symbolizing primordial chaos. Yahweh's mastery over water—splitting seas, stopping rivers, walking on lakes—demonstrated His absolute sovereignty over creation and chaos. While pagan gods supposedly battled water deities, Yahweh commanded waters with a word, displaying incomparable power.
The Gilgal memorial preserving this testimony became central to Israel's cultic life. Prophets later invoked these crossing miracles when calling Israel to renewed faith (Psalm 66:6, 114:3-5; Isaiah 43:16-19; 51:9-11). The pattern of water-crossing as salvation motif permeates Scripture, climaxing in Christian baptism and the eschatological vision of the sea of glass before God's throne (Revelation 4:6, 15:2) and the New Jerusalem with its river of life (Revelation 22:1-2).
Questions for Reflection
- How do the combined Red Sea and Jordan crossings help you understand the full scope of salvation—deliverance from bondage and entrance into blessing?
- In what ways does your baptism symbolize both types of crossing—death to sin and new life in Christ?
- What testimonies of God's faithfulness across your life journey could you preserve for future generations?
- How does recognizing God's precise timing in maintaining miracles ("until ye were passed over") encourage trust in His providential care for you?
- What spiritual 'Jordan crossings' mark transitions from promise to possession in your Christian walk?
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Analysis & Commentary
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
This verse explicitly connects the Jordan crossing to the Red Sea deliverance, using the verb yabesh (יָבֵשׁ, "dried up") for both events. The phrase "until ye were passed over" (ad ovrekhem, עַד עָבְרְכֶם) emphasizes divine timing—God maintained the miracle exactly as long as necessary for Israel's complete passage. This demonstrates God's precision in providential care, neither premature nor delayed.
The typological connection between the two crossings is theologically rich. The Red Sea marked deliverance from bondage; the Jordan marked entry into inheritance. Together they bracket Israel's journey from slavery to freedom, from wandering to rest, from promise to possession. The shift from first person ("before us") to second person ("before you") in some Hebrew manuscripts creates continuity between generations—the same God who delivered fathers now delivers children.
This two-fold water crossing typologically prefigures Christian salvation. Baptism symbolizes both our Red Sea (deliverance from sin's bondage through Christ's death and resurrection) and our Jordan (entrance into new life and spiritual inheritance). The Apostle Paul explicitly connects the Red Sea crossing to baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2), establishing that these Old Testament events foreshadow New Testament realities. Just as Israel passed through water to freedom and inheritance, believers pass through baptismal waters symbolizing union with Christ in death and resurrection.