The Unseen Miracle
Reflective Reading: Joshua 3:7-17
“The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”’ And Joshua said to the people of Israel, ‘Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.’ And Joshua said, ‘Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out…all your enemies…’” (Joshua 3:7-10, emphasis added).
Woah, talk about a pretty big day for Joshua! This is the day that God will exalt him in the sight of all Israel! And further, just as God was with Moses, he will also be with Joshua. What possibly could go wrong? Well, if you read further in chapter 3, you will learn that plenty is about to go wrong!
And what better way to test Joshua’s leadership skills than stretching his faith muscles for this extraordinary task of leading two million refugees into this new and foreign land? Let’s read more:
“So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off” (Joshua 3:14-16).
Uh oh! I don’t think this is what Joshua had in mind. He has to get two million people across the raging Jordan River, and the only way for this to happen is a miracle. But no worries, God told Joshua that just as he was with Moses, he will be with him. So if I were Joshua, I would think this would mean that God is going to part the river just like he parted the Red Sea.
This is where things get exciting. Joshua does exactly what the LORD commands. The priests carry the Ark into the brim of the water and expectantly wait for the water to part. And thankfully, that is exactly what happens:
“When the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water…the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam.”
Did you realize that? The waters did part! But not where they expected them to part. The miracle took place at a region known as Adam, which was 25 miles north of where they were crossing. It was there that the waters “rose up in a heap.”
There’s a lot at stake here. There are two million people watching this event. This is the day that Joshua was supposed to be exalted in the eyes of Israel. At first, everything seems to have gone wrong. After fifteen minutes there has been no apparent change to the raging waters. The priests are still standing in the water with the Ark at the edge, and Joshua is ready to lead his people across—but no apparent miracle. What should he do?
If I were Joshua, I would be thinking to myself: “Hmm…the Ark is positioned exactly where it is supposed to be, but the river doesn’t seem to be abating. I wonder if God is requiring me to cross the river by faith and then the miracle will happen?” And just before I step into the raging river, one of the priests shouts over to me and says, “Look, the water is a couple inches lower than it was 15 minutes ago.” Hmmm, that’s interesting. So I step back and wait; and wait; and wait…and before my very eyes, thirty minutes later, the water has descended fifteen inches lower; and thirty minutes later, it has receded another fifteen inches; and finally after 2+ hours, the river bed is dry!
If I had tried to cross the river earlier, I would have perished. As we read last week, the water was estimated to be around 10 feet deep in the center with a current so strong that not even an Olympic swimmer could cross it if he tried! A miracle is indeed needed, and a miracle is indeed taking place—just not one that Joshua, the priests, or the people could see. For some unknown reason, God was performing an unseen miracle.
Now for those who are wondering how I have arrived at my conclusion, consider that an average river moves at a speed of 1-7 miles per hour. Even if the Jordan was raging at an average speed, it would still take approximately 2+ hours for the 25 miles of water to flow from Adam past the priests. That’s a long time to be standing in a river, waiting for it to dry up! Unlike the miracle of the Red Sea, this miracle was not spectacular or dramatic in the eyes of God’s people; rather, it was gradual and “off-stage.”
Have you ever longed for a miracle but all your waiting was in vain? Have you ever waited so long that your hopes were dashed to pieces and your expectations drowned in flooding waters? Maybe that is why both Moses and God challenged Joshua before he ever took this position as leader, to be strong and courageous and to not be dismayed. In fact, Joshua is reminded of this seven times!
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua would need all the courage and strength he could muster at this moment. Two million eyes are upon him, and the miracle isn’t going according to traditional miracle standards. Isn’t this just like God to place us in positions that are over our heads that require us to trust him? God is always working behind the scenes, just like when Jesus turned the water into wine. No one saw that miracle except the servants. Only those who served and obeyed his Word were able to experience the miracle. And isn’t that the way it is with most miracles? They generally come unnoticeably and imperceptibly, but they are always discernible to those who trust in the LORD and lean not to their own understanding.
Like the priests, we must “stand firmly” until we experience the guarantee of God’s promises, regardless of whatever weight (the Ark) we are assigned to carry and regardless of how unlikely a miracle might seem. Like Joshua, we must be strong and courageous as we wait with anticipation for God’s deliverance. If you are called for such an assignment, remember: your obedience clears the path for others to cross to the other side.
The prophet Hosea wrote,
“Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry…the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:3-4).
God promises to get us to the other side! Don’t lose hope in your marriage or with your child or your difficult job or your difficult neighbor or your recent unexpected loss…God’s deliverance will surely come. The miracle just may not come in a way that you expect—“wait for it; because it will surely come…”
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading:
City Sparrows (Ages 12+)
