Chapter 44 Crossing the Jordan

in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulcher.” Many would have been in danger of committing idolatry over his dead body, had they known the place of his burial. For this reason it was concealed from men. Angels of God buried the body of His faithful servant and watched over the lonely grave. {EP 338.4}

But he was not long to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself, with the angels who had buried Moses, came down from heaven to call forth the sleeping saint. Satan had exulted at his success in causing Moses to sin and thus come under the dominion of death. The great adversary declared that the divine sentence, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19), gave him possession of the dead. The power of the grave had never been broken, and all who were in the tomb he claimed as his captives, never to be released. {EP 339.1}

As the Prince of life and the shining ones approached the grave, Satan was alarmed for his supremacy. He stood to dispute an invasion of the territory that he claimed as his own. He declared that even Moses was not able to keep the law of God. He had taken to himself the glory due to Jehovah, the very sin which had caused Satan’s banishment from heaven, and by transgression had come under the dominion of Satan. The archtraitor reiterated the original charges he had made of God’s injustice toward him. {EP 339.2}

Christ might have brought against him the cruel work which his deceptions had wrought in heaven, causing the ruin of a vast number of its inhabitants. He might have pointed to the falsehoods told in Eden that had led to Adam’s sin and brought death upon the human race. He might have reminded Satan that it was his own work in tempting Israel to murmuring and rebellion which had wearied the longsuffering patience of their leader and in an unguarded moment surprised him into the sin for which he had fallen under death. But Christ referred all to His Father, saying, “The Lord rebuke thee.” Jude 9. The Saviour entered into no dispute with His adversary, but then and there began His work of breaking the power of the fallen foe and bringing the dead to life. Here was evidence of the supremacy of the Son of God. Satan was despoiled of his prey; the righteous dead would live again. Moses came forth from the tomb glorified and ascended with his Deliverer to the City of God. {EP 339.3}

God shut Moses out of Canaan to teach a lesson which should never be forgotten—that He requires exact obedience and that men are to beware of taking to themselves the glory due their Maker. He could not grant the prayer of Moses that he share the inheritance of Israel, but He did not forget or forsake His servant. On the top of Pisgah, God called Moses to an inheritance infinitely more glorious than the earthly Canaan. {EP 340.1}

Upon the mount of transfiguration, Moses was present with Elijah, who had been translated. And thus the prayer of Moses was at last fulfilled. He stood upon “the goodly mountain,” within the heritage of his people, bearing witness to Him in whom all the promises to Israel centered. Such is the last scene revealed to mortal vision in the history of that man so highly honored of Heaven. {EP 340.2}

This chapter is based on Joshua 1 to 5:12.

Never till their departed leader was taken from them had the Israelites so fully realized the value of his wise counsels, his parental tenderness, and his unswerving faith. {EP 341.1}

Moses was dead, but his influence was to live on. As the glow of the descending sun lights up mountain peaks after the sun has sunk behind the hills, so the works of the holy and the good shed light upon the world long after the actors themselves have passed away. “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” Psalm 112:6. {EP 341.2}

While the people were filled with grief at their great loss, they were not left alone. The pillar of cloud rested over the tabernacle by day and the pillar of fire by night. God would still be their guide and helper if they would walk in the way of His commandments. {EP 341.3}

Joshua was now the acknowledged leader of Israel. Courageous, persevering, unmindful of self, and, above all, inspired by a living faith in God—such was the character of the man chosen to conduct the armies of Israel. He had acted as prime minister to Moses, and by his quiet, unpretending fidelity, his steadfastness when others wavered, his firmness to maintain the truth in the midst of danger, he had given evidence of his fitness to succeed Moses. {EP 341.4}

With great anxiety Joshua looked forward to the work before him; but his fears were removed by the assurance of God, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee... . Unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded... . This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.” “Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left ... for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” {EP 341.5}

“Arise,” had been the first message of God to Joshua, “go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them.” Joshua knew that whatever God should command, He would make a way for His people to perform. In this faith the intrepid leader at once began arrangements for an advance. {EP 342.1}

Just opposite where the Israelites encamped was the strongly fortified city of Jericho, the key to the whole country. It would present a formidable obstacle to Israel. Joshua therefore sent two young men as spies to ascertain something as to its population, resources, and strength of fortifications. The inhabitants of the city, terrified and suspicious, were on the alert, and the messengers were in great danger. They were, however, preserved by Rahab, a woman of Jericho, at the peril of her own life. In return for her kindness, they gave her a promise of protection when the city should be taken. {EP 342.2}

The spies returned with the tidings, “Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” It had been declared to them in Jericho, “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for

you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” {EP 342.3}

Orders were now issued to make ready for an advance. The people were to prepare a three-days’ supply of food, and the army was to be put in readiness for battle. Leaving their encampment the host descended to the border of the Jordan. All knew that without divine aid they could not hope to make the passage. At this time of year the melting snows of the mountains so raised the Jordan that the river overflowed, making it impossible to cross. God willed that the passage over Jordan should be miraculous. {EP 343.1}

Joshua, by divine direction, commanded the people to put away their sins and free themselves from all outward impurity, “for tomorrow,” he said, “the Lord will do wonders among you.” The “ark of the covenant” was to lead the way, borne by the priests from its place in the center of the camp, toward the river. “Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites... . Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.” {EP 343.2}

At the appointed time the onward movement began, the ark, borne upon the shoulders of the priests, leading. There was a vacant space of more than half a mile about the ark. All watched with deep interest as the priests advanced down the bank of the Jordan. They saw the sacred ark move steadily toward the surging stream, till the feet of the bearers were dipped into the waters. Then suddenly the tide above was swept back, while the current below flowed on, and the bed of the river was laid bare. {EP 343.3}

The priests advanced to the middle of the channel and stood there while the entire host descended and crossed to the farther side. The power that stayed the waters of Jordan was the same that had opened the Red Sea to their fathers forty years before. When the people had all passed over, the ark itself was borne to the western shore. No sooner had “the soles of the priests’ feet ... lifted up unto the dry land” than the imprisoned waters rushed down, a resistless flood, in the natural channel of the stream. {EP 343.4}

While the priests bearing the ark were still in the midst of Jordan, twelve men, one from each tribe, took up each a stone from the riverbed where the priests were standing and carried them over to the western side. These stones were to be set up as a monument in the first camping place beyond the river, as Joshua said, “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God forever.” {EP 344.1}

This miracle was an assurance to Israel of God’s continued presence and protection, an evidence that He would work for them through Joshua as He had wrought through Moses. The Lord had declared to Joshua before the crossing, “This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” {EP 344.2}

When the tidings that God had stayed the waters of Jordan before the children of Israel reached the kings of the Amorites and Canaanites, their hearts melted with fear. To the