“For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” – Joshua 4:23-24
God is always working to accomplish His ultimate will – the salvation of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on earth. Even when He performs a miracle that seems to benefit just one group of people at one point in time, He’s actually working at many levels to accomplish His will and bless all people groups. When the Israelites finally entered the promised land after 40 years, God made the way for them in a remarkable fashion. He stopped the flow of the Jordan River, while it was at flood stage, so they could walk across on dry land.
For those people that day, this miracle was a reminder and encouragement that God was with them as they did what felt impossible to their parents. However, this miracle also served as a testimony for the following generations of God’s reality, power, and presence. AND this miracle provided God’s seal of approval on Joshua’s leadership. Just as Moses led Israel across the Sea of Reeds on dry land, Joshua led Israel across the Jordan on dry land. AND this miracle was done to be a testimony to all the nations on earth. It was a powerful statement that the God of Israel is the one true God over all the earth.
Even in this moment that was so essential to Israel’s formation as a nation, God’s purpose was to reach every nation with the truth of His existence. To prepare them to accept His offer of redemption and yield their hearts to Him in worship. What looked like a first step for Israel was actually a first step for the salvation of the world, which is God’s ultimate desire. Step by step, God was preparing the world to hear and believe the Gospel and be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus. Every story, every miracle, every step was working toward His ultimate will. #FollowJesus