The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 125

Vers. 14-17.-The division of the waters. The passage of Jordan, like that of the Red Sea, marks a momentous crisis in the career of the chosen people. The events are similar in their general character as Divine interpositions, but there are notable points of difference. In the first case tilere was haste, confusion, and alarm; the people fled precipitately, the noise of the Egyptian host behind them, the mountains shutting them in, the sea an object of terror before them ; they cried unto the Lord, in their distress. EYen Moses seems to have had his misgivings. "Wherefore criest thou unto me?" &c. (Exod. xiv. 15). But ilere; apparently, all is tranquillity and order. The territory on which tiley stand has been subdued and is their possession, and they move deliuerately, under the direction of Joshua, down to the brink of the river, waiting in calm expectancy for the salvation of the Lord. In the former case, the region beyond the sea was a dread mystery to them. It was a waste, howling wilderness, towards wilich they could not look without sad forebodings. But here the hills, and forestR, and fertile plains of the land of promise are '!-ctually in sight, and_ thou~h they know that they are not destined to enter at once mto peaceable possess10n of it, the Yision gins such stimulus to their faith that it is as if the inheritance were al.ready theirs. Let us look at this event--(1) as a revelation of God; (2) as a chapter m the moral edncation of tile people. I. As A REVELATION OF GoD. The miraculous, supernatural character of the event we take to be beyond all reasonable doubt. It is impossible to explain it on mere natural grounds. The Rpies, like David's "mighty men" at a later period (1 Chron. xii. 15), probably swam the flood. But, considering the condition of the river at the time (ver. 15), it is incredible that so vast a host, with women and children, should have passed over except J,y a miraculous division of tl!e waters. In the passage of the Red Sea an intermediate agent was employed to brmg auout the result. " The Lord caused the sea to go bacl{ by a strong east wind'' (Exod, xiv. 21). But there is no indication of anything of this kind here. It is a direct exercise of the wonder-working hand of God. In the one case a natural agent is 1m,d supernaturally ; in tile other nothing intervenes between the superuatuml cause a.n.d the visible efiect. Note- en. 111. 7-17.J THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 61