Joshua Commands the Priests to Come Out of Jordan - Joshua 4:17

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying, command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan”, and in chapter four and verse seventeen of the book of Joshua, we learn how, “Joshua … commanded the priests … Come you up out of Jordan” where we read,

Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come you up out of Jordan.

The verse reads, “Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “Joshua therefore” which means “Joshua whose name means ‘Jehovah is salvation’ then, wherefore and on this account” “commanded the priests” or “ordered and charged the spiritual leaders, chiefs and officials”, “saying” which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. We learn how “Joshua” charged the “spiritual leaders” by telling them the following words. 

 

The verse continues, “… Come you up out of Jordan.” Joshua added the words, “come you up” or “arise, ascend and come forth you, the priests” “out of Jordan” which means “from the Jordan whose name means descender and was the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approximately 200 miles (320 km)”. Joshua told the “priests” to ascend from the “Jordan” river even as Jehovah God instructed him.

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover how Joshua obeyed Jehovah God’s instruction and told the spiritual leaders to ascend from the “Jordan” river after everyone else had crossed. Once again there was instruction and obedience, instruction and obedience. This is the best way to relate to God. He loves us and knows what is best for us, and when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days, He made the way, the instruction, through belief and trust in Him to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and equipped with the guidance of His Holy Spirit into all truth which shall not only benefit us, but also the Kingdom of God.

Next time we learn what happened, “when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".