After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. – Joshua 2:2-3

Today's Scripture Reading (February 7, 2022): Joshua 3

One of the little frustrations of life is being in line behind people who seem to be completely unaware of the rules of etiquette. And one of the simplest of those rules is, when it is your turn, step up and go. But sometimes, it is the simplest of instructions that seem to be the hardest to follow. I admit, I am not a honker. I almost never use my horn out of frustration or anger. If I do honk at you, usually it is because I think there is a safety issue of which you might not be aware. But the other day while waiting at a light, I was tempted to honk as the car in front of me waited throughout the green light cycle only to cross the intersection when the light turned yellow. It was a short light, but still, four or five cars could have made it through the intersection if only the first car would have moved when it was their turn.

Israel moves to the banks of the River Jordan and camps there for three days. This was to be a time of organization for the fledgling nation and for giving instructions. The idea was that it gave the leaders time to make sure everyone knew exactly how the crossing would work. But a complication to the situation was that even the leaders probably didn't understand precisely what was going to happen next. The Jordan was still flowing, and it was at flood stage; crossing the river would not be easy. It was going to take a miracle to get across the river, one that had not happened yet.

The crossing of the Jordan during the early days of Joshua's leadership was completely different from the crossing of the Red Sea during the early days of Moses. Then, Moses dramatically held out his staff with the Egyptian army closing in on the community of Israelite slaves, and the water of the sea parted, allowing the Israelite's to cross over on dry land. But in Joshua's crossing of the Jordan River, the water continued to flow. And the water would not stop flowing until the very moment when the priests carrying the Ark took their first, likely hesitant, steps into the water.

It was a test of faith for the priests and the general public, as the priests began to move toward the river while the water continued to flow. But the message was clear from the leaders; get ready to move. And when you see the Ark of the Covenant move, then you will know that the time has come. Let that be your signal that now is the time and follow the Ark and the Priests who are carrying it out into the water, trusting that God will stop the river from flowing.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 4