It flows from north … It is a place of many important biblical events. At least four water sources, arising at the foothills of Mount Hermon, come together to form the Jordan River. 2. The Typical Meaning of the Jordan River by Roel Velema of the Netherlands In the Old Testament, beginning with Genesischapter one, God has set forth numerous word pictures to teach about the person It is a place of many important biblical events. As soon as the priests waded in with the ark, the water stopped flowing and piled in a heap, 20 miles north near the village of Adam. Joshua was a humble man who, like his mentor Moses, understood he could not accomplish the awesome tasks before him without complete dependence on God. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above: and they shall stand upon an heap. The Jordan River stood between the Promised Land and the people. Nahr-esh-Sheriah, "the watering-place" the chief river of Israel. Flowing north to south through the Jordan Rift Valley in the center of Israel, the Jordan River carves an impressive 223-mile path beginning at Mount Hermon, into the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret), and ending in the Dead Sea. The ark of the covenant was God's throne on earth. Then the Lord commanded Joshua to circumcise all the men, which he did since they had not been circumcised during the desert wanderings. Because of its great length and central location, the Jordan River is mentioned in the Bible over 185 times. Numbers 35:14Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. Crossing the Jordan River was a key event in Israel’s history. Joshua 3 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) Crossing the Jordan River. God wanted Israel to learn important lessons from the miracle of crossing the Jordan River. The New Testament states that John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan (Matt. 2 Three days later the officers went through the camp. Watch later. Approximately 125% of the songs we sing in church have to do with heaven, and it’s usually represented in some way as “the other shore” or “crossing a river” or “the promised land,” etc. (136 miles in a straight line. Yarden, "the descender;" Arab. About 40,000 men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had crossed over first, armed and ready for battle. Quite literally the water flows down, bringing life in its trail. Crossing the Jordan Story Summary After wandering in the desert 40 years, the Israelites finally approached the boundary of the Promised Land near Shittim. To the people, the river seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. Elijah, with Elisha following him, miraculously parted the Jordan and crossed over it before a chariot of fire took him to a safe place (2Kings 2). God had called Joshua to take the Promised Land, but there was one problem. And no enemy can overcome God's mighty power. The Jordan River (Ha-Yarden in Hebrew) is an important geographical feature in the Middle East and key location in the history of Israel and the Bible. Naaman the Syrian, who had leprosy, was healed after he followed Elisha's instructions to wash in the river (2Kings 5). The Bareighit receives its supply of water from the hills on the West, which separate the valley from the … Nothing but the mighty hand of God could have parted it and made it safe for his people to cross. But the surge of water is temporarily blocked upstream by a landslip at Adam ( Tell Adamiyeh) near Damia (Adam) Bridge , 30 miles / 48 km upstream from Jericho ) (see Map 48 ) while the priests, and then the people, cross the river. He is the author of "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. When the manna stopped, it forced the people to conquer their enemies and subdue the land God intended for them. The Lord commanded Joshua to have 12 men, one from each of the 12 tribes, pick up a stone from the center of the riverbed. Like with the other great rivers, the Jordan periodically floods, spreading both minerals from the mountains and rich soil fro… The Jordan River or River Jordan (Arabic: نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ‎, Nahr al-Urdunn, Hebrew: נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן‎, Nahar ha-Yarden; Classical Syriac: ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ‎), also known as Nahr Al Sharieat (Arabic: نهر الشريعة‎), is a 251-kilometre-long (156 mi) river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: כנרת Kinneret, Arabic: Bohayrat Tabaraya, meaning Lake of Tiberias) and on to the Dead Sea. . It is Israel’s most important source in quenching a dry land. https://www.learnreligions.com/crossing-the-jordan-river-bible-story-700081 (accessed April 5, 2021). The Jordan River descends to the lowest of all river levels by the time it enters the Dead Sea, so we might expect it to be a symbol of death in the Bible, but it is not. 6 Bible results for “Jordan River. Luke 3:3And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins . After that, the Israelites celebrated Passover, and the manna that had fed them for 40 years stopped. Running north to south, it delineated the boundary between the western and eastern lands given by God to Israel. 2Kings 5:14Then went he (Naaman) down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God (Elisha): and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Jordan (the descender), the one river of Palestine, has a course of little more than 200 miles, from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the head of the Dead Sea. Crossing the Jordan River | Bible Story Joshua tells the Israelite priests to step into the water of the Jordan River, carrying the ark of the covenant on their shoulders. Meet Caleb: A Man Who Followed God Wholeheartedly, Parting the Red Sea Bible Story Study Guide, Scripture Readings for the Second Week of Lent, Biography of Moses, Leader of the Abrahamic Religions, The Birth of Moses Bible Story Study Guide, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Deuteronomy 9:1Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven . Having seen very little change in pronunciation, the Semitic term "Yarden" comes from "yared" - meaning to "go down." He and all the Israelites left Shittim. Just remember it’s not where Jesus got baptized. Crossing into the Promised Land also represented a break with Israel's past. Running north to south, it delineated the boundary between the western and eastern lands given by God to Israel. (2020, August 25). Joshua 4:23 - For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: To get to that interpretation, here are 10 things about Joshua 3–4. Crossing the Jordan Bible Story Study Guide. Deuteronomy 3:8 “And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon. 2Kings 2:6And Elijah said unto him (Elisha), Tarry, I pray thee, here: for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. They ate the produce of the land of Canaan. And they two went on. Jordan River in Easton's Bible Dictionary Heb. Because of its many twists and turns, however, the course of the river itself is much longer. We are told in Joshua 4 that while the priests held the Ark of the Covenant, standing in the middle of the Jordan River, Joshua was to “set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood…” (Joshua 4:9) He told the nation it was a sign to all the nations of the earth that the Lord God had parted the waters of the Jordan, just as he had parted the Red Sea in Egypt. Their story is told in the account of Rahab, the prostitute. The next day, he assembled them a half mile behind the ark of the covenant. Judges 7:24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. They then, after keeping the Passover, initiated a series of battles that lasted seven years in order to claim their land inheritance. In 1405 B.C., under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites crossed the Jordan en masse on dry ground miraculously provided by God (Joshua 3)! The same God that went with Joshua and the Israelites into the Jordan is with us today: Second, the Lord revealed that his wonder-working strength would enable the people to conquer every enemy they faced. Through baptism in the New Testament, the Jordan River is associated with crossing over into a new life of spiritual freedom (Mark 1:9). It states that in those days John the Baptist came preaching and saying In the period of the Second Temple, both John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth made their homes here on the banks of the River Jordan. The site is very safe, with handrails and wheelchair-accessible ramps. John 3:26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. While the priests waited with the ark in the middle of the river, the entire nation crossed over on dry ground. However, when the Israelites crossed, it was at flood stage, overflowing its banks. . Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations. Their great leader Moses had died, and God had transferred power to Moses' successor, Joshua. The people camped that night at Gilgal, about two miles away from Jericho. Once everyone had crossed, the priests with the ark came out of the riverbed. The Jordan river proper begins at the junction of four streams (the Bareighit, the Hasbany, the Leddan, and the Banias), in the upper part of the plain of Lake Huleh. Abraham entered the Promised Land through the gateway of the Jordan River Valley when he first journeyed from Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 12:1–9). Zavada, Jack. Learn Religions. Zavada, Jack. Joshua took the 12 stones they had brought and stacked them into a memorial. Most of the Jordan River’s flow above the Dead Sea has been diverted for agricultural use—with sewage replacing it. 3 Joshua got up early the next morning. The Jordan is significant for Jews because the tribes of Israel under Joshua crossed the river on dry ground to enter the Promised Land after years of wandering in the desert.. "Crossing the Jordan Bible Story Study Guide." The Jordan River is what the Jews have to cross to get there. The miraculous account of crossing the Jordan River takes place in Joshua 3-4. Jordan and the Golan Heights border the river to the east, while the West Bank and Israellie to its west. Almost all of the people of Israel who had witnessed the crossing of the Red Sea in their escape from Egypt had died. In the process they carve a wider path in the lowlands on the way to sea level, or below. It is the river of the "great plain" of Palestine --the "descender," if not "the river of God" in the book of Psalms, at least that of his chosen people throughout their history. In many respects it becomes a perfect analogy for the Christian life. He said, JPS Tanakh 1917 And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying: The Jordan River is mentioned indirectly in Genesis 13, where Lot and Abraham are dividing up the land to which God had led them. Rather, It is the symbol of life, health, and fulfillment. Bible search results. Why it is important. Both Jordan and t… Symbolic importance. . It lies on the eastern border of modern-day Israel and the western borders of both Syria and Jordan. ", Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. In a demonstration of His power, God stopped the river so the people could begin the conquest. Luke 4:1 - 2And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost (Spirit) returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. Transjordan, the East Bank, or the Transjordanian Highlands (Arabic: شرق الأردن ‎), is the part of the Southern Levant east of the Jordan River, mostly contained in present-day Jordan.. 0 Comment . Joshua ordered the people to consecrate themselves by washing themselves, their clothes, and refraining from sex. Israel camped on the eastern edge of the Jordan river until God told them to cross over and take the Promised Land. Pilgrims and adventurous travelers described the descent to the Jordan, baptismand sailing as one of the most exciting events of their journey in the Holy Land. "Crossing the Jordan Bible Story Study Guide." The literary structure puts the center… Before invading the hostile land of Canaan, Joshua had sent in two spies to scout the enemy. The straight-line distance between the start of the Jordan to the Sea of Galilee is about 21 miles (33.7 kilometers). Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the Jordan River serves primarily as a regional indicator and a boundary, both real and symbolic. First, God demonstrated that he was with Joshua as he had been with Moses. But to God, it represented a decisive turning point. Early in the biblical narrative, Lot discovers that the “plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord” (Gen 13:10) and decides to settle there. The angel who commanded God's army appeared to Joshua and told him how to win the battle of Jericho. The whole nation finished crossing the Jordan River. . John 10:40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized: and there he (Jesus) abode. The Jordan is the longest and most important river of Canaan. Literally, the Lord went into the dangerous river first, demonstrating his role as Israel's protector. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.”(Matt.3:3) The Jordan River flows through the Jordan Rift Valley into the Sea of the Galilee and then continues down into the Dead Sea with no outlet. The miraculous account of crossing the Jordan River takes place in Joshua 3-4. Joshua 22:4And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. ” Showing results 1-6. Parting the Jordan reinforced God's love for this new generation. (Just compare the water in the picture above with the one below.) However, for … 1. Places of the Bible | Jordan River. Jordan River in the Bible 1. It simple terms, it describes every river in existence. Most of the year, the Jordan River was about 100 feet wide and only three to ten feet deep. Just as crossing the Red Sea changed Israel’s standing from slavery to freedom, passing through the Jordan into the Promised Land, transformed Israel from a wandering horde into an established nation. The LORD had told Joshua, International Standard Version As soon as the entire nation had completed its crossing of the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua. Since water seeks its own level, rivers take the path of least resistance downhill. The River Jordan is usually in flood at this time of year because the spring meltwaters from Mount Hermon in the north flow south to the Dead Sea. In modern times, the river itself begins just south of the ancient Israelite city of Dan where the Hasbani and Dan Rivers meet. The conquest of the land was about to begin. They came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. Their great leader Moses had died, and God had transferred power to Moses' successor, Joshua. 3:13). . The Jordan River flows through the Jordan Rift Valley into the Kinneret and then continues down into the Dead Sea with no outlet. Entry to this beautiful attraction is free, but if you want to be baptized you must rent a white baptismal robe. Seeing that "baptism," however, will take a little cross-referencing. Do you try to do everything in your own strength, or have you learned to rely on God when life gets tough? Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/crossing-the-jordan-river-bible-story-700081. Series NotesScripture quotes are taken from the King James translation.The definition of each listingis derived from a variety of sources. A short time later, the prophet caused a lost ax head to float on the Jordan (2Kings 6). Jordan River, Israel, Bible Events and Miracles along the Jordan River, John & Jesus Baptismal Sites - YouTube. The Jordan river originates north of the Sea of Galilee where four rivers (the Ayun, the Hasbani, the Dan, and the Basias) come together and empties into the Dead Sea. In the Hebrew Bible, the Jordan is referred to as the source of fertility to a large plain ("Kikkar ha-Yarden"), called "the garden of God" (Genesis 13:10). . --Schaff.) Miracles at the river In 1405 B.C., under the leadership of Joshua, the Israelites crossed the Jordan en masse on dry ground miraculously provided by God (Joshua 3)! After wandering in the desert 40 years, the Israelites finally approached the boundary of the Promised Land near Shittim. Joshua 3:11, 13Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan . Waters of the year, the prostitute prophet caused a lost ax head to float on the eastern edge the... From Jericho, God reminds the Jews have to cross to get there terms, it the... 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