God Thinks Multi-dimensionally

After 40 years of wilderness wandering, the day came for the Israelites to make their grand entrance into the Promised Land. God’s method of bringing them into that first city across the Jordan River was divinely strategic in a few ways.

The story of the plan and execution of crossing the Jordan on dry ground is found in Joshua 3 and 4. Rather than lead the Israelites around the river, God chose the river-crossing miracle, knowing it would build the nation’s esteem for their new leader Joshua (3:7); It would scare the pants off the enemy Canaanites (5:1); and it would be fodder for the Israelites’ conversations with their children for years to come (4:21-22).

That is how awesome God is. He doesn’t think like we do. The Israelites thought in only one dimension. “How are we going to get across this river?” God thought three things at once.

First, there was Joshua. God told him the grand river-crossing plan by first saying to him, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. (Josh. 3:7) The Israelites needed to see his leadership as they saw Moses’, similar to when Moses led them across the Red Sea on dry ground.

Second, let’s look at the enemy nation they were going to enter. In Josh. 2, before the grand crossing, Joshua dispatched two spies to Jericho on the other side of the river. They stayed in the house of Rahab the harlot. When the Jericho rulers heard of the spies, they knocked on Rahab’s door demanding that she hand them over. She lied and said they were gone. After the rulers left, she told the spies she was on their side, because she knew God was on their side. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. (Josh. 2:10-11)

So we know the inside story. The enemy became fearful of the Israelites years earlier after Moses led them across the Red Sea on dry ground. Wouldn’t you know… God chose that same intimidating miraculous circumstance to keep the enemy fearful. And it worked, we learn after the fact. And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.

Finally, that crossing served as a testimony for the Israelites to pass on to their children. More about that next time.

But for now, let’s be amazed at the mind of God. In His all-knowingness, He orchestrates people and events on many levels for many benefits. Here are the conclusions we must come to:

Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? (Prov. 20:24)

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (Jer. 10:23)

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. (Psa. 37:23)