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There are ten references in Josh. 3: and 4: to the "ark of the covenant"; and seven
other references in which it is described either simply as "the ark" or by some title other
than the "ark of the covenant". It may be useful to tabulate these seven references in
which the "covenant" is not referred to:--
"The ark" (3: 15 twice and 4: 10).
"The ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth" (3: 13).
"The ark of the Lord your God" (4: 5).
"The ark of the Lord" (4: 11).
"The ark of the testimony" (4: 16).
There is an undoubted reference in Heb. 13: to the confidence that the presence of
the ark of the covenant inspired, and the promise of the Lord never to leave or forsake.
The chapter also emphasizes death and resurrection, which the crossing of the Jordan
typified:--
"He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee . . . . . Now the God of peace,
that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant . . . . ." (Heb. 13: 5, 20).
A space of two thousand cubits was to separate the ark and the people following. The
reason for this is given: "That ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have
not passed this way heretofore" (Josh. 3: 4). The student of Scripture will immediately
think of the words of John 14:: "I go to prepare a place for . . . . . How can we know the
way? . . . . . Arise, let us go hence."
The Lord Jesus fulfils all that the ark, the priests and Joshua enacted on that
triumphant day.
Among the significant words spoken to or about the priests that bare the ark are the
following:--
"Ye shall stand still in Jordan" (3: 8).
"And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground
in the midst of Jordan" (3: 17).
"The priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until everything was
finished" (4: 10).
"When all the people were clean passed over, the ark of the Lord passed over" (4: 11).
"Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of
Jordan" (4: 16).
"When the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, the waters of
Jordan returned unto their place" (4: 18).
The words "stand still" and "stood firm" are translations of the same word. To us,
who look back upon the great work of Christ, the significance of words "Stood firm . . . . .
until everything was finished . . . . . all were clean passed over" needs no explanation.
We rejoice that in the finished work of Christ, we have a sure and safe passage through
Jordan to the other side, where all the promises of God await fulfillment.