Trusting God’s leading in new territory brings blessings and increases our faith in the One who goes before us.
“However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” (v.4)
In this scene, Joshua, who took leadership of Israel after the death of Moses around the late fifteenth century BC, instructs the people on how they are to follow the Ark of the Covenant as they prepare to cross the Jordan River. By maintaining a distance of about 2,000 cubits between themselves and the Ark, the Israelites would both respect the holiness of the Lord’s presence and keep the Ark in their clear sight. This physical space ensured that they could watch where God was leading them, because as the verse says, they had not passed this way before. The Jordan River flowed through an area east of ancient Canaan, near what is modern-day Jordan, and crossing it marked the threshold of entering into the Promised Land. Joshua’s role was to guide the second generation of Israelites to claim God’s covenant promises first given to Abraham and reaffirmed through Moses (Joshua 1:1-9; Hebrews 4:6).
The emphasis on “Do not come near it” points to the reverence due to God’s holy presence represented by the Ark. Although these instructions were directed at practical logistics, they also demonstrated the value of obedience if the people were to encounter new blessings. The distance reminds the Israelites that victory and guidance would come from God and His covenant faithfulness, not from their own initiative. In the broader story, Joshua (whose Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “the Lord saves”) foreshadows Jesus, who is the Greek version of the same name (Acts 16:30-31). Just as Joshua led Israel into the physical inheritance of the land, Jesus leads believers into the greater inheritance of belonging to His eternal kingdom (Hebrews 2:5-10).
God’s instruction in Joshua 3:4 invites believers to trust the Lord when facing uncharted paths. His people could look to the Ark as both a symbol of His presence and a tangible guide for their next step. Thousands of years later, we can likewise place our faith in God’s leadership, knowing that He sees all our ways, especially when we journey into unknown territory. Like Israel, we are assured that if we keep our eyes on the Lord, He will show us the way forward, because we too “have not passed this way before.”
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Joshua 3:4 meaning
“However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” (v.4)
In this scene, Joshua, who took leadership of Israel after the death of Moses around the late fifteenth century BC, instructs the people on how they are to follow the Ark of the Covenant as they prepare to cross the Jordan River. By maintaining a distance of about 2,000 cubits between themselves and the Ark, the Israelites would both respect the holiness of the Lord’s presence and keep the Ark in their clear sight. This physical space ensured that they could watch where God was leading them, because as the verse says, they had not passed this way before. The Jordan River flowed through an area east of ancient Canaan, near what is modern-day Jordan, and crossing it marked the threshold of entering into the Promised Land. Joshua’s role was to guide the second generation of Israelites to claim God’s covenant promises first given to Abraham and reaffirmed through Moses (Joshua 1:1-9; Hebrews 4:6).
The emphasis on “Do not come near it” points to the reverence due to God’s holy presence represented by the Ark. Although these instructions were directed at practical logistics, they also demonstrated the value of obedience if the people were to encounter new blessings. The distance reminds the Israelites that victory and guidance would come from God and His covenant faithfulness, not from their own initiative. In the broader story, Joshua (whose Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “the Lord saves”) foreshadows Jesus, who is the Greek version of the same name (Acts 16:30-31). Just as Joshua led Israel into the physical inheritance of the land, Jesus leads believers into the greater inheritance of belonging to His eternal kingdom (Hebrews 2:5-10).
God’s instruction in Joshua 3:4 invites believers to trust the Lord when facing uncharted paths. His people could look to the Ark as both a symbol of His presence and a tangible guide for their next step. Thousands of years later, we can likewise place our faith in God’s leadership, knowing that He sees all our ways, especially when we journey into unknown territory. Like Israel, we are assured that if we keep our eyes on the Lord, He will show us the way forward, because we too “have not passed this way before.”