Joshua 3:7

_AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA, 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._ The Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee. Joshua had already received distinguished honours (Exodus 24:13; Deuteronomy 31:7). But a higher token of the divine favour was now to be publicly bestowed on him, and evidence given, in the same unmistakeable manner, that his mission and authority were from God, as were those of Moses (Exodus 14:31)....

7-13 The waters of Jordan shall be cut off. This must be done in such a way as never was done, but in the dividing of the Red sea. That miracle is here repeated; God has the same power to finish the salvation of his people, as to begin it; the WORD of the Lord was as truly with Joshua as with Moses. God's appearances for his people ought to encourage faith and hope. God's work is perfect, he will keep his people. Jordan's flood cannot keep out Israel, Canaan's force cannot turn them out again....

Verse Joshua 3:7. _THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO MAGNIFY THEE_] By making him the instrument in this miraculous passage, he did him honour and gave him high credit in the sight of the people: hence his authority was established, and obedience to him as their leader fully secured. What must have confirmed this authority was, his circumstantially foretelling how the waters should be cut off as soon as the feet of the priests had touched them, Joshua 3:13. This _demonstrated_ that the secret of the Lord was with _him_....

THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO MAGNIFY THEE - One cause why the miracle now to be narrated was performed is here suggested. As Moses was declared to he sent immediately from God with an extraordinary commission by the miracles which he worked, more especially that of dividing the Red Sea in two parts, so was Joshua both sent and accredited in a like manner. (Compare Joshua 1:5, and Joshua 4:14.) Other reasons are given in Joshua 3:10; Joshua 5:1....

EXPOSITION THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN— JOSHUA 3:7 THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO MAGNIFY THEE. "_Neque enim ante mysterium baptismi exal-tatur Jesus, sed exaltatio ejus, et exaltatio in conspectu pepuli, inde sunlit exordium_" (Orig; Hem. 4 on Joshua. Cf. Matthew 3:17; Luke 3:22). JOSHUA 3:8 AND THOU SHALT COMMAND THE PRIESTS. We have not here the whole command. That is to be found in Joshua 3:

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA,.... Out of the tabernacle: THIS DAY WILL I BEGIN TO MAGNIFY THEE IN THE SIGHT OF ALL ISRAEL; by working the miracle afterwards related; dividing the waters, which was done on this day, and was but the beginning of wonders; for other great and marvellous things were done for him and by him, by which it appeared he was high in the favour of God, greatly esteemed and honoured by him, and so would be great and honourable in the account of the people: THAT THEY MAY KNOW THAT AS I WAS WITH MOSES, [SO] I WILL BE WITH THEE; by dividing the waters of Jordan for him, as he had divided the waters of the Red sea for Moses; which, as it was a token of his powerful presence with him, this would be a like token of it with Joshua. The Targum is, "as my Word was for the help of Moses, so shall my Word be for thy help.''...

3. THE PASSAGE OF JORDAN CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The Ark of Jehovah going before (Joshua 3:1)_ 2. Jehovah's words to Joshua (Joshua 3:7) 3. Joshua's words to the people (Joshua 3:9) 4. The passage accomplished (Joshua 3:14) The River Jordan divided the people from the promised land. To be in the land Jordan had to be crossed. Jordan, overflowing all its banks at that time (verse 15), rolled its dark waters between them and their God-given possession. Only the power of God could bring them through those dark waters. It was a miracle which took place, when a way was opened and “the waters which came down from above stood

JOSHUA 3:1 TO JOSHUA 5:1. THE CROSSING OF JORDAN. Here we begin to meet with more serious difficulties. The old tradition was that after the Israelites had crossed the Jordan, they commemorated the event by the erection of twelve stones. But this simple narrative existed in two recensions, which differed as to the destination of these memorial stones. According to one account, they were to be placed in the midst of the river; according to the other, they were to be set up on the W. side of the Jordan in the place where the army encamped for the night. Deuteronomic additions have been made to these narratives, _i.e._ additions of a religious colouring as in Joshua 3:7, And Yahweh said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in t

THE LORD (Hebrew. _Jehovah._ said unto Joshua (or him), at nine sundry times: Joshua 3:7; Joshua 5:2; Joshua 6:2; Joshua 7:10; Joshua 8:1; Joshua 8:18; Joshua 10:8; Joshua 11:6; Joshua 13:1. AS. according as....

_VER._ 7. _AND THE LORD SAID UNTO JOSHUA_— It was not merely of himself, that Joshua gave to the priests the orders mentioned in the foregoing verse. Immediately on the priests' approaching the sanctuary, a voice issued from it, and spake to Joshua as in this and the subsequent verse. _This day,_ viz. the 10th of the first month, called _Nisan,_ was the day on which the law enjoined the paschal lamb to be set apart from the flock, to be offered four days after. _WILL I BEGIN,_ &C.— "This day, after having raised thee to the rank which Moses occupied, I proceed to signalize the first-fruits of thy ministry by prodigies, which shall convince all Israel that thou art the lawful interpreter of my commands, the respectable executor of my counsels; and that they are to place no less confidence in thee, than they did in Moses." It is remarkable, that from the time of Moses to that of Saul, God...