The passage of the river Jordan was necessary,... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
Joshua 4:20

The passage of the river Jordan was necessary, so that the people of Israel could enter the promised land and take possession of it. God had worked a miracle for this purpose, making the water stand like a dam, so as to make a passage on dry land possible. First, however, the ark of the covenant had to be carried to the middle of the river, where the water normally was deepest. Then the people could pass through without getting their feet wet.
The ark illustrates our beloved Lord, who came to earth as a man in order to open up the way into resurrection life and the blessings of "the heavenly places" through His death. The Jordan is an illustration of death.
After the people had passed over, at God's command Joshua built a memorial in Gilgal that was to remind them constantly of this occurrence. The memorial was erected from twelve stones taken from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests bearing the ark had stood. The meaning of the stones for us believers today is that we have become people with a new life.
Joshua Himself is also a type of Christ, who is now with us through His Spirit, bringing us into the enjoyment of the heavenly blessings. Whoever believes in Him can now say, according to His Word, "He died, and I died with Him. He rose again, and I was raised with Him." This is a precious truth for the believer and should be visible in his life: "If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is Set your mind on things above" (Colossians 3:1-2).
Today's reading: 2 Samuel 3:1-16