Hidden Miracles of the Bible: Secret Wisdom Within the WordSample

Miracle of Joshua and the Jordan River

If you’ve ever waded out into moving water, whether at the ocean, a creek, or a river, you can likely identify with the swiftness of a current as it pushes against your ankles and legs. The deeper you go, the harder it is to stand. Any more than waist-deep water, and a swift current will surely knock you over.

In Joshua 2, the Israeilites are about to conquer the city of Jericho. But first, Joshua sends two spies to check out the city, where they famously meet Rahab who helps hide them from the king's authorities. As spies, they likely had to travel at night to avoid being seen. They also had a huge obstacle in their way—the Jordan River.

The Jordan River flows sixty miles from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, and over the course of those sixty miles, it drops over six hundred feet in elevation. That’s a ten-foot drop every mile in length, and we know the river was above flood stage as the Bible describes it, so it was likely flowing around ten miles per hour. On top of that, all sorts of debris would have been rushing downstream with the raging current.

It’s here that we discover a hidden miracle, that somehow God enabled the two spies safe passage across the raging Jordan River not once, but a second time as the spies returned back to the Israelite camp from Jericho. And likely in the dead of night so that they would avoid being seen, adding an additional challenge. It’s a mystery exactly how God accomplished this feat. Perhaps He dammed up the waters like he did later in Joshua 3:15 when the rest of the Israelites and the Ark of the Covenant crossed, but this mystery is never revealed. In any case, the spies encountered not one, but two miracles however it was that God allowed them to twice cross the Jordan river. Pretty spectacular!

The lesson here is that when we stand up to a challenge, trust God, and take risks in order to help our fellow man and further the Lord’s purpose, God will surely make a way for us.

Thought For Today: What is an example in your life where God allowed you to overcome an obstacle standing in your way in order to assure your safety and security?