English: Israel Enters the Promised Land, as in Joshua 3:5-17, illustration from a Bible card published between 1896 and 1913 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hey person, I’m trying to figure something out. Last week you told me a story about those spies who went to Jericho. And then they had to go across the Jordan River to get back to where Joshua and all the Israelites were.
So doesn’t that mean that all the Israelites are on the wrong side of the Jordan River from Jericho? How are they going to get there to give Jericho what for?
I could probably swim across that river. But those Israelites lived in the desert all their lives. I bet most of them couldn’t swim. Dogs just take to swimming naturally, but people aren’t usually that smart.
Person, I didn’t mean you. You must be smart. You tell me all these good stories. So how did they get across that river?
What? The Jordan River was in flood stage right then? Did they have to wait awhile to give Jericho what for? That must have been hard. I bet they were all anxious to go.
I’m listening person. I just don’t see how those Israelites are going to get across that river.
Joshua told the priests to take the Ark of the Covenant and go ahead of the people.
Are they going to float across the river on the ark? What if they float downstream?
Oh. The ark is sacred and they can’t float on it? That makes it even harder to get across.
God told Joshua to tell the priests with the Ark of the Covenant to stand in the river when they reach the water’s edge.
What if they get their feet wet? Isn’t that river moving awfully fast? You said it was at flood stage.
Yes, I’ll listen.
As soon as the priest’s feet touched the water’s edge the water coming from upstream stopped flowing. The water piled up in a heap a long ways away from them. The priests carrying the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan on dry ground while all the Israelites crossed.
When the people had crossed they took twelve stones from the middle of the river where the priests were standing and made an alter to remember the day that God had stopped the river for them. And as soon as the priests came out of the river with the Ark of the Covenant and set their feet on dry ground the river started flowing at flood stage again.
I sure hope nobody forgot something on the other side of that river.
bongodogblog 
marina kanavaki
January 6, 2013 at 11:14 am
…well remarked!!!
🙂
Bongo
January 6, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Thanks Marina. I think I could swim across the river and fetch whatever’s missing.
marina kanavaki
January 7, 2013 at 2:38 am
I knew you are a brave doggy, Bongo!
eripanwkevin
January 7, 2013 at 7:09 am
Wow! Another miracle! It’s a very good way to took twelve stones to remember the day that God had stopped the river for them. Those twelve priests are the same as twelve apostles? Woof?
Bongo
January 7, 2013 at 2:33 pm
Kevin, God’s always coming up with ways for us to remember what He’s done for us. And He’s done some pretty cool things, hasn’t he? The twelve stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribes are the descendants of Jacob’s sons and God renamed Jacob Israel. Jacob was Abraham’s grandson. The twelve apostles were Jesus’s disciples. The crossing of the Jordan River happened long before Jesus walked the earth.
eripanwkevin
January 8, 2013 at 6:42 am
*blushes* Thanks very much for teaching me the difference between the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles, Bongo. It’s very interesting to see the family tree of Abraham. *whispers* a bit complicated though….
Now I wonder why there is always the number “twelve” ? like twelve tribes, twelve apostles and twelve days of Christmas? The number means something important?
Bongo
January 8, 2013 at 7:28 pm
Kevin, my person had to look up the meaning of the number twelve in the Bible so she learned something too. It’s used a lot in the Bible, as are some other numbers – in particular the number seven. The numbers are numbers of perfection and twelve means perfection in government.
snoopys@snoopysdogblog
January 7, 2013 at 7:54 am
Hey Bongo,
Do you think I could swim across the river too? I’ve not tried swimming yet? Would all my fur weigh me down?
Wags to all,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Bongo
January 7, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Snoopy, swimming is great fun but my person says only some dogs like it. I bet you would though. We could swim across that river together. I’m sure we could find some mischief to get into on the other side.
colliesofthemeadow
January 7, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Great Story… Gingers says they should’ve walked in, out, in, out, in, out, in, out.. heheheheh.l. then she says they shoud’ve waited until the cats were half way across and ran out!! 🙂 hmmm.. for some reason the old guy is making me get off the computer…..
Bongo
January 7, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Ginger, you need your own computer that your dad can’t make you get off of. I’m watching the water now – stop and start and stop and start. But leaving the cats in the middle is the best idea yet.
angelswhisper2011
January 14, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Bongo, that’s a wonderful story. I wonder if God can do that with puddles too 🙂
Bongo
January 14, 2013 at 1:05 pm
Angels Whisper and Little Binky, God can do all kinds of things but sometimes He holds our paws and makes us walk through the puddles. I don’t mind walking through puddles at all, but I know most cats don’t feel the same way.