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Joshua 3 · Grade 5

Stepping Into the River

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Read and Think

Joshua 3 echoes the Red Sea crossing a generation earlier. The ark of the covenant, the sign of God's throne among His people, leads the way. The officers tell the people to keep about two thousand cubits between themselves and the ark, so they may know the way they must go, for you have not passed this way before.

Joshua calls the people to sanctify themselves; for tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders among you. The crossing has a purpose: by this you shall know that the living God is among you, Joshua says. It also confirms Joshua's leadership, because God promises to magnify him in the sight of all Israel as He was with Moses.

The timing makes the miracle clearer. The Jordan overflows all its banks during harvest. The waters do not part until the feet of the priests dip into the edge of the water. Then the water stands in one heap far upstream at Adam, and the priests stand firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the nation has passed over. In the New Testament, the earlier sea crossing is held up as faith: By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land (Hebrews 11:29).

Show What You Know

  1. Why did the people need to follow the ark?

  2. By what would the people know the living God was among them?

  3. Why does the harvest timing make the miracle clearer?

  4. When did the waters stop?

  5. Which New Testament verse says by faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land?

Crossword

21345

Across

  1. Take up the ____ of the covenant.
  2. The waters that come down from above shall stand in one ____.
  3. Tomorrow Yahweh will do ____ among you.

Down

  1. They stood firm in the middle of the Jordan.
  2. Israel crossed over on ____ ground.

Think About It

  1. The water did not stop until the priests stepped in. Where might God be asking you to take a step of faith?

  2. How does remembering what God did before help you trust Him for what is ahead?

Memory Verse

“The priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan.”

Joshua 3:17 (WEB)

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Prayer

Dear God, thank You for making a way for me. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

  • What happened when the priests' feet touched the water?
  • What makes obeying God hard when you cannot see how things will work out?
  • What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.