Stones and Recreation:
A Comparative Analysis of Joshua 3-4 and Isaiah 49:22-23
Isaiah 49:22-23 contains several wordlinks that connect the themes of creation and recreation found in Joshua chapters 3-4, as well as the symbolism of the high priest Ephod in Exodus 28. Looking at Joshua 4 as “type” can reveal a deeper meaning to Isaiah 49:22-23.
Joshua 4 Passing Through the Jordan River
In Joshua 4, we read that the way the children of Israel passed through the Jordan River in Joshua chapter 4 was a type of the earlier crossing of the Red Sea:
Joshua 4:23
23. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
The word 'Jordan' is derived from 'ירד (yarad),' which means 'to descend.'"
In the creation account in Genesis, the purpose of dividing the Waters was for the dry land to appear in order to create Adam from the dust of the earth:
Genesis 1:6-9,2:7
6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Creation process
Waters divided (1:6) + Dry Land to Appear (1:9) + Men is formed from the dust of the ground (2:7) + Adam Awakes and Arises.
The 'awake and arise' process has two parts: First, awake means becoming aware of a higher spiritual reality. Second, arise symbolizes standing up, with the feet on the ground, denoting spiritual ascension.
For Joshua and the Israelites, passing through the Jordan River (decent) symbolized ascending to a higher spiritual level.
Leaving Egypt and through the Red Sea was also a “recreation” process, but passing through the Jordan River into the promised land represented an even greater recreation.
Egypt > Read sea > Wilderness > Jordan River > Promised Land
In going to the Jordan River the first group that stepped on the Jordan River were the priests, who acted on behalf of the people when the soles of their feet touched the waters, then the waters were cut off with the purpose of passing through dry land:
Joshua 3:13
13. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.
They also carried the ark of the covenant and stood in the middle of the Jordan River, until all the Israelites passed through.
After the waters were stopped, the dry land appeared
Joshua 4:13
18. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. (Joshua 4:13)
Part of the recreation motif consisted of first “dividing the waters” and then letting “the dry land” appear:
Joshua 4:18,22
18. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before... 22. Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
12 Stones upon their shoulder and Aaron’s Ephod
The priests stepping into the Jordan River, carrying the ark on their shoulders, symbolized their role as proxies for the people. They were on a higher spiritual level because they had already awakened and arisen, allowing the soles of their feet to touch the waters.
When the priests are standing with the ark in the midst of the water, then the Lord commands Joshua to take one man for each of the twelve tribes of Israel and pass through “dry land” carrying a stone upon their shoulder:
Joshua 4:18,22
18. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before... 22. Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
