'Come not near unto the ark, that ye may know the way by which ye must
go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.'--JOSHUA iii. 4.
It was eminently true of Israel that they had 'not passed this way
heretofore,' inasmuch as the path which was opening before them,
through the oozy bed of the river, had never been seen by human eye,
nor trodden by man's foot. Their old leader was dead. There were only
two of the whole host that had ever been out of the desert in their
lives. They had a hard task before them. Jericho lay there, gleaming
across the plain, among the palm-trees, backed by the savage cliffs, up
the passes in which they would have to fight their way. So that we need
not wonder that, over and over again, in these early chapters of this
book, the advice in reiterated, 'Be of good courage. Be strong and fear
not!' They needed special guidance, and they received very special
guidance, and my text tells us what they had to do, in order to realise
the full blessing and guidance that was given them. 'Let there be a
space of 2000 cubits by measure between you and the
ark'--three-quarters of a mile or thereabouts--'do not press close upon
the heels of the bearers, for you will not be able to see where they
are going if you crowd on them. Be patient. Let the course of the ark
disclose itself before you try to follow it, that ye may know the way
by which ye must go, for ye have not passed this way heretofore.'