Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, October 13, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Once again, God parts a large body of water for God’s people to cross. The first time it was as they were fleeing from Egypt. This time it’s as they’re entering into the promised land. The stories are like bookends to the Moses story (although this one happens after they’ve already been wreaking havoc on the local inhabitants of Canaan for a while).
I have a friend who theorized that in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy, every time someone crossed a body of water they died and/or were resurrected. He had some pretty convincing symbolism for all of it, too. Not saying I agreed, but it made for a fascinating discussion.
Water stories are all over scripture. Moses was hidden in the Nile. Jonah was cast into the sea. John baptized in the Jordan. A disabled man was healed in the Pool of Siloam. Jesus was forever crossing lakes on boats or on foot. Paul’s story includes a highly dramatic sea voyage that ended in a shipwreck. Water is a potent symbol for God’s presence with us in one way or another. I invite you to go have a fascinating discussion with a friend about what crossing water represents in biblical literature and for us now as God’s beloved children.
What is my favorite water story in the Bible?
