Once upon a time, “miraculous” meant just that. Today we more often use it as a synonym for improbable or amazing, if we use it at all.
During the Enlightenment in Europe, elites came to think that the physical world was governed by laws that could not be broken—even by God. God was supremely rational, only acting in ways that we would deem rational, ways that fit what nature told us about reality. After philosopher David Hume expressed his skepticism of miracles, we in the West began to think of them differently. Something might be improbable or amazing, but nothing truly miraculous could ever happen.
This poses a problem for Christians, because the Bible is full of accounts of miracles. (Or is that rather a problem for skeptics?)
Some assume that what science tells us about the world is true and that it could only ever always be that way. For that person, the choice is to either dismiss parts of the Bible as mere myth or to try and come up with an alternative explanation for how nature could accomplish what seemed (to the ignorant barbarians depicted in the story) true, like expert sleight of hand.
In Joshua chapter 3, the story centers on a miracle. The Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land, and God speaks to Joshua in verse 7 and tells him: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” He goes on to direct Joshua to have the priests carry the ark of the covenant into the river.
A few quick notes: the ark of the covenant was a special container for artifacts from past miracles, like the Ten Commandments and Aaron’s flowering staff. When placed in the Holy of Holies, it was the space God chose to meet with Israel. It was exceptionally holy and will go on to have its own adventures in the book of 1 Samuel.
You should also know that when God led the people out of Egypt, He parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could pass through on dry land.
In other words, their journey out of Egypt and into the Promised Land will end the way that it started, by passing through the waters that have been miraculously separated for them.
You may be thinking, “come on, Josh. You can’t possibly believe that actually happened. That sort of thing never happens.” Precisely. That’s why it’s called a miracle. No one argues over whether that sort of thing “happens.” The argument is over whether it could be made to happen. In short, the question is about whether God exists and is who He says He is.
In chapter 2, Rahab recognized that God was over the heavens and the earth. By parting the seas, God is exercising His rule over the earth. It all belongs to Him. Is anything too hard for Him? (Jer. 32:17). Will He speak and not carry it out?
Anyone who wants to “naturalize” this miracle has his work cut out for him. There are details to contend with. The source of the water is not shut off, but “the water flowing downstream will stand up in a mass.” This wasn’t a conveniently dry time of year, but harvest time, when “the Jordan overflows its banks.” It wasn’t some local event, because the mass of water “extended as far as Adam, a city next to Zarethan.”
It wasn’t that people didn’t know how water works, or that some exceptionally rare event tricked them. They know how crazy this sounds. And yet it’s not crazy at all if you believe in God.
And that’s actually why this is happening. Verse 10: so “you will know that the living God is among you.” God is going to do the unthinkable to demonstrate that He is with them.
Our chapter ends here, but the story doesn’t. We’ll pick that up next time. But for now, just wonder at the possibility that God exists, and that the laws of nature are under His control, and that miracles actually happen. How might believing that change the way you live?
Miracles still happen today. I have seen them. Dr. Craig Keener has famously documented many of them. They may not always happen, or not when we want or the way we want. But the fact that they do happen is a reminder that the living God exists and is among us.