The Living God of Wonders Read Joshua 3:6–17. What does the miraculous crossing of the Jordan tell us about the nature of the God whom we serve? ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ The crossing of the Jordan River is described in Joshua 3:5 by the Hebrew word niphla'ot, “miracles, wonders,” which usually refers to the mighty, supernatural acts of God that demonstrate His uniqueness (Ps. 72:18, Ps. 86:10). Later, the Israelites meditated on these acts and, as a result, praised the Lord (Ps. 9:1) and proclaimed Him among the nations (Ps. 96:3). The plagues in Egypt (Exod. 3:20, Mic. 7:15), the crossing of the Red Sea, and God’s guidance in the wilderness (Ps. 78:12–16) were recounted as such wonders. The authors of the Bible knew and testified to the fact that the God who created the world was never limited or constrained by His creation. Nothing is impossible (Heb. “too wonderful”) for Him to accomplish (Jer. 32:17). His name and His nature are wonderful (Judg. 13:18), and He is beyond our comprehension. In contrast with the gods of the other nations, who cannot save (Ps. 96:5, Isa. 44:8), the God of the Bible is a “living God,” active and alive, whose followers can trust Him in anticipation of His interventions on their behalf. The prophet Zechariah used the same term (from the same root as niphla'ot) as he envisioned a future for Israel after the Babylonian exile. He saw that Jerusalem would be fully rebuilt with old people sitting in the streets of the city and boys and girls playing there. To the seemingly incredulous inhabitants of the capital still displaying the signs of its destruction, Zechariah declared: “ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem’ ” (Zech. 8:6–8, ESV). Read Luke 18:18–27. How does Jesus’ answer to His disciples encourage you to trust God with what seems impossible?