Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore—Joshua 3:4

Perhaps you find yourself sometimes thinking the words of this meditation’s title. Looking back to what happened in 2025 and what occurred in just the first month of this year, we understand that we did not know certain things would occur. So also, the weeks and months ahead are uncharted waters. Maybe you say today, or will say in future days, what Joshua said, “We have not passed this way before.”

This text is for our encouragement. It reminds us that as God was with Israel when they faced something new and difficult, so God is with us believers for Jesus’ sake. May we be built up in that hope through this history in Joshua 3.

A WAY UNTRODDEN

In verse 4, Joshua summarizes the position God’s people Israel were in by saying, “Ye have not passed this way heretofore.” The idea is that Israel faced something different. Their parents had left Egypt and then died during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The next generation began walking through the hot desert towards Canaan and had to fight mighty enemies on the way. They had now come to the eastern edge of the Jordan River, and Joshua indicates that what they encountered here was something new.

What did they face that was new and different? They had to get past an overflowing and fast-moving river. The Jordan River averages about ninety feet wide, but at that time of the year it would overflow its banks and be about twelve feet deep in the middle (v. 15). Somehow, the Israelites, with women, children, babies, animals, and household goods had to get across and not drown. These current Israelites had not faced a hardship like this. Additionally, they had a new leader, Joshua (v. 7). God had given Israel victories and cared for them when Moses was their leader, but they faced this new hardship without Moses.

Thus, there was some apprehension for Israel. Imagine the people standing there, the water rushing in front of them. They probably had a barrel full of “what ifs.” What if I or my child gets caught in it? What if Joshua’s instructions fail and God is not with him as He was with Moses? You can imagine Joshua himself thinking, “How are we going to get everyone over, and what if we don’t?”

Perhaps your way now is very much like Israel’s was at the Jordan River. You say, “We have not passed this way before.” For the PRCA presently, there are questions about ministers and calls, possibly more than ever before with all the vacancies. Maybe a vacant church asks, “What if we do not get a minister for another half-year, or full year? What will happen to us?” Or, a church thinks, “What if our minister accepts a call, and we, in our current difficult situation, are vacant for a long time?”

Some churches in the PRCA also have questions about the way forward with contacts in other countries. How can we best teach this group that is quite different culturally? How can we help them physically without damaging our work? We have apprehension about advancing with certain plans and think, “What if we are doing this wrong?”

The PRCA face a situation we have not before too with sexual abuse cases that have come to light. Some members have departed because they do not believe things have been handled correctly. There are questions about the path forward. We have not gone this way before.

Apostasy in the church world is also increasing as we head into 2026, and presents new challenges. It is hard, for instance, to keep the Sabbath holy when it is under attack all around us. Then, there is the battle with worldliness that is fiercer than ever. What will happen to us and our young people?

In addition to what the church faces, we also encounter things in our personal lives we have not before. How should we handle smart phones and all their apps in our homes and what rules should we give our children concerning them? Some of us have loved ones who recently became sick or sicker. We worry, “What if this or that happens to them?”

Undoubtedly, there will be other things also in this coming year about which we say, “We have not passed this way before,” and some of those things will be very difficult.

A STEP OF FAITH

Facing an unknown future, Joshua and Israel went forward by faith. After three days at the edge of the raging Jordan, Joshua revealed a plan. He told the Israelites they must be ready to march and instructed them to advance when they saw the priests carrying the ark of the covenant towards the river. When they marched, they were to leave a space of more than a half mile between themselves and the ark so that all the people could see it. The priests must walk with the ark to the edge of the river and stand still as soon as their feet touched the water. The water flowing down the river would stop and stand up on heaps, and the river in front of them would become dry. Then, all the people were to pass by the ark as they crossed.

Scripture does not say if Joshua received this plan directly from God, but Joshua did plan to lead Israel here the same way they had been led in the past. Numbers 10:33 says, “And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.” Similarly, Joshua now called for the ark to lead the way.

Why was this so important? The ark was a box overlaid with gold that normally sat in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. However, this was not an ordinary box. It was a symbol of God’s presence with His people. That is why it was called the “ark of the covenant.” The ark pictured Jehovah being with the Israelites as their covenant Friend through the blood of the promised Messiah. On the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, blood was sprinkled on the lid of the ark. This symbolized the people’s sins being covered in the promised Christ, giving them the right to live with God and be cared for by Him. Thus, when the Israelites fixed their eyes on this ark at the river, they would recall that Jehovah could and would bring them safely across. The ark would remind them of God’s covenant promise to be their Friend for the Messiah’s sake and His promise to give them the land. It would lead them to trust in Him to provide.

Joshua gave this plan to Israel only by faith and Israel followed it by faith. Joshua believed God would do wonders among them as He promised, and that is why he shared this plan. The priests and people stepped into a riverbed with rushing water piling up nearby only because they believed God would keep them as He promised. They did not take this step of faith because they were such great people. Of themselves, they would have done the same as their parents and doubted God’s promise to give them the land. They would have said, “We’ll maybe try crossing at a different time.” It was by God’s power that they believed and executed the plan.

How do we go forward into all the uncertainties we face? We must fix our eyes on God’s covenant promises in His Word. We do not have an ark anymore to assure us of God’s presence, but God is present in us believers today by His Spirit. He assures us of His presence with us by the Word and the promises in it. So, as Israel kept their eyes on the ark when facing something they had not before, we must keep our eyes on God’s covenant promises.

We face denominational vacancies and mission questions, as well as personal issues such as health. God says that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He promises that He will make all things work together for the good of them that love Him (Rom. 8:28), and that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:39). He declares in Psalm 73:24 that He will guide us with His counsel and afterward receive us to glory. Jehovah knows exactly the way for us into the heavenly Canaan, and He is guiding us there.

There are fears about the future of our churches in this world and the attacks our children face today that we have never had to face. Yet, God says in Acts 2:39, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” He adds in Philippians 1:6 that in whom He has begun a good work He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Write these promises down as you face new and hard things this year. Pray using them. Repeat them when you are in a way you have not gone before. Rest in Jehovah. To summarize, go forward with one abiding and constant thought: “The living God is among us.”

AN ASSURANCE OF SAFE PASSAGE

Wonderfully, Israel was given safe passage along a way they had not gone before. The priests holding the ark came to the swift and high Jordan River, and as soon as their feet touched it, the water flowing from upstream did stop and rise heap on heap. This left a dry riverbed in front of Israel, across which they walked.

The river remained piled up until all the Israelites were passed “clean over Jordan” into the land God promised. Flowing with milk and honey, this land was a picture of the spiritual wealth that was Israel’s for the sake of the Messiah to come. Canaan was the place where Israel would especially enjoy rest with God. And, they got this delightful land because of Jehovah alone, who carried them all safely through Jordan.

So, for you! God will carry us believers safely through whatever we face for Jesus’ sake. There will be troubles, but He keeps everything from truly harming us (Ps. 121:7). He will carry us until we are all passed clean over Jordan into the heavenly Canaan. Soon, we will be in the glorious place of which the earthly Canaan was just a small picture, and it will be overflowing with the joy of salvation. God is even using these new things we face now to bring us to that day and prepare us for it.

Go forward, assured of safe passage, trusting in Jehovah.

You can access the Spanish version of this article, translated by Jorge Carbajal, by clicking the following link. NO HEMOS PASADO POR ESTE CAMINO ANTES