Joshua 3:14-17

"And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over the Jordan, the priests that bare the ark of the covenant being before the people; and when they that bare the ark were come unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (for the Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest), that the waters that came down from above, rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed clean over Jordan."

The symbolism of this place is marvelous. The Jordan River, symbol of DEATH, was stopped by the power of God. Note too that the stoppage was all the way back to ADAM. The consequences of death for the whole human race were removed when Christ led the way for his people over the Jordan of death! The fact that we do not know exactly where this "Adam" was located is not important. The usual opinion, as noted by Rea, that places it "some fifteen miles"[25] above the site of Joshua's crossing is as dependable as any.

The waters standing up in a heap is, of course, exactly what waters always do behind a dam, and, since this miraculous stoppage took place miles above where the Israelites were, they might not have known exactly where the waters were gathered together in a heap until some time later. Joshua's knowledge of this came in advance from a direct revelation of God. Significantly, the place identified as Adam is the precise location of the tallest of those great mud cliffs that line the banks of the Jordan.

There is additional information here in Joshua 3:17. At some point in the progress of Israel over Jordan, the priests moved into the very midst of Jordan, where they stood until the passage was completed. "The priests bearing the ark first took up their stand on the brink of the river, but as they advanced to mid-channel, the river was dried up before them."[26]

The special significance of this miracle is, in part, due to the flooded stage of the Jordan. Repeatedly, the Scriptures declare it to have been flooded "in the time of harvest," and it is rather ridiculous that some people have denied this. Plummer pointed out that the wheat harvest, which comes six weeks later than the barley and flax harvest, is not the harvest time spoken of here. The time was April, when the melting snows of Mount Hermon, as always in the time of the spring thaw, send the Jordan booming out of its banks. It will be remembered that Rahab hid the spies in stacks of flax which had been harvested, identifying this "harvest time" as the one of the spring floods.

Dummelow summarized his comment on this miracle thus:

No matter what natural means might have entered into the performance of this wonder, MIRACLE it still remains, being a clear exhibition of personal providential purpose in connection with the great plan of Israel's mission to the world.[27]

Before leaving these verses, notice "how the account comes to a provisional conclusion, reporting how the people passed over opposite Jericho."[28] Of course, they have not really crossed over yet; that takes place in Joshua 4.