Israel Remember God’s Deeds

International Sunday School Lesson September13, 2026

Welcome to another edition of our treatment of the International Sunday school lesson. Today’s lesson is entitled, “Israel Remember God’s Deeds.” It’s taken from Joshua the 4th chapter verses 13 through 24. Today’s lesson is for September the 13th, 2026. We’re looking at the entry into the promised land by Israel. We will also be looking at how Joshua replaced Moses.

Joshua 4:14 (ESV)
14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

God had everything happen just like he told Joshua . Now, that word, “awe”, used with Moses and Joshua is actually the same Hebrew word that used in verse 24 when it talks about the “fear” of the Lord. But it’s important for us to understand that human leaders are not be feared like God. It’s a different type of respect. Nobody should respect another person the same way they respect God. God should be on a much higher plane. And it seems funny that I have to say it, but sometimes in churches, it’s like people get all bent out of shape and put preachers up on pedestals that really should be God alone. You should respect those in charge. Don’t make them your god. Just remember that you worship God, and show respect for the people that are doing the work of God.

Let’s look more at Joshua. Now, Joshua is not so much a military strategist as a servant of the Lord. He’s telling people what they need to be doing. It’s important for us to understand that it took Moses 40 years of hardship to get respect out of people. After he had conditioned everybody to show respect and to be respectful of those in charge, then when Joshua took over, he reaped the benefit of it. We need to be very attentive when we’re mentoring people that we leave them in as good a shape as we possibly can by helping train people.

Joshua 4:15–18 (ESV)
15 And the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

This miracle of the waters going back is the reverse of the original miracle of the waters parting. It underscores how the waters parting was not some kind of natural event like the water dropped down. The reverse happens where the waters flow back and the banks are overflowing just like they were before the parting. So the dry land across the Jordan River was not a natural phenomena. It was God’s miracle.

Joshua 4:19 (ESV)
19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

This crossing of the Jordan was on the 10th day of the first month, 9 days after the death of Moses, which is was on the first day of that month. Now this 10th day of the first month would have been five days short of the full 40 years after living leave leaving Egypt which was on the 15th day of the first month. And if you remember back, here is what happened. They were told they were going to wander around in the desert for 40 years. That was their penalty for not having faith. It’s actually 40 years later when they cross Jericho. And if you think about this crossing of the Jordan River, just to do a little math, if these people went over 400 people a breast, it would have probably taken them all day to march across the Jordan River because of how large of a group.

Joshua 4:20–24 (ESV)
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Now, this drying up of the Jordan River was a sign of God’s greatness to the people of God, but also to the Gentiles. There were only two people that would have remembered the crossing of the Red Sea. That would have been Joshua and Caleb because everybody else had passed. So that was one of the reasons why they had this great miracle of crossing over the Jordan River.