Joshua 3

Which worship songs are based on Joshua 3?

  1. How Far Am I From Canaan? — Sam Cooke (2013) Joshua 3:1-17

    The Jordan separating the singer from Canaan evokes Israel's crossing into the promised land under Joshua. The song adapts that geographical threshold into an image of passage from earthly suffering to a heavenly home.

  2. Stop the Bleeding — FFH (2010) Joshua 3:1-17

    The desert journey toward the Jordan evokes Israel’s approach to the promised land after wilderness wandering. The song uses that geographical transition as an image of hoped-for relief, without retelling the miraculous crossing itself.

  3. The King Is Among Us — Elevation Worship (2014) Joshua 3:5

    The pre-chorus closely adapts Joshua’s instruction that Israel consecrate itself in preparation for the Lord’s wonders. The passage occurs immediately before Israel crosses the Jordan River.

  4. Wayfaring Stranger — Sixpence None the Richer (2009) Joshua 3:14-17

    The repeated Jordan crossing evokes Israel passing through the river into the promised land. The song adapts that concrete biblical image into a metaphor for passing through death to a heavenly home, rather than retelling Joshua’s crossing.

  5. Know You Will — Hillsong UNITED (2021) Joshua 3:14-17

    Crossing the Jordan evokes Israel's passage through the river on dry ground as the nation entered the promised land.

  6. People Get Ready — Aretha Franklin (2011) Joshua 3:14-17

    The journey toward Jordan evokes Israel’s crossing of the river into the Promised Land. The song adapts that biblical geography through the spiritual tradition, making Jordan an image of deliverance and passage into salvation rather than retelling the crossing.

  7. Happy Days are Here Again / Get Happy — Crystal Lewis (2022) Joshua 3:14-17

    The combined imagery of crossing a river and proceeding toward the promised land evokes Israel crossing the Jordan into Canaan. The song adapts that historical crossing into gospel imagery for passage into final deliverance.

  8. Gracias — Alex Zurdo (2023) Joshua 3:14-17

    The song identifies God as the one who opened the Jordan, directly recalling Israel's passage through the river on dry ground under Joshua.

  9. THE POOR WAYFARING STRANGER — Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter (2023) Joshua 3:14-17

    The repeated journey across the Jordan invokes Israel crossing the river into the Promised Land. The hymn adapts that historical crossing into an image of passing through death into a heavenly home.

  10. Credence Thru Deepwater Survival — ApologetiX (2010) Joshua 3:14-17

    Joshua describes God stopping a river's flow so Israel can cross. This directly evokes the Jordan crossing, when the upstream waters stopped and the people crossed on dry ground.

  11. No Death — 11th Hour (2014) Joshua 3:14-17

    The anticipated crossing of the Jordan uses Israel's passage into the promised land as an image of entering eternal life. This is a figurative application of the biblical crossing, not a claim that Joshua's account describes entering heaven.

  12. Jordans — Blessing Offor (2024) Joshua 3:14-17

    The image of standing safely on the Jordan's ground evokes Israel crossing the Jordan River on dry land as the waters were stopped before them.

Joshua 3 (King James Version)

1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

4 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.

5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.

9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.

10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.

12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.