Midrash Tehillim turns to When the Jordan River Parted for Joshua and Israel.
The text pointedly asks, "What is the value of the Jordan, and what does it matter to him? Were people standing in the Jordan?" It seems almost dismissive, doesn't it? But that's just setting us up for a deeper point. The Midrash suggests the Jordan's reaction isn't about the river itself, but about leadership. The key is this: "if the leader flees, all will flee." The Jordan saw the Sea fleeing, and then it turned back. It’s like a ripple effect. But why was the Sea fleeing in the first place? That's where things get even more interesting.
In Midrash, Moses confronts the Sea. He asks, "You did not say, 'I will not split,' yet now you are fleeing? What is it to you, Sea, that you flee?" Can you imagine Moses, the ultimate leader, questioning the very fabric of creation?
The Sea answers back! It isn’t fleeing from Moses, it insists. "I am not fleeing from you," the Sea explains, "but from the Master of the Universe." This is a crucial point. The Sea acknowledges God's power and authority. It's not just some natural phenomenon; it's responding to the divine will.
The Sea elaborates, reminding Moses that God instructed the dry land to emerge from it on the third day of Creation, while Moses (and humanity itself) was created later, on the sixth day. In other words, the Sea recognizes its place in the cosmic order, its subservience to the Creator. It says, "I am not fleeing from you, Moses, but from Jacob's God, the Rock who transforms a desert into a water spring."
Wow.
So, what does this all mean? It's not just a literal account of a fleeing sea and river. It's a profound lesson about power, authority, and the relationship between humanity and the divine. The Sea's flight highlights the ultimate authority of God, an authority that even the most powerful forces of nature must acknowledge.
And the Jordan? Well, maybe it just needed a strong example to follow. Maybe we all do.