Yes, the Amorite kings feared Israel because they heard that the Lord had miraculously stopped the Jordan River, allowing Israel to cross on dry ground.
The miracle demonstrated God's supernatural power over nature, and it came on top of earlier reports of God's deliverance at the Red Sea. This left the Amorite kings without courage, as their hearts melted. Les Feldick emphasizes that such miracles were real, supernatural events that showed God's active involvement on Israel's behalf.
Joshua 5:1 — This verse directly states that the Amorite kings' hearts melted when they heard how the Lord dried up the Jordan River for Israel.
The Bible records that the Amorite kings, who were west of the Jordan, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan River until Israel had crossed over. This caused their hearts to melt, and there was no spirit in them anymore because of the children of Israel. This miracle was a direct demonstration of God's power over nature, and it struck fear into the hearts of the Canaanite inhabitants. The event was not ordinary, as the Jordan was at flood stage during harvest time, yet the waters stood in a heap, allowing the priests carrying the ark to stand on dry ground in the middle of the river until all Israel had crossed.
Les Feldick teaches that the Amorite kings' fear was a direct result of the supernatural miracle at the Jordan River. He points out that throughout Israel's history, God performed miraculous, supernatural events that demonstrated His power, such as the fire on Mount Carmel and the collapse of the Philistine temple. These were not ordinary occurrences; they were divine interventions. The kings had also heard reports of God's earlier miracles, including the Red Sea crossing, which had been recounted by Rahab. This time, however, they were close enough to witness the evidence firsthand, and it left them without courage. Les emphasizes that Israel's entry into the Promised Land was not by their own military might but by the supernatural power of God, which even caused pagan kings to recognize the futility of opposing them.
Les Feldick highlights that the generation crossing the Jordan had already witnessed numerous miracles: the exodus from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the cloud and pillar of fire, and the events at Mount Sinai. These miracles demonstrated God's power and His ability to deliver His people. The Amorite kings had heard of these wonders, and now they saw the Jordan stopped, confirming that Israel's God was still active.
Les Feldick uses the example of Elijah on Mount Carmel, where fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifice, and Samson pulling down the Philistine temple, to illustrate that God's miracles are supernatural and undeniable. These events show that God can override natural laws and that His power is not limited by human expectations. The Jordan crossing was another such event, demonstrating God's sovereign control over the earth.
The Amorite kings' hearts melted and they lost courage because they realized that Israel's God could overcome any obstacle. They understood that their own gods were powerless in comparison, as evidenced by the failure of the Baal prophets on Mount Carmel. This supernatural demonstration left them with no hope of military success.
God's Miracles Are Supernatural
Les uses the examples of Elijah on Mount Carmel and Samson to show that God's miracles are supernatural and undeniable, which explains why the Amorite kings recognized Israel's God as all-powerful.
Israel's Entry from the East
Les explains that Israel crossed the Jordan from the east and that the king of Moab had heard of Israel's God, showing that word of God's power had spread to their enemies.
Israel's History of Miracles
Les recounts the miracles Israel experienced during the exodus, including the Red Sea crossing, which set the stage for the fear that gripped the Amorite kings.
Why God Commanded Israel to Destroy Entire Nations — Deuteronomy 7
And they did. They succeeded in quite a few thousand of them. And, of course, God had to, as they say today, He had to do some ethnic cleansing, and so quite a few thousand Israelites lost their life as a result of their losing their separated position. But nevertheless, the nation of Israel remained intact. The Moabites just couldn't do anything about it.
The 3-Day Journey: How Exodus Foreshadows the Resurrection of Christ
The frogs were gods, the moon was a god, the sun was a god, and every animal you could think of was a god, and they all had a name. So when Moses and Aaron came and say, The God of Israel, Jehovah, is going to lead the children out, Pharaoh's natural response was, Well, who's Jehovah? He's just another one of your gods, but he doesn't mean anything to me.
Why Israel Rejected God as King — 1 Samuel 8 Explained
Imagine. Imagine. Israelites. Well, God couldn't take it anymore. Keep your hand here in Kings. We'll come right back. I'd like to have you turn just a second to Jeremiah. Now, Jeremiah foretold all these things, and he tried to warn Israel as well as Judah. Of course, Jeremiah was predominantly in the southern kingdom. I know that. But what was for one was for the other.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
But ere they crossed the River Jordan, God gave explicit instructions to the nation of Israel, don't leave a single Canaanite alive. Unfair? Unjust? No. Because they've had 400 years to clean up their act. But instead of cleaning up their act, they degenerated down, down, down, until finally God, in justice, could tell Israel, don't spare a one.
Why Israel Rejected the Promised Land — Kadesh-Barnea Explained
But now here they are. They're crying. They're murmuring. Verse 3, Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be appraised? Now what hypocrisy. Is that who they were really worried about? Nuh-uh. No, these guys were scared to death of the giants that might be up there in the promised land.
Joshua 5:1: And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel.
This verse directly states the reason for the Amorite kings' fear: they heard of the Jordan drying up.
Joshua 3:15-16: 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,) 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.
This describes the supernatural stopping of the Jordan River at flood stage, which is the miracle that struck fear into the Amorite kings.
Exodus 14:21-22: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
This earlier miracle at the Red Sea was a precedent that the Amorite kings had heard about, as mentioned by Les.
They heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan River, allowing Israel to cross on dry ground. This was a supernatural miracle that demonstrated God's power over nature, and it caused their hearts to melt.
Yes, Les Feldick mentions that they had heard reports of God's earlier miracles, such as the parting of the Red Sea, which had been recounted by Rahab. These reports, combined with the recent Jordan miracle, left them without courage.
Les emphasizes that it was a real, supernatural event that showed God's power. He draws parallels to other miracles like Elijah's fire on Carmel to illustrate that God's miracles are undeniable and should not be doubted.
Watch the Teaching: Crossing the Jordan on Dry Ground — What Most People Miss