Redeemed Quartet - Crossing Over Jordan Lyrics
Lyrics
After many long years in bondage
God's chosen people had been
Out in the wilderness wandering,
t'was all because of sin
Their leader had been old Moses,
and now that he had died
God said to Joshua, "Cross over to the other side"
Chorus:
"Cross over to the other side of Jordan,"
the Lord to Joshua said
"Cross over to the other side of Jordan,
my people must be led
No longer in the wilderness wander
from Egypt's bondage flee
And when you reach the other side, you shall be free"
"The river now lies before you, and I the waters control
Now is the time to cross over, the waters back will roll
A wonderful land awaits you just over Jordan's tide
Just remember victory lies over on the other side"
God then said to Joshua, "Look toward the setting sun
All the nations that you see someday will be one
Just as I was to old Moses, so I will be to thee
I'll stand by you in battle, and I'll bring you victory"
Then Joshua said to his people,
"Prepare yourselves to stay
Three more days in the wilderness
and we'll be on our way
Across the land of Canaan and into Jericho
We'll plant our feet in the Promised Land
and live forevermore"
Video
Crossing Over Jordan (Lyric Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
That line about "three more days in the wilderness" just stuck with me. Listening to the Redeemed Quartet sing about crossing over Jordan, it’s easy to get swept up in the imagery of finally leaving the struggle behind. It’s exactly what the book of Joshua starts with, right? God telling Joshua to be strong and courageous because he’s finally taking the people into the land He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It feels heavy, like that moment when you realize the wandering is actually ending.
But then I start thinking about what they're claiming. The song leans hard into this idea that once they hit the other side, they’ll "live forevermore" and the struggle is just over. I’m not sure the Bible really paints it that way. Sure, they got the land, but the fighting in Jericho and everything that followed wasn't exactly a permanent rest. It makes me wonder if we’re projecting our own desire for an easy life onto the text. Is the "promised land" supposed to be a place where we just stop dealing with the consequences of sin, or is it more about the presence of God being with us even when the battles are still happening?
There’s a part of me that loves the comfort of "I'll stand by you in battle," because that lines up perfectly with what God told Joshua—that He wouldn't leave him or forsake him. That’s a rock-solid promise, even if the "victory" looks a lot more like dying to self every day rather than just strolling into a land of milk and honey. I guess I’m still wrestling with whether we really get to stop "wandering" while we’re still here, or if the crossing is something that happens in the heart long before we ever see the other side. It’s a beautiful thought, singing about the waters rolling back, but I don't want to mistake a song’s promise for the actual, harder reality of walking with God.