Go After It
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Text: Joshua 3:3 “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.”
Intro: This morning I would like us to consider the nation of Israel as our ensamples. 1 Corinthians 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” That we might learn from the those things that God brought them through, in our own pursuit of a closer and more intimate walk with God. Remember the children of Israel wandered 40 years because of their unbelief… All those over 20 years old died, except two men, Joshua and Caleb. They have traveled through many valley's and assailed to many mountain tops, and one thing we can say for certain is that God has been faithful through it all! Moses is no longer their leader, and Joshua has taken his place, In this chapter they stand before the Jordan River at the time of year that the Jordan overflowed its banks. An event that is similar to that of the Red Sea, when God used Moses, He is now going to confirm His plan for Joshua, in leading the people to the land of promise.
There is a major difference however...
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
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.
The people had to do nothing prior to crossing the Red Sea. They stood their and watched God divide the waters and offer them safe passage out of Egypt and toward the land that He had promised their fathers.
Joshua 3:1-17
The major difference is that this time it required action on behalf of the people. Their faith, had to be put to work so to speak.
However, we notice that the “key” to the entire event isn’t just faith or works, the “key” is in the Ark of the Covenant. A wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is that thing in the Old Testament that represented the presence of God with man. There are many ways in which the Ark pictures Christ, but maybe the greatest way is simply found in Matthew 1:23 “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”!
It was Jesus who fulfilled it, and brought the presence of God to you and to me, in a very personal way.
The Ark:
Hebrews 9:4-5
Golden Pot of Manna:
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Aaron’s Rod: Representing that in that dead rod, not only would the root of Jesse but that He was God’s chosen and eternal priest and that through His priesthood would their be fruit!
And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
Ten Commandments: Christ was the law, that stood against them, He came under the law, lived according to it, then through His death took those ordinances that were against us, nailing them to the tree.
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
For them, it was the glorious box… For us it is our glorious Saviour!
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
How much more…
Christ must be pursued: (vs.3) Joshua 3:3 I want to draw our attention to a specific part of this passage. “then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.”
Notice: There were no stipulations give, other than follow the Ark of the Covenant. It didn’t matter where it was, how uncomfortable the journey was, whether or not it was convenient, it didn’t take into account personal agenda’s or personal satisfaction. The only thing that mattered is that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant move, that they were to respond and follow it!
We sing the hymns, “If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go” and “Anywhere with Jesus” but are they merely songs, or do we mean it. And listen, I’m not talking about the foreign mission field, I’m talking about our pursuit of God!
GO AFTER IT!
2. Christ must be pursued properly: (vs. 4) “…that ye may know the way which ye must go...”
Why is this so important? “…for ye have not passed this way heretofore.”
For a time now, I have reached a point in my Christian life, where I don’t have any other answers. I don’t know what else I am supposed to do, but follow Him. I am exhausted my knowledge, and I am in uncharted waters so to speak. That is the point of this Christian life, of the growth of the believer, that we all grow to the place, where we have exhausted our resources of what we are to do, and trust Him beyond our own comprehension. It is what so many are afraid to do…
It is the reason the children of Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Unbelief… Now is not the time to fall, Christ needs us to rise to the occasion, and He has given us everything to do it! Are we willing? Are we willing to go after it?
God commanded a distance between the people and the Ark, “…that ye may know the way by which ye must go...” If you crowd it, some might not see… When Jesus was here on this earth, there were some occasions where He was crowded and access was limited. That isn’t the case anymore.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Unto” is more that just looking at… It is looking toward, until… It speaks of the continual until our faith is finished…
Jesus today, resides in a place that all can see… He has granted access to where anyone and everyone can get close to Him without blocking anyone else’s access.
There is a lot that could interfere in our endeavor of looking unto Him. For the Israelite it was the overflowing Jordan, for us it may be financial problems, relationships, strongholds, all of which can result in an improper pursuit of Him.
Now is the time, for us to set all of that aside, and follow Him.
3. Christ must be pursued passionately: (vs. 5) “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
It is through our passionate pursuit of Christ that we do what is commanded today, in hopes that promises of the tomorrow will be fulfilled in His perfect time!
Sanctity is the act in which God takes us from where we are, and separates us unto Him.
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
It is through the passionate pursuit of Christ, that we allow that sanctifying work of His Spirit!
God has so much in store for us, if we would just let Him!
Closing: Hebrews 3-4
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Maybe we think of that rest as a time to come, but there were those who found that rest in this life! Although there are not an abundance of occasions where men have found that rest, the ones that did, found it because they were willing to let God do it!
Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.
And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.