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Joshua: Pass Over and Possess • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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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. And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
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. 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.
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 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.
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. 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.
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 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.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.
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.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage this morning, we see the fulfillment of a desire that was 470 years in the making. The children of Israel has spent 430 years in Egypt. They traveled through the wilderness for 40 years. Now they are about to receive the promises of God. Where along this journey of life are you? The good news is that there are blessings and promises fulfilled up ahead!
We need to be looking throughout the book for our theme for 2025. The central focus of the book of Joshua is that God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily? The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
The crossing of the Jordan was the visible reception of the promises of God. They were going to the land that God promised their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was a land with blessings from the rains that God brought to it. The cities were walled and the farms were prepared. All that they were going to have to do is to follow the leading of God into these blessings.
The Christian life is Canaan. God is ahead of us every step along the way. He has specifically allowed each trial for our good and His glory. We see the examples of Job, David, and Jesus that point us to this truth. In the trials of life we see the work of God. In the challenges of faith, we will learn the truths that will strengthen our faith for the path ahead.
One of the greatest trials that I face in my life is the fear of the unknown. I struggle with the lack of clarity. I wish for a plan or outline of the path ahead. In the darkness, there is no plan for me. Instead, there is the promise of Light up ahead. Preaching on this passage, Spurgeon said this,
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XVIII Untrodden Ways (No. 1,057)
He glorifies God most whose faith staggers least. To maintain faith in full vigour is therefore a most important matter. Now, there is one very severe trial of faith which will happen to us all, and probably has already occurred to most of us. It is that of a change of trials, a passing into new territory, an entrance into novel circumstances.
We see this trial evidenced in Joshua 3. As the year goes on, we will reach unfamiliar territory. What we do in these times of uncertainty determines if our path is one of discouragement or doubt. Will we walk in faith or sight?
Declaration
Declaration
God's work is revealed when we follow Him into the river’s trial. No one knew how God was going to get them across until the priests stepped into the river. The presence of God goes before to prepare miracles for the people of God. Three characteristics are found here of the follower of God.
1. God Works in Close Followers
1. God Works in Close Followers
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. And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 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. 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.
We see here the consistent walk of Joshua with God. His first action in this chapter is to rise early to obey God in verse 1. He was faithful to spend time hearing from the One who knew the path ahead. What is your habit of spending time with God? Wiersbe said,
Be Strong Joshua 3:1–4
The people God uses and blesses know how to discipline their bodies so that they can give themselves to the Lord in the early morning hours.
As we see Joshua move forward with God’s plan, he is working from limited knowledge. Multiple times in this chapter, we see the command of God given a little at at a time to show the coming miracle for the people of God. God often gives us only the next step of His will. Sometimes, we simply have to wait for a word from God before we can move ahead. But, all along, I have found that God is there working for us. God is there doing what only He can do to bring us to His promises.
We see the children of Israel moving out of Shittim in verse 1. The waiting is over. Now they are moving forward. The officers give instructions in verses 3-4 that explain the line of march. The ark of the covenant will lead the way into the flooded river. Jesus told His disciples in the upper room,
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
The people would have seen this river that is deep and wide. At this time, it is believed that it would have been about a mile wide. This is about the width of the Rappahannock River at Tappahannock. There was a trial ahead of them that they must trust God to help. There is no way that these many people, their animals, and their possessions could swim, boat or ride across this river. The purpose of the ark was to show the direction and guidance of God. We have not been ahead of us before. God has. God is leading us there.
Deuteronomy–Ruth Joshua 3:6
As Soggin points out, “When the ark is taken up and carried, God begins to act.”
In the wilderness, the children of Israel had the presence of God in the cloud by day and the fire by night. At Sinai, they had been commanded to build the ark of the Covenant. This carried the two tablets of the Law or Ten Commandments. This carried the container of manna and the budded rod of Aaron. Together, these show us the ways that God has worked in the past and has come through for them. In fact there has not been a time where He had not been there for Israel.
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Believer, God works in close followers. Are you walking close behind the leading of God? The work of God is seen as we move behind Him in the river’s trial?
2. God Works in Clean Followers
2. God Works in Clean Followers
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. 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.
After the instructions of the officers, there is a command by the leader, Joshua. Before we see the work of God in our lives, we need to get some things taken care of. There is a command here to get ourselves right with God. Clean off the sin and prepare to renew a new relationship with God. We see this parallel in the commands of Moses regarding the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
The reason for a clean heart is that God has a plan to do wonderful things with those who are pure before Him. Are you pure before God? Do you have sin in your life that you need to confess and forsake? God uses us sometimes in spite of ourselves. But, God wants to use us as clean vessels to bring glory to Him.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
All that we need to do to have a clean heart is to call out to God, confess our sin, and seek His mercy and forgiveness. Today, each and everyone of us need to pray the prayer of David. Before we take another step forward in 2025, let us make our hearts clean before the God who sent His Son to die for us. Choose cleanness today!
Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts:
God works in clean followers. The actions of cleaning and washing were for the children a picture of renewing a relationship with God. So is our confession of our sin.
3. God Works in Confident Followers
3. God Works in Confident Followers
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. 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. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 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. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 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.
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; 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. 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.
Beginning in verse 7, we see the miracle of the crossing taking place. There is a promise again to Joshua in verse 7. God is going to use Joshua to bring glory to Himself. As He had worked in and used Moses, Joshua will now be used. What a comfort this word from God would have been to him!
At the edge of the river, Joshua gives the final instructions to the people lined up to go over. We see the priests dressed in their ceremonial robes. They carry the ark of the Covenant, prepared to go first. We see the families of the different tribes organized and packed for the crossing. We see Joshua in the center about to give them the Word of God. We see that word in verses 9-13.
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God. 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. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. 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.
The message from God was that He is a living God who is among them. Though there is a trial and there is a challenge, God is the Living God. God is not only the planner but the actor behind the scenes for His people. As the presence of God goes before them into the river, the river will be divided and there will be a way made for the people of God.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Could the children of Israel see God speaking? No. Could they hear His voice or see His actions? No. They were given the Word of God alone and they must follow it into the trial of the Jordan River. As they looked across the mile wide expanse, they chose to believe the promise of God in their trial. One writer says this,
“Learn to trust in a withdrawing God and depend upon him; to stay ourselves upon his name when we see no light, Is 50:10. Never leave until you find him. Look, as Esther would go into the king’s presence when there was no golden scepter held forth, so venture into God’s presence when you have no smile and no countenance from heaven; trust in a withdrawing God…”
Thomas Manton (quoted by Peter Lewis in The Genius of Puritanism, pg. 109
Who is among you that feareth the Lord,
That obeyeth the voice of his servant,
That walketh in darkness, and hath no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord,
And stay upon his God.
As the priests enter the river, something happens. The waters stop flowing over 20 miles upriver. These millions of people are able to move forward into the dry ground of the Jordan. Up and down the river, no explanation would have been given for this change. There was no water going into the Dead Sea. There was mound of water at the point of God’s miracle. God makes dry ground for His people. He did it at the Red Sea. He did it for Israel at Jordan. He did it for Elijah also at Jordan.
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.
The faith of the priests and the faith of the people was shown in their perseverance in this trial of their life. Once they had completely passed over, the possession of the land began. This was an accomplishment connected to the faith of God’s people.
Be Strong Joshua 3–4
Unbelief says, “Let’s go back to where it’s safe”; but faith says, “Let’s go forward to where God is working” (see Num. 14:1–4). Forty years before, Joshua and Caleb had assured the Jews, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” That’s faith! But the people said, “We are not able!” That’s unbelief, and it cost the nation forty years of discipline in the wilderness (see Num. 13:26–33). “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—your faith” (1 John 5:4, NKJV).
God works in Confident Followers. Confidence is a result of realizing the many times before that God has done the same thing for you. In my life, I can see how God has always brought me on with the best path that He chose. Paul tells us,
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God's work is revealed when we follow Him into the river’s trial. No one knew how God was going to get them across until the priests stepped into the river. The presence of God goes before to prepare miracles for the people of God.
The bookends of the Wilderness Wanderings are two crossings. God showed Himself to Israel at the Red Sea and the Jordan River. God wants us to move forward and see what He will do for us. The Christian life begins with a choice for belief in Christ. We believed that we were sinners without hope on our own. We believed that Jesus had taken away our sins. We believed that He is our Saviour who gives us new life. The crossing of the Red Sea was a choice of faith.
In our passage this morning, we come to another crossing. The blessings of God are waiting for us who go through the trials of life with the assurance of God’s promises. The children of Israel had to enter the trial and allow God to do something for them to come through. So it is with the Christian.
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
What trial are you in right now? What concerns or worries do you have? God knows these and God is working to bring you through. The miracle of God is just a few steps away from the kneeling Christian. Move forward by faith as they did in Joshua 3 and see the blessings of God on the other side of your trial.
Are you a close follower of God? Are you following His presence and waiting for His Word? Be a close follower today!
Are you a clean follower of God? What is keeping you from full fellowship with Him? Confess and forsake it today! Be a clean follower today.
Are you a confident follower of God? How is your faith and action to follow Him? Confidence is a result of realizing the many times before that God has done the same thing for you. Be a confident follower today!
Unbeliever, you cannot follow God because you are still in your sin. Your trial is a life without God. Choose to put your faith in God alone for salvation. He will save you today. When all of us were were without hope, Jesus died for us. Believe today!
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
