Joshua 3

H1

End of tree days - consecration

When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord you God being carried, follow it, but keep a distance.

Don’t come near it in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.

Ex:19:12-15

And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

Set the boundary, consecrate, wash, be ready. When the trumpet sounds, come up the mountain.

Instead of come up the mountain, come into the river bed

Carried by Levitical priests

Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

Lord to Joshua, Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

Command the priests, to stand still in the Jordan.

God is inviting us into his presence

You don’t like it when what we have made of this world shows it’s evil colors.

wars

famine

murders

pain

death

When we read the biblical creation narative, those are things that happen as a result of our rebellion, not God’s punishement. We want to blame someone, so we blame God, but we are not being honest with each other

If we don’t like it, what do you think God thinks of it? He is holy, he is seperated from the sin of this world. We were exiled from the garden, from his presence.

But God still pursues us. That is the main theme of the bible. God not giving up on his rebellious creation, but coming to us, to show the way back to God.

But it isn’t a simple problem of letting us back in the Garden. We have contracted a serious disease. We have corrupted ourselves, and God’s creation. There was a reason we were sent out of the garden in the first place, and it wasn’t for a timeout. Our sin has to be dealt with otherwise we bring this mess with us.

Do you remember what the Lord has done for you?

Or do you grumble and wish for things you once had, or things you think you should have.

The ark of the Lord, The Lord of all the earth will come to rest in the waters

When you follow God, the way is made. (Ps you don’t always see it in advance)

Ark represented the throne of God, at the heart of the temple. The place where God and man could dwell together.

Eden

Mt Sinai

Jordan

Jesus in the Jordan

Ark is a representation of God’s presence with Israel, but not the only one.

In his temple, in the holy of holies

On his mountain, up on high.