Daily Prayer 20.03.2020

Joshua 3:1–12 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.’ 5 Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’ 6 Joshua said to the priests, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.’ So they took it up and went ahead of them. 7 And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so that they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: “When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.” ’ 9 Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

Business as unusual

Yesterday the Bishop of Liverpool wrote to all the vicars and church wardens of the Diocese encouraging us from - since you have never been this way before

Let’s set the scene, Joshua and the people have been traveling through the wilderness with Moses. After 40 years of wandering in the desert the Lord leads the people to the promised land, and then Moses dies.

The Israelites then see that the land is ocupied and Caleb is sent with some spies to check out the land. They meet Rahab who hides them from the people in Jericho before they then return to Joshua and the camp on the other side of the Jordan river.

What I find fascinating is the positioning of the Ark of the covenant here. Yes, it’s that wonderful Golden box which holds the prescence of God. After the worlds rejection of God, and then him restoring his people, he chose an address on earth, and that address was the Ark of the covenant. The Box of the promise to always be with his people. It was where his prescence was found.

Joshua tells them through the officers

We

3-4 ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.’

We haven’t been this way before. We don’t know what lies ahead, but like the people of Israel, we are called to trust in the God who does know the way. We are to follow him, and we don’t have to keep a distance from God. Through Jesus, God has come close and invites us into an intimate relationship with him every day.

So friends, stay close to God, come to him as we pray, as we read, as we learn so we can be sent by him to tell serve and give