Joshua: Kingdom Conquest (4)
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It has been well said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence.
This is what we are going to be seeing in Joshua 3.
Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
At the end of three days the officers went through the camp
Crossing the Jordan would have been dangerous. The name Jorden means descending. The Jorden got it’s water from Mount Hermon which rises to a height of 9230 ft and then continued into the dead sea. So the waters would have been moving quickly.
and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),
This would have been during the time when the waters were at it’s highest and therefore fastest.
They never got there because they never listened, never believed.
Chapters 3&4 are broken down into 3 sections:
The word of Faith, The walk of faith and the witness of faith.
and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.
Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”
Now I want you to notice something. In Chapters 3&4 the are of the convenant is mentioned 10 times, The ark of the Lord is mentions 3 times, The ark itself is mentioned 3 times.
The ark represents the very presence of God. The ark going before the people was an encouragment to them knowing that
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
It’s been asked before why the Jorden. They could have walked around it many different ways. They had alternate routes to their destination. The only clue we receive is that they hadn’t ever been this way before. They wondered around this area for 40 years. They knew the land.
Sometimes God has to take us out of what is comfortable in order to get us to what is promised.
Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
The word consecrate means to cleans morally. I have many people ask: Why doesn’t God bless me or give me a healing, but if you are already a believer and still purposefully sinning how can God step into your situation when he couldn’t even look at his son on the Cross. Before we come to God we need to cleanse ourselves. On our way to sunday worship instead of fighting with our spouses we need seeking the face of God and seeking forgiveness.
Even though we have our faith in Jesus we still need to cleanse ourselves before approaching the throne.
Esther before approaching the king, her husband, prepared herself by putting on the right clothes. How much more do we nee prepare ourselves before coming to God.
And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
This speaks to the need of strong spiritual leaders, not only in churches, but in houses. Husband must faithfully lead their wives and children.
The Lord said 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.
See God had a reasons for bringing them into the Jorden. Moses obtained leadership when he lead the Israelite people through the Red Sea. Many scholars say that it symbolized baptism. And when you are baptised you given a new identity. The Jewish people were baptised unto Moses.
These followers are Baptized unto Joshua-The one they follow
We are Baptized unto Jesus- the one we follow.
Moses, Joshua, and Jesus were doors into the will and throne of God. It’s only through Jesus that we get to God. It was only through Joshua and Moses that the Israelite people heard from God.
And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’ ”
I love this quote:
It is an estimated that if two million people crossed the Jordan with Two thousand crossing every minute, it would take eight hours for the entire nation to cross over. The Priests would have to hold the ark for eight hours. They were called to lead the way, but they also had to wait for everyone to cross.
Standing still in the Jordan is a picture of intercession. The battle we are marching into is spiritual and requires spiritual weapons.
I wonder if we aren’t seeing victiory in people’s lives because we aren’t praying for victory in people’s lives.
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Then we get into joshua’s pep talk.
And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.”
And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
But his pep talk isn’t about lofty words. It’s just a reminder of the promises of God. Simply put: We need to trust those promises and walk in faith. If we require more than that we might not ever receive many of the promises God wants to give us.
Proclaiming the word of God
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Joshua reminds Israel that they serve a living God- he has power over death.
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan.
Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man.
And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”
My take away: Someone has to get their feet wet.
When someone says God isn’t moving in their lives the first question I have is are you moving? You cannot move a parked car. It’s easier to direct a moving car.
Notice that God didn’t work until the priests whole foot-not the toes, but the heals were in the water.
So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),
the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.
Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.