Not Going Down But Passing Through
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
Tonight we are going to be looking at Joshua 3, particularly verses 14-17.
And we are going to be talking about the subject of “Not Going Down, but Passing Through,” which can be sort of a cryptic title.
However, once we get into things, hopefully it will make more sense.
Now, for some context here, this is a great time in the journey of the children of Israel.
This was a time of great miracles, rivaled only by the parting of the Red Sea by God for Joshua's predecessor Moses.
And what we read about this evening is the last barrier that separated the children of Israel from the Land of Canaan.
The Land of Promise.
The Land that flowed with Milk and Honey.
40 years of wandering in the wilderness was about to be realized and Joshua was at the helm leading the people.
However, we have to remember that they were not entering into a peaceful land, a land that was void any trouble or tribulations.
It was a land with lots of enemies and God had used the last 40 years to prepare them for what they were getting ready to face.
They were entering into a new level with their relationship with God.
They had learned through 40 years of wandering to trust in God and rely on God.
But now things would be different.
They had to put what they had learned to the test.
Because the land was promised to them by God, but they were going to have to fight for it.
They were going to have to take what God had promised to them.
And they had Jericho waiting on them on the other side of the river.
And the Canaanites weren't just going to hand it over.
They were going to now learn not to go down in the tide, but to pass through the river!
To persevere and pass through the trials and tribulations.
To pass through the valleys of life they were going to have to do.
Because this was not a time of peace but rather a time war.
And much like the children of Israel when we enter into a relationship with Christ, we also pass through the river.
We enter into a new period of our life.
We are faced with the promises that God has placed in our life.
However, we have to persevere in order to realize those promises.
We have to be willing to enter into Jordan River and cross over to Canaan.
We have to be willing to pass through the water and take the land by force.
Satan isn't going to hand it to us.
It's not going to be easy.
We have to be willing to fight.
However, there's more to it than just being willing.
We have to be prepared, ready to enter into the land.
The children of Israel also had to be ready and looking at this passage gives us a clue just what it takes.
Which is what we will get into tonight.
So, Joshua 3, starting in verse 14 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Three Days Waiting
Three Days Waiting
Now, what I read was the culmination of all of their planning and preparations to enter the Promised Land.
But to get a full context of what is going on, we have to back up to the beginning of chapter 3.
Starting in verse 1, the Bible tells us . . .
Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.
Now, to set the stage, Joshua had just received word from the spies that he had sent over the river to see what was going on.
Unlike when Joshua and Caleb were sent out as spies by Moses, these spies give a different report.
They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
They come back with a good report.
A report that the Lord has prepared the way.
The Lord has went out before them and the word has spread abroad that the Israelites are coming.
So much so that the people of the land were somewhat afraid.
They were scared of God's people, because they knew that God fought for them.
Just like He did for Moses before Joshua . . .
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
And . . .
Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,
And just like God had already done for the Children of Israel time after time . . .
For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
And the word of these people with this God that fought for them had gotten out and the people of the land were afraid.
The enemy was terrified, not of the children of Israel, but of the God that fights for the Children of Israel.
And the beautiful thing, is that is the same God that fights for us.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
And guess what, the enemy is still terrified of God.
So, if God is for you, who can stand against you? NO ONE.
We need to remember that sometimes don’t we.
Anyway, our spies come back with the good report, but Joshua doesn't immediately go down to cross the river.
He does something else first.
After three days the officers went throughout the camp,
He waited for three days and then sent his officers down to the people.
And when they finally went down they offered instruction on how they were going to get across this river, they tell them . . .
giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, 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 a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Now what’s going on here is that Joshua spent that time, receiving instruction from God and then giving that instruction to his leaders, who were then going to give it to the people.
He wasn’t procrastinating, he was waiting on God.
It was very important that they received proper instruction, because this wasn't going to be any regular old river crossing.
They were going to be crossing the Jordan in the first month of the year.
This was when the Jordan was at it's highest level and the water flowed the strongest.
They were just coming off winter and all the snow from the mountains was now melting feeding the river and this wasn't just some little stream they were going to cross.
So, this was the raging Jordan River and if this thing was going to be successful they had better be receiving instructions from God.
They had better be waiting on God to tell them when it was time to go and not rushing ahead!
And the same thing is true for us, when we are facing things in life.
There is a time to move forward and there is a time to be quiet and wait on God's instruction.
Where we run into trouble many times is we want to get ahead of God and not wait on His timing and His instructions.
Then we end up drowning in the Jordan River.
Sanctify Yourselves
Sanctify Yourselves
But it’s not all waiting though, Joshua also tells them to do something else . . .
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” 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.
There's a golden nugget of Scripture if we have ever had one.
Joshua tells the people to consecrate or sanctify (as the KJV puts it) themselves.
And I’m going to tell you something, that is what's wrong with the Church today.
That's why there is no deliverance and no movement in the Church.
That' s why the Church is ineffective in taking hold of the promises of God.
The Church has failed to Sanctify itself in the sight of God.
The Church has failed to SET ITSELF APART FOR GOD'S USE.
That's what it means to be sanctified....Set apart especially for God's use.
And the Church isn't sanctified because the people in the church have lost the desire to be Sanctified.
People do not want to be 100% devoted and sold out for God.
People do not want to give God their all in all, their first fruits.
People want to give God the leftovers, that little bit they got left over before they go back to their "life" on Monday.
Do we want victory?
Do we want the Promises of the Promised Land?
Then, we have to sanctify ourselves and the the Lord will do wonders among us!
God is ready to do great miracles but we have to be ready to receive it.
We have to have a pure heart, a clean heart.
Prepared to receive whatever God is ready to pour into it.
The same was true for the children of Israel here.
God was not going to work a great miracle in the lives of a bunch of filthy, sinful people.
God was about to show Himself and His righteousness, not only to Israel but to all the people in the Land.
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 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.
God was going to reveal to them exactly what they needed to do.
And God is ready to reveal Himself in a mighty way through your life.
He wants to reveal Himself to your friends, your family, your community.
But we have to be a willing vessel.
We have to be a ready vessel to receive it.
So, are we a vessel that God can use?
Or more so, do we even want to be a vessel that God can use?
These people are being led by the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of the Spirit of God.
We are not led by the Ark, but we ARE led by the Spirit of God.
That is the Holy Spirit and He has a dwelling place, if we will let Him.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
And . . .
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Are we willing to be the Temple of God?
The representative of God?
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
Are we willing to wait on God?
To sanctify ourselves to God?
These people were Sanctified and Set Apart.
Ready to receive ALL the blessing God had in store for them.
They were ready to enter into Canaan and take the Promise of God for them.
To take it by force if necessary.
They weren't afraid of the raging waters and giant enemies that they would face.
They fixed their eyes on the Ark and followed God, not down but THROUGH THE RIVER.
The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Are we ready for a miracle of God?
Are we willing to Wait on God for instruction?
Are we willing to be Sanctified and set apart for God's use?
Are we willing to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost?
Are we willing to do whatever it takes to take Canaan?
Because that is what it takes.
Let’s pray . . .