Crossing Over

Joshua 3:1-17

Crossing Over

Joshua 3:1-1

The Lord made some promises to Joshua and Israel in the first chapter, promises he made also with Moses, and before Moses, Abraham. He promised to give them the land. He promised to give them power over the enemies. He promised to be with them always. Now, it was time for Joshua and the Israelites to step out in faith and obedience and move forward with God into the promised land.

In the first nine verse of chapter one we have the commissioning of Joshua. In verses ten through eighteen we have the commitment of the people to follow Joshua’s leadership into the promise land. Chapter two gives us the confirmation of the promises that God made, a confirmation that would come through a Gentile woman named Rahab.

After the commissioning and the confirmation it was time for Joshua and the Israelites to move forward. They had a choice to believe the promises of God, or not believe. They chose to believe the promises and it resulted in activity. It resulted in Joshua and the Israelites moving forward with God.

Verse one of chapter three reveals the faith translating into obedience, “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.” It took faith to move forward, and courageous faith translates into obedience.

Shittim was located about six miles east of the Jordan, and 13 miles east of Jericho. Crossing the Jordan river during dry season would have been an easy task for Joshua and the 2 million or so Israelites with him. During the dry season the river is about 100 feet wide and 2-10 feet deep. However, it was not the dry season.

We are told in verse fifteen of chapter three, “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),” It was flood season, which meant that the Jordan river could be up to a mile wide. This wouldn’t happen today because of all the arrogation that uses the Jordan river, but it did during Joshua’s day.

Our sovereign God could have orchestrated the crossing over during the dry season, but he didn’t. Instead he had the move to the banks of the Jordan during flood season, and wait by the banks for three days. God wanted the impossible nature of the crossing to sink in. The only way two million people were going to cross the Jordan river at this time was by a miracle of God. And that is exactly what God wanted. He wanted them to see that possess the promise land is done, not by the natural, but the supernatural.

It’s the same with the abundant life in Christ. We can’t live the Christian life in the natural. It’s impossible. The Christian life is a supernatural life where Christ possesses the believer as he abides in Christ. The Christian life is about crossing over from the natural life to the supernatural life, the abundant life. The same steps that Joshua and the Israelites had to take to cross over into the promise land are the same steps that Christians have to take to cross over into the abundant life. First, you cross over into the abundant life by consistently seeking the presence of God.

1. You cross over into the abundant life by consistently seeking the presence of God.

Notice what happened after three days in verses two and three, “At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 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.” The ark of the covenant is central to the unfolding story of chapters three and four. In chapter three alone it is mentioned 10 times.

The ark of the covenant symbolized Jehovah’s presence. The Israelites correctly believed that the ark was a symbol of God’s throne. In the ark of the covenant were the tablets with the Law on them, manna, and Aaron’s staff. These three things represented God’s authority, guidance, provision and power. The ark also symbolized the place to meet with God.

They were commanded to keep their eyes on the ark. This meant that they needed to stay focused on the ark and to stay close enough, but not to close according to verse four, to the presence of the ark so that they could see it. When the ark moved they were commanded to follow the ark. That is why the ark is central to the story of chapter three, it represents God leading Joshua and the people into the promised land.

The Old Testament ark was a picture of Christ. In the New Covenant Jesus Christ gives us access before the throne of God though his blood. He gives us access into the holy of holies and provides a way for us to have a close relationship with the triune God.

In the Old Covenant, God told them to stay near the ark and he would give them the land. In the New Covenant God says to draw near to Jesus and we will live the abundant life. We must consistently seek the Lord with all our heart so that we can enjoy his presence. When we draw near to Jesus he will draw near to us.

Like the Israelites, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We need to draw near to him each and every day, and when Jesus moves, we follow. You cross over into the abundant life by consistently seeking the presence of God. You pursue God’s presence through daily consecration.

2. You pursueGod’s presence through daily consecration.

Verse five, “Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves…” For Joshua and the Israelites to cross over they had to consecrate themselves to the Lord. Consecrate means to set apart, to sanctify, to purify. The Israelites need to devote themselves to God and deal with sin that tainted their lives.

In Christ we have been set apart positionally by God. However, in living the abundant life we have to consecrate ourselves practically. We can’t let the sin pollute our lives and expect to live the abundant life. We can’t love the world and love God at the same time. If we love the world the love of the Father is not in us. Therefore, daily we need to draw near to Jesus confessing our sins so that we can enjoy fellowship and abundance.

God’s presence and our consecration go hand in hand. Many Christian don’t spend enough time in God’s presence to allow the Spirit of God and the word of God search their lives. Many Christians do not practice daily consecration, a place of humility, a place of dependence, a place for sitting at the feet of Jesus.

We need to cry out with the King David, “Search me o God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24). Consecration is the daily recognition that only God can enable me to live the abundant life. You cross over into the abundant life y consistently seeking the presence of God. You pursue God’s presence through daily consecration. Consistent consecration prepares the way for God to do wonders in and through you.

3. Consistent consecration prepares the way for God to do wonders in and through you.

In the last part of verse five Joshua gives the reason the Israelites to keep their eyes on the ark, and consecrating themselves, “for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” God was about to do something extraordinary, something too difficult for Joshua and the Israelites to do in the natural realm. God was about to do an unusual work, a supernatural work.

Let’s pick up story in verse eight to see the unusual thing that God was going to do, “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.’”

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.”

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. (Joshua 3:8, 11-13, 17 ESV)

The abundant life is a supernatural life where Christ resides, reigns, and is released in the life of the believer. Seeking the presence of God through daily consecration prepares the way for God to do wonderful things in and through you. As a result, you grow more intimate in your relationship with The Lord.

4. As a result, you grow more intimate in your relationship with the Lord.

In this chapter there were three things that The Lord wanted them to experience by seeking his presence and consecration. The Hebrew word “yada” is used three times. In this chapter. Yada speaks of a knowledge that is relational and experiential. It is often used to describe intimate relations between husband and wife. Therefore, it is an experiential, relational knowledge. God wants us to seek his presence through daily consecration so that we can have experiential knowledge of his guidance.

1) Experiential knowledge of his guidance.

Verse four, “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.” They needed to stay near to the ark so that they would know the way to go. God wanted them to know the right way to go and the right thing to do. It spoke of their journey through the land, and their walk with the Lord. The Lord wants us to draw near to him through consecration, trusting in him with all our hearts, and not leaning on our own understanding. God wants us to seek his presence through daily consecration to gain an experiential knowledge of his presence.

2) Experiential knowledge of his presence.

Verse seven, “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.” God wanted them to know that he was with Joshua, which meant that he was also with the Israelites. Last, God wants his people to seek his presence through daily consecration to gain an experiential knowledge of his power.

3) Experiential knowledge of his power

Verse ten, “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. The Jordan river experience was for the Israelites to know that Just as God enable them to cross over he would not fail in giving them victory over the seven nations residing in the land.

We need to be careful at this point. God doesn’t always deliver by drying up the river in a supernatural way. Though he may not deliver from the Jordan rivers of our lives, he will deliver us through the Jordan rivers. The Jordan rivers of our lives are the turbulent problems we face each day that can hinder the abundant life. The good news about the troubles you are in, is that Christ is right there with you. Just as the ark of the covenant was in the middle of the river, Jesus is in the middle of your mess. Draw near to him. Keep your eyes on him. Consecrate yourself to him, and he will do wonderful things in and through you, and as a result, you will grow more intimate in your relationship with the Lord.

Jesus, will never let you down. You can draw near to him through daily consecration and path the way for God to do amazing, supernatural, impossible things in and through you.