October 22, 2014
Promises Kept
I The Call of Joshua Joshua 1
I I A Scarlet Thread Runs Through It Joshua 2:1-24, Hebrews 11:31
II I Step Into the Water Joshua 3: 13-16
I The Call of Joshua
The word Promise, is a wonderful word that is full of expectancy and hope… of hope and expectancey… Even the word is full of hope. Don’t you love a promise, especially when you know that the promise maker is also a promise keeper?
(During the terrible days of the Blitz, during WWII, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, but hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you Father!” I can’t see you! The father, looking up against the sky, tinted red, by the burning buildings, and remembering his promise to always protect and take care of his little boy…called t out to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see you, son, so Jump!" And the boy did….. he was able to jump because he trusted his father.
(During the terrible days of the Blitz, during WWII, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, but hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you Father!” I can’t see you! The father, looking up against the sky, tinted red, by the burning buildings, and remembering his promise to always protect and take care of his little boy…called t out to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see you, son, so Jump!" And the boy did….. he was able to jump because he trusted his father.
Our faith, enables us, as believers to face life, or to meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known, by the one who does….God the Father….…the ultimate promise keeper., keeps every promise perfectly…
God has promised us a life that is filled with His Presence and his peace, a life that overcomes the shadows of sin and death with the brilliant Light of the Lord Jesus. God holds out the promise of a life that is said to be ’abundant’ and marked by freedom from slavery to sin. It is not just a better life for the present, but is fully realized in the gift of eternal life when this earthly sojourn is over.
The question is…. how do we ’possess’ that promised life?
Some people say, "just receive it by faith."
Which is true enough, but there is also responsibility for you and me.
The question is…. how do we ’possess’ that promised life?
Some people say, "just receive it by faith."
Which is true enough, but there is also responsibility for you and me.
If by ’responsibility’ we are implying that can we somehow save ourselves from sin with religious efforts and being very, very good, we are wrong. This promised new life, is the work of the Lord Jesus, provided fully, at His expense, and for no other reason, except for how much God the Father loves His children.
That said, we cannot ignore the Bible’s command to us that we are to, ’take possession’ of this new life.
We need to choose, on a daily basis, to live in a way that opens up our lives to the flow of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Phil. 2:12-13, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God, who works in you, to will and to act according to his good purpose.", meaning, that we have to be "careful to put into action, God’s saving work in our lives, by obeying Him, with deep reverence and a worshipful fear."
That said, we cannot ignore the Bible’s command to us that we are to, ’take possession’ of this new life.
We need to choose, on a daily basis, to live in a way that opens up our lives to the flow of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in Phil. 2:12-13, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God, who works in you, to will and to act according to his good purpose.", meaning, that we have to be "careful to put into action, God’s saving work in our lives, by obeying Him, with deep reverence and a worshipful fear."
The book of Joshua is a series of lessons for us, on how we can take hold of God’s promises.
It is the story of Joshua’s leadership, as he transitioned the Israelite people from wandering in the wilderness, to living and abiding in the Promised Land
study for this week, let’s pray that the Lord will help uee just a little bit of the parallel, between the Israelites working, to physically conquer the Promised Land, and the challenges that we face, struggling to capture the promises of our spiritual promised land----as we walk through this sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrific, world that we live in….
**********
**********
"Moses is dead!" thundered, the voice of God…Joshua had served Israel and Moses as a Vice President for 40 years! He was accustomed to taking orders, and implementing the vision of another person. But, now, that was over….40 years of their history, together, was OVER! The partnership that had worked, so well, for so long, was OVER! And it was time for Joshua to step up and take his new place of service….
Joshua might easily have let himself be paralyzed by grief, or by sentimentally, longing for a return to the time, when someone else was carrying the burden, or at least sharing it… plus, if he loved Moses, and I think he did, he would have been grieving his loss….So God had to shock him into action, with a stark declaration - "Moses is dead! Now get ready." So, Joshua picked up his bootstraps, and prepared himself and his people, to step into the Promised Land to claim their promises….and never looked back….(tell the story of my daddy and granddaddy after my mother passed away…?)
Joshua might easily have let himself be paralyzed by grief, or by sentimentally, longing for a return to the time, when someone else was carrying the burden, or at least sharing it… plus, if he loved Moses, and I think he did, he would have been grieving his loss….So God had to shock him into action, with a stark declaration - "Moses is dead! Now get ready." So, Joshua picked up his bootstraps, and prepared himself and his people, to step into the Promised Land to claim their promises….and never looked back….(tell the story of my daddy and granddaddy after my mother passed away…?)
II The Scarlet Thread Runs Through It Joshua 2:1-24, Hebrews 11:31
Her name was Rahab; she was a prostitute;, and she is one of my favorite women in the scripture. If you didn’t read her story, but just answered the homework questions about her, then please, sometime today, find a cozy chair and check out the second chapter of Joshua.
Joshua, borrowing a strategy from Moses’s playbook----- he sent in two spies,to scope out the land We don’t know their names, but we do know that they were told to focus on Jericho.
While they were there, the spies stayed at the home of the prostitute named Rahab. It has been speculated that they chose this location because it was unlikely that they would be discovered in a brothel. One way or another, by the end of their time there, they had changed the course of her life, and in a sense, all of our lives.
The king of Jericho got word that there were spies in the land, and he sent his representatives to Rahab’s house. But, Instead of turning them in, she lied to theguards and told them that the spies had been there, but had long since left and gone their way out of the city. While the guards rush through the night streets, Rahab crawled up to her roof where she has hidden the men under stalks of flax. She whispered to them while they lie there, and she told them that she knew what the Lord has done for them. She has heard about the parting of the sea, and she believed that God Himself was on their side. She told them that she believed that their God was “The God of heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:11).
Essentially, she believed in God, more than she feared for herself. She lied to the authorities to protect the strangers, because she wanted to be on the side of God, as they are.
She tells the spies that she would keep them safe as long as they would promise not to harm her family when they stormed the city. The spies agreed.
Then, She let down what may have been the scarlet cord from her window and helped them with an escape plan out of the city. The men told her that they would be back to t take the city shortly, and in order for her family to be kept safe, she must do one thing. She must gather her family into her home and then drop the scarlet cord from her window, to signify that they were to be spared in the fighting.
It wasn’t the first time the Lord had used a symbol like that, foreshadowing the blood, that was shed by the Lord Jesus. The night the angel of death had passed over their houses because of the lamb’s blood that was sprinkled on the doorpost was the one that would have stood out uppermost in their minds….
The blood of a lamb…the scarlet cord…the cross at Calvary…they all represent the same thing------the gift of redemption that Jesus freely gives us…
And that’s one of the things I love most about the Lord Jesus. He is the God of redemption. He loves to take the underdog and show them that they are not who they think they are. He took a woman who made a scandalous living, and he blessed her because she believed in God with holy, reverent fear. He didn’t just “let” her into the story. He chose her for the story.
The story of Rahab brings tears of gratitude to my eyes. The blood-red cord comes spilling from a window, desperately clutched on one end by a woman who believed in the God she has yet to meet. That cord saved her and her family from death and disaster.
And that cord has saved the rest of us from a miserable existence now, and from an eternity in hell, in the future…. We are the sinners who have the power of the scarlet cord, we drop it in faith ,and then we cling to it, with the utter conviction that He will save us.
We weren’t there the day that Jesus died on the cross for us----and now,over 2000 years later, we’re removed from it----we wear pretty gold and silver crosses around our necks and we have beautiful crosses in our churhhes----we love them and we revere them, but they are nothing at all like the cross of Calvary----it’s good for us, from time to time, and get away and spend some time with Jesus, remembering what it was like for Him that day, and envisioning how precious and priceless, his blood is to us, and just why it is such a beautiful picture of Rahab’s scarlet cord.
Take a moment to just be still. This is a challenge in itself most days. But close your eyes, and imagine the thorn of crowns, cutting into His sweet, bloody brow. Look at the crown. Just sit in the sorrow of that for a few minutes, and then, let my minds-eye travel to His face and His beaten body. And see His His arms, aching from being stretched out and held up. Spend time studying His sunken cheeks, His hollowed eyes, His sword pierced side His arms, and His wrists. Think about the blood seeping from His wrists,
spilled for you and me, that came from a big old spike…
Gradually, open your mind’s eye, and see His back, beaten beyond human recognition. Take it all in. What can we do---- pray for Him, weep for Him. thank Him. See His legs, hung weightlessly into the base of the cross, nails big ugly nails driven through his ankles. Can you imagine what it must have felt like as the nails pierced His skin. hear the shouting, the chaos, the overwhelming sense, that the moment of death is near.
Then imagine, standing at the foot of the cross, knowing, finally, what we’ve been spared, recognizing the cost of our forgiveness----- standing there, clinging, to a scarlet rope.
And here is the best part of the story, and probably the least expected twist in the plot. At some later point in time, Rahab becomes pregnant, and gives birth to a son, whom she names “Boaz.” Remember Boaz? You may recall that he was symbolic of Christ as the “kinsmen redeemer” who married Ruth in the book of Ruth. Are you ready for this family tree?
Rahab is the mother of Boaz.
Boaz is the father of Obed.
Obed is the father of Jessie
Jessie is the father of David.
Let’s skip a couple of generations and see where we end up…
…and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
She was a sin-filled woman with a controversial story.
She was a castoff.
She was imperfect, immoral, improper.
She was hand-picked to be part of His lineage.
She was redeemed by faith.
If we are saved, at some point in time. We opened opened a window and dropped a scarlet cord down…..
And the Lord, despite our hardships, has kept His promises to us. And One day, we will stand before Him and will see the wounds with our own eyes, for real.. We will thank Him. As we bow down low and worship Him… we will spend eternity in a place where there is no more hurt. A place where our family members wait to welcome us home, a place where we will never tire of sitting at Jesus feet….we should be longing for that day longing to see Him, longing to love Him, and longing to adore the One who placed in our hands the scarlet cord and saved us.
III Stepping Into the Water – Joshua 3:13-16
Did You Know:
Walt Disney - was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Walt also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.
Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of college. He was described as “both unable and unwilling to learn.”
Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, did not make his high school basketball team his sophomore year.
Beethoven’s teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister until he was 62. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.”
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
…..
It must have been an exciting time for the Israelites to finally enter their Land of promise.
They had been in the dessert and in the wilderness for forty years.
It was time to move out of the desert – across the Jordan River – and into Canaan.
There had been discouragement and disappointments, discipline and death, along the way – but it was time for them to go claim their promise!
Did You Know:
Walt Disney - was fired by a newspaper editor for lack of ideas. Walt also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.
Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, flunked out of college. He was described as “both unable and unwilling to learn.”
Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, did not make his high school basketball team his sophomore year.
Beethoven’s teacher called him hopeless as a composer.
Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister until he was 62. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.”
Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
…..
It must have been an exciting time for the Israelites to finally enter their Land of promise.
They had been in the dessert and in the wilderness for forty years.
It was time to move out of the desert – across the Jordan River – and into Canaan.
There had been discouragement and disappointments, discipline and death, along the way – but it was time for them to go claim their promise!
****This part of our wrap-up is about reaching for your dreams and claiming God’s promises
There are 7 lessons I want us to learn:
1. Keep Your Eyes On God – vv. 1-4
Josh 3:1” Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.
Josh 3:2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp;
Josh 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.”
Notice that they had to wait for three days. But they’d been waiting for 40 eaand rs – three days wouldn’t have made much of a difference. (Moses had gotten to the edge of the river and never crossed over. How many of us get to the edge and never cross over?
How many of us can see the promises but never obtain them?)
There are 7 lessons I want us to learn:
1. Keep Your Eyes On God – vv. 1-4
Josh 3:1” Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.
Josh 3:2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp;
Josh 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.”
Notice that they had to wait for three days. But they’d been waiting for 40 eaand rs – three days wouldn’t have made much of a difference. (Moses had gotten to the edge of the river and never crossed over. How many of us get to the edge and never cross over?
How many of us can see the promises but never obtain them?)
It was an exciting day for for he Isaraelites…… it was the beginning of the fulfillment a covenant that had been made to Abraham about 500 years before.
Notice v.3 – “when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God…”
“The ark” is mentioned seven times in this chapter. It represented God to the Israelites
We must keep our eyes on God. When God moved, they were to move-----When God stopped they were to do the same.
In his book… “Experiencing God”----by Henry Blackaby - He states—“we need to see what God is up to around us and then get involved”
Notice v.3 – “when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God…”
“The ark” is mentioned seven times in this chapter. It represented God to the Israelites
We must keep our eyes on God. When God moved, they were to move-----When God stopped they were to do the same.
In his book… “Experiencing God”----by Henry Blackaby - He states—“we need to see what God is up to around us and then get involved”
This may require us to leave our comfort zone.
Israel was about to follow the Ark through a river that was over 1 mile wide. There were obstacles ahead.
OBSTACLES ARE OFTEN GOD’S WAY OF PRYING US OUT OF OUR RUT.
· The Jordan River forced Joshua out of the rut of being second in command to Moses.
· The river compelled them to get out of the “manna mentality.”
If you ever expect to get past your obstacles and enter your Canaan, you must learn to follow God.
Under Joshua’s leadership – the people were prepared to cross the Jordan. They could see the prize.
The “Jordan River” – is not a wide river. Normally… It was about 40 feet wide at the widest point.
In the springtime – the normally narrow river flooded its banks. In places it could be around 150 feet deep and as much as a mile wide.
The people got to the edge of the Jordan and stayed there three days – “waiting for the direction of the Lord.”
Josh 3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."
There are two commands given in vv. 3-4…
1- Follow the ark – (keep your eyes on God) – v.3
“then you shall set out from your place and go after it”
They were entering into territory that they had never entered before. They needed direction from God.
2- There shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure (3,000 feet)
and there were TWO PURPOSES:
1- That they would know the way to go
because If that great number of people thronged around the ark – the direction would have been obscured.
and because they had not not passed that way before”
We are all on a journey to live and walk in God’s promises for us. We are going places that we have never gone before.
WE NEED HIS GUIDANCE AND HELP!
2- That they would have a reverence for God
Exo 25:21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
Exo 25:22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel
It was at the mercy seat of the ark, where God said that He would meet with them.
They were to have a reverence for the ark of God – for the holiness of God.
Do we have a reverence for God’s presence? For God’s house?
Israel was about to follow the Ark through a river that was over 1 mile wide. There were obstacles ahead.
OBSTACLES ARE OFTEN GOD’S WAY OF PRYING US OUT OF OUR RUT.
· The Jordan River forced Joshua out of the rut of being second in command to Moses.
· The river compelled them to get out of the “manna mentality.”
If you ever expect to get past your obstacles and enter your Canaan, you must learn to follow God.
Under Joshua’s leadership – the people were prepared to cross the Jordan. They could see the prize.
The “Jordan River” – is not a wide river. Normally… It was about 40 feet wide at the widest point.
In the springtime – the normally narrow river flooded its banks. In places it could be around 150 feet deep and as much as a mile wide.
The people got to the edge of the Jordan and stayed there three days – “waiting for the direction of the Lord.”
Josh 3:4 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before."
There are two commands given in vv. 3-4…
1- Follow the ark – (keep your eyes on God) – v.3
“then you shall set out from your place and go after it”
They were entering into territory that they had never entered before. They needed direction from God.
2- There shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure (3,000 feet)
and there were TWO PURPOSES:
1- That they would know the way to go
because If that great number of people thronged around the ark – the direction would have been obscured.
and because they had not not passed that way before”
We are all on a journey to live and walk in God’s promises for us. We are going places that we have never gone before.
WE NEED HIS GUIDANCE AND HELP!
2- That they would have a reverence for God
Exo 25:21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
Exo 25:22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel
It was at the mercy seat of the ark, where God said that He would meet with them.
They were to have a reverence for the ark of God – for the holiness of God.
Do we have a reverence for God’s presence? For God’s house?
2. Prepare Your Heart – vv. 5-7
Josh 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
Josh 3:6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
Josh 3:7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day 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.
“their hearts needed to be sanctified, “to be set apart/ consecrated.
They had to do this in order for God’s miracles to among them. God won’t work in unholiness.
To the Hebrews – this meant washing their clothes and abstaining from sexual activity for a season. It was also a time of fasting.
It was a time of waiting on God. Listening to His voice. Preparing their hearts to hear from Him and obey Him…t
It is interesting… they needed to sanctify themselves because “tomorrow the Lord would do wonders among them…”
Tomorrow would be a better day!…
They had to be prepared
How many of us have missed the opportunity to step in and claim our promises, because we weren’t prepared? our hearts weren’t right?
3. Listen To God’s Instruction – v.8, vv. 12-13
No matter how ridiculous it would sound.
Josh 3:8 "You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ’When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’"
The priests were commanded to come to the river edge and wait for God’s instruction.
Keep in mind that it was deep in the place where they were going to cross.
”Josh 3:12 "Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
Josh 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
They had to have faith to put the soles of their feet in the water.
Nothing will happen until you step off the riverbank of your life. It is a step of faith.
It is interesting: This is probably the same place where Jesus was “baptized by John.”
It is the place where Jesus also went under the water. It is a point of submission.
Just as the water parted for Moses it parted and become “a wall” for Joshua. because he put feet to his faith smd he inspired other people to put feet to their faith too..
4. Remember God’s Promises To You – vv. 9-11
Josh 3:9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God."
Josh 3:10 And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittite s and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
Josh 3:11 "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
(these verses clearly state thatGod is with you – v.10He will give you victory – v.10
Notice all the “itites” mentioned here
Deuteronomy 7:1 states that these seven nations weregreater than Israel.
· Canaanites – lived along the coast of Phoenicia – “peddlers of humiliation”
· Hittites – “fear”
· Hivites – “open to anything”
· Perizites – “dwellers in unwalled villages”
· Girgashites –
· Amorites – most powerful race in Palestine, next to the Hittites. They lived on both sides of the Jordan.
They were a nomadic people. Their name meant pride.
Exo 23:23 "My Messenger will go ahead of you and will bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. (GWT
·His presence will be with you – v.11
5. Believe In Miracles – vv. 14-17
Josh 3:14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
They broke camp, they tore down their tents, and they uprooted their lives to follow God.
They went out on a limb and they finally received what they were praying for.
God did amazing things that day.
Were there obstacles? You bet.
The river was over 1 mile wide and there were 2 million people who had to cross over.
·They could not build a bridge, there wasn’t enough time or materials
· they could not transport everyone over in boats,—there were no boats
· there was only one way around their problem and that was through – they needed a miracle
(Aren’t you glad that we have a God that goes before us and make a way for us?)
The spies came this way 40 years ago – and all they saw was the suddenly iants and the problems.
(It was different now – they had to look to God. He was saying, “Follow me… I have a plan…”
Josh 3:15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
But there was a catch in this plan-----the water would not part until the priests who were carrying the Ark stepped into the water.
In other words–it took a step of faith for them. Their miracle wouldn’t happen until the “priest” began to lead in faith!till they put feet to their faith…
Isn’t that the way with us? sometimes, We have to step out in faith in order for God to move!(tel about David going to Broughten..)
Ephesians 3:20—“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all at that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us”
Josh 3:16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Josh 3:17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
Verse 16 says that the waters backed up to the City of Adam—this is some 15 to 20 miles north of where the children of Israel were crossing.
God made them a path through the water that allowed a couple of million people to pass through quickly and safely.
This was a miracle of God. Remember… this was during the (flood stage – not in the low season of drought.
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible -- He does the things others cannot do).
· (What kind of river do you face today?
· Perhaps it Is a river of bitterness and anger standing between you and God’s peace?
· Is disappointment or heartache keeping you away from intimacy with God?
· Is your river a river of discouragement or depression?
· Is it unconfessed sin?
Whatever obstacle you may be facing, do you believe God can see you through it?)
Josh 3:5 And Joshua said to the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."
Josh 3:6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
Josh 3:7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day 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.
“their hearts needed to be sanctified, “to be set apart/ consecrated.
They had to do this in order for God’s miracles to among them. God won’t work in unholiness.
To the Hebrews – this meant washing their clothes and abstaining from sexual activity for a season. It was also a time of fasting.
It was a time of waiting on God. Listening to His voice. Preparing their hearts to hear from Him and obey Him…t
It is interesting… they needed to sanctify themselves because “tomorrow the Lord would do wonders among them…”
Tomorrow would be a better day!…
They had to be prepared
How many of us have missed the opportunity to step in and claim our promises, because we weren’t prepared? our hearts weren’t right?
3. Listen To God’s Instruction – v.8, vv. 12-13
No matter how ridiculous it would sound.
Josh 3:8 "You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ’When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’"
The priests were commanded to come to the river edge and wait for God’s instruction.
Keep in mind that it was deep in the place where they were going to cross.
”Josh 3:12 "Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.
Josh 3:13 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."
They had to have faith to put the soles of their feet in the water.
Nothing will happen until you step off the riverbank of your life. It is a step of faith.
It is interesting: This is probably the same place where Jesus was “baptized by John.”
It is the place where Jesus also went under the water. It is a point of submission.
Just as the water parted for Moses it parted and become “a wall” for Joshua. because he put feet to his faith smd he inspired other people to put feet to their faith too..
4. Remember God’s Promises To You – vv. 9-11
Josh 3:9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God."
Josh 3:10 And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittite s and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites:
Josh 3:11 "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.
(these verses clearly state thatGod is with you – v.10He will give you victory – v.10
Notice all the “itites” mentioned here
Deuteronomy 7:1 states that these seven nations weregreater than Israel.
· Canaanites – lived along the coast of Phoenicia – “peddlers of humiliation”
· Hittites – “fear”
· Hivites – “open to anything”
· Perizites – “dwellers in unwalled villages”
· Girgashites –
· Amorites – most powerful race in Palestine, next to the Hittites. They lived on both sides of the Jordan.
They were a nomadic people. Their name meant pride.
Exo 23:23 "My Messenger will go ahead of you and will bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will wipe them out. (GWT
·His presence will be with you – v.11
5. Believe In Miracles – vv. 14-17
Josh 3:14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
They broke camp, they tore down their tents, and they uprooted their lives to follow God.
They went out on a limb and they finally received what they were praying for.
God did amazing things that day.
Were there obstacles? You bet.
The river was over 1 mile wide and there were 2 million people who had to cross over.
·They could not build a bridge, there wasn’t enough time or materials
· they could not transport everyone over in boats,—there were no boats
· there was only one way around their problem and that was through – they needed a miracle
(Aren’t you glad that we have a God that goes before us and make a way for us?)
The spies came this way 40 years ago – and all they saw was the suddenly iants and the problems.
(It was different now – they had to look to God. He was saying, “Follow me… I have a plan…”
Josh 3:15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
But there was a catch in this plan-----the water would not part until the priests who were carrying the Ark stepped into the water.
In other words–it took a step of faith for them. Their miracle wouldn’t happen until the “priest” began to lead in faith!till they put feet to their faith…
Isn’t that the way with us? sometimes, We have to step out in faith in order for God to move!(tel about David going to Broughten..)
Ephesians 3:20—“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all at that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us”
Josh 3:16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Josh 3:17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
Verse 16 says that the waters backed up to the City of Adam—this is some 15 to 20 miles north of where the children of Israel were crossing.
God made them a path through the water that allowed a couple of million people to pass through quickly and safely.
This was a miracle of God. Remember… this was during the (flood stage – not in the low season of drought.
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible -- He does the things others cannot do).
· (What kind of river do you face today?
· Perhaps it Is a river of bitterness and anger standing between you and God’s peace?
· Is disappointment or heartache keeping you away from intimacy with God?
· Is your river a river of discouragement or depression?
· Is it unconfessed sin?
Whatever obstacle you may be facing, do you believe God can see you through it?)
6. Make A Testimony Of What God Has Done – 4:1-5
Josh 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying:
Josh 4:2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,
Josh 4:3 "and command them, saying, ’Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’"
Josh 4:4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;
Josh 4:5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into
Josh 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying:
Josh 4:2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,
Josh 4:3 "and command them, saying, ’Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’"
Josh 4:4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;
Josh 4:5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into
the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
These stones were to be a sign to future generations.
To:
o Reminds us of the power of God
o Reminds us that we have poor memory
o Would be a reminder to future generations – v.21
7. Tell Others What God Has Done – v.7
Josh 4:6 "that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ’What do these stones mean to you?’
Josh 4:7 "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."
We can’t keep it a secret as to what God has done for us.
Woodrow Wilson: “We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winters evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until the sunshine and light appears. It appears to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”
Soren Kierkegard, the 19th century Danish religious philosopher, tells a story about a town where only ducks live.
Every Sunday the ducks would waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddled into the sanctuary and sat in their proper pews.
The duck choir waddles in and takes its place, and then the duck minister comes forward and opens the duck Bible.
He reads to them…“Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fence can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds.”
All the ducks shouted “AMEN!” and they all waddled home.
God has offered us all we need today. But are we complacent?
Has God called you to something great? To reach for your dreams? To claim your promises? Has he called you to fly? But do you choose to waddle?
Like Henry Ford, Beethoven, Walt Disney, Michael Jordan, the Israelites and others – we have all been discouraged at times.
Remember “Your past does not determine your future…” God can make anything right…
He has given us wings to fly. No walls can confine us. And there is Joy in taking risks - in being daring.
There is joy in using those wings. There is joy in going out on a limb for God. There is joy in claiming our promises…
o Reminds us of the power of God
o Reminds us that we have poor memory
o Would be a reminder to future generations – v.21
7. Tell Others What God Has Done – v.7
Josh 4:6 "that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ’What do these stones mean to you?’
Josh 4:7 "Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."
We can’t keep it a secret as to what God has done for us.
Woodrow Wilson: “We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire on a long winters evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nourish them through bad days until the sunshine and light appears. It appears to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”
Soren Kierkegard, the 19th century Danish religious philosopher, tells a story about a town where only ducks live.
Every Sunday the ducks would waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddled into the sanctuary and sat in their proper pews.
The duck choir waddles in and takes its place, and then the duck minister comes forward and opens the duck Bible.
He reads to them…“Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fence can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds.”
All the ducks shouted “AMEN!” and they all waddled home.
God has offered us all we need today. But are we complacent?
Has God called you to something great? To reach for your dreams? To claim your promises? Has he called you to fly? But do you choose to waddle?
Like Henry Ford, Beethoven, Walt Disney, Michael Jordan, the Israelites and others – we have all been discouraged at times.
Remember “Your past does not determine your future…” God can make anything right…
He has given us wings to fly. No walls can confine us. And there is Joy in taking risks - in being daring.
There is joy in using those wings. There is joy in going out on a limb for God. There is joy in claiming our promises…
