Message

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Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3:1-17

Key Verse:3:14 “So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.”

In today’s passage, Joshua and the Israelites crossed the Jordan River as on dry ground by faith. This is the first miracle which God performed for his people under Joshua’s leadership. In their crossing the Jordan River we learn several important lessons and spiritual secrets which enable us to cross our own Jordan River.

First, consecrate yourselves. (1-5) Whatever we do, our attitude determines all things. I mean that God looks at our attitude before he performs miracles. How was Joshua’s attitude regarding the two spies’ report? Look at verse 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.” The two spies came back in the middle of night and reported to Joshua everything that had happened. Joshua was more than sure that God would hand over the city of Jericho into their hands. Now, he did not hesitate in obeying God’s word. Early the next morning, he and all the Israelites went to the Jordan and camped there. Joshua did not delay in doing the work of God. As soon as he heard the report, he immediately jumped into action. He reminds us of Abraham who early the next morning got up and saddled his donkey in order to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac as a burnt offering to God. (Ge 22:3) Joshua was ready to go and ready to fight. He did not delay in obeying the word of God. He immediately took action.

  In our spiritual battles, procrastination is our invisible enemy. It is a more difficult enemy than our enemies outside which we can deal with. Procrastination is a cousin of laziness. Satan always whispers us, “Do it tomorrow.”  As a result, many students fail to pass their classes because of this bad habit. God’s servant Dr. Samuel Lee often taught us that laziness is the worst sin as a servant of God. He himself showed an example how to obey God’s word and accomplish each task with great concentration. He helped me to overcome my habit of procrastination.  Joshua immediately obeyed God’s word. He was ready to go and ready to fight.

   Look at verses 2-4. “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 following 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.” The officers gave orders to their people to follow the ark of the covenant of the Lord which would be carried by the priests. They also warned them to keep a distance of about a thousand yards, around a half mile, between them and the ark. Why? Why did the Israelites keep such a distance from the ark? It is because our God is holy. Our God is too holy for sinful men to dare to approach.  How wonderful and marvelous is God’s grace to us as the Holy Son of God, Jesus, became flesh and made his dwelling among us. The smelly and sinful disciples could mingle with Jesus, touching him and serving him.

  What was Joshua’s additional message to his people for their preparation? Look at verse 5. “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Here, the word “Consecrate” means “make sacred and holy”.  ‘Consecrate’ is composed of ‘con’ which means ‘together’ in Latin and ‘sacred’, which means ‘holy.’ Consecration is not only cleansing clothes or bathing, but also abstaining from sexual activities. In the book of Samuel, the general Uriah did not sleep with his wife even though he was asked by King David because it was during a time of war.(2Sa 11:11)  Joshua ordered his people to be prepared inside and out.

  Before people fight against their enemies, they usually prepare military equipment such as polishing arrows, swords and repairing chariots and so on. But, Joshua ordered his people to consecrate themselves before they would face their enemies. It is like advising a breast cancer patient to read the Bible diligently. Joshua knew that the battle is the Lord’s. He believed that victory does not rely on the numbers of soldiers or power of military equipment, but on God Almighty. In the past, God himself fought against the Egyptian armies. The Israelites just stood still and watched how God himself fought the Egyptians. In our spiritual battles, we think we can do many things to win the victory. However, what God really wants us to do is consecrate ourselves through repentance. That is why we kneel down and pray earnestly for God’s help and blessing before we do something. Let us prepare for the coming ISBC with our repentant prayer. Then, the Lord will do amazing things among us. Amen!

Second, the Lord goes ahead of them. Look at verse 6. “Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it and went ahead of them.” Joshua ordered the priests to take up the ark of the covenant and go ahead of his people. What does this mean that the ark of the covenant of the Lord goes ahead of his people? It means that the Lord himself will prepare the way for his people. The ark of the covenant of the Lord is the representation of God’s presence. It contains the two tablets of Ten Commandments, Aaron’s staff which had budded, and a jar of manna. The two tablets indicates God’s divine words, the staff of Aaron shows God’s mighty power, and the manna reminds of God’s grace and his faithfulness. The ark of the covenant of the Lord was placed in the most holy place in the tabernacle during their pilgrimage. The ark is the symbol of God’s presence and his glory. The Lord himself will go ahead of his people and prepare the way for their journey.

In verse 3,4, “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…” What the Israelites had to do was just to follow the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The Lord will lead the way. If the ark goes left, they move left. If the ark goes right, they move right. If the ark stops, they stop. If it leaves, they leave, too.

As holy pilgrim on this earth, we are marching to Zion, the kingdom of God. What does this mean that the ark of the covenant of the Lord goes ahead of us and we follow it? This means that we put God in the first place of our life and we obey him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Trust and obey!  We often use the words, “God-centered” or “Jesus-centered”. What does this mean? This means that we put God first in the first place in our life. We put as first priority, God and his kingdom. We put God in our first place because we love him and we believe that God will lead our life best and blessed. When we acknowledge God in all our ways, he will lead us in the best way. In Deuteronomy 6:5 the Lord God says to his people, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.”

That the ark of the covenant of the Lord goes ahead of us also means that we put God’s word in the center of our heart. The ark contains God’s words. We put God’s word in our hearts as first importance. In UBF we emphasize studying and obeying the word of God. UBF is University Bible Fellowship. We gather for the Bible and become one in obeying God’s word. Every year we have new year key verses which will lead us the whole year.  We meditate on it and do our best to obey it as the Israelites followed the ark of the Lord. The word of God is our direction and protection. Early every morning we eat daily bread and write a brief message based on one word. Every Sunday afternoon after my message, we all gather and meditate on God’s word and write testimonies. All these activities are the same as the ark of the Lord going ahead of us and us following it. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”  The Israelites had many things to do to cross the Jordan River. But, there was one thing they had to do. It was to follow the ark of the covenant of the Lord. We also have many things to do, many Jordan Rivers to cross over. But, one thing we have to do is to trust in God and obey his words.

Third, the Israelites crossed over the Jordan by faith. In verses 7-8, the Lord promised Joshua to exalt him in the eyes of all Israel as he had done for Moses before.  The Lord also told Joshua that the priests who would carry the ark should stand in the middle of the river. Then, Joshua gave the Israelites direction and explained in detail what would happen to them when they obeyed the Lord. Look at verses 9-13. “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. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

  What was their response to Joshua? Look at verse 14. “So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.” They obeyed God’s word. The priests went ahead of them carrying the ark, and the people followed them.  People generally build a bridge or provide boats to cross a river. But, the Israelites followed the ark of the Lord. By faith the priest carried the ark and reached the water. By faith the people followed the ark keeping a thousand yard distance from the ark. What happened when they obeyed God’s word by faith? Look at verses 15-16. “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 Jordan River is not a big river like the Mississippi River. The Jordan River is normally at most 80–100 feet wide and 3–10 feet deep. However, the river at flood stage is a different story. Its torrent is swift and its amount of water is huge. To the eyes of the priests, the Jordan River seemed ready to devour them at any moment even before they reached the water’s edge. But, by faith they carried the ark to the river and by faith they touched the water. Then, a miracle happened. The water from upstream stopped flowing.  The people of Israelites crossed the Jordan River as on dry ground. Faith brings miracles.  Faith is victory.  

The book of Hebrews recognizes those who lived by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going. By faith, he offered Isaac as a sacrifice. By faith Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and by faith he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God. By faith, the people crossed through the Red Sea as on dry land. By faith Rahab welcomed the spies and by faith the Israelites crossed the Jordan River. We have our own Jordan River to cross over. We can cross our Jordan by faith. As for me, every weekend I face the Jordan River. I am like a Levite priest who carries the word of the Lord. By faith I prepare God’s word each week. By faith I overcome temptations and finish message writing. Recently my wife Mary has been confronting the Jordan River of radiation therapy. By faith she overcomes breast cancer. Our students crossed over the river of final exams. Now they seem to enter the promised land. Still, they have to prepare for crossing another river. Today we’ll send Msn Stephen and Elizabeth Han’s family to Dallas, Texas. They don’t know where to go or what to do. They don’t know what their future is, but they know who holds their future. We pray that they may cross the Jordan of starting a new house church in Dallas. Thank God who gave a clear and encouraging message to Dr. Stephen through the book of Joshua, “Be strong and courageous!” He becomes strong when the Lord is present with him. He becomes strong when he meditates on the word of God and follows it. He becomes strong when he lives a God-centered and mission-centered life. Let us pray that God himself may go ahead of them and prepare the way for them. Amen.

  Look at verse 17. “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.”  Like the priests, we also should stand firm until the work of God is completed. We should continue to pray for the coming ISBC until the work of God is done. It was not easy for the priests to stand firm in the middle of the river until all the Israelites completed the crossing the river. But, they did it by faith.  Today we learned that the Lord goes ahead of us in the pilgrimage of our lives. May we acknowledge him in all our ways, trust in him and obey his word. Then, the Lord will do amazing things among us. Amen!

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Attachment

• Crossing the Jordan-message_final.doc

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