Introduction:
There was once a jockey who had an unbelievable winning record. Just before the end of any race, the jockey would lean way over and seemingly speak to the horse and then almost instantly the horse would have a sudden burst of energy and win the race. A reporter asked the jockey what he did that made such a difference in the horse’s speed. He replied: “I simply quote a little verse in his ear: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, horses that lose are made into glue!”
We all need a little extra motivation at times. Joshua was a great leader who knew how to motivate people. Let’s look at Joshua 3 and see how Joshua motivated the Israelites.
Scripture:
Josh 3
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. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 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. 4 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."
5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."
6 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.
7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ’When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’"
9 Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 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. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 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."
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 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, 16 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. 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.
NIV
Background Information:
The Hebrew people had been in bondage for four hundred years until God delivered them through Moses. The people knew Moses and they knew that he was chosen by God to lead them. They were about to enter the Promised Land and decided to send in twelve spies to investigate the land and the people living there. They came back and reported that it truly was the Promised Land but there were giants in the land that could not be conquered. The people became afraid and distraught thinking that they were going to die and even considered going back to Egypt. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, spoke out saying that the people should trust in the Lord and that God would lead them into the land. The people were in such frenzy that they considered stoning both Joshua and Caleb. For their lack of faith God sentenced the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years.
Now, once again, the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. The land is still filled with milk and honey and giants are still in the land. To complicate matters even more, there is a change in leadership. God told Moses that he would be able to see the Promised Land but he would not enter it. God selected Joshua to be Moses’ successor.
There was another complication in human terms. The only thing separating the Israelites from their first major city to conquer was the Jordan River. It was harvest season and the Jordan River was raging and had over flown its’ banks.
The people had to have questions in their minds and hearts such as; “Is Joshua the right guy to lead us?” “Is he capable?” “How are we going to cross the raging river?” “How can we possibly conquer Jericho?” “What is in store for us in this new land?” “I’ve never been here before. What do I do? What will I encounter? I am afraid.” “Where are we going to live?” “How are we going to live?” “What if I die?”
Joshua motivated the people by making them anticipate that God was going to do something great. He gave them an expectancy of God.
Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary defines consecration as “the act of setting apart any person or thing to the worship or service of God.” Jesus, as always, is our example. He consecrated Himself, set Himself apart, completely so that God the Father could provide salvation to all of us by atoning for our sin through Jesus Christ. As believers we are encouraged in Rom 12:1 to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
If Joshua were here today he would say to us:
Consecrate yourselves because:
1. God Is With You
a. When you see God working join Him in it. Consecration is an act of preparing to follow.
b. Dwight Eisenhower illustration Billy Graham. (p226 – Tale of the Tardy Oxcart)
In 1955, President David Eisenhower was in Denver, Colorado, for a few days of business. In the Saturday morning newspaper, one of the president’s aids read a letter to the editor from a teenage boy with cancer, named Paul Hailey, who expressed his dream of someday, somehow, someway meeting the President of the United States. After showing the article to the president, Mr. Eisenhower told the aide to have his car ready for a visit to the boy’s home early on Sunday morning. At 6:30 on Sunday morning, the president walked to the door of the Hailey’s home and knocked. A sleepy eyed, unshaven David Hailey was shocked at the president’s visit and interest in meeting his son. After meeting and talking with Paul, Mr. Eisenhower took the boy outside to the limousine to meet his wife before their departure. The next day, newspaper reporters asked David Hailey what he thought about the president’s visit to his home. The father said he was not too happy because he was not prepared. They then asked the son his opinion of the visit. Paul, the son, said he was ecstatic because he had longed for the day he might personally get to meet the President of the United States. Are you prepared should Jesus return today? We are not looking for a visit from the President of the United States. We are looking for the return of the King of Kings for His bride, the Church! Prepare yourself by spending time with God by reading His Word, spend time getting to know God’s heart through prayer and be so focused upon him that you see how he is working in your life and the lives of others.
2. God Goes Before of You (verse 11)
a. You have never been to tomorrow before but God has and is. He is eternal, all knowing, and is not bound by time or space. What the Israelites did not know was that God was already at work. The people of Jericho were terrified of the Israelites. They heard about all the previous conquests of the Israelites and how the God of the Israelites was with them. The Ark of the Covenant represented God’s presence. God was leading the way for His people. He is leading the way for you and me today.
b. Personal testimony of call to ministry
3. God Is Going To Do Great Things Among You (verse 13)
a. God parted the waters before their very eyes and allowed them to cross the Jordan River. But the people had a responsibility. They had to set themselves apart both in body and spirit, in thought and deed. They had to completely set themselves apart from the fear of the unknown and “what could or might be” as well as from their personal confidence in themselves and their own abilities. They had to consecrate themselves totally to God. That is what faith is. Faith is trusting God totally in body and spirit, in thought and deed. The people could have said “Sure, I trust in God” and never moved their feet and they never would have experienced the power of God in their lives. God required the priests to step out in faith and carry the Ark of the Covenant into the Jordan River. God expected the people of Israel to step out in faith and follow the priests.
b. Oswald Chambers said, “Consecration means the continual separating of myself to one particular thing. We cannot consecrate once and for all.” As we continually consecrate ourselves to God and take the next step of faith that he leads us to then we will see God do great things among us.
Conclusion:
Sometimes people don’t expect God to care. Sometimes people don’t expect God to be there or hear our prayer. Brothers and sisters, consecrate yourselves, set yourself apart to God, be holy unto God because God Almighty is with you, God Almighty goes before you, and God Almighty is going to do great things in you and among you.
