CROSSING OVER
Can you think of a day that you waited for with great anticipation? Christmas morning? A Family Vacation? Your Wedding Day?
Maybe it was a day that you anticipated with great excitement.
Maybe it was day you anticipated with great anxiety (The fear of the unknown, like the day before starting a new job, or closing on your first home)
Can you imagine the anticipation and excitement of the Israelites?
- After 40 years wandering in the wilderness?
- After 40 years of eating nothing but Manna?
- After 500 years of hearing about how God had promised this land to Abraham?
TEXT: JOSHUA 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.
Today’s the Day!
- A New Day!
- A New Generation
- NO FEAR
Nothing but 100% Obedience & Faithfulness to the word of God!
(TS) Two things stand out to me in this chapter that I want to call your attention to:
1. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord
2. The Jordan River
I. THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD
Notice: The Ark is mentioned 10 times in 17 verses in Joshua 3.
Notice: The commands associated with the Ark
1. Follow It (vs 3)
“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." (Joshua 3:3)
When it moves - YOU move.
2. Keep Your Distance
"But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark" (Joshua 3:4)
That's about a 1/2 mile.
3. Do Not Go Near It (Joshua 3:4)
Why? Because it is holy! And we are not so holy.
But also - so everyone could see!
Remember - there’s 2 to 3 million people trying to follow the Ark. If they crowded too close, then only a few would be able to see it. But if they kept their distance, then all would be able to see it and follow the Lord.
What is so special about the Ark?
The Ark is first mentioned in Exodus 25 (The Ark of the Testimony)
The Ark Contained
1) The 10 commandments (The Precepts of the Lord)
2) Aaron’s Rod - which came to life (The Promises of God)
3) A jar of Manna (The Provisions of God)
The Ark represented the POWER of God... the PRESENCE of God. And You are to Follow it! (God is taking you where you have never been - vs 4)
The Ark pointed to the fact that as the people of Israel set out to cross the Jordan, invade, and possess the land, they must do so not in their own strength, but in God’s - for it was God Himself who was going before them as their source of victory.
One more thing: Exodus 26:34 says, "Put the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place."
Does anyone know another name for the Atonement Cover? Answer: The Mercy Seat.
Hebrews 8:1-2 says, "The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man."
Question: Where did Jesus sit?
Answer: There is only one seat in the tabernacle: The Mercy Seat. This is where Jesus sits.
The Ark: Represents JESUS (The Power, The Presence, the Promises, the Precepts, the Provisions of God!)
TEXT: JOSHUA 3:5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”
Two more words that I would like to call your attention to: CONSECRATE & AMAZING
1. CONSECRATE
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves"
Question: What does the word “consecrate” mean? Answer: To set apart.
A military leader would have said, "Get your gear right", “Sharpen your swords", and "polish your shields!”
But God's ways are not our ways.
For God’s people, to consecrate yourself would mean to get spiritually prepared. Get your Heart right. Get your thoughts right. Get your focus right
(This is how we are to approach the Lord’s Table: Examine ourselves... Purify ourselves... Consecrate ourselves)
It is being rightly related to God that brings the power of God on our work and ministry.
And Note: To consecrate is to “be hallowed, set apart, prepare, dedicate.”
But here - there's an emphasis on personal responsibility: “consecrate YOURSELVES" (set YOURSELVES apart, prepare YOURSELVES).
God will do His part. You make sure you do YOUR part.
YOU & I:
Paul tells us in Romans 12: “I appeal to you… brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Jesus says in Matthew 16:24 - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Deny Yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Jesus (Get your Heart right. Get your thoughts right. Get your focus right)
To experience the power, protection, and deliverance of God, we need to prepare our hearts and deal with the known sin in our lives (Repent! Confess).
Our hearts must be clear so that we can see where God is leading us (We have not gone this way before).
We must purify our hearts & focus our eyes, fix them on Jesus (the Ark).
Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart - for they shall see God” (they shall see God do AMAZING THINGS)
2. AMAZING "... for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.” (The KJV says, "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you." (WONDERS... MIRACLES)
What’s He going to do?
v. 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.
v. 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.
v. 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.’ ”
v. 9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.
Note: v. 9 “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord...” v. 8 “Go stand in the river” (at flood stage)
I can imagine the Israelites saying “Can we have another word?” But that's not what they do. They just did it! (No questions asked! No complaining. No second guessing)
THAT’S FAITH!
Between you and I, and the Promises of God, there is a river of difficulty (It’s uncrossable... it’s impossible). It could be your health... your finances... your marriage... And God says CROSS IT.
God was requiring the Israelites live by faith. God chose a time for them to CROSS OVER when it would be humanly impossible.
Part of living by faith is to STOP thinking about the physical... earthly limitations. And START thinking about the POWER and the PRESENCE and the PROMISES of God
TEXT: v. 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.
THIS IS HOW YOU WILL KNOW...
God does amazing things - for a reason (Miracles have purpose)
Note: Miracles often come in clusters (Much of the Bible is NOT miracle after miracle: i.e. Samuel... Kings... Ruth... Esther... Nehemiah)
God does amazing things - for a reason: To establish a message. To establish a messenger. To give His people confidence.
TEXT: v. 11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.
THE MIRACLE:
v. 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.”
QUESTION: Which came first? The rushing waters stopping? Or the priests stepping into the Jordan?
v. 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.
IS THAT NOT AMAZING???
Sadly - some insist that this was no miracle at all. It was merely a natural phenomenon.
HISTORY
On December 8, 1267 an earthquake caused the high banks of the Jordan to collapse near Tell ed-Damiyeh, damming the river for about 10 hours.
On July 11, 1927 another earthquake near the same location blocked the Jordan River for 21 hours.
And some have concluded, "THAT’S NOT AMAZING" (Nothing to see here!).
Secular Humanist don’t believe in Miracles. Sadly, many Christians don’t believe in miracles.
When it comes to the Bible - many people can’t/won’t believe anything they can’t understand
(which is hogwash - because they don’t understand how windshield wipers work! Or how a black cow can eat green grass and get white milk - that churns yellow butter) BUT NOBODY QUESTIONS THAT!!!!
But when it comes to the word of God, people just aren’t amazed. Instead of being in awe of God, they feel the need to explain the amazement away.
Example: Jonah and the Big Fish
Christians get embarrassed when people challenge them that they would believe Jonah & the whale.
A lot of people don’t believe it (Even though they believe God created the Heavens and the Earth. They believe God raised Jesus from the dead. But Jonah and the Fish? “Come on. Do you really believe that?” they say. So we try to explain the unexplainable. We try to figure the type of fish that could do such a thing.
STOP IT! We serve a Powerful God that does AMAZING THINGS!
The Bible says, "The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah" (Jonah 1:17) God could have prepared a fish with a refrigerator and colored TV if He wanted!
BE AMAZED!
THE MIRACLE
1. THE TIMING As soon as the priests' feet touched the water
2. At FLOOD STAGE
3. 2 to 3 Million Israelites crossed over - as they were instructed by God - with their children... their livestock... their possessions (No bridge! No boats!)
vs. 17 all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
4. The waters returned as soon as the Israelites crossed over.
THE RESULTS:
1. God was MAGNIFIED
2. Joshua was ESTABLISHED
vs. 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.
3. The Israelites were EMBOLDENED, ENERGIZED, MOTIVATED
vs. 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.
4. The Canaanites were TERRIFIED (But they weren't repentant)
What the Israelites did was amazing - BECAUSE they followed God, and what they did was done in the power of God. And our God is AMAZING!
Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. (God is powerful. God is able. God is with you. And God is IN you)
II. THE JORDAN
TEXT: JOSHUA 3:15-16 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:
- 20 to 60 yards wide
- 3 to 10 feet deep (This is no “Mighty Mississippi”)
- But it was at flood stage (v.15)
John The Baptist (The one who was sent to PREPARE THE WAY) - baptize repentant sinners in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:6)
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13)
(Tradition says, Jesus was baptized at the exact same spot the priests stood with the Ark)
HEBREW:
Jordan in Hebrew: (yarden) means “TO DECEND... TO GO DOWN”
The last part of Jordan (dan) in Hebrew: (din) means “JUDGEMENT”
The Jordan River: Represents “THE RIVER OF JUDGEMENT”
ADAM:
Note: vs 16 " the water from upstream stopped flowing... at a town called Adam".
Joshua 3:16 is the ONLY time a place named “ADAM” is mentioned.
It is usually identified with Tell ed-Damiyeh, about 16 miles north of the ford opposite Jericho.
THE SALT SEA
What is that? Answer: The Dead Sea
Everything that flows into the Dead Sea dies. It cannot live. Here is a river of Judgement - that ends in death. (The wages of sin is death - Romans 6:23. The soul that sinneth shall surely die. - Ezekiel 18:4)
THE POINT: The Ark Stopped the River of Judgement - from Adam to the Dead Sea - so the people of God could cross over.
The Ark represents Jesus (who was baptized in the Jordan River)... His Death, Burial, Resurrection STOPPED THE RIVER OF JUDGEMENT (all the way back to Adam) So the people of God can cross over.
(When Jesus went to death for us - it meant death STOPPED coming at us - so we can cross over to the promises of God)
ARE YOU AMAZED YET!
APPLICATION
1. We need to Consecrate ourselves
2. We need Faith (Faith like this generation of Israelites who stepped into the Jordan at flood stage as the LORD instructed.)
3. We need JESUS!
CLOSE
The Israelites were told "FOLLOW THE ARK" (Keep your eyes on the Ark)
In the New Testament, we are told, "Follow Jesus. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus"
THIS is how we will be victorious.
And God will do Amazing Things!
To Him be the Glory!
