The Victory Side of Life # 4
Claiming The Blessing by Gerald Van Horn
Joshua 3:1-17
In our text today the Children of Israel are confronted with the river Jordan. God is about to do a great thing and bring them over into the land of blessing. We too, seek after the blessing of the Lord. We must also cross our Jordan. It will take all our faith to achieve this crossing over. All is based upon the principle of faith. It marks the end of the self-life and the beginning of the Christ-life. There is an obstacle, the river of impossibilities. This is no journey for the faint of heart.
Many feel that the blessing is not for them. They say, “Not for me... for you just don’t know my life. You do not know the impossibilities that I face.” That may be true but with our Joshua, Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible. I am reminded of what the Angel told Mary, “For with God nothing is impossible.” Luke 1:37.
1. In order for the blessing the Ark must be present. v.3
I want you to imagine with me for a moment this great sight as 2 1/2 million people are about to experience a miracle in their lives. God is about to keep His word. v. 10.There were seven nations that dwelled in Canaan. All of them must be exterminated. But you say, ”I could never believe in a God that is so cruel to kill everyone.” God did not decide this over night. Four generations ago God gave Abraham and his seed this land called Canaan. Genesis 15:16. God promised that in the 4 th generation He would come again to the land for the iniquity of the Amorites was now full. Now the inhabitants are even more wicked. They had trifled with evil spirits. God had given them warning and ample time to change but they would not. There were evil spirits that controlled the inhabitants of Canaan. Judgment was eminent.
The analogy is the same for every child of God. We face the same conflicts today in our Christian walk. The battle field is our own personality. But greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. The battle is not ours but the Lord’s. How did this come about? Let me refresh your memory. It all started with a little babe in Bethlehem. It continued when Christ went to Calvary. Next came the Rrrection...then Pentecost. The full victory was assured for every believer.
* God has a plan for your life and mine. We journey to Bethlehem, Calvary, then on to the tomb and after that Pentecost. Anything that stands in your way must be gotten rid of.
2. In order for the blessing, the Ark must go before us. v.6
Between the blessing is the river Jordan. It seems impossible to cross. Could it be that
there is a Jordan that stands between you and the blessing? Perhaps an unloving spirit
A deep rooted feeling in your soul such as anger. You may feel devastated because of wrong choices you’ve made. Perhaps you are bitter at the circumstances you face. Are you angry at God because you feel He hasn’t treated you right? Maybe you have a secret sin. If you want to make it - there is an answer! Keep your eyes on the Ark. God help us to see the things that cripple us in our spiritual walk.
Everything was centered at this point around the Ark. Get the picture: 2 and 1/2 million people had a clear view of the Ark. The Priest are standing with the Ark on their shoulders. They draw near to the water. The river is at flood tide. The Priests step into the water first and suddenly the waters roll back. Joshua 3:17 “And 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 the Israelites passed over dry ground, until all the people were over the Jordan.”
The Ark represents Jesus. We too must get a clear vision of our Lord - not one that is distorted. One day Jesus stood at the river of sin called Calvary. The power of sin was rolled away. Crossing the Jordan means facing the impossible by following the risen Lord.
There is no attack that has struck at the heart of a child of God but that Jesus has already overcome for us. Step up to your Jordan and say, “I come to you in the name of Jesus and though I cannot conqueror this river yet, I know the Lord can and will.” In that moment you’ll be on dry ground. The power we need is in Jesus.
3. In order to receive the blessing the Ark must be between you and the river.
Keep your eyes on Jesus our Joshua. Look, the flood is subsiding! The way is clear! Have no fear. Trust the Lord. He will not take you anywhere without Him. The river may be deep but He has conquered the flood. There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch you until first of all it has to go past God and Christ. If it has come that far it has come with great purpose which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to panic, as I lift up my eyes to Him, I know that He able to take care of it. I shall rest in the joy of what Jesus is and has done for me. The power we need is in Jesus.
Israel could see the land and almost smell the honey.
4. In order to receive the blessing we must have a firm faith.
We can trust the Lord that He will accomplish His purpose in our lives even when things do not appear so perfect. If we could achieve the victory on our own we would not need Jesus.
* We are overcomers. I John4:4 "Ye are of God, and have overcome them (the world) because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
* We are conquerors. Romans 8:37 "Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
* We are in Christ. I John 4:13 "By this know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us his Spirit."
We do not look for the victory but for the VICTOR.
