Mar 3, 2024 "Crossing Jordan" (Joshua 3:5-8)

 

Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3:5-8

 

In this passage the Israelites are getting ready to cross the Jordan River. Forty years before Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea. God made a safe dry path for the Israelites to cross. This time verse 8 shows us how it is different this time.  

 

Joshua 3:8 ESV

[8] And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”  

 

Here we see that God does not make a safe path first before they cross the body of water. We see God wants them to take the first step before the miracle happened.

 

Joshua 3:15-16 ESV

[15] and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), [16] the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.  

 

We read the Jordan River is full of water and it would have been impossible to cross. God stops the flow of the River when the priests feet touch the river.  God wanted the Israelites to grow in faith and the dry ground would not appear until the first step was taken.

 

As Christians, we might not see the evidence that God has saved us or the benefits of following God, yet it is the act of faith. We often want to see the dry path first before we take another step. However, we only grow when we act in faith.

 

Before we step out in faith, we need to consecrate ourselves. That means to purify ourselves and that is to distance ourselves from all sins. We do this by living by God's commandments. Our mindset is to get away from sin.

 

The Ark of Covenant always went before the Israelites . All that was in the Ark was the ten commandments on the stone tablets. We need to read, hear and meditate on the word of God. It is His word that will purify us as we draw closer to it.

 

The Bible is like a mirror.

 

How He Loves

God You're So Good

How Great Is Our God