Today we will continue the story of Joshua after he received the report from the two spies he sent into Jericho.

Transcription

1 The Lord Honors Joshua Joshua Part 2 Today we will continue the story of Joshua after he received the report from the two spies he sent into Jericho. Jos 2:23 (ERV) Then the two men went back to Joshua. They left the hills and crossed the river. They went to Joshua and told him everything that they had learned. Jos 2:24 They said to him, "The LORD really has given us all the land. All the people in that country are afraid of us." If you are the enemy of God's people, you are also the enemy of God. These people have heard of Israel's victories against their enemies who are more powerful than them, so they are rightfully afraid. Jos 3:1 (ERV) Early the next morning, Joshua and all the Israelites got up and left Acacia. They traveled to the Jordan River and camped there before they crossed it. Jos 3:2 After three days the leaders went through the camp. Jos 3:3 They gave orders to the people: "When you see the Levite priests carrying the Box of the Agreement of the LORD your God, follow them. What is the Box of the Agreement? Also called the Ark of the Covenant, it is a wooden chest covered with gold. It contains the tablets of the ten commandments, the jar of manna, and the rod of Aaron which sprouted. What do these three things symbolize? The words of God. The manna which is literal bread that comes down from heaven which fed Israel through their journey was only a symbol of Jesus Christ, who is the true bread from heaven who gives us spiritual life. The ten commandments is now replaced by the law of the spirit which Christ gave us in the New Testament. The rod of Aaron is just a symbol of God's chosen people whom He has separated from the many people who call themselves Christians. Here is a link to a painting that depicts Joshua and Israel crossing the Jordan with the Box of the Agreement. Joshua crossing Jordan River You will notice that it is only the priests who could carry the Box of the Agreement. Jos 3:4 (GNB) You have never been here before, so they will show you the way to go. But do not get near the Covenant Box; stay about half a mile behind it." Jos 3:5 Joshua told the people, "Purify yourselves, because tomorrow the LORD will perform miracles among you."

2 Jos 3:6 Then he told the priests to take the Covenant Box and go with it ahead of the people. They did as he said. The body of Christ is now the priests of God who will one day lead all people to their salvation. For now, they are the only ones appointed by God to understand and carry His words of life. Jos 3:7 (GNB) The LORD said to Joshua, "What I do today will make all the people of Israel begin to honor you as a great man, and they will realize that I am with you as I was with Moses. If we remain obedient to God like Joshua, He will honor us as a reward. Rom 2:6 (GNB) For God will reward each of us according to what we have done. Rom 2:7 Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life. Rom 2:8 Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury. Rom 2:9 There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles. It is not wrong to seek glory and honor, but the glory and honor we must work for should not be the one coming from this world but coming from God in the life to come. Jos 3:8 (ERV) The priests will carry the Box of the Agreement. Tell them this, 'Walk to the shore of the Jordan River and stop just before you step into the water.'" Jos 3:9 Then Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come and listen to the words of the LORD your God. Jos 3:10 Here is proof that the living God is really with you and that he will surely defeat your enemies. He will defeat the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites; he will force them to leave their land. Jos 3:11 The Box of the Agreement of the Lord of the whole world will go before you as you cross the Jordan River. Who forces these powerful enemies to leave their land? It is not the Israelites, but verse 10 clearly tells us it is the Lord Himself who drives these enemies out. Why is this important to learn? Because it is not us who drives the evil spirits which dominates our lives, but it is the Lord Himself who drives them out through His words which we study here.

3 Jos 3:12 (ERV) Now choose twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jos 3:13 The priests will carry the Holy Box of the LORD. He is the Lord of the whole world. They will carry that Box in front of you into the Jordan River. When they enter the water, the water of the Jordan River will stop flowing and fill behind that place like at a dam." Jos 3:14 The priests carried the Box of the Agreement, and the people left the place they had camped. The people started going across the Jordan River. Jos 3:15 (During harvest time the Jordan River overflows its banks, so the river was at its fullest.) The priests who were carrying the Box came to the shore of the river. When they stepped into the water, Jos 3:16 immediately the water stopped flowing and piled up like a wall. The water piled up high a long way up the river--all the way to Adam (a town near Zarethan). And the water flowing down to the sea of Arabah (the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. The people crossed the river near Jericho. Jos 3:17 The ground at that place became dry, and the priests carried the Box of the Agreement of the LORD to the middle of the river and stopped. They waited there while all the Israelites walked across the Jordan River on dry land. Twice now, we have seen the Lord divide a body of water to let Israel pass through unharmed. The first was with Moses when the Lord divided the Red Sea to let Israel escape the pursuing Egyptian army. Exo 14:21 (ESV) Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. Exo 14:22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. In Joshua's story, we see the Lord doing the same thing with the Jordan River. What is He trying to show us? Rev 17:15 (ESV) And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute (Babylon) is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. Isa 17:13 (ESV) The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.

4 According to the two verses we just read, the waters are the nations within us. The nations within us are symbols of evil spirits which control our lives when we are in a false church believing all sorts of false teachings. But the Lord will rebuke them, and they will flee far away. 2Sa 22:17 "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 2Sa 22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. There it is! The Lord dividing those bodies of water is telling us that He will rescue us from our enemies. We have three enemies, evil spirits, those who belong to this world and our old man. All of them God will destroy. Jos 4:1 (ERV) After all the people had crossed the Jordan River, the LORD said to Joshua, Jos 4:2 "Choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Jos 4:3 Tell them to look in the river where the priests were standing and get twelve rocks from that place. Carry these rocks with you and put them where you stay tonight." Jos 4:4 So Joshua chose one man from each tribe. Then he called the twelve men together. Jos 4:5 He said to them, "Go out into the river where the Holy Box of the LORD your God is. Each of you must find one rock. There will be one rock for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Carry that rock on your shoulder. Jos 4:6 These rocks will be a sign for you. In the future, your children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?' Jos 4:7 You will tell them that the Lord stopped the water from flowing in the Jordan River. When the Holy Box of the LORD'S Agreement crossed the river, the water stopped flowing. These rocks will help the Israelites remember this forever." The Lord then told Israel to get twelve rocks from the middle of the river to serve as a reminder for future generations of this miracle He has shown to Israel. Israel has witnessed many miracles. The Lord has given them many signs including these rocks and the objects inside the Box of Agreement, to remind them of His power. And yet what have we seen? We have seen Israel rebel time and again despite these reminders. What can we get out of that? These physical signs are not important. What's important is what God is doing with your heart. Is He changing you from the heart? Do you notice a change in your attitude? Do you still praise God when trials come your way, or do you only thank Him when good things come to you?

5 Jos 4:8 (BBE) So the children of Israel did as Joshua gave them orders, and took twelve stones from the middle of Jordan, as the Lord had said to Joshua, one for every tribe of the children of Israel; these they took across with them to their night's resting-place and put them down there. Jos 4:9 And Joshua put up twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, where the feet of the priests who took up the ark of the agreement had been placed: and there they are to this day. Jos 4:10 For the priests who took up the ark kept there in the middle of Jordan till all the orders given to Joshua by Moses from the Lord had been done: then the people went over quickly. Jos 4:11 And when all the people had come to the other side, the ark of the Lord went over, and the priests, before the eyes of the people. Jos 4:12 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh went over armed before the children of Israel as Moses had said to them: Jos 4:13 About forty thousand armed for war went over before the Lord to the fight, to the lowlands of Jericho. Jos 4:14 That day the Lord made Joshua great in the eyes of all Israel; and all the days of his life they went in fear of him, as they had gone in fear of Moses. Jos 4:15 Then the Lord said to Joshua, Jos 4:16 Give orders to the priests who take up the ark of witness, to come up out of Jordan. Jos 4:17 So Joshua gave orders to the priests, saying, Come up now out of Jordan. Jos 4:18 And when the priests who took up the ark of the Lord's agreement came up out of Jordan and their feet came out on to dry land, the waters of Jordan went back to their place, overflowing its edges as before. Jos 4:19 So on the tenth day of the first month the people came up out of Jordan, and put up their tents in Gilgal, on the east side of Jericho. Jos 4:20 And the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Joshua put up in Gilgal. Jos 4:21 And he said to the children of Israel, When your children say to their fathers in time to come, What is the reason for these stones?

6 Jos 4:22 Then give your children the story, and say, Israel came over this river Jordan on dry land. Jos 4:23 For the Lord your God made the waters of Jordan dry before you till you had gone across, as he did to the Red Sea, drying it up before us till we had gone across: Jos 4:24 So that all the peoples of the earth may see that the hand of the Lord is strong; and that they may go in fear of the Lord your God for ever. Joshua gave credit to the Lord. He never took the credit for himself. This is the biggest lesson that we could learn today. We should acknowledge Him in all we do and in all that we receive. In every generation, God has chosen a group of people who will give witness to His power. Let us pray that we will be included in that group.