Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder if you’ve ever been caught in a riptide at the ocean, or a flooded river pulling you downstream? Water has great, frightening power, doesn’t it? So, let’s rejoin Joshua and more than 1 million Israelites as they are completing the crossing of the Jordan river, but they’re walking across a DRY riverbed! How is that possible? God was holding back the floodwaters! You’ll find this remarkable event in Joshua 3 & 4 in the Bible. I left you standing on the WEST bank of the Jordan yesterday, watching this almost indescribable scene…
Several Levites are standing in the middle of the dry Jordan riverbed, holding the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders, while as far as you can see, up and down the riverbed, a non-stop flow of people, carts, animals and belongings are rushing down the east bank, across the riverbed, and up the west bank, then finding a new place to pitch their tent in this new land. Hour after hour this remarkable scene continued. How long does it take for 1 million people and all their animals and belongings to cross a dry riverbed? Look, Joshua is standing now on the West bank shouting and waving to those priests holding the Ark, what is he saying?
“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Command the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to come up out of the Jordan riverbed.’ So, Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan riverbed.’ And the priests came up, out of the riverbed, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground of the West bank of the Jordan, than the waters of the Jordan river returned to their place and ran at flood stages as before.” (Joshua 4:15-18)
I imagine the people scurried back, away from the rushing water, but at the same time, stood in amazement as they watched the torrent and contemplated that only a few moments before it had been a dry riverbed through which each of them and their families and more than 1 million other people had crossed to where they now stood.
I find a powerful statement in Joshua 4 that summarizes what happened in the hearts of the people that day: “That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.” (Joshua 4:14)
That raises these questions in my heart:
1. WHY were the people in awe of Joshua? He had not stopped the flow of the Jordan, God had! Was it because Joshua, like Moses, had come to the people with instructions Joshua had received from God and then Joshua helped the people carefully follow those instructions and they experienced this miracle in their obedience?
2. WHAT great power of God held back that water flow for several hours while all the people crossed the dry Jordan riverbed? Was it the same power of God which had sent the plagues against Egypt; and the same power which had opened the Red Sea so their parents could rush through; and the same power which had caused a solid rock to suddenly pour fresh, clean water for 1 million people in the desert? Yes! And what power has God unleashed in your life situations?
3. WHAT would Joshua need to do for the rest of his life to retain the respect of these people? Perhaps a better way to ask that question is this: WHAT might Joshua do to unravel the trust and respect these people had for Joshua? Can we ask ourselves the same question?
Finally, the people turned away from the roaring water, and began setting up their tents. The record says: “On the 10th day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan river and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of the region of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the 12 rocks they had taken out of the dry Jordan riverbed. Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘In the future, when your descendants ask their parents ‘What do these rocks mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ (Joshua 4:19-22)
Oh my, do you see the very powerful statements Joshua made here? Do you recognize the significance of the 10th day of the first month for the Israelites? Exodus 12 gives us the story of God telling Moses to begin the Hebrew calendar and on the 10th day of that first month “each man is to take a lamb for his household…” (Ex. 12:1-3) God gave them instructions on how to prepare for the Passover deliverance from Egypt! Time is important to God, it is no coincidence the crossing of the Jordan river, into the land of God’s promise, occurred on the 10th day of the first month! The people knew this meant they would have the opportunity to celebrate the Passover, four days later, only now in the land of God’s promise! They crossed the Jordan almost exactly on the anniversary of the flight out of Egypt and crossing of the Red Sea of their parent’s generation!
May I ask my friends, do you have any special Spiritual anniversary dates that tell the story of what God has done in your life or the life of your family? Oh, I don’t mean Christmas and Easter, I mean the dates you remember when God did unique, special things in your life which have significantly impacted your life story or that of your family?
Did you notice Joshua challenging the people to remember this day and tell the story to their descendants! I think we should pause here for reflection on the great things God has done in your lives and how do you pass those stories on to your descendants?
I have found a historic song which takes on new meaning when sung by African young men who have grown up in places of great persecution against Christians, as they reflect on the faith in God of their ancestors. Let’s listen to this song and I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow and we’ll see what God did next with Joshua and these 1 million people spending their first few minutes in the new land.
Today’s Scripture is Joshua 4:15-22.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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