Joshua 3/4
The moment has finally arrived. The nation of Israel has been anticipating this moment for over 500 years, even pre-dating the establishment of the nation. They are camped just a few short miles away from the Jordan River, awaiting the green light to finally pack up and make the trek into the land of promise. This morning we are going to take a look at the miracle that was the crossing of the Jordan River, and in the midst of our time together we will see the significance of the presence of the Lord, as well as being challenged to remember how He works in our lives today.
Big Idea: The presence of the Lord provides assurance in our lives, leading to the discipline of remembering.
Read Joshua 3:1-13
1. Instructions from the Lord
So here they are, on the edge of the Jordan River, for 3 days looking across, and waiting for the command to go. Most estimates tell us there were over 2 million people in Israel at this time. In Numbers 26, in the census that is taken before Israel crosses the Jordan, there are about 600,000 men that are counted. Add women and children to that number, and it’s roughly 2 million people.
Now, one of the lessons they teach you in studying the Bible is to look for repeated words or phrases. Usually that means there is something significant being communicated. In chapter 3, we see the ark of the covenant mentioned directly 10 times, as well as indirectly (it) 3 times. That’s 13 times in 17 verses, so it must be important. In fact, here in Joshua 3, we see the highest concentration of mentions in all of Scripture.
A. The significance of the Ark (3-4)
In the book of Exodus, when God made a conditional covenant with Moses, He instructed Moses to build a small box to house the tablets of stone on which the 10 commandments were written. We see in Exodus 37 the instructions on how to construct the chest. It was to be a “rectangular wooden box made from acacia wood, overlaid “inside and out with pure gold,” measuring approximately “45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.” The chest was fitted with two pairs of gold rings on either side in which permanent poles were inserted for transporting the ark. No one was allowed to touch the ark out of reverence for God’s holiness (or they would die). The poles were also fashioned with acacia wood and overlaid with gold.” (Got Questions)
We later see that Moses had Aaron add a jar of manna as a reminder of God’s faithfulness, as well as Aaron’s staff that budded to warn the people of the consequences of rebellion.
The lid was constructed of pure gold, and was called the “mercy seat.” They also constructed 2 cherubim out of pure gold and molded them to the lid on each end. “The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the mercy seat with their wings spread wide, overshadowing and protecting it.” Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies, where the ark was housed, and he would sprinkle the blood of sacrifice on the mercy seat 7 times, thus atoning for the sins of Israel.
This part of the ark was termed a “seat” because it became representative of the Lord’s presence. From the mercy seat he spoke to Moses in Numbers 7, and this was the only place where a blood atonement could be enacted.
Ok so why is this all significant? This is significant because for the people of Israel, the ark represents the presence of God, the faithfulness of God, and the mercy of God.
So when the people see the ark, they would be assured of all of these truths about the Lord. “Keep your eyes on the ark! The Lord is about to do something amazing, but don’t take your eyes off of Him.” But make sure to keep 2,000 cubits distance. This would equate to 3,000 feet, or about .6 miles. Why that distance? For one, imagine 2 million people all needing to be able to see the ark at once. But also, as we’ll talk about next, even though Israel had consecrated themselves, there was still a symbolic measure of holiness, of separation between them and the Lord.
B. The significance of consecration (5)
The Hebrew word here means “to set apart for a specific use.” Consecration was accomplished in a few different ways. Part of the process was a ritual cleansing, bathing oneself. Another part was changing clothes, signifying removing old and putting on new. We see David do this in 2nd Samuel 12 after he is found out for his sin of adultery, and the consequent death of his child. The idea was that they were separating themselves from that which had made them unclean. Forgiveness. Sanctification. Holiness.
By the nation consecrating themselves before the Lord, it was preparing them to wholly follow Him. It was an act of worship, of hope and anticipation. And we cannot miss the direct application for us. Listen again to the verse: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” And while I don’t think we should read ourselves into the story in this way, I do think there is a point of application for us this morning. Are we daily consecrating ourselves and expecting the Lord to work wonders? Are we running from that which makes us unclean, and anticipating the Lord using us in mighty ways?
I love what one commentator said about this: “The urgency of crossing the Jordan and getting moving did not rise above the necessity of having prepared hearts. Sometimes we can be all about action when we have neglected our devotion and worship.” (Paul Apple)
So with the reminder to keep their eyes on the Lord by way of the ark, and the process of consecration coming to completion, they get the instructions that will provide a way through that which seems impossible.
Read Joshua 3:14-17
2. The Crossing of the Jordan River
So the Levites grab the poles carrying the ark of the covenant, and they walk to the water’s edge. We see that it’s the flood season, and the banks of the Jordan are overflowing. We can’t be certain, but most estimate that the river would have been a little over 100 feet across and about 10 feet deep. During flood season the water would be moving quite rapidly, so for 2 million people to cross, with all of their belongings, livestock, and everything else, would have been an impossible feat.
As soon as the priest’s feet touched the water, the waters began to recede upstream, and stood still near Adam, next to Zarethan (Show map). It’s estimated that these cities were 16 miles upstream. The Lord rolled up the water 16 miles away, and not only that, but the river bed was dry. It’s emphasized here twice. The priests stood on dry ground. The entire nation of Israel passed over on dry ground. It wasn’t muddy. It wasn’t sloshy. It was dry. Conservative estimates put the time of the crossing at a few hours, but more likely 2 million crossing would have taken nearly all day. The priests stood in the middle of the river with the poles on their shoulders the whole time.
Man there are so many sermons that we could preach this morning. We could talk about getting right up to the edge of something in our lives that seems impossible, and then the Lord doing something incredible to make the impossible possible. We could talk about the dry river bed, and how God works out even the smallest details for us. There is so much richness here.
Read Joshua 4:1-24
3. 12 Memorial Stones
A. The significance of the stones
The command now was for 1 man from each of the 12 tribes to take up a stone from the middle of the river bed, and carry it on their shoulders to the other side. Once they get to Gilgal, Joshua will set up the stones in a pile as a memorial to what the Lord did for them that day.
We also see mention of Joshua setting up what looks like a 2nd memorial in the middle of the river bed near the priests holding the ark. It’s been debated over the years if this is a mis-translation of what actually occurred, but it doesn’t change things. In that day, memorials were set up throughout Israel’s history to commemorate the Lord working in some way. Some of them came in the form of feasts, like the Passover, or the feast of unleavened bread. Some came in the form of offerings. Other forms of memorials were stones that were erected in a specific place because of what the Lord did. Jacob lifted up a stone in Bethel after his vision of the ladder extending into heaven. In 1st Samuel 7, after Israel defeats the Philistines, Samuel erects a stone and names it Ebenezer, which means “stone of help.”
So we see in Scripture that Israel had a practice of creating memorials to commemorate and remember what the Lord did in their midst. We find the same thing happening here in Joshua chapter 4. And we see the purpose laid out pretty clearly; so that when their children asked them about the stones, they could proclaim the miracle that the Lord performed for them. And even beyond the physical miracle, there was a deeper purpose in the telling. Verse 24 says “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
The Israelites successfully cross the Jordan River, into the land of promise. As soon as the priests feet leave the river bed, the waters come rushing back down.
Big Idea: The presence of the Lord provides assurance in our lives, leading to the discipline of remembering.
Application
In response this morning, I want to ask us 2 questions:
1. How have you seen the Lord work in your life? This might be in the midst of an impossible situation, where the only explanation is the Lord showing up. It might also be in a situation that seems rather mundane, but yet you saw the Lord in the midst of it. What a great discipline to be able to see the Lord even in the minutia of our lives.
2. What are you doing to remind yourself of what He has done? The best thing to do is to talk about it! Share with others what the Lord has done. Celebrate the Lord’s goodness over a coffee or lunch with a friend. Share stories with your kids. Write them down. I’ve told many of you this before, but I have a file on my computer called the “God Document,” and it has countless stories about how the Lord has worked in the life of Family Church.
