(Ch. 3) Crossing into the Land of Promise

The stage has been set and the spies have given their report…the time for Israel to embrace its future has come. They have taken the time allotted to prepare mentally and physically for one of the greatest moments in their nation’s history. The time for talk and theorizing was over; the time to walk the path of faith was upon them.

Verse 1 of Joshua 3 says “Then Joshua rose early in the morning…” Joshua did not allow events to turn themselves; he arose early and stepped onto the scene before anyone else. If we are to let God move in our lives, should we not be involved? Joshua did not intend to let the day pass him by. He was standing firm on his feet as the sun rose and he was ready to seize the day.

In verse 3, we see Joshua’s officers commanding the people and making Joshua’s orders known. While Joshua had great authority and influence, he learned from Moses the importance of delegating and allowing others to participate in his leadership. He put his officers to work!

“Yet there shall be a space between you and it (the tabernacle), about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” (v. 4)

Two thousand cubits measures over half a mile. Sounds really opposite to how we treat God today, isn’t it? And that is okay, because we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who interceding for us. A close relationship to the Father is meant to be present for believers today. However, we see here a sign of respect and fear that many Christians do not show God today. They did not doubt His love for them as you and I do not doubt. However, sometimes we treat God as our “homeboy” when He is not. Many of us think of Him as our buddy, yet He was clear in Deuteronomy 34 that none aside from Moses had arisen that God knew face to face. And Moses was a great prophet who saw the Lord part the Red Sea. Moses was the man that Almighty God chose to give His Ten Commandments to. Would we compare ourselves with Moses?

It is God’s desire to be our Friend and Companion in life, but he is not our buddy. He is our God and there MUST be a reverence that we hold for Him like the Jews hold for Him here. They would not travel within half a mile of the Ark! Yet many times we assault and try to ambush God with our concerns, worries, and problems. We treat God like a vending machine; if we ask enough and wait long enough, eventually we’ll get the thing we desire. God doesn’t work that way. He is the Lord of heaven and the Creator of all. He is to be respected above all others and spoken to carefully. It is okay to be real and honest with God, but it is not acceptable to speak to Him irreverently. He is still King.

Back to Joshua 3. After Joshua’s officers had finished their orders, the Lord revealed to Joshua that He would “exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” (v. 7)

So far, Joshua had done everything right. He made God the focus, he was wise steward with the time given him and cared for the people under him. And how did God reward his faith? He promised to exalt and bless Joshua in front of the whole nation to remind them that Joshua was God’s anointed servant. God was flashing Joshua’s badge of authority and reminding everyone of his credentials. Joshua was the man. And God was making sure that everyone knew it. How great would it be if God did that for you and me today? Well, serve Him faithfully and do not deny Him, for He said that whoever denies Him before men, He will deny before God the Father. (Mathew 10:33) Rather, serve and bless His name and you will see His blessings in your life.

So did God follow through on what He told Joshua? Yes! Joshua sent the priests bearing the Ark into the Jordan River and the moment their feet touched water, the Jordan parted as the Red Sea had done forty years before! But notice that the priests had to get their feet wet first…faith without a willingness to act is not faith at all. God waited for them to step into the river before He made a move.

Verse 17 said that the priests “stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan and all of Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.”

So I want you to imagine the biggest obstacle in your life. Maybe it’s a certain fear you wrestle with, a habitual sin that won’t leave you alone, an event of your past that you just can’t forget, whatever it is. I want you to imagine it a raging river that desires to sweep you off of the path you want to go and overwhelm you and drown you. A scary situation. Now imagine hearing God’s voice. This is what He says: “I know what you’ve been through. I was with you in your wilderness. But now it’s time to come home. It is time for you to become all that you are meant to be. You only need to trust Me and step into the water. Embrace My promise for your life.”

If God said that to you, would you do it? Would you take that step of faith? If God was wrong, you will be swept away by the raging current and would most likely die. But if God told the truth…then the waters would part the moment you stepped in! Can you imagine that? Standing on solid ground with your greatest obstacles being held back by the hand of God? Just as the Jews stood in the midst of the Jordan and stood firmly despite all logic and reason, you and I can too. God has made the promise to us that we will never be alone. He is our God and Father and He will never forsake us or abandon us. And when He tells us to step forward, we need to swallow our fear and put our foot in the water. Trust Him with His plan. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. Everything will be alright in the end. But until we get tired of our limitations, tired of the fears and doubts, tired of the mundane, tired of living powerless, we will always be held back. 

We must choose to let those things go and step into the river. He has called us to a better life in Him. Embrace it and seize it! Stand firmly on solid ground in the midst of your Jordan. God is not too small for any problem. No matter what you face, He is greater still. Trust Him and enter your land of promise. Step into your battle arena. And prepare to wage war and conquer. The Lord is with you.