Joshua – Lesson 25

When the Israelites crossed the river they then stood on the victory side. This points out for us what it means to be crucified with Jesus and resurrected with Him in our spiritual life.

This is what Paul meant when he wrote:

· Philippians 3:10-11, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul is saying, “I trusted Him, I died with Him, and now I live together with Him.” So we see faith in action as the Israelites crossed the river.

When Israel crossed the Jordan they established a beachhead at Gilgal. The Ark remained in the place of danger while the people traveled in safety through the dry riverbed. The last people to come up out of the river were the priests carrying the Ark. This is a picture to us of Jesus who was victorious through death.

When John was on the Isle of Patmos, he was reassured by Jesus.

· Revelation 1:17-18, When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

A Message to the World

· Joshua 4:1-24, When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight." 4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, "Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever." 8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. 10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war. 14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses. 15 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16 "Command the priests carrying the ark of the Testimony to come up out of the Jordan." 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, "Come up out of the Jordan." 18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before. 19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' 22 tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

Memorials of Faith

The Israelites camped at Gilgal, which means, “the reproach has been rolled away”. For the Israelites this meant that the reproach of the wilderness wanderings had been rolled away. Their self-centered, carnal life had been left behind. Even the reproach of Egypt was gone.

Now this does not mean that Israel experienced no more difficulties or failure. Sin continues to creep into our lives even when we are seriously committed to spiritual growth. It is our position in Jesus that is new.

Gilgal, a Base of Operations

Gilgal became the base of operations for the Israelites for the next several years. When they would go out against their enemies they would return every night to their camp at Gilgal, so long as they were close enough to return. This was their rest camp and their place of spiritual encouragement.

We, too, need a “Gilgal”. Do you remember in the first chapter of Joshua God made it clear that Joshua was never to let the Word of God be neglected.

Gilgal a Place of Remembrance

Gilgal was not only a base of operations, but it was also a place of remembrance. Joshua was told to establish a memorial there.

· Joshua 4:1-3, When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 "Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight."

Later on in the chapter, as we have seen, they will establish another memorial. So God ordered that there be two memorials of stone that were to remind the Israelites of their safe passage through the river.

These stone memorials are types that remind us of two aspects of our identification with Jesus. First of all, the stones in the river speak of the Israelites having died to the past. The second set of stones was set up at Gilgal, the place of rest and speak of new life out of death. These stones were taken out of the river after the Israelites had passed through and brought to the camp site. They speak of resurrection life.

To us the first set of stones cause us to remember that we died and were buried with Jesus. In our position before God we are dead to sin.

The second set of stones are typical of the fact that we rose with Jesus into a new life.

· Colossians 3:1-3, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

The two monuments then typify to us the fact of our having died with Jesus and our having been raised with Him and being alive in Him today. This calls for understanding and faith.

It was Joshua himself who set up the stones in the river bed right where the priests had stood with the Ark. In this Joshua is a type of Jesus. Remember the name “Jesus” and the name “Joshua” both mean “Saviour”. Only Joshua was allowed to raise this memorial of Israel’s escape through the place of death. Likewise only Jesus could die for our sins. According to Romans 6:11 we are to consider ourselves dead to sin but alive unto God.

Well if we are dead to sin, how do we keep sin from controlling our bodies? The answer is found in

· Romans 8:13-15, For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

· Joshua 4:18, And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

The last part of this verse speaks of the typical significance of our death,   burial and resurrection with Jesus are a matter of the past. If we can say that we have taken this by faith, then we are ready to enter into the spiritual warfare that is before us.

The effect of the crossing of the Jordan was not limited to the Israelites and the Canaanites. It was reported wherever there were men.

· Joshua 4:23-24, For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."

What does this mean to us? It means that when we live this life of victory then the world knows that God has done something for us and through us. The world looks for something real in the Christian and the Church. If they do not find it in us, then we have failed in the matter of faith.

The immediate enemies of Israel in Canaan were terrified by the miracle at the Jordan River.

· Joshua 5:1, Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.

It was not the numerical strength of Israel that made their enemies afraid. Nor was it the military equipment of the Jewish soldiers. It was the drying up of the Jordan River. It was what God had done, not what Israel had done.

Likewise the world today needs to know what God can do. I have mentioned earlier how the Governor of Georgia had encouraged the people to pray for rain during a very severe drought and he was ridiculed for suggesting such a thing. But interestingly enough, in less that a week there was rain. And then there was more rain. Not as much as was needed but still it was raining. Nothing was heard from the critics during the rains.

The Canaanites got the message from the events at the Jordan that God was almighty. The world today needs to know that God is Almighty. There seem to be insurmountable problems facing the world: The war in Iraq, the Muslim threats, the polarization of political philosophies not only in our own country but throughout the world, the starving nations of Africa, and the seemingly total breakdown of morality everywhere. The world needs to know that there is an Almighty God who is waiting for Christians to begin to exercise their faith and call upon our God to intervene. He has promised that He would, under certain circumstances.

· 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We have said quite a bit about God’s promises. Here we see another promise and the four conditions. First, the believers, those who have chosen to call themselves Christians, must humble themselves. Second, they must pray. Third, they must seek God’s face, in other words, turn to Him. And finally, they must turn from their evil ways. At that point God says, then I will heal their land. But if the Christians do not exercise their faith, then God will not act and the people of the world will not see the Almighty nature of God.