BACKGROUND
Boundaries are there to keep unwanted things and people out. Sometimes boundaries also hinder our progress. It is true that sometimes the promises of God are so near we could feel them but there seems to be a barrier stopping us from achieving our victory.
The Israelites faced such a barrier! They had the promised land on the other side of the Jordan, but before getting to the promised land they had to cross an overflowing Jordan! The raging water at harvest time could swell to almost a mile across. Joshua shows us an example of how to face those tough moments when the boundary is keeping us out. To do this we must succeed in three things:-
- Concentrate on Him
Joshua tells the Israelites to set the Ark of the covenant ahead of their crossing. It is to go nine hundred meters ahead of them so that everyone could see it.
- The ark was the physical manifestation of God’s PRESENCE.
- The ark spoke of God’s PERSONAL relationship with Israel through the commandments.
- The ark spoke of the miraculous PROVISION of God through manna.
- The ark spoke of the POWER of God to use anyone as he pleases through Aaron’s budded staff.
2. Consecrate Yourself
- To consecrate means to SANCTIFY from all sin.
- To consecrate means to SET APART. To stand aware of their calling and unique relationship to God.
- To consecrate means to be SPIRITUALLY ALERT to see what God is doing.
3. Courageous Step
- The priest was to take the first step to step into a flooded Jordan, which can extend 1 mile across with marshland and thickets covered by floodwater.
- This step was a step of faith and trust in God.
- The first step was an expression of their desire and prayer to enter into God’s promise.