Monday devotions @work 12 October 2020
People of Hope Part 23 The Ark is Moving Joshua 3:3,7,15 and Joshua 4
3“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, 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.”
7And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away. (AMP)
Israel aimlessly crisscrossed the wilderness for the past 40 years now they were facing a new beginning – they had to travel new ground, a way they have not passed on before. Moses died and Joshua was anointed to take over and he must lead the people into a new journey. On paths never travelled before and it starts with crossing a river that is in full seasonal flood!
Talk about being thrown into deep water! That is what Joshua quite literally had to begin with. God knew that he would need some encouragement, and that Joshua’s leadership must be established with the people. God tells Joshua that this is the day that He will make sure that the people know that He has Joshua’s back. That he is led of God, and that they can trust His leadership – not because Joshua is such an amazing leader but because God Himself will go before Him and they just must follow Him.
The Ark of the Covenant was not only Israel’s most precious possession, but it was the very symbol of God’s presence with them. The cloud by day and the fire by night rested on the mercy seat. It was the holiest of holy vessels in the tabernacle and later in the temple. It carried the very presence of God. God tells Joshua to command the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant first into the river. I am sure Joshua had moments of thinking – did I hear right? Or moments of doubt – What if I make a mistake with this one? He, the priests, and the people had to believe that this is God speaking, the Ark is moving, and it is moving into the river and we must follow.
Try to imagine that moment as if you are standing there on the overflown banks of the Jordan. Can you feel the anticipation? The anxiety? But also, the determination and faith rising up inside you? The priests took the Ark and carried it out before the people and as the feet of the priests stepped into the water, the river dammed up and allowed the dry ground to be exposed so that the people could move through the river on dry ground. God honoured His Word and His Promise. The priests remained standing in the middle of the river until all the people passed through. Then twelve leaders of the twelve tribes took twelve stones from the place where the priests' feet stood, carried it to their camping place and they built a memorial for the generations to come. When their children asked, ‘what is this...?’ then they were to tell the next generation of God’s miracle of bringing the people through the flooded Jordan river into the promised land.
We too are faced with much uncertainty and surely there are ways ahead that we have not traveled on before, but when we keep our eyes focused on God who is moving before us, we will not get lost. He will guide and lead us into new territory with new strategies – we need to listen, hear, and obey in hope and faith.
15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away. (AMP)
Israel aimlessly crisscrossed the wilderness for the past 40 years now they were facing a new beginning – they had to travel new ground, a way they have not passed on before. Moses died and Joshua was anointed to take over and he must lead the people into a new journey. On paths never travelled before and it starts with crossing a river that is in full seasonal flood!
Talk about being thrown into deep water! That is what Joshua quite literally had to begin with. God knew that he would need some encouragement, and that Joshua’s leadership must be established with the people. God tells Joshua that this is the day that He will make sure that the people know that He has Joshua’s back. That he is led of God, and that they can trust His leadership – not because Joshua is such an amazing leader but because God Himself will go before Him and they just must follow Him.
The Ark of the Covenant was not only Israel’s most precious possession, but it was the very symbol of God’s presence with them. The cloud by day and the fire by night rested on the mercy seat. It was the holiest of holy vessels in the tabernacle and later in the temple. It carried the very presence of God. God tells Joshua to command the priests to carry the Ark of the Covenant first into the river. I am sure Joshua had moments of thinking – did I hear right? Or moments of doubt – What if I make a mistake with this one? He, the priests, and the people had to believe that this is God speaking, the Ark is moving, and it is moving into the river and we must follow.
Try to imagine that moment as if you are standing there on the overflown banks of the Jordan. Can you feel the anticipation? The anxiety? But also, the determination and faith rising up inside you? The priests took the Ark and carried it out before the people and as the feet of the priests stepped into the water, the river dammed up and allowed the dry ground to be exposed so that the people could move through the river on dry ground. God honoured His Word and His Promise. The priests remained standing in the middle of the river until all the people passed through. Then twelve leaders of the twelve tribes took twelve stones from the place where the priests' feet stood, carried it to their camping place and they built a memorial for the generations to come. When their children asked, ‘what is this...?’ then they were to tell the next generation of God’s miracle of bringing the people through the flooded Jordan river into the promised land.
We too are faced with much uncertainty and surely there are ways ahead that we have not traveled on before, but when we keep our eyes focused on God who is moving before us, we will not get lost. He will guide and lead us into new territory with new strategies – we need to listen, hear, and obey in hope and faith.
Are we willing to get our feet wet in the hope and faith that the flood waters will subside?
We have not passed this way before
It is exciting and terrifying all at once
God’s presence is going before us – will we follow in faith?
It is exciting and terrifying all at once
God’s presence is going before us – will we follow in faith?
The Ark is Moving…
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