Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."
Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."
Joshua 3:1-5
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The spies have returned safely from their scouting mission in Jericho thanks to Rahab (Joshua 2). As Chapter 3 opens, we see “Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim” and go “to the Jordan where they camped before crossing over” for three days. Scripture then tells us that the “officers went throughout the camp” and gave the following orders to the people:
"When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."
The ark of the covenant represented God being with Israel and so it was only fitting that it would proceed by following it wherever they went. They were entering a foreign land with lots of uncharted territory. God, and only God, would be able to guide them where they should go and as long as Israel trusted and relied on God, they could be assured He would be with them and they would only go where He wanted them to go.
So given all this, Joshua tells Israel to "consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." There must have been eager anticipation about finally getting to cross the Jordan and into the Promised Land. The prior generation of Israel was this close once and blew it when they chose to not trust God and instead be fearful of what waited for them in Canaan (Numbers 14). This current generation was determined to not make the mistake again. And since God was proceeding them into the land He promised…land that would be holy ground because it was land God had earmarked especially for His people…Israel was expected to prepare themselves or make themselves holy before such a holy event led by a holy ark and a holy God. You’ll recall that consecration required washing of clothes and abstinence from sexual relations (Exodus 19:14-15). The Lord expected Israel to be holy because He was holy (Leviticus 19:2). And in His holiness and through His power, amazing things happen in the midst of people who set themselves apart as holy for Him.
Friends, is this not great news for us. We serve a God who consistently does amazing things in our midst. He is the God of possibility…meaning that nothing is impossible with Him (Matthew 19:6). God routinely takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. When we believe and trust that nothing is impossible with Him, that’s when we witness the miraculous and come to the greatest levels of reverence and respect and awe of our Maker. And we, like Israel, should anticipate tomorrow with the greatest levels of excitement for God is capable of and WILL make something remarkable happen. Trust in this. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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