Title Enter the Jordan (Joshua 3:7-13)
Contents
Every year when the new year comes, I have a lot of anticipation with excitement, but for some reason vague fears and concerns follow. It seems like we are doing the same thing over and over again, but 2011 is a road that has not yet passed. Verse 4 says, “I have not passed this road before.” Just as the people of Israel went to the land of Canaan, which they had never passed before, we too are walking along the path of life like strangers on the first road. Then you need to know how to successfully live a path you have never traveled before.
After the exodus from Egypt, Israel safely passed through the rough and rough wilderness under God's guidance and finally reached the Jordan River, the last gateway to enter Canaan. However, at that time, the Jordan River was at its highest level so that its banks overflowed. That said, there were no bridges as they are today, and there were no ships for the multitude of people to ride on. Under such circumstances, God commanded the priests who were leading the people of Israel to ‘enter the Jordan when you come to the waters of the Jordan.’ In the past, when you crossed the Red Sea right after the Exodus, God parted the Red Sea and when dry land was exposed, you were told to cross the Red Sea along the road. These words have an important meaning.
God's guidance
Verse 4 says, “I have not passed this road before, but then I will know the way I should go.” The word ‘then’ here means ‘if you act according to the words of verse 3’. “When you see the Levite priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, leave your place and follow him” (verse 3).
The Ark of the Covenant is a rectangular box with a length of 1.2m, a width and a height of about 75cm. Also called the Ark of the Covenant, it is a symbol of God's presence. I'm listening.
After God commanded Moses to make the ark, he said, 'There I will meet you, and I will tell you all that I will command you for the children of Israel between the two cherubim on the mercy seat, which is on the ark of the testimony' (Exodus 25:22). Through the Ark of the Covenant, God promised His presence among the people.
He told us to follow the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God, so we too must depend on God and live only as He leads us for the coming year. The God we believe in is, “He is God in heaven above and on earth below” (Joshua 2:11). Therefore, in our lives, we should not serve any other gods except God, but only serve God.
He also said, “The living God is among you” (verse 10). It means that God is always alive and is with us. The word companion is a very good word these days. This word contains all the good meanings of love, provision, protection, guidance, and grace. In particular, we do not know how blessed it is to walk with the Lord and walk with the Word. Therefore, we should value God above all things, such as wealth, honor, or anything else, and depend on and serve only God. In the last years of his life, Joshua emphasized to the people, “Fear only the true God, and serve him with sincerity and truth” (24:14-18, 25-26). Then, I resolutely decided, 'Even if you don't serve God, I and my family will serve only the Lord.' You, too, should always emphasize this fact to your grandchildren. Even if they don't say, 'Come in advance on New Year's Day' or 'Send more pocket money', if they fear God, they will do well to their parents.
When you see the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, He tells them to “leave where you are” and follow the Ark of the Covenant. This means not to live according to the thoughts of men, but to live according to the word of God. Since I said, ‘Leave where you are,’ it means not to live according to my thoughts, knowledge, experience, or way of life, but only to listen to the word of Almighty God and live as it is.
Therefore, we should not be content with hearing the word of God, but must have living faith by hearing the word and putting it into practice. It is said that ‘faith without works is dead’ (James 2:26), and also, ‘Blessed are those who read the word and those who hear it and keep the things that are written in them’ (Revelation 1:3).
In the Shorter Catechism, he said, “The Word of God is the only rule of our faith and conduct” (Second Q). Therefore, if we live according to these words, we can live successfully this year. It is said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105), and in Hymn 449, there is also the lyrics, “If we follow Jesus and obey the gospel, our path will be clear. I hope you will only believe in God and follow Him this year and live according to His Word.
Furthermore, we must live in fear of God. “Follow the ark of the covenant, and keep a distance of two thousand cubits” (verse 4). Two thousand cubits is about one kilometer. The reason why he told them to follow the ark of the covenant at such a distance is so that all the people who follow them can see the ark of the covenant. Not only that, it also means that we must have a heart that fears God. Just because God is our Father and who loves us, we should not live recklessly in front of Him. We must serve God with reverence. At the same time, the church should be cherished. Believers should not do anything reckless. In a word, the life of a believer is called 'godliness'. I wish you a happy life.
maturity of faith
The hallmark of living things is growth and maturation. The phrase 'getting old', which we usually use, means 'knowing the age, thinking and acting appropriately for your age'. When a 20-year-old thinks and acts like a 10-year-old, he says he is 'immature', and on the other hand, when a 10-year-old thinks and acts like a 10-year-old, he says he is mature. Our faith must also mature according to our age. Those who believe in Jesus for the first time are not yet mature, so there is bound to be a lack of faith in their life. However, if an old believer is still like a new believer, he is rebuked for not being mature.
These days, our society is breaking down seniority and emphasizing ability, which has good points, but it is also a very dangerous idea. Even if you seem like a person who does nothing and only eats rice, you will come to realize the wisdom of life with the passing of time, and you will have the ability to adapt to life. That's why experience is so valuable. The idea that all you need to do is do your job well and achieve your goals regardless of means and methods is like creating a mechanical world. The ‘world inhabited by people’ is created by people who learn, learn, and perfect through repetition of experiences, even if they are a little late or make some mistakes.
Solomon's son Rehoboam becomes king and deals with two types of advisory groups. One group was made up of people who had rich experience in government affairs and knew well what the people were like while working in his father's era, that is, the elders, and the other group was made up of young people of the same age as Rehoboam, who lacked experience in government affairs and did not know how to judge the public sentiment. It was done. Of these two groups, Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders and accepted the suggestions of the young. So in the end, the people left him, and the unfortunate thing happened that the country was divided.
As such, maturity is important, and it is not achieved simply, but is possible through continuous education and refinement. When Israel first came out of Egypt, they lacked faith. I didn't even know what life in the wilderness was. Therefore, God parted the Red Sea according to their level of faith and allowed them to cross. But 40 years have passed since then. They experienced God's grace and power countless times in the wilderness. My faith has also grown a lot. That is why God did not divide the Jordan River like the Red Sea in advance, but commanded them to ‘set your feet into the flowing river’.
Moreover, always at wheat-harvesting time, the rivers overflowed and overflowed the hills. When we crossed the Jordan River, it is around March or April in our country these days, so spring rain, the so-called late rain, falls a lot, and usually the water level of the river or river is the highest. It is not easy to set foot in the Jordan River in such circumstances. As such, we need to know that God treats us according to the level of our faith.
You must always break away from childish beliefs. We only worship on Sunday mornings, and at other times, we should not live independently of the church. We must also keep the Sunday holy and live a life of service and service according to the measure of faith. God sees me as a mature believer, but I still must not live like an immature person.
God's Glory
In 4:5-7 at the end of the text, we see a scene where the Israelites built a monument to honor God and commemorate God's wonderful grace after they crossed the Jordan River safely in obedience to God's command.
They took twelve stones according to the number of each tribe, and set them up where the priests carrying the ark of the covenant stood, praising God's power, and making it an eternal memory for the children of Israel. You don't know what a thrilling scene it is.
Living or acting for the glory of God is the fundamental purpose of our lives. It is because God created us and because it is the due duty of the redeemed. Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). You are not your own, but you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body' (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I hope that you will also have a blessed year in which you always glorify God by living a life full of thanks and praise. In addition, we must always remember and not forget the grace we have received from God. Have you ever heard the term ‘customer satisfaction’? Let's do our best with the goal of 'impressing God'.