Crossing the Jordan River

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Crossing the Jordan River

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr

Passage: Joshua 1-5


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NOTE: There is no prerecorded material to accompany this lesson.  I am dealing with a severe cold and to preserve my voice decided to not make the recording.  I have posted the live recording.  TT

JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE (36)

Tonight, we continue our “journey through the Bible”.  We have completed 6 of the 17 time periods of Bible history.  We begin the 7th time period – Conquering and Inheriting Canaan.  In this lesson we will examine the preparations of Israel as they cross the Jordan into Canaan.

  1. The Conquest of Canaan – Background
    1. Moses has died and Joshua has been appointed to replace him and lead Israel into the promised land. Recall that Joshua was likely older than most of Isreal as one of the 2 spies that encouraged Israel to proceed in subduing the land ~38 years earlier.
    2. From the time that God made the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, and Jacob bringing 70-75 people into the Egypt (Genesis 46:27) some 400 years earlier, Israel is now described as a great nation (Deuteronomy 4:7-8). Preparing to enter the land, recall the army was numbered at 601,730 (Num. 26:51).  With this, we can easily estimate that the number of Israelites was well over one million.
    3. This period of time is recorded in the book of Joshua & Judges 1-2:10 which repeats some of the ending of Joshua 24.
    4. It is estimated to be about 50-100 years. After the conquest, Joshua would live for about 30 years and die at the age of 110 (Joshua 24:29).  The conquest of the land took ~7-8 years (Josh. 6-12).  Then they divide the tribes, which took time and they dragged their feet Josh. 13-22.  The book concludes with Joshua’s farewell addresses – Josh. 23-24.   I conclude this period of time with Judges 2 where we are introduced to the cycle of judges.  Judges 2:10 tells us all the generation of Joshua remained faithful, but when they died, “another generation arose that did not know the LORD.”
  2. Our text
    1. Joshua 1:1-9 – Joshua is commissioned by YHWH to lead the people. YHWH speaks to him and encourages him to lead the people, promises to be with him and give him the land promised to Moses (and Abraham).  7-8 he is reminded to keep the law given by Moses to them.  If they kept it, they would have good success.
    2. 1:10-18 – the leaders are charged to prepare the people to cross the Jordan in 3 days. NOTE that in vs. 12-15 he speaks to the leaders of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh who had their inheritance reminding them that they promised to go fight to conquer the land and then return to their homes.  16-18 records their response. They promise to follow him as they did Moses, blessed him (My LORD God be with you).  Further they declared that anyone who rebelled against him would be put to death.
    3. Joshua 2 – We find that Joshua sends 2 men from Acacia Grove to spy out the land, especially Jericho. This is different from the first time:  1) It was only 2 men (remember how many were ready to obey God the first time – Joshua & Caleb); 2) It was more local – his main concern was Jericho where they would begin their conquest; 3) It was only a few days (not 40) as we find they spy out the city and then hide for 3 days and return to their camp (2:22-23); 4) This time, the report was completely positive (2:24).
    4. 2:3-21 – They enter Jericho and lodge at the house of Rahab the prostitute. The king of Jericho finds this out and searches for them.  Rahab lies to protect the men and hides them on her roof.  When the men leave the city to search for them, Rahab comes to the roof and says, “I know the LORD has give you the land…” (vs. 9-11).  NOTE her observations – they went back 4 decades to the drying up of the Red Sea, then to the recent defeat of Og and Sihon east of the Jordan.  Because of this the people were fearful and defeated.  Why, “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (vs. 11).  Rahab (by faith) asks for her and her family to be spared (vs.12-13).  The men give their word but give her instructions – only those IN her house would be saved. She was to tell no one this business, or the oath would be nullified.  Furthermore, she was to place a scarlet cord outside her window (14-21).  The spies are let down through her widow by the cord (her house was on the wall of the city) and they escaped into the mountains and waited for 3 days until the search party returned to the city.   22-24 – the men return to their camp across the Jordan and report to Joshua, “Truly, the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands…” (vs. 24)
    5. 3:1-17 records the crossing of the Jordan River.  As the people prepared, FIRST the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant, entered into the river.  As soon as they did, upstream some distance (near a city called Adam), the waters rose in a heap, and the waters heading toward the Salt Sea flowed away and the land dried up.  NOTE: We are told this was during the flood season (vs. 15). ( Normally, sources say that the during the dryer months the Jordan can by traversed with water only about waist deep.  During flood season it rose to 10-12 feet).  AS the waters receded, the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan on dry ground.  With a protective distance of about 3000 feet (2000 cubits) (3:4), the people who had consecrated themselves crossed over the Jordan on dry ground. They were NOW in the promised land of Canaan.
    6. 4:1-24 – YHWH commanded 12 men, one from each tribe to go into the Jordan and pick a stone. They were to be set up as a memorial of this crossing.  Instructions were given that when their children asked, “What do these stones mean?’ they were to be told about the events of the day.  After the stones were gathered, the priests with the ark proceeded west to the shoreline of the Jordan.  When they were on dry ground, the waters resumed their flow.  The stones were set up at Gilgal (where Israel camped in the land of Canaan).   Joshua 4:19 tells us it was the 10th day of the first month when this happened.
    7. Note 4:14, On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
    8. 5:1-9 – the men were circumcised. We are told that those born while in the wilderness had not been circumcised (vs. 4-5).  They remained in camp until they were healed.  9, “this day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”
    9. 5:10-12 – they kept the Passover feast on the 14th day of the first month at Gilgal. The next day, they ate of the produce of the land and the manna ceased on that day.
    10. They were IN their promised land!
  3. Lessons to learn
    1. Crossing the Jordan – a foretaste of entering our rest. Often times, when we sing songs, Jordan is mentioned.  It is alluded to as the time when we cross from this life into our eternal rest in heaven.  Songs like, “On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand” (254) or “Sweet By and By” speaks of “we shall meet on that beautiful shore” (212).  While not a direct allusion to this in the Bible, there is something to be said about crossing the Jordan as it relates to dying in the Lord.   Consider the following:

Israel

Man Today

In bondage in Egypt – Exodus 1-12In bondage to sin – Ephesians 2:1-3,
Romans 6:17-18, etc.
Crossing Red Sea – Saved
Exodus 14:13, 30-31 (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:2)		In baptism, we are saved
Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:20-21, Acts 2:38
Wilderness Wanderings – 40 years
Exodus 14- Joshua 2		We are sojourners and pilgrims
1 Peter 2:11, Philippians 3:20
Crossing Jordan into Canaan
Joshua 3		We leave this life – Matthew 10:22
Revelation 2:10, Romans 2:7, etc.
Inherited Canaan – their promised landAfter this life, we receive our eternal reward in heaven – Revelation 14:13, Hebrews 4:9-10
1 Peter 1:3-4 – an inheritance…
    1. Rahab in the New Testament
      1. Matthew 1:5, 16 – she is described as an direct ancestor of Boaz (who married Ruth), David and ultimately Jesus. A study of the women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus in this text is worthwhile.
      2. Hebrews 11:31 – she is mentioned because of her faith as she received and protected the spies.
      3. James 2:25 – again, her faith is addressed, but in terms of “works” because of what she did. James is emphasizing true faith is active faith (and that cannot be separated).
    2. Did God approve of Rahab lying?
      1. There are some who advocate that Rahab is an example of situational lying being approved.
      2. First, understand that lying is NOT approved by God – Ephesians 4:25 – We are commanded to speak truth to our neighbors; Colossians 3:9-10, esp. Revelation 21:8.
      3. To justify Rahab to lie is faulty.
        1. First, note WHAT was commended about Rahab in the NT. It was her faith in God.  And the fact that she acted with that faith.
        2. Second, we all have flaws and sin from time to time. To deny this is to lie (1 John 1:8-10).  Furthermore, we KNOW it!  Do these sins define who we are or are they indicators of our struggles as we strive to do right.  Consider the lifestyle of Rahab (at least to the point that we meet her).  She was a harlot, living in a Canaanite city which was filled with idolatry and immorality.  It was her lifestyle UP TO THAT POINT!
        3. NOWHERE does it say God approved of the fact that she lied!
        4. Fourth, we do not know much about her life. It is only because of Matthew that we know she conceived a child.  Being spared, it is very possible, even likely, she converted to Judaism.  Did she renounce her former ways?
      4. The importance of memorials –
        1. Following the crossing of the Jordan river, we find memorial stones designed to remind Israel of the greatness of God. At the time that Joshua was originally written (whomever the author was), the stones were still there.
        2. Memorials can be powerful reminders to us. Most of our holidays have a memorial associated with them.  It is the hope that we will pause and think about whatever is designated.  THEN we celebrate.
        3. In the NT, we have been given the memorial of the Lord’s Supper – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26ff. We are to weekly commemorate His DBR.  When done properly (“in a worthy manner”), it is a tool to keep us on the right path.
        4. NOTE in our text: When children asked, they were taught. That is the benefit of a memorial.  Use it to teach the next generation.

 

And thus we are finally in Canaan in our journey through the Bible.  The rest of the Old Testament and the life of Jesus will deal with land as it relates to the Jews.  God promised to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.  We now see this fulfilled.  Similarly, He has promised to give us a home in heaven, if we faithfully serve Him.  We may not possess it yet, but when we cross OUR Jordan, it will be there for us, UNLESS we perish in this wilderness.   What about you?  Are you journeying toward the promised land of God?  Is there some way that we can help you?  Think about it!

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