Joshua 3.5-17: "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you. And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the LORD of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. "
Hi all!
These events occur after the death of Moses, Joshua had served him during his youth, Moses being at the end of his ministry, God has shown the promised land on Mount NEBO in the plains of Moab. Before dying Moses on the instruction of the Lord has chosen his successor Joshua transmitting in his life God's anointing that rested on his life by laying hands on him. " And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. (Deuteronomy 34.9). "
After the death of Moses, God begins to reassure Joshua to encourage him aware of the heavy task that awaits it to lead the people of Israel into the promised land of Canaan for them to take possession of their inheritance. " 1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1.1-9) "
But beyond this encouragement ,the Lord must demonstrates his power by tangible facts to strengthen the authority of Joshua because the incredulous and hesitant people. It was necessary that the Lord shows his power by Joshua by signs and wonders as he did with Moses to authenticate its presence and choices about Joshua.
It is in light of all this that the Lord has made this prophetic declaration to Joshua, " And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. (Josué3.7). "
We are going to understand the implication of this prophetic declaration of God in the live of Joshua and in our lives today!
Jordan the hurdle to access its elevation!
• The Jordan represents every obstacle, every mountain prevents you from accessing your promotion, your greatness
• It is this limitation (spiritual, financial, academic, ...) that prevents you from accessing the promises of God ,for the blessings of God to become reality
• It represents this disease, this affliction, this opposition, the links of family easements, ancestral, these demonic alliances, these chains, these captive cages that keep you in bondage
• It is the sin that dominates you, which control you , which prevents you from doing the will of God
• It represents unconfessed sin in your life, in your past that allows the devil to accuse you, to afflict you, you must repent!
• It is this property of the devil in your possession (Object, charm, magic powder, potion, perfume, book of occultism, dress, traditional object ...) that allows the devil to enter your life to destroy it. You must repent and destroy these objects by a servant of God!
• The Jordan River is this bad habit that you have, you must implore the grace of the Lord to deliver you from this bad habit
• It represents these enemies of your destiny, these Goliaths, these strong men and women that you should defeat by using authority in prayer to access its promotion. " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10.3-5) "
• It is this fear that you have to brave,it's this risk you need to take to succeed
The Ark of the covenant symbol of God's presence
- The Ark of the Covenant in the midst of the people of Israel represented God's presence among them. God thus assured the people his presence among them in the challenges and problems that he would meet • The presence of God among us does not mean there are no problems, but simply a demonstration of the power of God in our problems or challenges " There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). " • The Ark of the Covenant is a type of Christ for us Christians today, the action of the Lord is no longer limited to the outside of the people, much the Lord Jesus Christ wants to live his life in us if we receive Him as our Lord and Savior in our hearts. What a privilege the Lord of the universe to live in us , to walk with him every day! " That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10.9-10) " The Lord confirmed his elevation into your life with a demonstration of power!
