Be Strong and Courageous:
The Lord Will Do Amazing Things Among You!
This sermon series is entitled Be Strong and Courageous. It is based on the book of Joshua. So far in our study we have learned that Joshua is now the Leader of God’s people and soon they will begin their conquest of the Promised Land. Yahweh encourages him to focus on the task ahead, prepare himself and Israel, trust God’s promises, and obey everything the Lord had said. Joshua sends two spies on a reconnaissance mission and their encouraging report reinforces Israel’s trust in God’s promises. They have reason to Be Strong and Courageous.
Sunday, we will consider another trust building event – the crossing of the Jordan River. God’s message to the Israelites is The Lord Will Do Amazing Things Among You!
Joshua 3:1-5 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 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. 4 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.” 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.“
Amazing things indeed! The Israelites cross the Jordan River at flood stage. The narrative is recorded in vivid Hebrew storytelling style. When the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant touch the water, the Jordan divides before them and the Israelites cross over on dry ground! The events of Joshua 3-4 occur solely for the purpose of building trust in Yahweh as Israel’s Leader and Joshua as His servant. Notice how the Scripture reveals these purposes.
Joshua 3:7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.”
Joshua 3:9-10 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.”
Joshua 4:14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
Joshua 4:24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.
However, the Israelites had to obey certain commands before they could participate in God’s amazing activity. (1) They had to FOLLOW GOD’s LEAD. They were to keep their eyes on the Ark of the Covenant and move when it moved. (2) They had to RESPECT GOD’s DISTANCE. They were to keep 1,000 yards distance between them and the Ark. (3) They had to CONSECRATE THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD. To consecrate yourself means to set yourself apart from sinful activity and for service to God. God can only use consecrated people.
God still wants to do amazing things among his people today. However, I believe our failure to obey one or more of these commands is, at least, a partial explanation of the why we do not see his amazing work or get to participate with him in it. I’ll say more in my lesson this morning.
Be Strong and Courageous! Joey
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