Joshua 3:1-8 (NIV)

¹ 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 Levitical priests 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 two thousand cubits 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.”

⁶ Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.

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. ⁸ Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

Threshold

Joshua 3:1 - “Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.”

• What would it have been like in that camp on the shore of the Jordan River?
• “Looking back along life’s journey, you come to see how each of the central phases of your life began at a decisive threshold where you left one way of being and entered another.” – John O’Donohue

The Call to Courage (Joshua 1:6-9)



God’s Command to Joshua: Three times, God tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.”

• Joshua 1:6: “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”
• Joshua 1:7: “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you.”
• Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The Presence of the Lord Goes Before Us (Joshua 3:3-4)

• “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests 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.”-Joshua 3:3&4
• We journey as pilgrims, surrendering our will, our efforts, and our comforts, to embrace the gift of the Lord’s presence guiding us along the way.

Consecration at the Threshold (Joshua 3:5)

• Joshua’s Call to Consecration: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” -Joshua 3:5
• In this moment, the Hebrew people were called to set themselves apart for what God was about to do. It’s a sacred preparation for the new season.
• Grief and Gratitude: We may grieve what is lost (like Moses not being with them), yet be thankful for how far God has brought us thus far.
• “Take the hardest thing in your life and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot.” – Lillias Trotter

The Promised Land

• Jesus is the translation of the Hebrew name for Joshua: “Yeshua.” Joshua’s career prefigures Christ. All that the people of God received in the Promised Land was a result of Joshua’s leadership. All that we receive in the kingdom of God is a result of “Yeshua,” Jesus.
• “Joshua conquered by the spear; Jesus conquered by receiving the spear. Joshua conquered by receiving and protecting the boundaries of the Promised Land.Jesus secured a worldwide kingdom without walls or boundaries, so that every person, regardless of their background, could become eligible to receive their inheritance in Christ Jesus.” – Derrick Greer