Joshua 2:22-3:13. So the story continues. Rahab sent the spies in to the hills to the west and told them to wait for three days. Then they could return east across the river to the Israelite camp. After three days they returned and gave a good report to Joshua. Much better than the spy mission Joshua went on forty years before (See “Intro to Joshua”).
The story is pretty simple but there are a few things I would like to mention. Remember, this is it sort of). About 600 years before this God promised Abraham that his descendants would have this land. Now the Israelites are ready to enter. But first a few instructions. The Ark of the Covenant was to be carried before the Israelites as they journeyed into the promised land (This was one of the items used in the Tabernacle (I think I mentioned the Tabernacle in the post 2/23/12 or the “Intro to Joshua”). The Ark was a wooden box covered with gold. On top it had two angel statues. Inside were stone tablets with the first ten rules that God gave to Moses and a stick that had been part of a miracle in Egypt. When the tabernacle was set up only a Priest could approach it. Only Priests could carry or touch it. It represented God’s presence.) The Israelites were to stay about 1000 yards behind the Ark. During the wandering in the wilderness the Israelites always followed the Ark. During the day it would have a column of smoke above it and at night light would come up from it. Remember that there are about two million people here plus animals and carts. Quite a caravan. The Israelites were to “consecrate” themselves for the journey. The word means to “prepare for something special”. And they were assured that something special was going to happen the next day. Notice too that the author makes a special point that the priests carrying the ark were Levites.
God then told Joshua that, starting that day, He would exalt Joshua. Exalt means to lift up, it’s kind of like what happens after a sporting event when all of the players lift up a coach or another player. They are showing the world who they think is the greatest or best. God was going to lift up Joshua in the eyes of the Israelites. They knew God had been leading Moses, now they would see that God was leading Joshua too. Joshua then told the Israelites that they could be sure that God was with them because of what they would see the next day. The Jordan River would separate and they would cross over on dry ground. The miracle would give them assurance tha God would be with them and that He would push out the people that were living in the land. This whole process mimics what had happened forty year before with Moses when they left Egypt. The rules, the Levites, and the miracle all point to God leading. Tomorrow we will look at the miracle a little closer.
Scholars like to say that the distance between the Ark and the people was because God wanted to make a real point of His holiness (being pure and separate). The way the sentence is constructed in Hebrew is like, “Stay Back!” Like on the back of a fire truck. Don’t get too close. The reason given by the author is that the people would know which way to go because they had not gone this way before. Some say the wording points to more that just a physical path but also to a spiritual attitude of keeping God in front and remembering that He is special. It seems that the point is they really needed to let God lead and needed to see that He actually was leading.
If you have read “The Old testament Connection” you know God is in the process of restoring the relationship between mankind and Himself. But it is not a general relationship, God and Mankind as a group. It is a specific relationship God and individuals. In the book of Revelation (Revelation 5:9) we see angels in Heaven praising Jesus because his blood paid the price for people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It may seem like a lot of time went by from Abraham to Joshua but God is working out His plan. 2 Peter 3:9 says God is not slow about his promise to come and rule the earth. But He wants to maximize his kingdom. He is not willing for any to perish but want all to turn back to him. The reality is many will not turn back to God but many will and it all takes time. Time to be born, to grow up, to hear, and to respond. The Israelites waited over 600 years to be born, to grow up, to hear, and to respond. And still really it was not enough time. As we saw in our reading in Judges they went their own way again pretty quickly. Even after a miracle like water standing in a pile like a wall. They needed God in them each day. They needed the gap closed from 1000 yards to 0. They needed a ride on the fire truck with God at the wheel. That is what we all need our lives to be. We need god up close and personal and for that we need Jesus. By his death he gave us access to God (See Ephesians 2:11-22). But we need to “consecrate ourselves”, we need to “sanctify Christ as Lord of our hearts” (1 Peter 3:15). Those words, “consecrate” and “sanctify”, mean the same thing, “set apart” or “dedicate”. We need to dedicate our lives to God. We need to follow His way not our own (that is what “repent” means) and we will enter the ultimate promised land. God help me follow your way. Be the driver in my life. Slap my hand if I try to grab the wheel (not too hard though, please). Thank you for letting me be a member of your kingdom. Help me be patient as we wait for others to come too. Let me call out to others as we pass by and reach out to help them on board. Thank you God for your mercy and patience.