I made the point earlier that this whole account or story of the Israelites going in to take possession of this new land God had promised them, was not, as many believe, a ‘type or picture of heaven’. Despite all those heartwarming songs and sayings about ‘crossing over the Jordan into Glory Land’, one can quickly conclude this is an inaccurate foreshadowing of heaven because what is on this land - God wants removed! There were tribes and nations of evil people who God says are doing wicked and detestable things. There won’t be any of that in heaven. Period.
What this story is a ‘blueprint’ of, is this walk of faith or ‘salvation’, and how in the same way Joshua led the people in to take possession of this land that God was going to bless them in, provided they follow and obey; so does Jesus...lead us in this ‘walk of faith’ and wants to take possession of our ‘whole heart’. Our hearts are the land...littered with all kinds of evil and wickedness that defiles the ‘land’. Our hearts are what were corrupted and tainted and in need of being ‘cleansed and purified’. This is what ‘sanctification’ is all about. This is...the will of God...that we are ‘sanctified’ and set apart as He calls us out of darkness and to walk in the light as He is in the light. (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:13-17; 2:9-11; 1 John 1:7)
We are God’s field and His vineyard in which He wants to see good fruit produced. ( 1 Cor. 3:9; John 15:8). Comparing yourself with others around you and telling yourself you are ‘doing a good job, at least better than what you see around you’, is an all too common, and unwise practice we easily fall in to.
Keep in mind that before you can bring forth the kind of fruit that God desires and is looking for, the land has to be cleared and prepared. And we don’t do it. He does. We just have to cooperate with Him. Yet, we are, according to 1 Cor. 3:9, ‘co-laborers’ or ‘fellow workers’ with God. Both back then, and today. (Ex.23:31) But it’s still all by His grace that anything gets done in us.
I mentioned yesterday about the first flood we read of in Genesis 6. Look at vs. 8 that reads “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” How did God protect Noah and his family from the flood? With an ‘ark’ in which they entered in to. Despite the unleashing of destructive floods on the earth, Noah and his family (and all the ‘pets’) were protected in peace and safety because...they were ‘in’ the ark. Noah was saved by grace.
There’s a verse I came across here awhile back in Jeremiah that just resonated with me. Fast forward to many years later and we read there in his writings about how the ‘whirlwind of the Lord goes forth with fury...a continuing whirlwind that falls violently on the head of the wicked’, talking of how the ‘fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it and until He has performed the intents of His heart.”. (30:23-24). That chapter ends with “in the latter days you will consider it.” (24)
For the sake of time, I’m just going to put this out here and can offer up plenty of scripture to support that, but when we read about the ‘anger of the Lord’, the case can be made that this represents the devil who carries out the curses and wrath of God against all unrighteousness and wickedness. (Rom. 1:18) I realize this is not widely taught in churches today for multiple reasons. But I’m telling you...it is in here from Genesis to Revelation. But it is not the devil we need fear, it is God alone. And He provides a shelter, or an ‘ark’ or a ‘hedge of protection’ against the wicked one. (1 John 5:18; Job 1:9-10; Matt. 21:33). {and for those of you who are desiring to see more ‘dots connected’, check out 2 Samuel 24:1 and then 1 Chron. 21:1}
So going back to that passage ending in Jer. 30, we read in the next chapter as it opens up of how God still has a plan for those who are with Him saying ‘the people who survived the sword (curse/judgment)...”found grace in the wilderness’ and how God comes to ‘give them rest’. (31:1-2)
That is what Jesus came to do for us. “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. (Matt. 11:28). Jesus becomes the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him. (Heb. 5:9). Yet, what did Jesus say the condition of so many hearts were in when He cried out to them to come to Him for protection? That they were not ‘willing’. (Matt. 23:37) He even used the picture of a mother hen covering her chicks which is what a hen does when danger or storms approach. Sound familiar to what we read in Psalm. 91 about ‘abiding under the shelter of God’s protective wings’? (1-6)
In Matt. 22 we read again, this invitation to come...and those who were invited to the wedding were ‘not willing to come’, as they began to offer up various excuses...some even making light of it and ‘going their own way’. (1-5)
It is quite the paradox and hard at times to wrap one’s head around...that the one who comes to save us...gets rejected over and over and over.
He came unto His own...and His own did not receive Him. But...as many as did receive Him, to them He gave the right to become. ..children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:11-12). And who are the true ‘children of God’? Those...who are ‘led by His Spirit’. (Rom. 8:14). Go read that question and answer again one more time please.
Do you see a consistent theme being laid out here? Our rescuer says we have to follow Him if we want to enter in to peace and rest and safety. Otherwise, you face certain destruction. Jesus taught us that. (Luke 13:1-5). Peter declared that those who do not hear Him in ‘all things will be utterly destroyed’. (Acts 3:22-23)
And we learn how this all takes place in the blueprints of God’s redemptive plan.
Now, back to those folks crossing the flooded Jordan river in Joshua 3. We read about another ‘ark’ that was involved. This was the ‘ark of the covenant’, a gold plated chest that God had Moses construct. In it, were the stone tablets with the ten commandments written on them, Aaron’s rod, and a small pot containing some manna. You could spend some extensive time studying what all that represents and the important significance of this sacred object.
Consecrated priest were instructed to carry this on their shoulders as they were about to cross the flooded river. The short version would be this ark represented the presence of God back in this time period. It was not to be taken, treated, or handled lightly or carelessly. Certain death awaited anyone who did. God told Joshua there in vs. 10...”You shall know that the living God is among you...” Sounds similar to something Jesus promised us in John 15:20-23 where He and the Father would come and abide in us.
We now read in Joshua 3:13-17 that ‘it came to pass’...as the priest stepped out into the river, that the Lord caused the flood waters to cease and be cut off as the waters upstream stood in a heap’. So all the people set out and walked over on dry ground. Going right on in to the next chapter we read that after the people crossed over and the priest stepped out of the Jordan ...that the waters returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before’. (4:18)
The journey was just beginning. And God made it clear in dramatic fashion...when we abide in Him...and in His presence, that God brings peace and safety and shelter from the floods and we walk in peace as long as we abide in Him. Please note, that lesson number one for these people were that despite entering in to a land inhabited by wickedness, they were to walk in peace and safety.
When we surrender our hearts/lives to Jesus, coming to Him in brokenness and repentance, seeking rest for our weary souls- our hearts are still quite ‘inhabited’ by evil that needs to be removed from the ‘land’. But the moment we enter in to covenant and purpose to set our minds and hearts on Him, we reap the promise of perfect peace. (Isa. 26:3; Col. 3:15)
All those ‘giants on the land’, those sins you have struggled with for years that reside in your heart, are now rendered powerless from controlling you. You have a new Master and a new Lord. That does not mean they have ‘left’ you . That comes as you continue in the faith and let the work of the Holy Spirit lead you to put them to death...once and for all. That is what the Spirit does. (Rom. 8:13). And as long as you continue to abide in Him, you walk in peace and no longer sin. (1 John 3:6) IF...you do sin, you quickly learn how fast you will ‘lose that peace’. This is how the Lord chastens us. (Heb. 12:5-14). IF...we sin, (not when), we have an advocate with the Father and are able to find forgiveness and mercy when we come to Him and confess and repent. (1 John 2:1-2). But we don’t continue to practice this same sin over and over.
“HOW...shall we who died to sin, continue in it?”...Paul asked us in Rom. 6:2. We have been called to walk in peace...on this pathway of peace, submitting our hearts to the ‘Prince of Peace’. One cannot walk in this peace and continue to sin at the same time. Yet, many people seem to think they can.
Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will look at the subject of what a ‘false peace’ is.
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