Setting Yourself Apart
Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you (Joshua 3:5)
I have for many years been both comforted and challenged by the book of Joshua. Using our imaginations, we can put ourselves into Joshua’s life story and feel the weight that is upon him as he is tasked by the Lord to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land. The book starts with, “now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ‘Moses my servant is dead, now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them, to the sons of Israel” (Joshua 1:1-2).
Moses, the long-time leader of Israel and the man Joshua had served for many years, is dead. Likely still grieving that loss, Joshua is commissioned by the Lord himself with the unbelievably difficult task of leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Once in the land, they are to displace the current inhabitants, who are living in fortified cities and take possession of it. To begin, they must first cross the river Jordan, which is at flood stage, without the benefit of bridges or ferries. That the task tempted Joshua to be fearful and discouraged is evident by the Lord repeating His admonition, ‘be strong and courageous” four times in the first chapter of the book. The successful completion of the task will take not one but several miracles. To encourage Joshua, the Lord promises He will be with him, just as He was with Moses.
It is doubtful the Lord will ever ask any of us to do anything that compares with the level of difficulty and challenge represented here. That said, there is much for us to learn from studying the life of Joshua and the instructions that were given to he and the people as they overcame their fears and realized God’s promises for them. We, like them, have been commissioned by the Lord for a great work but there are often significant obstacles to the realization of God’s plans for our lives. These obstacles vary in type and difficulty but they all tempt us to be fearful and discouraged. If we shrink back in doubt and unbelief, we fail to experience God’s best for our lives, our own personal Promised Land. The Lord has better for us.
While there is a host of lessons to learn by studying Joshua’s life, I want to look at 3 we see as preparatory to crossing the river Jordan. These 3 especially will help us in our own journey of realizing God’s promises in our own lives.
Consecrate yourself- While the word is not commonly used outside the church, it is a familiar word within the faith community. It’s generally understood meaning is to “dedicate fully” or to “set apart for a divine purpose.” As such it can be used of religious articles, assemblies of people or individuals. In Joshua 3:5, as the people prepare to cross the river Jordan, Joshua says to the people, “consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” In context, Joshua is calling the people to set themselves apart for the divine purpose of realizing God’s promise of taking possession of the land. God has given them the land, it is theirs, but now they must take possession of it. In order to do so, they must rid themselves of any other thoughts, goals or desires. There cannot be divided loyalties or other pursuits, they must be fully dedicated to fulfilling the divine commission.
Follow God’s presence- In Joshua 3:3 the people were told by Joshua’s officers, “when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.” They are told in verse 4 they are never to lose sight of it because “you have never passed this way before.” Just as they had followed the pillar of fire by and the cloud by day, the Lord is guiding them by the ark of the covenant, a symbol of the Lord’s presence with them. The journey before them was difficult and they had no previous experience to guide them. It was therefore imperative they keep their eyes on the ark of the covenant to ensure their safety and the successful completion of their journey.
Act in faith- Finally, there is the day that Joshua and the people must act if they are going to realize God’s promise of the Promised Land. As already mentioned, the Jordan was at flood stage (Joshua 3:15) and there is no way the people are going to be able to cross without the Lord performing a miracle. The Lord has revealed to Joshua He is going to do the miracle of stopping the flow of the river Jordan, so the people can cross on dry ground, as a sign to them that they will be able to dispossess the people of the land. The catch is they must act on the promise before it happens. The waters are cut off “when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan.” Then and then only will the waters be cut off.
We see these same 3 characteristics modeled in the life of Jesus; He lived only to please His heavenly Father (John 8:28-29), He did only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19) and in perfect obedience to the Father’s will He worked miracles, healed the sick and cast out demons throughout His earthly ministry.
It is God’s desire to fulfill His promises to us and for us to receive our own personal Promised Land. It is the abundant life Jesus speaks of in John 10:10 but it also includes the fulfillment of our personal calling, the unique plans and purposes God has for our lives. I would invite you to join us Friday night August 9th at Thanksgiving Church when we gather to celebrate the truth Our Time is Now (https://www.godslivingstones.org/our-time-is-now). And as a part of that gathering, we will get reconnected with the practical steps that enable us to overcome any obstacles keeping us from Gods’ best for our lives. We are going to worship Jesus the King, have our hearts renewed and our vision restored. Our time is now but we must consecrate ourselves, follow God’s presence and act in faith if we are going experience what God has promised. Hope to see you there.
Author
Pastor Bruce is the Executive Director of God's Living Stones. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his wife Barb. They have two adult children.
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