Heralds Digest

"Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:7 NKJV) Like Joshua set up twelve special stones in Gilgal for a memorial of the miraculous parting of the Jordan river before the children of Israel to cross over on dry ground , many memorials are marked with symbolism like stones, crosses, statues, portraits, etc. For example, the parting of the temple veil that signifies the opening of the entrance into the presence of God is often marked with the symbol of the cross. We can hang the cross on our doorposts, housetops, and even wear them on our necks; but the submission of the heart of man to the sacrifice at the cross, for the redemption of the soul, is often withdrawn from the recurring statements from his head knowledge. Only the blood of Christ by grace...

"Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan." (Joshua 3:17 NKJV) Freedom from the burden of fear and anxiety is imagined in the atmosphere totally free from the source of any form of challenge. Even when the mysterious buildup of the upstream of Jordan river makes dry standing ground, common sense will invoke the fear of being swept away in the possible collapse of the imaginary wall before all the people had completely cross over. However, it was great confidence in the presence of God that enabled the priests to stand firm in the midst of the Jordan. Only heart whose trust stayed on God, who enables standing amidst the upsurge of tribulation and trials, remains fearless to the end of the battle of life.

"Yet there shall be a space between you and it [ark of the covenant of the Lord], about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.” (Joshua 3:4 NKJV) No matter the potentials in every human engagement, the relevance of the occupation is a function of the level of the subject's present performance. And unless anyone can imagine the experience of 40 years in the wilderness and the long waiting on the potentials of prosperity in the Promised Land, it would be difficult to capture the vulnerability to performance pressure on the Israelites, which tend to mismanage the importance of the presence of the Lord with the challenge of Jordan crossover. When the Lord leads the way from financial incapacity and other social maladies to our prosperity, He would also like to keep the timing of our steps.

"...and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you."" (Joshua 2:9 NKJV) After the majority of the previous 12 spies fumbled with their fact-based report on the Promised Land, it appears Joshua had learned that the selection of spies represents a highly sensitive faith-based matter. Two men were selected, apparently not on the basis of equal representation from all the 12 tribes; but probably on the basis of their faithfulness to the promises of God. Little wonder that among all available reports in Jericho about the mission of the Israelites, the harlot Rahab's report was sought by the spies. Conservatively, it shows that any intelligence gathering based on the strategies of the enemy against the promises of God is aimed at a bad report; but a good report is anchored on the assessment of God's previous faithfulness to His promise...

“Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’” (Joshua 1:11 NKJV) Responsibility and respect are two sides of a single currency, which unlocks the gate to great possessions in life. Everyone is capable of showing both responsibility in order to earn respect, and respect in order to reward responsibility. While the officers of Israel passed through the hosts, it may be difficult for anyone within the camp to see the two sides at the same time; But no one might have been able to pass over Jordan without trusting the commands from each of the officers. Taking responsibility and rewarding respect in life represent the making of consistent preparation in order to own personal challenge of possible Jordan jump to our possession.

"Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses." (Joshua 1:3 NKJV) A turn-by-turn global positioning system (GPS) device is required to navigate a place previously unknown,even after one has obtained a valid right of operation on the land. God's promise of fruitfulness to Joshua may appear boundless, if the statement is considerably taken out of context; But the 'every place' is bounded by the detailed knowledge of the boundaries mapping of the Promised Land, and the unceasing meditation on the law of God. Every footstep in place outside the outlined path is obviously an effort in futility.

"But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face." (Deuteronomy 34:10 NKJV) In the world of facebook, twitter and other social networking capabilities, face to face communication is being redefined. Even while Moses lived in a primitive world with no cyber socialization, the challenges of managing the nagging problems of the Israelites are sufficient distractions from effective communications. Inspite of the prevailing physical distractions, Moses cultivated a spiritual intimacy with the throne of grace which enables face to face interactions with the Maker of heaven and earth. Face to face intercation with earthly challenges will definitely enhance face to face intimacy with heavenly resources, if we are open to divine intervention.