LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
The Crossing of the Jordan
The attitude of Israel before the Red Sea and the river Jordan show us two forms of walking before God.
Gonzalo Sepúlveda
Readings: Numbers 14: 27-45; Joshua chaps 3, 4 and 5.
The book of Numbers, chapter 14, records a key moment in the Israelites' walk in the desert. They were very close to entering the Promised land, but because of the hardness of His hearts, the Lord sends them back round the desert. For forty days twelve spies went throughout the land, and ten of them returned with a very negative report. The people believed these ten unbelievers and discarded the faithful Joshua and Caleb. After forty years, that generation would end its days in the desert.
"The people mourned greatly" and they sought to ascend to take possession of the land. " Seeing it shall not prosper", Moses warned, but they insisted on going (14: 39-45). Moses surely told them these things whilst crying, because he loved the people of the Lord and grieved over His continuous failures: "Go not up, for Jehovah is not among you; that ye be not smitten down before your enemies. For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned back from following Jehovah, therefore Jehovah will not be with you. But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and Moses, departed not out of the camp ", that is to say, they didn't follow the ark, they didn't follow the Lord, they became obstinate in continuing on alone. " Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite who dwelt in that mountain, and smote them and beat them down, even unto Hormah." Hormah, the failure of the flesh once again.
We know that it was not the first generation that left Egypt, but the second, the one that was able to enter the Promised land.
Today we want to see how we can trace the way from failure to victory, and how this helps us to see our own defeats, and the success that the Lord has with us, because he doesn't rest in His dealings with us.
The errors of the first generation
Here is something very easy to identify with: the Israelites from the first generation were accustomed to speaking, to reaching His own conclusions and to be heard amongst themselves. They didn't have ears for hearing the voice of the Lord. Some of His expressions were terrible: "Why did you bring us to this desert to die, were there not tombs in Egypt"? "would it not be better to return to Egypt"?, And "why does Jehovah bring us to this land to fall to the sword, and that our wives and children become prey?" (14:3).
In Numbers 14:40 we can see a superficial repentance and a rash decision whose purpose was to try to amend the error earlier committed. But they failed once again to hear and obey the Lord.
Previously they had committed grotesque sins, such as when they raised up a golden calf and all the corruption that it generated. But this decision appears to be "something good"; it is as if says: "We will amend this, let us ascend to war." Do you see, brothers and sisters that this is easy to identify with? They depended on His own reasoning instead of humbling themselves before the Lord. His obstinacy was stronger; they believed that they could conquer the land and His enemies by themselves with His own force.
But Moses had tuned hearing, his heart was bound to the throne of God, he knew that when God determined something, He inexorably completed it. Moses knew that in such circumstances God would not be moved and the confrontation would only be between Israel and Amalek. In the servant of God's eye was the fresh memory of when he said: "Jehovah will fight for you and you will hold your peace." (Exodus 14:14) Here, in contrast, the fight would only be between men and not between Jehovah and the Amalekites and Canaanites. Therefore, the defeat was assured.
The Lord was not willing to go with the Israelites in His disobedience, however, He was willing to accompany them 40 years through the desert. This speaks to us of His blessed grace. He abandoned them when they wanted to do His own will, but He accompanied them and they lacked no bread nor did His clothes wear out, nor was there one swollen foot (Deut. 8:4). The Lord provided for the forty years. They didn't lack water, nor aid, nor mercy. The Lord prefers to let us go when we disobey him, but is willing to pick us up after our failures. How merciful the Lord is! We have known Him this way!
The second generation crosses the Jordan
We now go to Joshua 3:1-6: " and they lodged there before they passed over." What a beautiful rested attitude in this new generation. For three days the officials travel through the camp indicating to the people the way of crossing the Jordan. "You will go up after it" (the ark). What a beautiful attitude! There is no longer a self-absorbed multitude present that didn't care that the ark and Moses remained in the camp. Now there is a different, rested people that were still, waiting for the ark to move. All looked to when the priests lifted the ark, they waited for the precise time and then they went up, in orderly fashion, behind the ark. The Lord went on ahead pointing out a way, previously unknown to them!
This new generation pleased the Lord, and we have a lot to learn from them. Let us not show off about knowing everything; we recognize with humility that we don't know the way or the form of doing the work of God. Only if we wait until he moves, and if we check the good will of God through the Spirit and by the Word, will we advance in the correct direction into His purpose.
"And the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel passed over on dry ground, until all the nation were passed clean over the Jordan." (3:16-17). Thank the Lord for the priests that bare the ark. Today we are a people of priests; we all sustain the ark, until "all the people pass clean over." Let us think about the uncomfortable situation for the priests sustaining the ark amid the channel of the river. But the discomfort of these few brought great blessing for the whole people of the Lord. There are a lot of people of God today who are thirsty and hungry. They should pass over from the desert amid their many failures to the abundance of the good land that is Christ with all His unsearchable wealth. But established men and women are needed amid the Jordan, suffering the afflictions of the cross of Christ and sustaining the testimony of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of Jehovah passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people" (4:11). The ark didn't pass over the Jordan until all the people had gone first. And Joshua commanded the priests, saying: Come ye up out of the Jordan (4:17). Do you see that only God speaks? The people don't speak, nobody speaks, only God; and Joshua doesn't speak before God does.
The Red Sea and the Jordan
For all the glory and spectacle that the voyage through the Red sea undoubtedly was, it is very interesting to compare it with the crossing of the Jordan.
God intervened sovreignly in both cases, nothing could oppose the purpose of taking His people to the "good land." If we observe the behaviour of the people in both experiences, the difference is remarkable. In front of the Red sea the people were confused, complained and swore in great desperation. When the sea opens up, they go forwards in a kind of "save yourself if you can" attitude! It is easy to imagine an enormous chaos on that terrible night. By dawn of the following day, however, they believed, they feared, and they praised with tambourines and dances. Their emotions were completely changed from desperation to joy in less than 24 hours! (Exodus 14 and 15).
Very soon the desert would expose all their spiritual misery. The praise was genuine, but there was a serious problem in them: they did not yet know themselves.
But, what do we have in front of the Jordan? We have a people who no longer complained or gossiped, human opinions are not heard, nobody is saying: "Let us designate a captain and return to Egypt", nor a "Do you think the river will open up?" Here there are a unanimous, silent people (they learned how to remain silent), waiting on God to move so as to then go forwards; a restful people, disciplined. The waters stop at the presence of the ark, what a solemn moment! And they move in an orderly fashion. There are no celebrations on the other side of the Jordan; there are no tambourines or dances, no joy. Now they know themselves, they know that it was not by their own strength; they know that only the powerful hand of the Lord could bring them into the land.
Gilgal
With great solemnity and peace they arrive to the other side. After raising a monument of commemoration, they camp in Gilgal. Instead of having a party, there was circumcision - an entire generation of males had not been circumcised (Joshua 5:5) -. What weakening came upon the men of war in that day! They had to remain there until they were healed. That is to say, instead of having a party, they went through painful obedience!
The Red sea was a figure of baptism and includes celebration and joy; the crossing of the Jordan, on the other hand, is a figure of the cross. In another form, Gilgal also represents the cross (circumcision: the displacing of natural strength). After many years we have come to know ourselves "as we really are." Today we don't dare to be quick to give an opinion, we fear to claim anything in the face of adversity; truly no claims can be made. We only need to humble ourselves under the powerful hand of the Lord (1 Peter 5:6).
Those that have been in the "Way" for some years are increasingly convinced every day that the only thing that we need in this life, is to continue filling our hearts with Christ.
In this last time God has been working deeply with us. We are experiencing His rod; we are knowing the discipline of the Lord; we are knowing the cross in a deeper and deeper dimension; the Lord is touching deeper." He is pruning those that have brought forth fruit so that they can give out more fruit.
We consider a symptom of maturity in the church to be when the brothers and sisters look at a servant of God who is going through a period of silence with respect. It is not a day to treat lightly. If the Lord is correcting something, let us wait. In that silence a message is being formed that the brother concerned cannot even imagine.
Bear with it, servant of the Lord; bear with that crucible which consumes you; soon your Lord will bring you out in resurrection. This will be so glorious that many will be enriched by Christ's life that will flow from your heart.
Some suffer because their weaknesses make them stumble. But there is a pain that belongs to another category of the Lord's internal dealings, where the underlying problem is the "I" itself, and not sins or the world. It is "the good intention" which is being put to death; that high esteem of oneself; presumption and arrogance are being broken to pieces! So that it may be fulfilled that "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
Something remained in the sands of Sinai
But let us return to the example of Israel crossing the Jordan. On that occasion they were conscious that: "That which is to come is so tremendous, and only the powerful hand of the Lord can bring us into the land. The only thing that we need to do is to advance on this way to pleasing to the Lord! We mustn't take a single false step, if God speaks we move and if he doesn't speak we must be still"!
They had to make sure that the Lord would go before them, because otherwise they would be annihilated. So they didn't find many reasons to celebrate. Rather, a reverent fear levied them because of the battles and of the inheritance that was before them.
Isn't it the case that we are today in a similar situation? We ask for mercy from the Lord, because, being such unworthy men and women, with so many failings and there being others who are much better than us, He is still using us. Lord, how great is your mercy in considering us!
It is also true that in the taking of Jericho a problem arose: Achan took the curse of violating the expressed commandment of the Lord through Joshua (6:18). One of the warriors disobeyed, which implies that all the others obeyed. The sin of Achan highlights the faithfulness of this generation in contrast with the unfaithfulness of the first one. From it, only two men, Joshua and Caleb, pleased the Lord. Here, a single warrior among many thousands is the one who fails. Finally, God obtained a people who pleased His heart and He gave the good land to them.
Glory to God for His victory! Something was buried in the sands of the Sinai. We always think about the failures of Israel, but here, after 40 long years (long for man, not for God) we have a generation that was sanctified and that knew their God and that left their complaints and natural energy behind.
The work of the Holy Spirit today follows the same principle. It is hoped that the failures that we have experienced through the years as individuals and as a church are of worth so that something of ourselves, of our natural strength, is left behind, buried in the sands of the desert and something more of Christ is being added.
What does this speak of but the believer's victory? The good land will always be Christ for us. We say "I want more and more of Christ", more of Christ in you and in me, less of my flesh, less of my pride, less of my self.
May the Lord have mercy on all of us. The Lord is persistent and implacable with man's fallen nature; he has intended to take it to the cross. Otherwise, we would not be in conditions to be sent. If He uses a proud person, he will become even more proud; if He sustains a selfish person, he will be even more selfish; if He tolerates an obstinate person, he will continue being so; but if He uses a broken person, only the Lord will take the glory. God works with broken men and is pleased with them!
The Lord has purposes with us. He has called us from darkness to His light, not just so as to entertain us on Sunday meetings: CHRIST is being formed in us! And such ought to be the only objective of our life. We know that the Father is only pleased with His Son. So, Christ in you and in me is our greatest gain, our greatest wealth, our Promised land. Land where milk flows and Christ is honey to us!