The Lord Receives the Nations
Joshua is a book about the judgment of God on the nations that were given hundreds of years to repent and turn to Him. They did not.
Yet the book starts with the mention of three "days three" times in the first two chapters followed by the salvation of a prostitute even before the judgment upon those nations takes place. It is really an interesting beginning to what is essentially a record of warfare.
It is clear the text is pointing to the larger picture of the Bible: God has given the nations to His Son who rose again on the third day and was first greeted with by a woman from a terrible past upon His resurrection.
Joshua 3 begins telling the story of Israel's triumph through the Jordan river and into the national territories which Israel will possess. The whole episode represents for us a beautiful picture of the work of the church which is empowered by the work of Jesus on our behalf.
First, the ark of the covenant - which represented the presence of the Lord - was to be carried by the priests into the Jordan. Then the waters are to stop up and open the way for the people to pass through.
Joshua 3:6 (ESV) And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
Just as these priests put their feet in the Jordan river with the symbol of God's very presence on their shoulders, so we see Jesus Himself put His feet down in that same river and begin to make a way for His church to possess the nations.
What I'm saying is, this thing is going down with or without you. Jesus will have Himself a church and that church will come from all the nations and nothing can stop what God has started in the work of His Son and the continued mission of His Church.
Just a quick reminder that God's mission is sure and happening right now. I'm proud to be part of it. On to 2018 with that in mind!
Lord give us the nations.
Yet the book starts with the mention of three "days three" times in the first two chapters followed by the salvation of a prostitute even before the judgment upon those nations takes place. It is really an interesting beginning to what is essentially a record of warfare.
It is clear the text is pointing to the larger picture of the Bible: God has given the nations to His Son who rose again on the third day and was first greeted with by a woman from a terrible past upon His resurrection.
Joshua 3 begins telling the story of Israel's triumph through the Jordan river and into the national territories which Israel will possess. The whole episode represents for us a beautiful picture of the work of the church which is empowered by the work of Jesus on our behalf.
First, the ark of the covenant - which represented the presence of the Lord - was to be carried by the priests into the Jordan. Then the waters are to stop up and open the way for the people to pass through.
Joshua 3:6 (ESV) And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
Just as these priests put their feet in the Jordan river with the symbol of God's very presence on their shoulders, so we see Jesus Himself put His feet down in that same river and begin to make a way for His church to possess the nations.
What I'm saying is, this thing is going down with or without you. Jesus will have Himself a church and that church will come from all the nations and nothing can stop what God has started in the work of His Son and the continued mission of His Church.
Just a quick reminder that God's mission is sure and happening right now. I'm proud to be part of it. On to 2018 with that in mind!
Lord give us the nations.
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