Josué 3

Josué 3

Pink - It was not an army of men only, but a vast congregation of men, women and children, to say nothing of their baggage and herds of animals, and further advance was blocked by the river. Whatever the breadth and depth of the Jordan in recent centuries or today, it is evident that it presented an impassable obstruction in Joshua's time--moreover, it was in flood at that particular season (Josh 3:15): and yet they were left to gaze upon it for three days, faced with the fact that they had no means for crossing it! Why? What was the Lord's objective in this? Was it not to impress Israel more deeply with a realisation of their own utter helplessness? Was it not to shut them up more completely unto Himself? And is not that, very often, the chief design of God's providential dealings with us? To bring us to the end of our own resources, to make us conscious of our own insufficiency, by bringing us into a situation from which we cannot extricate ourselves, confronting us with some obstacle which to human wit and might is insurmountable? ....For three days the congregation of Israel had been encamped before that river which barred their entrance into the land of promise, thus being obliged to take full stock of that formidable barrier and made fully conscious of their own helplessness. The Jordan is the symbol of death, and it is not until the saint appropriates the solemn truth or has learned from painful experience that death is written upon all his natural powers that he is likely to make any real spiritual progress or enter practically into his fair heritage. That was the great lesson which had to be learned by the father of them that believe, before his longing could be realized and fruit borne. Because Sarah was barren he thought to obtain the desired son by Hagar, only to bring trouble upon his household. Not until he truly recognized the natural impotency of himself and his wife did he count upon Him who quickeneth the dead’ Romans 4:17-21.(Gleanings in Joshua) Believer's Study Bible - The three days of waiting may have a significance in Scripture beyond the literal, conveying an ominous sense of expectation (cf. Ge 22:4; 42:17; Ex 19:11; Ezra 8:15, 32, 33; Neh. 2:11; Jon. 1:17; Matt. 12:40). A period of either three days or three years (2Sa 21:1; 1 Kin. 18:1) is often associated in Scripture with a transition from retribution to restoration. Goins on waiting three days - There is a similar tension for the disciples of Jesus implied at the end of Luke and the beginning of Acts, after his resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Jesus had said, "...Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49+). And for forty days the disciples had to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, the resource they needed to live a life of overcoming faith. Remember, the power of God was demonstrated for the church at Pentecost, and it would be demonstrated here for Israel on the fourth day at the Jordan in a miraculous crossing over into the promised land. But waiting on the Lord is hard to do. Woudstra on three days - The chronological connection between the three days in this verse and those of 1:11 has been given more than one interpretation. It appears best not to identify the two. The three days of 1 : 11 may have been an indefinite period (see commentary), allowing for the mission of the spies to have occurred in the meantime. This mission may have taken as many as four or five days. The three days here begin with Israel's departure from Shittim. (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament The Book of Joshua) Pink adds that "Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. The Lord waits to be gracious. Often He suffers our circumstances to become critical, yea, desperate, before He appears on our behalf. Here was Israel ready to enter Canaan, and there was the Jordan "overflowing his banks"—a season which to carnal reason seemed the most unfavorable of all. Ah, but it afforded the Lord a most fitting occasion to display His sufficiency. "Though that opposition made to the salvation of God’s people have all imaginable advantage, yet God can and will conquer it. Let the banks of Jordan be filled to the brim, filled till they rush over it, it is as easy to Omnipotence to divide them and dry them up, as if they were never so narrow, never so shallow: it is all one unto the Lord" (Matthew Henry). Then let not the Christian reader give way to despair because the conditions in which he finds himself are altogether beyond his power to overcome. Your troubles may have already reached the high-water mark, but when they "overflow" and all appears to be lost, then you may expect the Lord to show Himself strong in your behalf. (Gleanings in Joshua) Joshua 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, "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. When you see: Jos 3:11 the Levitical priests: Jos 3:6,8,14-17 4:10 6:6 Nu 4:15 De 31:9,25 2Sa 6:3,13 1Ch 15:11 1Ch 15:12 you shall set out from your place and go after it: Ex 13:21,22 Mt 8:19 16:24 Rev 14:4 Joshua 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage Numbers 10:33-36+ Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp. 35 Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.” 36 When it came to rest, he said, “Return, O LORD, To the myriad thousands of Israel.” Joshua 6:6+ So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” Ark of the Covenant CHARGE TO FIX ONE'S EYES ON THE ARK And - This conjunction connects the officers in the previous passage going through the camp. They commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD (Jehovah) your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it - Notice that the officers are not telling the people to fix their eyes of Joshua, but on the Ark! While in the past normally the Kohathites carried the ark (cf Nu 3:27,Nu 10:21), on this extraordinary occasion the Levites who were priests (all the Kohathites were Levites but were not priests) carried it (also Joshua 6:6; 1Ki 8:3-6). Note the KEY WORD in Joshua 3 is ARK occuring 10 times in 8 verses out of a total of 17 verses (Josh 3:3 Josh 3:6 Josh 3:8 Josh 3:11 Josh 3:13 Josh 3:14 Josh 3:15 Josh 3:17). And it may surprise you to learn that Joshua 3 in fact is the most concentrated use of the ARK in all of Scripture! The ARK which symbolizes the presence (and power) of Yahweh, Who is clearly the central Figure, not the courageous leadership of Joshua or the willingness of the valiant warriors. When you see the Ark, the symbol of the presence of God begin to move, then "break camp and follow it (Him)." The Israelites had been "trained" in their wilderness wanderings to follow God (Cloud by day, flame by night). The Ark symbolic of Yahweh, shows that it was not a military party that would lead the way, but it was Yahweh 'the Lord of all the earth" (Joshua 3:11) Who would lead the way across. Israel would know the way they should go by fixing their eyes on the Ark. THOUGHT - Believers are to know they way they are to go by fixing their eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2+) and surrendering to God that they might know His will which is good, acceptable and perfect (Ro 12:1-2). (See The Will Of God) Recall that during the wilderness wandering Israel had been guided by the Shekinah glory (manifested in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. cf Nu 9:21+), but God introduces a new way in declaring they are now to be guided by the Ark of the Covenant. Note that Joshua did not send his most qualified officers to lead the way (like most armies might do), but the Levitical priests! While Israel's crossing would be physical, the solution for safe passage was spiritual. Once again we see God's sovereign power and provision integrally linked with man's responsibility to obey and follow His lead. What did the Ark symbolize to Israel? As noted above the Ark represented the presence of Yahweh and His covenant commitment to enable His people (to cross the raging river) as they obeyed His Word. Israel was to see and set out! And as subsequent passages show, Israel got off to a good start! THOUGHT - Israel was to focus on the righteous Ark not the raging river! Focus on the focal point of this chapter - Israel was to do that then and believers are to do that today. This begs the question dear weary, storm tossed saint, are you "fixing (YOUR) eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ." (Hebrews 12:2+)? Dear brother or sister in Christ, would you take a moment and... Turn Your Eyes On Jesus O soul are you weary and troubled No light in the darkness you see There's light for a look at the Savior And life more abundant and free Turn Your Eyes On Jesus Look full in his wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of his glory and grace Believer's Study Bible - The ark, referred to 17 times in chs. 3; 4, represents the presence and covenant of the Lord, the basis for these events (cf. Ex. 33:16; Num. 10:33ff.). The position of the ark throughout the crossing would have been a visual lesson to Israel of the necessity of following and relying upon the Lord (Joshua 3:9, 10). Go After It! When ye see the ark … then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. (Joshua 3:3) Sherman Owens says, “You will never arrive if you don’t set out. The tragedy of life is not that it ends to soon, but that we wait too long to begin it.” It’s your job to discern when God is moving and be willing to leave and follow Him—and you may have to go alone. Elisha was willing to leave everything and follow Elijah for twenty years to get a “double portion.” You can’t get it in one church service, one book, or one tape set. It has got to be the passion of your life. It will keep you turning the pages of God’s Word to see what He has to say next. It will make you take down the walls of your tradition and cry like David, “So panteth my soul after thee, O LORD” (Psalms 42:1). A lot of us see the Ark moving, but because of fear we never set out and go after it. When we first meet Abraham he has nothing but his family, his dream, and his God. But that’s OK! You don’t have to know where you’re going, you just have to know you’re following God! Before it’s all over God is calling him His friend, he’s the father of nations, and he’s one of the richest men on earth. (Bob Gass - A Fresh Word for Today:) IF YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN ON HOLD, THE MESSAGE FOR YOU TODAY IS “GO AFTER IT! QUESTION - What is the Ark of the Covenant? ANSWER - God made a covenant (a conditional covenant) with the children of Israel through His servant Moses. He promised good to them and their children for generations if they obeyed Him and His laws; but He always warned of despair, punishment, and dispersion if they were to disobey. As a sign of His covenant He had the Israelites make a box according to His own design, in which to place the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. This box, or chest, was called an “ark” and was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. The Ark was to be housed in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. This chest is known as the Ark of the Covenant. The real significance of the Ark of the Covenant was what took place involving the lid of the box, known as the "Mercy Seat." The term ‘mercy seat’ comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel or make atonement for.” It was here that the high priest, only once a year (Leviticus 16), entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark was kept and atoned for his sins and the sins of the Israelites. The priest sprinkled blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to appease the wrath and anger of God for past sins committed. This was the only place in the world where this atonement could take place. The Mercy Seat on the Ark was a symbolic foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for all sin—the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the remission of sins. The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee and one familiar with the Old Testament, knew this concept quite well when he wrote about Christ being our covering for sin in Romans 3:24-25: "…and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Just as there was only one place for atonement of sins in the Old Testament—the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant—so there is also only one place for atonement in the New Testament and current times—the cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we no longer look to the Ark but to the Lord Jesus Himself as the propitiation and atonement for our sins. GotQuestions.org George Bush - Notes Critical and Practical on the Book of Joshua - Chapter 3 3. Commanded the people, &c. In the name and by the authority of Joshua, not of their own motion. It is not unlikely that there is something of a transposition here, and that the portion from v. 7 to 14 properly belongs to this place. The priests the Levites bearing it. The priests who are Levites, who belong to the tribe of Levi. Although it was ordinarily the duty of the sons of Kohath, who were merely Levites and not priests, to bear the ark, Num. 4:15, yet it appears that on solemn occasions this arrangement might be departed from, and the office performed by the priests, Josh. 6:6. The same measure was adopted when the ark was carried round Jericho—when Zadok and Abiathar brought it back to Jerusalem, at the time that David fled from Absalom, 2 Sam. 15:29.—and when it was lodged in the temple of Solomon, 1 Kings 8:6; the Levites not being permitted to enter the sanctuary. Remove from your place. That is, break up from your encampment, leave your tents, commence your march, v. 14. Go after it. Follow it. Go in the rear of it. Hitherto, under the conduct of Moses, the ark had held a different position. It was stationed in the centre while the host was encamped, and borne in the middle of the immense procession when it set forward. But they then had the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night to precede them. Now the cloud is removed, and the ark is transferred to the vanguard of the army, to go before Joshua 3:4 "However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." there shall be between you and it a distance: Ex 3:5 Ex 19:12 Ps 89:7 Heb 12:28,29 you have not passed this way before Ge 31:2 Ex 4:10 1Ch 11:2 Isa 30:33 *marg: Joshua 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 3:5+ Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 19:10-13+ The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; 11 and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people 12 “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 ‘No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” FOLLOW THE ARK AT A DISTANCE However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure - While the Israelites were ritually consecrated, they still could not come too close to the sacred presence symbolic of perfect holiness. The Ark symbolized God's presence with Israel. In 2Sa 6:6 Uzzah touched the Ark and in anger Yahweh struck him down (see Nu 4:15+). Cyril