Jos 4:1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,

Jos 4:2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

 

Remember that I told you back in the last chapter that I would explain this as it was also stated in that chapter?

 

Jos 3:12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

 

At that point, God was just telling Joshua to appoint 12 men from each of the 12 tribes.

 

Before we get into his reason for this, let’s look at the number twelve to see what its meanings are.

 

The Number Twelve:

 

The 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac probably suggested to the old Babylonians the use of 12 as a symbolic or semi-sacred number, but its frequent employment by the Israelites with special meaning cannot at present be proved to have originated in that way, although the idea was favored by both Josephus and Philo.

 

So far as we know, Israelite predilection for 12 was entirely due to the traditional belief that the nation consisted of 12 tribes, a belief, it is true, entertained also by the Arabs or some of them, but with much less intensity and persistence.

 

In Israel the belief was universal and ineradicable. Hence, the 12 pillars set up by Moses (Ex 24:4); the 12 jewels in the high priest’s breast-plate (Ex 28:21); the 12 cakes of showbread (Le 24:5); the 12 rods (Nu 17:2); the 12 spies (Nu 13); the 12 stones placed by Joshua in the bed of Jordan (Jos 4:9); the 12 officers of Solomon (1Ki 4:7); the 12 stones of Elijah’s altar (1Ki 18:31); the 12 disciples or apostles (26 t), and several details of apocalyptic imagery (Re 7:5 ff; 12:1; 21:12,14,16,21; 22:2; compare also Mt 14:20 parallel Mt 19:28 parallel Mt 26:53; Ac 26:7).

 

The number pointed in the first instance at unity and completeness which had been sanctioned by Divine election, and it retained this significance when applied to the spiritual Israel. Philo indeed calls it a perfect number. Its double in Re 4:4, etc., is probably also significant.

 

Jos 4:3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

 

Stone monuments were a common means in the Old Testament of inviting future generations to remember-and participate in-the great acts God had accomplished for his people.

 

Gen 28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put [for] his pillows, and set it up [for] a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

Gen 28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.

Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Gen 28:21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Gen 28:22 And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

 

Gen 31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

Gen 31:47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

 

Jegar-sahadutha = "witness heap"

1) the mound of stones raised as witness between Jacob and Laban, called by Jacob in Hebrew 'Galeed'

 

Not only did their forefather Jacob start this tradition, but it was carried on by Moses, Joshua and Samuel as well.

 

Jos 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that [was] by the sanctuary of the LORD.

Jos 24:27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.

 

1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set [it] between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

 

Mizpah = "watchtower"

1) a place in Gilead north of Jabbok and location of Laban's cairn

2) a place in Gilead south of Jabbok; site unknown

3) a place near Mount Hermon

4) an old sacred place in Benjamin

 

Shen = "crag"

1) a place in Palestine

a) evidently somewhere in the neighbourhood of Mizpah

 

Ebenezer = "stone of help"

1) memorial stone erected by Samuel to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines - north of Jerusalem

 

But remember, Moses had given Joshua the marching order on proceeding through the Jordan and into Jericho; into the promised land.

 

Deu 27:1 And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.

Deu 27:2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:

Deu 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

 

Despite having received these orders, note that Joshua was totally in tune to what the Lord told him. He did not move forward on his own strength. Apparently, every move he made, he waited and was in a position of listening or hearing from God. There was an ongoing consultation going on, as if he was a company president on skype in continual communication with the CEO of the company. This is a great example of how we should be in our communication with God.

 

 

 

Jos 3:12 Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

 

Here, they don’t say what these twelve are for, but it comes up again later.

 

The Number Twelve:

 

The 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac probably suggested to the old Babylonians the use of 12 as a symbolic or semi-sacred number, but its frequent employment by the Israelites with special meaning cannot at present be proved to have originated in that way, although the idea was favored by both Josephus and Philo.

 

So far as we know, Israelite predilection for 12 was entirely due to the traditional belief that the nation consisted of 12 tribes, a belief, it is true, entertained also by the Arabs or some of them, but with much less intensity and persistence.

 

In Israel the belief was universal and ineradicable. Hence, the 12 pillars set up by Moses (Ex 24:4); the 12 jewels in the high priest’s breast-plate (Ex 28:21); the 12 cakes of showbread (Le 24:5); the 12 rods (Nu 17:2); the 12 spies (Nu 13); the 12 stones placed by Joshua in the bed of Jordan (Jos 4:9); the 12 officers of Solomon (1Ki 4:7); the 12 stones of Elijah’s altar (1Ki 18:31); the 12 disciples or apostles (26 t), and several details of apocalyptic imagery (Re 7:5 ff; 12:1; 21:12,14,16,21; 22:2; compare also Mt 14:20 parallel Mt 19:28 parallel Mt 26:53; Ac 26:7).

 

The number pointed in the first instance at unity and completeness which had been sanctioned by Divine election, and it retained this significance when applied to the spiritual Israel. Philo indeed calls it a perfect number.

 

Jos 3:13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

 

They were told what the Lord wanted them to know; exactly what would happen.

 

Jos 3:14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;

Jos 3:15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

 

The grain harvest took place in April and May, so it was springtime. The Jordan was at flood stage due to the spring rains and the melting of snow on Mount Hermon.

 

The town of Adam (now a site called Tell ed-Damiyeh) was approximately 16 miles (nearly 26 km) north of the point at which the Israelite procession crossed the Jordan, located at a spot where the river flowed near high banks.

 

The Jordan Valley, part of the great Rift Valley, is an unstable region where earthquakes frequently occur. Earthquakes in the region of Adam have occurred several times in recorded history, resulting in a damming of the Jordan. The most recent occurrence was the quake of 1927, at which time an embankment on the western side of the river collapsed, completely blocking the waters for over 21 hours.

 

Similar cutoffs have been recorded (moving backward in time) in A.D. 1906, 1834, 1546, 1267, and 1160.

 

Excavations at Jericho indicate that an earthquake did in fact occur at the time that city was destroyed. This suggests the possibility of seismic activity around the time of the crossing of the Jordan. It is possible that God used one tremor to dam up the Jordan, and a second a short time later to bring down the walls of Jericho.

 

Jos 3:16 That the waters which came down from above stood [and] rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that [is] beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, failed, [and] were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

 

According to the narrative in Jos 3 the ark cooperated at the crossing of the Jordan in such a way that the waters of the river ceased to continue flowing as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark entered the water. And, that it stood still above until these priests, after the people had crossed over, again left the bed of the river with the ark.

 

Adam = "red"

1) first man

2) city in Jordan valley

 

Zarthan or Zaretan = "their distress"

1) a place in the Jordan valley where the river parted for Israel to pass over for the conquest of Canaan

a) site unknown

 

 Jos 3:17  And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

 

Jos 3:6  And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

Here, the reference to “pass over” is before the people, as in, pass in front of them, or go before them. They would begin the passing over process by wading out into the middle of the river first. 

Jos 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee. 

I love these little private conversations the Lord has with him. He’s confirming His promise. This is what prayer is; intimate conversations with God about God’s plans for you and those within your sphere of influence. 

It’s like becoming the favored employee of the company CEO, and having the honor of him including you on all the plans he has for the company as well as for you. 

Jos 3:8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 

Jos 3:9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. 

So now we are ready; we’re in position; and our hearts are consecrated. We are ready to move forward into God’s plan. We are now ready to receive from Him, and in order to do that, we need to hear from Him before we begin our 1^st major move towards the prize. 

 Jos 3:10  And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God [is] among you, and [that] he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 

Here is the reason and the purpose of this crossing.

1. You shall know the living God is amoung you.
2. He will not fail you.
3. He will drive out the mess (obstacles) before you. 

Canaanite = see Cana "zealous"

1) descendant of inhabitant of Canaan

2) a merchant, trader 

Hittite = "descendant of Heth"

1) the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon 

Hivite = "villagers"

1) 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest 

Perizzite = "belonging to a village"

1) a people who inhabited southern Canaan prior to the conquest 

Girgashite or Girgasite = "dwelling on a clayey soil"

1) descendants of Canaan and one of the nations living east of the sea of Galilee when the Israelites entered the promised land 

Amorite = "a sayer"

1) one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt 

Jebusite = "descendants of Jebus"

1) descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem 

Jos 3:11  Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan. 

According to my archeological bible, two fundamental questions needed to be addressed.

1. Was the God of Israel or the god on whom the Canaanites depended (Baal, who was believed to reign over the sea god) the true and mighty God?
2. Did the Lord of the Israelites have a rightful claim to the land? 

By opening the way through the flooded Jordan, God would show both the Israelites and the Caananites that He is Lord over the waters. By passing safely through the Jordan at the head of His army, God demonstrated the validity of His claim. 

In the ancient Near East, a judicial verdict of the gods was commonly obtained by compelling an accused person to submit to a trail-by-water ordeal. Usually, this involved casting the accused individual into a river. If the person drowned, the gods had found him or her guilty; if not, the gods had acquitted the individual.

In Israel, however, another form of water ordeal was practiced. 

Num 5:16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD:

Num 5:17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put [it] into the water:

Num 5:18 And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which [is] the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:

Num 5:19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness [with another] instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

Num 5:20 But if thou hast gone aside [to another] instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

Num 5:21 Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

Num 5:22 And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make [thy] belly to swell, and [thy] thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Num 5:23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot [them] out with the bitter water:

Num 5:24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, [and become] bitter.

Num 5:25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar:

Num 5:26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, [even] the memorial thereof, and burn [it] upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.

Num 5:27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, [that], if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, [and become] bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

Num 5:28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

Num 5:29 This [is] the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside [to another] instead of her husband, and is defiled;

Num 5:30 Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law. 

It is significant that the Lord would enter the Jordan first, and then remain there until his whole army had crossed safely over. His claim to the land was thereby vindicated before the eyes of all who heard about it. And it was his claim, not Israel’s; she accompanied him through the Jordan as his army, “baptized” into his service.

 

Jos 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

This statement refers back to another period of time, in which a similar move was happening.

Num 10:33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.

Again, this speaks of the idea of a covering. As they moved from place to place in their journey, God had them covered.

The Lord:

Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God

Your God:

1) (plural)

a) rulers, judges

b) divine ones

c) angels

d) gods

2) (plural intensive - singular meaning)

a) god, goddess

b) godlike one

c) works or special possessions of God

d) the (true) God

e) God

Yes, God is plural, and He is the one true God, the God over all.

Jos 3:4  Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed [this] way heretofore.

The message bible reads that the space between the Israelites and the ark was the space of about half a mile. My archeological bible lists the space as  about 1 thousand yards, or 900 meters. Note that the people were told twice not to come near to it. The only ones who were cleansed sufficiently to come near the ark were the Levitical priests who were to carry it.

Jos 3:5  And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.

So basically, the day before the move was to actually take place, things were set into motion. The officers went throughout the people, giving the instructions to everyone. They were to sanctify themselves for this part of the journey.

1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate

a) (Qal)

1) to be set apart, be consecrated

2) to be hallowed

3) consecrated, tabooed

b) (Niphal)

1) to show oneself sacred or majestic

2) to be honoured, be treated as sacred

3) to be holy

c) (Piel)

1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate

2) to observe as holy, keep sacred

3) to honour as sacred, hallow

4) to consecrate

d) (Pual)

1) to be consecrated

2) consecrated, dedicated

e) (Hiphil)

1) to set apart, devote, consecrate

2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow

3) to consecrate

f) (Hithpael)

1) to keep oneself apart or separate

2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God)

3) to be observed as holy

4) to consecrate oneself

Basically, to consecrate oneself means to dedicate somebody or something to a particular purpose. In essence, it is to separate them from any other purpose or intent, with the goal of getting them focused, and eliminating distractions.

In this case, the Lord was about to do miracles. I think that this consecration process has much to do with the mindset. If you are physically doing this consecration process, preparing for a great move of God, then your mindset is also prepared. This would eliminate doubt, because usually, we don’t act on something until we’ve “crossed over” in our minds first, and accepted the idea.

Joshua basically ensured this crossing over concept, because this process occurred with the people individually first; so that their mindsets were totally focused on the prize the next day, when the physical “crossing over” miracle of the entire camp was about to be played out.

In order to gain the victory, he had to have them of the same mind, no distractions, but all focused on the same end goal. With that kind of focus, they would be able to hear, listen, and obey the instructions to fulfill the plan.

This is what is required in the consecration process:

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Sacrifice:

Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Purity:

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.

Submission:

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Holiness:

Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Service:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

This had to do with a vow made by the father of the people of Israel.

Gen 28:20  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Gen 28:21  So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Gen 28:22  And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

God was still honoring Jacob’s vow.

2Cr 8:5 And [this they did], not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

He had the entire camp individually getting prepared for this event. There was no socializing, or entertainment. Everyone was doing individual preparation for this tremendous event. All last minute details were being put into place.

It’s just like when you are moving an entire household. There are many things to do, and to get in order. All parties involved have to be focused, especially if there is a time limit, and marching orders to go have already come in.

Finalization is a serious process, but getting them prepared and into the right mindset at this level, would enable them to walk forward as a unit, with their minds focused on God’s will, not their own.

Jos 3:2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

I’m sure that my regular readers know the significance of the three days, but for those who are new to my site, I’ll explain.

Three is a powerful number scripturally.

The Number Three:

The number three seems early to have attracted attention as the number in which beginning, middle and end are most distinctly marked, and to have been therefore regarded as symbolic of a complete and ordered whole.

Abundant illustration of its use in the hundreds of passages in the Bible in which the number occurs include many where this special significance either lies on the surface or not far beneath it. This is owing in some degree perhaps to Babylonian influence, but will have been largely due to independent observation of common phenomena—the arithmetical fact mentioned above and familiar trios, such as heaven, earth, and sea (or "the abyss"); morning, noon and night; right, middle, and left, etc.

In other words, 3 readily suggested completeness, and was often used with a glance at that meaning in daily life and daily speech. Only a selection from the great mass of Biblical examples can be given here.

(1) Three is often found of persons and things sacred or secular, e.g. Noah’s 3 sons (Ge 6:10); Job’s 3 daughters (Job 1:2; 42:13) and 3 friends (Job 2:11); Abraham’s 3 guests (Ge 18:2); and Sarah’s 3 measures of meal (Ge 18:6; compare Mt 13:33 parallel); 3 in military tactics (Jud 7:16,20; 9:43; 1Sa 11:11; 13:17; Job 1:17); 3 great feasts (Ex 23:14); the 3 daily prayers (Ps 55:17; Da 6:10,13); the 3 night watches (Jud 7:19); God’s 3-fold call of Samuel (1Sa 3:8); the 3 keepers of the temple threshold (Jer 52:24); the 3 presidents appointed by Darius (Da 6:2); the 3 temptations (Mt 4:3,5 f, 8 f parallel); the 3 prayers in Gethsemane (Mt 26:39,42,44 parallel); Peter’s 3 denials (Mt 26:34,75 parallel); the Lord’s 3-fold question and 3-fold charge (Joh 21:15 ); and the 3-fold vision of the sheet (Ac 10:16).

(2) In a very large number of passages 3 is used of periods of time: 3 days; 3 weeks; 3 months and 3 years. So in Ge 40:12,13,18; Ex 2:2; 10:22 f; 2Sa 24:13; Isa 20:3; Jon 1:17; Mt 15:32; Lu 2:46; 13:7; Ac 9:9; 2Co 12:8.

The frequent reference to the resurrection "on the 3rd day" or "after 3 days" (Mt 16:21; 27:63, etc.) may at the same time have glanced at the symbolic use of the number and at the belief common perhaps to the Jews and the Zoroastrians that a corpse was not recognizable after 3 days (for Jewish testimony see Joh 11:39).

(3) The number 3 is also used in a literary way, sometimes appearing only in the structure. Note as examples the 3-fold benediction of Israel (Nu 6:24 ); the Thrice Holy of the seraphim (Isa 6:3); the 3-fold overturn (Eze 21:27 (Hebrew 32)); the 3-fold refrain of Psalms 42—43 regarded as one psalm (Ps 42:5,11; 43:5); the 3 names of God (the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, Jos 22:22; compare Ps 50:1); the 3 graces of 1Co 13; the 3 witnesses (1 Joh 5:8); the frequent use of 3 and 3rd in Revelation; the description of God as "who is and who was and who is to come" (Re 1:4); and ‘the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’ (Mt 28:19).

Seeing all these references to this number, and knowing how powerful it is, makes me want to do a study on this number. But that is for a future time.

Jos 3:2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
Jos 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.

In checking out some info on the ark of the covenant, I discovered something else I had missed earlier.

In Ex 25:10, Moses receives the command to build an ark of acacia wood.
Within this ark were to be placed the tables of the law which God was about to give to Moses. Upon the top of the ark, probably not as a lid but above the lid, the kapporeth, in the New Testament to hilasterion (Heb 9:5), is to be placed, which was a golden plate upon which two cherubim, with raised wings and facing each other, covered the ark. From the place between the two cherubim God promises to speak to Moses, as often as He shall give him commands in reference to the Israelites.

The ark was to symbolize to them that God was on the march with them. The corresponding account is found in De 10:1-5. In Nu 10:33, we read that the ark had preceded the people as they broke camp and marched from Sinai. At this place too the words are found which Moses was accustomed to speak when the ark began to move out and when it arrived at a halting-place.

What caught my attention is that they were just camped for 3 days in Shittim; an acacia grove. And now, an ark of God is proceeding them, made of acacia wood.

Acacia: ( Heb. shittim) Exd 25:5, R.V. probably the Acacia seyal ( the gum-arabic tree); called the "shittah" tree ( Isa 41:19). Its wood is called shittim wood ( Exd 26:15,26; 25:5, 10,13,23,28, 27:1,6; De 10:3). This species ( A. seyal)
ShiTTah (= shinTah) is equivalent to the Arabic sant which is now the name of the Acacia Nilotica (NO, Leguminosae), but no doubt the name once included other species of desert acacias. If one particular species is indicated in the Old Testament it is probably the Acacia Seyal—the Arabic Seyyal is like the hawthorn, a gnarled and thorny tree. It yields the well-known gum-Arabic of commerce which is found in abundance in the Sinaitic peninsula.

This tree, which has finely bipinnate leaves and globular flowers, grows to a height of twenty feet or more, and its stem may sometimes reach two feet in thickness. The tree often assumes a characteristic umbrella-like form.

The wood is close-grained and is not readily attacked by insects. It would be well suited for such purposes as described, the construction of the ark of the covenant, the altar and boarding of the tabernacle. Even today these trees survive in considerable numbers around ‘Ain Jidy and in the valleys to the south.

This fact appears to signify that they were proceeding totally under the covering of God. They camped under the Shittim trees, and then were lead forward by the ark of God, made of Shittim or acacia wood.

Jos 3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

They’ve done their research. They know all they need to know to make their move. Note that Joshua is now beginning to move them into position. Just as I explained to my son, nothing just happens. There are a series of little steps one must take that gradually inches them into position to receive.

Just like no one just wins an Olympic medal. They learn everything about their sport. They learn about their competition. They learn techniques that help them move better, faster, and longer without fatigue. They train, and train, and train.

And then, they start with small battles. They enter competitions and contests. Most of the time, they start on a local level, and work their way up to divisional or regional levels. When they have become successful at these levels, they move on to state, and then national levels; and all the while, they are still in training with their eye on the prize. They earn their way into “qualification” by faith and faithful effort, into the group of those whose faithfulness have earned them the right to compete for the ultimate prize.

But, no one ever got there by sleeping half the day away. Let me remind you...

Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Pro 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Pro 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

“You‘ve got to get up pretty early in the morning, to pull one over on me!”
“Early to bed & early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy & wise.”

In other words, it takes diligence. It takes consistency. And it can be quite frustrating; I know.

My book, “Dear Child of God,” was published as both a hard copy book, and an ebook. However, at the time I published the ebook, the company I published with informed me that I could have the book placed into their premium catalog, but it required some adjustments to the formatting.

At the time they first brought this to my attention, I was going through some drama with my son, having not yet received an evaluation on him, and not knowing about the ADHD and Asperger’s that he has since been diagnosed with.

Because of the issues at that time, I was unable to even focus on these revisions with my book. Two years passed before I was even able to pay attention to anything else. So at the beginning of this year, I finally was able to start working on it.

Let me tell you; talk about frustrating. Every time I fixed what they required and resubmitted the book, they had a new set of requirements. They would direct me to one section of their publishing guidelines for the corrections, and the next time, something else would come up.

Week after week, I’d resubmit, sometimes even twice per week, and no matter what I did, it would never pass their auto vetter (formatting machine for ebooks). I thought I would go crazy.

There were more than several times, when I seriously considered giving up. It was just that frustrating. What kept me going? I was really making an effort to make some changes in my life, and I just thought that I could be on the edge of a breakthrough and not know it. Giving up would make me miss my reward.

I kept asking God to give me the strength. Additionally, I really tried to get the focus off of my dissatisfaction at having to continually redo it. I tried to keep my eyes on the goal: worldwide distribution.

So, as frustrating as it sometimes was, I just resigned myself that no matter what, I was going to keep going, and redo it as many times as it takes to get it right, so I would get into that premium catalog.

After 4 frustrating months of this, it finally dawned on me that part of the problem was the conversion from my word processor into a Word document when I saved it.

This conversion was throwing things out of wack, and so, despite my best efforts to change the formatting, the document was still carrying hidden formatting that was not visible to me on the screen.

Finally, I decided to copy all the text into my notepad, which would remove all formatting; and then, open a new document and paste it into that. Then I’d be able to redo the formatting from scratch.

That brainstorm got me past the first major hurdle; the auto vetter. However, unbeknownst to me, there was another major hurdle. Not only did I have to get it past the staff, but also, the epub viewer. If it didn’t lay out correctly there, I still had more battling to do.

After two more revisions, I got past the staff, but not the epub viewer. I still had more work to do, but I was elated to have won a few of these major hurdles.

This time, they mentioned the epub viewer in their message on my revisions, and gave me a link to check it with. I made the changes and checked it and...low and behold! It passed! I was elated, to say the least.

I resubmitted it, and it was approved, however, the president emailed me about some minor issues having to do with the trailer on my paragraphs being 72pts, and the unnecessary use of page breaks. I had made 6pt trailers, but again, the conversion from the word processor had increased it tremendously.

These were minor fixes, and I took care of them, but it took 5 months and a lot of perseverance week after frustrating week to get to this point. Now, my book will be made available to every major retailer of ebooks worldwide.

You’ve got to have a goal, and you’ve got to have a plan, and you’ve got to be determined and persistent, so that despite the obstacles, you can attain that which you seek. Nothing just happens.

Jos 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Her house was located within the fortifications of Jericho. The Hebrew translation literally reads, “Her house was against the vertical surface of the city wall, and in the city wall she lived.”

How was her house preserved when the wall fell? German excavations from 1907-1909 on the northern section of the site, uncovered a portion of the lower city wall that did not fall as it did everywhere else.

The still-standing section rose as high as 8 feet, with houses built against it still intact. A second wall at the crest of the embankment revealed that these particular houses were situated between the upper and lower city walls and were thus “in the city wall.”

Since the lower wall also formed the back wall of the houses, an opening (window) in the wall would have provided a convenient escape route for the spies. From this northerly location it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness, where the spies hid for three days.

Jos 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

Hiding themselves for three days is reminiscent of, or a foreshadowing of Christ’s burial and resurrection three days later.

Jos 2:17 And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Jos 2:18 Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

And now, here the scarlet thread represents the blood that was shed; much like the Passover.

Jos 2:19 And it shall be, [that] whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him.
Jos 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Jos 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so [be] it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
Jos 2:22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought [them] throughout all the way, but found [them] not.
Jos 2:23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all [things] that befell them:
Jos 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

This story of Rahab proves that God uses individuals of all temperaments and backgrounds to accomplish His purposes - even prostitutes. She was strategically positioned in a home in the wall of Jericho working as a prostitute in Jericho when the Israelites approached the city.

When the two Hebrew spies came to her for aid, she displayed a clear understanding of spiritual issues. She not only described the dread of her people concerning the Jews, but additionally, she acknowledged that the land belonged to the Israelites.

Therefore, she willingly risked her life to hide the spies. She leveraged her hospitality on behalf of her family, and being a woman of her word, fulfilled her end of the bargain, and kept their secret.

Although the Hebrew spies needed someone to help them scope out the best approach to conquering the city, there seemed little logical reason why Rahab should have been considered for the role.

She occupied no position and held no official title in the city.
The Israelites looked upon women as lower class citizens.
As a prostitute, she held an even lower social rank than the average woman.

God chose Rahab because leadership depends less on titles than it does on influence. She helped the spies by her quick wisdom, gutsy style, and clever plan. Why? Because she believed in the power of God, having heard about the accomplishments of the Israelites.

By doing so she saved not only her own life, but aided in accomplishing the purposes of God in Jericho.

Wise leaders remember that God sees the human heart; while many would never trust a woman with a personal history like that of Rahab, God selected her. The name “Rahab” even occupies an honored place in the Hall of Faith, because Rahab faithfully served God. Her family lived and was adopted into Hebrew society - and she became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Himself.

The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 18

Jos 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Shittim = "the acacias"
1) place of Israel's encampment between the conquest of the trans-jordanic region and crossing the Jordan into Canaan

Acacias = flowering tree: a bush or tree that has narrow leaves and dark fruit pods. Flowers: small, yellow. Native to: tropics, subtropics.

2) a place west of Jerusalem

Rahab = "wide"
1) a harlot of Jericho who aided the spies to escape; saved from the destruction of Jericho; married Salmon, an ancestor of David and of Christ; commended for her faith in the book of James.

Jos 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

Jericho = "its moon"
1) a city 5 miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and 7 miles (11.5 km) north of the Dead Sea and the first city conquered by the Israelites upon entering the promised land of Canaan

Jos 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
Jos 2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]:
Jos 2:5 And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
Jos 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
Jos 2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
Jos 2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
Jos 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God

Jos 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Amorite = "a sayer"

Jordan = "descender"

Sihon = "warrior"
1) king of the Amorites at the time of the conquest and defeated by Moses in Transjordan

Og = "long-necked"
1) the Amorite king of Bashan and one of the last representatives of the giants of Rephaim

Its no wonder they were afraid, having heard of all these things. Now here, the definition of Og is different than when I first looked him up years ago. At that time, the meaning I got for his name was “fat.” He was the “fat king of plenty;” plenty being the meaning of Bashan.

Regardless, both of these Amorites represented power and a stronghold in the area, and here, the Israelites had defeated them both.

Jos 2:11 And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Your God = Elohiym
1) (plural)
a) rulers, judges
b) divine ones
c) angels
d) gods
2) (plural intensive - singular meaning)

a) god, goddess
b) godlike one
c) works or special possessions of God
d) the (true) God
e) God

Jos 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
Jos 2:13 And [that] ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
Jos 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

 

Jos 1:10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

Jos 1:11  Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.  

Jordan = "descender"

In three days you will pass over the “descender,” to go in to possess the land that God is giving you. I’m sure the significance of those words are not lost on the majority of you. In order to go in and possess the land (your blessings) you are going to have to pass over your fears, or whatever it is that makes you descend and draw back instead of ascend. This can’t be done without faith. Of course, this lines up with the Passover, and Christ’s victory over the grave as well. 

Jos 1:12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,

Jos 1:13  Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.

Jos 1:14  Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;

Jos 1:15  Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as [he hath given] you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.

This land of their possession was separate from the land being given to the rest of the tribes.

Deu 3:16  And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, [which is] the border of the children of Ammon;

Deu 3:17  The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast [thereof], from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, [even] the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.

And at that same time, the command concerning their wives and children (above) was given. But look at what also happened. Remember, this is Moses, recounting to the people their history.

Deu 3:21  And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.

Deu 3:22  Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

Deu 3:23  And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,

Deu 3:24  O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God [is there] in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?

Deu 3:25  I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.

Deu 3:26  But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.

Deu 3:27  Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold [it] with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

Deu 3:28  But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.

Apparently, Moses aggravated God by asking Him again to allow him to pass into the promised land. Once again, the reason for the refusal is clear. Moses’ heart had not changed. He was still bitterly blaming the people of Israel, and failed to see his own wrongdoing. Instead, he was told to charge and encourage Joshua, and to strengthen him for this task.

Jos 1:16  And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

They should have stopped right there with that line, but they went further. I don’t know if Joshua caught it, but they clearly told him their intent.

Jos 1:17  According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.

This is a joke. They told Joshua that they would follow him, “just like we listened to Moses in ‘all’ things.” Don’t you remember? A while ago, they had Moses and Aaron on the ground pleading with God for their lives because of the rebellion of these people’s parents?

And here they say, according to the way they followed Moses, they would obey Joshua? They just told him in no uncertain terms that they are going to be problematic. So now, that they’ve put their foots in their mouths, they try to clean it up a bit.

Jos 1:18  Whosoever [he be] that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

So now, they try to act like they’re serious about obeying him, and then encourage him to be strong and of good courage. Don’t you love it when a hypocrite tries to snow you? And then, after they’ve tried to run game on you, they attempt to give you some form of false bravado? Good thing God had already established him in confidence and had his back.

So Joshua is given his first directives as the new leader.

Jos 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Jos 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it [to] the right hand or [to] the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Jos 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Command:
Be strong and of a good courage
Purpose
So you can divide the land God swore to give them as an inheritance
Command:
Be strong and of a good courage
Purpose
So that you can observe and follow the law that Moses commanded.
So that you will not turn from it to the right hand or to the left.
So that you may prosper wherever you go.
Command:
Don’t let this book of the law depart from your mouth; meditate on it daily, day and night.
Purpose
So that you can observe and do all that is written in it.
So you shall be able to make your way prosperous.
So you shall have good success.
Command:
Be strong and of a good courage.
Don’t be afraid.
Don’t be dismayed
Reason
The Lord is with you wherever you go.

Something I have been learning about are action steps. When you gain new knowledge or insight, you have to take action on it. That is your act of faith. Even if you are not fully in a position to act on it in a physical or even economical sense, you still have to act on it, even if it is a baby step that will help to get you into position.

I’ve discovered that what most people consider to be “luck,” or how most people are blessed, is because when new information came to them, they took action in some way.

Luck is preparation to meet opportunity. Luck comes to people of action. Don’t fail through inaction.

“Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Diligence is the mother of good luck.” Benjamin Franklin

These action steps, no matter how small, add up, and line you up; positioning you to get blessed, but if you fail to recognize the knowledge you are gaining access to, and you do nothing about the opportunity to gain more, or fail to take any action on it, you will delay, or totally miss your blessing.

There comes a time when you have to move past your fear. Most people of courage are people who are afraid, but willingly move past their fear.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton

So Joshua took immediate action upon receiving his commands from the Lord.