They would deny this, but many Christians picture Jesus as being a peer or a best friend. Today, we are going to read some instructions Israel had to follow as they crossed the Jordan River. There is one detail that reminds us of the separation between God and us. This separation is found multiple times throughout the Bible and teaches us that Jesus is not a peer. He is far above us.
Yesterday, we read that Joshua sent two spies to spy out Jericho. Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho. She helped the spies and asked them to protect her and her family when Israel conquered Jericho. The spies swore an oath to do so.
Joshua 2:17 And the men said to her, “We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,
Notice the word “free”. The spies swore to protect Rahab and her family, but there were conditions under which the oath would not apply.
Joshua 2:18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.
The conditions were that she had to hang a cord in her window and all her family had to be in her house.
Joshua 2:19 And it will be that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
Once again notice the word “free”. If anyone left the house, he was on his own. The spies were not responsible for his death.
Joshua 2:20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear.”
This verse also has the word “free”. If Rahab betrayed the spies, then the oath would not apply.
Joshua 2:21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they went; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
Joshua 2:22 ¶ And they went and came to the hill country and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had sought them all along the road but had not found them.
The Jordan River and the camp of Israel were east of Jericho; thus, the men pursuing the spies had gone east. The spies, by way of contrast, went west up into the hill country and hid until the pursuers returned to Jericho.
The colors on the map indicate elevation. The browns are the higher elevations. Dark green is the lowest elevation.
Joshua 2:23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they recounted to him all that had happened to them.
Joshua 2:24 And they said to Joshua, “Surely Yahweh has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.”
Notice the word “surely”. The spies were confident that Yahweh would give them the land. This illustrates the confidence we Christians should have in all of God’s promises.
Look at the words “melted away”. The spies communicated to Joshua that, while the inhabitants of Jericho lived within a fortified city, they grasped that they could not withstand the people of Israel.
Joshua 3:1 ¶ Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed.
Joshua 3:2 Now it happened that at the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp;
Joshua 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
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.”
2,000 cubits were about 1/2 mile / 900 m.
Many Christians today have a picture in their mind that, when people go to heaven, they walk up to Jesus and greet Him like a best friend. However, when Israel followed the ark, which was God’s dwelling place, they needed to keep their distance. This reminds us we are not God’s peers. He is king. We are not. He is holy. We are not. It is much more likely that, when we go to heaven, we will need to keep our distance because we are unworthy of being in the presence of God.
Joshua 3:5 ¶ Then Joshua said to the people, “Set yourselves apart as holy, for tomorrow Yahweh will do wondrous deeds among you.”
Take note of the words “set yourselves apart”. Just as Yahweh is superior to and above everything in the universe, so too the people of God need to be set apart as followers of God.
Joshua 3:6 And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Carry the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they carried the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.
Joshua 3:7 ¶ Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you.
Notice the word “magnify”. Throughout the life of Moses, Yahweh enabled Moses to perform miracles so that Moses could prove he was a prophet of Yahweh. Yahweh told Joshua that He was going to do the same for him. Yahweh would perform miracles so that the people of Israel knew that Joshua was chosen by Yahweh to lead them.
Joshua 3:8 Moreover, you shall command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”
Joshua 3:9 Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come near, and hear the words of Yahweh your God.”
Joshua 3:10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite.
Look at the word “know”. Joshua announced to Israel that they were going to see something which would prove that the living God was among them. That knowledge was intended to give them confidence that they could conquer and dispossess the Canaanites.
The Hittites, Hivites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites were subsets of the Canaanites (see Genesis 10:15-16). The Perizzites are mentioned frequently in the Bible along with the Canaanites, but they seem to be distinct from the Canaanites (see Genesis 13:7 and 34:30).
Joshua 3:11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.
Joshua 3:12 So now, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe.
Tomorrow we will read what happened that would give Israel knowledge that the living God was among them.
Many Christians picture God as being a peer. They would deny that, but when you examine how they think of heaven, it is true that they picture God as being a peer. Many Christians think that when they go to heaven, they are going to greet Jesus as a best friend and spend eternity hanging out with Him.
However, when Israel followed the ark through the Jordan River, they had to keep their distance. This is in line with other passages which give us a glimpse of heaven. When Isaiah saw the Lord, the Lord was high and lifted up (see Isaiah 6:1). When Ezekiel saw the heavens opened and saw visions of God, God was high above (see Ezekiel 1:26). When John was taken to heaven and saw God, God was on a throne which was surrounded by other thrones. There was separation between John and God (see Revelation 4).
When we go to heaven, we will not greet Jesus as a peer or a best friend. We will be overwhelmed with our sin and unworthiness of being in the presence of God.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”