Joshua chapter 3 marks radical and dramatic changes for the Israelite people. They not only begin the biggest adventure of their lives under a new leader, but God also gives them a new frame of reference. Things are not the same as before. They look and feel different. And that’s because they need to. They will not be able to navigate all that lies ahead unless they adapt and change.
Whether you realise it or not, we are now living in a new era in God. The page of history has turned and things are no longer the same as they were. Just like the Israelites as they prepared to move into the Promised Land, we are also having to adapt and change. And insights from their journey, can provide us with tremendous assistance in our own adventure into the new. So let’s take a look to see what we can find. (Click here for previous posts on Joshua 1 and Joshua 2)
Be attuned to the changes God is making
From the time the Israelites left Egypt, God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). Whenever they saw the cloud move, they packed up their belongings and followed it.
God also prescribed a particular order that the Israelites were to move from place to place (see Numbers 2). The tribe of Judah led the procession, with the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant travelling in the middle of the camp (Numbers 2:17). That’s how it had been, by God’s instruction, for nearly 40 years. Now, suddenly, God was making changes to what He had originally ordered.
After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.
Joshua 3:2-4a (NIV)
Notice the officers had to let everyone know to look for something different than before. Now, the Ark was to be prominently placed first when they moved forward. They were to look for it and follow it. They were no longer to look for a cloud to show them where to go.
Old ways are not appropriate in a new era. Therefore, as we move into the new, we should expect things to look and feel different. And interestingly, God is the One who is orchestrating these changes. We therefore need to be attuned to the changes that God is making to how things are ordered. These could well be different in different settings. The main point is not miss the “Ark,” by continuing to look for a “cloud.”
Invest time in God’s Word
The Ark of the Covenant symbolised God’s covenant and His presence. But Moses placed something very significant beside the Ark while they were camped at Shittim, just prior to crossing the Jordan – the “Book of the Law” (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). The Book of the Law contained the writings of Moses, or the first five books of the Bible, from Genesis to Deuteronomy.
Suddenly, the Ark with the Book of the Law (or Word of God) beside it, was to lead the way forward. This was a significant change. It practically demonstrated what God had spoken to Joshua in Joshua 1:8. There, God told Joshua that the Book of the Law had to be central to everything he did. And now the Book of the Law was to literally lead the whole nation.
Just as God put His Word front-and-centre for the Israelites, He is also saying to us, “Invest time in My Word, in order to be led by it.” This does not just mean investing time in reading your Bible, but as God told Joshua, “meditate on it day and night,” and then “do everything written in it” (Joshua 1:8).
As we meditate, or think about God’s Word and chew it over, it transforms us. Then we begin to “do it” – to look for it and follow it, just like the Israelites had to look for the Ark and follow it across the Jordan River.
Why was this so important? Because God’s Word would actively guide them along the way (verse 4). Nothing else would be of any help, as everything they were about to encounter was totally new. They would get utterly lost without God’s Word – and so will we!
This is a new era!
Notice the timing of the crossing of the Jordan River. It was during the spring harvest (verse 15). This was just prior to Passover. In fact, a few days later they celebrate Passover at Gilgal (Joshua 5:10).
Passover is an incredibly significant event that is recorded as being celebrated only a handful of times in the Bible. But each of the occasions where it is celebrated occurs between the completion of one stage of Israelite history and the inauguration of a new stage. And this is true here. (For a study of Passovers throughout Scripture click here (1) and here (2).)
The amazing thing is that this is also significant in our own time. Do you realise during April 2020, the world experienced a literal Passover – for the first time since the Israelites left Egypt under Moses? The whole world was in lockdown, all in our homes, with a plague that was circulating the globe! And this also inaugurated a new stage of world history.
Yes, this is a new era. And God is moving us forward. It is an exciting time to be alive! So we must take note of what God wants to say right now, and be ready for the amazing adventure ahead.
