Crossing the River Part 1

Since January, I've been trying to read through the Bible. I've tried several times before, and usually only made it to Leviticus, and got hung up on all the laws found there! To be honest, even this time, I've found myself skimming over some of it, and speed reading using my Bible App, as I slid my thumb up the page on my phone. I've been behind, so today, finding myself confined to the couch thanks to the flu, I've been able to catch up a little. Today, I found myself getting ready to enter the Promised Land with the Israelites.

A few things spoke to me in these passages and the ones to follow.

Moses has died, and Joshua is of course the next leader. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites are finally receiving the promise that God has made to them. They had struggled for so long; yes, certainly being guided and provided for by the Lord all those years, but not without hardship. The faced times of battle. They struggled in their faith and obedience. There were wanderings with no water, places of plagues and slithering snakes to contend with. There were even more instances of disobedience and complaining, which resulted in death of tons of family members not allowed to enter the land (Numbers 14:26-35). They had seen hard times, but they had also experienced the very hand of God providing direction, food, shelter, water and most of all, grace to them.

Now, they stood at the banks of what was promised, a land of milk and honey. 

As Joshua prepared them, he told them "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."

He did, but there was still a battle to be faced on the other side of the river- the battle of Jericho.

As I thought about this passage, I was reminded of how our lives are just like that of the Israelites. We struggle, we disobey, we complain, we repent, we worship, we see God work and finally set foot on "land" as He fulfills a promise to us. But, it does not end there, for there is a constant battle until we reach the ultimate Promise Land. 

It is no question as to why God told Joshua to select twelve men to set up stones as a place of remembrance after they crossed the Jordan (Joshua 4:4-7). It would be a place to remember what God had done, reminding them of His faithfulness as they entered the next battle that lay ahead.