Crossing the Jordan
Devotions for Growing Christians
Crossing the Jordan
Exodus 12:13 - The blood will be a sign for you on your houses; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
Joshua 3:11 - See, the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.
Joshua 4:8 – They took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan…and they carried them over with them to the camp, where they put them down.
Joshua 4:9 – Joshua set up twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the Ark had stood.
Joshua 5:3 – So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites…
1 Corinthians 10:11 – These things happened to them for examples and were written down as warnings for us…
Ephesians 1:3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-11 – Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God in order to stand against the devil’s schemes.
Because of political conditions in the Middle East, crossing the Jordan River between the countries of Jordan and Israel is not always smooth and quick. Careful passport checks and baggage searches may take a big chunk of time out of a Holy Land tour!
For very different reasons, it was no easy stroll when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River under the leadership of Joshua. It was about 1400 BC, and the river was at flood stage (Joshua 3:15). There were no boats and no bridges. Furthermore, they were entering enemy territory near Jericho, a major fortress city of the Canaanites. But in spite of the problems, Israel crossed the Jordan River - because God had promised them the Land. With a mighty miracle, the waters of the Jordan River were cut off, and the Israelis crossed the Jordan without even getting their sandals wet!
Besides the obvious practical application that our all-powerful God can do amazing miracles, and that He can accomplish His purpose on our behalf against all odds, there’s more to learn from the record of Israel crossing the Jordan. In fact, 1 Corinthians 10:11 says that “all these things happened to them [the Israelites] as an example for us.” And “all these things” includes all the events in their journey from Egypt to the Land that God had promised them.
Spiritual Pictures
In 1 Corinthians 10:3-4, we learn that the manna the Israelites ate was “spiritual food,” the water they drank was “spiritual drink,” and the “spiritual rock” from which the water flowed was Christ! Does this mean that the manna wasn’t real food, and the water wasn’t real water? Do these verses teach that Christ was following the Israelites in the wilderness in the form of a rock, or that the rock was a Christophany? No! These verses explain to us that the events in the journey from Egypt to Canaan are “examples,” or pictures, from which we can learn. They are part of a spiritual picture of the Christian life from salvation to maturity.
The word translated “example” is the Greek word tupos, from which we get the word “type.” A biblical type is an Old Testament person, place, event or other item that illustrates New Testament truth. So 1 Corinthians 10:11 teaches that the entire journey of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land is a type, or picture, that illustrates New Testament truth. It is an illustration of the Christian life - all the way from our salvation to our possessing the “land of spiritual blessings” in Christ.
The events in the travels of the Israelites contain many lessons. Besides valuable biblical principles - such as “Trust the Lord!” and “Don’t complain!” - we can learn profound theological truths.
Imagine that the entire 40-year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is a huge mural, painted by God, to help us learn valuable lessons for our lives today. The written material for this mural is found in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua. In the first panel of the mural we see Egypt, a pagan polytheistic civilization, and we see the Israelites as slaves, under the domination of cruel taskmasters (Exodus 1:8-14). The Bible often uses Egypt as a picture of the world that has rejected God, so bondage and slavery in Egypt presents a vivid spiritual picture of our helpless bondage in sin before Christ. But the next panel in the mural shows the Passover (Exodus 12). The Passover pictures the means by which God rescued us from our slavery to sin. The Israelites were saved from death and delivered from Egypt after the blood of the Passover lamb was applied to their homes. And we have been redeemed, “not by silver and gold, but by the precious blood of the Lamb” (1 Peter 1:18-19). When the blood of our Passover Lamb is applied to our lives, we are redeemed from the slavery of sin..“Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
But escape from slavery in Egypt was only the beginning of the Israelites’ journey. So another broad panel of the mural shows the disobedient and disgruntled Israelites, wandering in the Sinai wilderness. But God hadn’t rescued His people from slavery to wander in the wilderness, and He didn’t want them living on the fringes of the Promised Land. God wanted much more for His people! He wanted them to pass through the wilderness, cross the Jordan River, and enter and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land - the Land of blessing that “flowed with milk and honey.”
Blessings and Battles
In the Egypt to Canaan “mural” that God has given us, the wilderness represents the “land of discouragement, disobedience and defeat” in our Christian experience. We wander, as they wandered, because of unbelief in the power and the promises of God.
The Promised Land represents the “land of spiritual blessing” that God has promised us. It’s available for us to experience and enjoy because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says that believers are “blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.” Our spiritual Promised Land, called “the heavenlies,” is the sphere of our spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14).
The “heavenlies” is not our heavenly home of the future. It’s the “realm of our spiritual experience” now. The “heavenlies” is also the sphere that includes our spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:10-12). Being victorious in spiritual warfare is just as much a part of Christian maturity as enjoying our spiritual blessings in Christ.
Regarding our spiritual blessings, it’s important to notice that we’ve been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3) - but not every physical blessing. The people of Israel were promised earthly, temporal blessing when they possessed the Land. But God has not promised earthly physical or material blessings to the believer. We can be thankful for any physical blessings God gives us, such as good health or a nice job, but physical blessings are not guaranteed to any Christian. The currently popular “prosperity gospel” that promises health and wealth is not taught anywhere in Scripture. But every spiritual blessing that Heaven has to offer is promised to every Christian! Read Ephesians 1 for the amazing list of our spiritual blessings in Christ!
The entire Promised Land was given to Israel, but they had to take action to possess it. They had to leave the wilderness and cross the Jordan River (Joshua 1:3). And all the blessings of our “promised land” are guaranteed to us for the taking - but we must take them! If we’re not appreciating or enjoying our spiritual blessings in Christ (such as assurance of salvation and a joyful, meaningful purpose in life), perhaps we’ve never crossed the Jordan. Maybe we’re still stuck in the “wilderness” of discouragement and defeat, because we haven’t committed ourselves to fully obey the Lord. We must take action to complete the spiritual “mural”! We must claim our spiritual blessings by “crossing the Jordan” and living in the full enjoyment of our spiritual position in Christ.
In reference to our spiritual battles, Ephesians 6 says that we’re guaranteed victory if we “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18). This guarantee of victory is pictured in God’s promise to Joshua and the Israeli people when they crossed the Jordan River. As long as they obeyed the word of the Lord and were strong and courageous as they moved into the Land, prosperity and success were guaranteed. And the Lord promised His presence would be with them as they entered the Land and fought the enemy (Joshua 1:5-9). What a promise for the believer in that picture! No defeats in spiritual battle? Yes! Doubt, discouragement, despair, demonic oppression - and every other enemy - can and will be overcome in the strength of the Lord.
The fact that Israel was defeated at Ai (Joshua 7) and deceived at Gibeon (Joshua 9) was not God’s fault. God did not fail to keep His promises. Israel failed to trust the Lord and obey His Word. In the same way, if we as believers fail to follow biblical principles, we will suffer defeat in spiritual battle, and we’ll lose out on enjoying our spiritual blessings.
Biblical Principles
In our lives as believers, crossing the Jordan means making a conscious decision to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ in a life of dedication to Him. It means joyfully appropriating our spiritual blessings in Christ, and courageously engageing in spiritual warfare against God’s enemies.
There are further biblical principles in God’s mural.
Recognizing the Importance of the Ark
Recognizing the Importance of the Ark is an important biblical principle that is strongly emphasized in the mural. Remember the position of the Ark of the Covenant was central in the life of the nation of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God in the midst of His people. It was the meeting place between God and His people. Each year the blood of the atoning sacrifice had to be placed on the Mercy Seat (the covering of the Ark) as atonement for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16).
The Ark of the Covenant is a wonderful picture of God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only Mediator between God and mankind, through the shedding of His atoning blood. Trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior and recognizing Him as Lord of our lives are essential.
When the Israelites were camped, the Ark was located in the middle of the encampment, in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. When they traveled, the Ark always traveled in the center of God’s people. In the Ark, the presence of God was with them wherever they went. God the Holy Spirit lives within us, and we must acknowledge and follow His leading in our lives. And when we trust in the reassuring promise of our “Ark,” the Lord Jesus Christ, to be with us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5), we can move forward with confidence as believers.
The Ark led the people into the Promised Land (Joshua 3). A distance of 3,000 feet (about 10 football fields) was to be maintained between the Ark and the people. Why? The distance was so each individual could clearly keep their eyes on the Ark - and follow it!
When the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark entered the River, the water of the river was miraculously cut off upstream. The river drained away downstream to the Dead Sea, and the way into the Land was open to God’s people! When Jesus Christ entered “the waters of death,” the effects of sin were rolled back all the way to Adam, where human sin and death began. When our Lord Jesus passed through the waters of death, He opened up the way into the “heavenlies,” our promised land. Notice - the waters of the Jordan were cut off at the town of Adam (3:16)! God ordained that even the geography would be a part of the mural!
Following the Ark into the riverbed, the people of God crossed the Jordan. Leaving the old life of “wandering in the wilderness” behind, and following our “Ark” across the Jordan and into the Land, we will move on to Christian maturity. Then we’ll enjoy our spiritual blessing, and fight our spiritual battles effectively.
Identifying with the Position of the Ark
Identifying with the Position of the Ark is another significant principle for crossing the Jordan. After crossing the Jordan, the Israelites set up two 12-stone monuments - one stone for each tribe. One group of stones was set up in the middle of the Jordan’s riverbed, where the Ark had been standing (4:9), and the other group of stones was set up in the Promised Land - on the “resurrection side” of the Jordan (4:8). These monuments would be a perpetual reminder that God’s people identified themselves with the Ark - where it had been, to enable crossing the Jordan, and where it was, after crossing the Jordan.
The spiritual picture is quite clear. We must identify with Christ in both His death and His resurrection. When Jesus Christ died for sin, we died to sin in Him (Romans 6). When Christ was raised in resurrection, we were raised to “walk in newness of life” with Him. This is our righteous status - our position before God. Crossing the Jordan involves realizing and living out this truth. We must identify with the position of the Ark. “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11). “Since you are risen with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).
Christians who fail to identify with Christ’s death and resurrection will never move on to fully enjoy the blessings of our Promised Land - and they will never be fully successful in spiritual warfare. They don’t lose their salvation, of course, but they could end up living inconsistent and frustrated lives as believers. In the spiritual picture, they will be “just barely out of Egypt” or “wandering in the wilderness” - constantly beset by fleshly desires and difficulties.
All the tribes of Israel were to settle in the Promised Land. However, 2 1/2 tribes wanted to live near the Promised Land - but not in the Land. Like those 2 1/2 tribes, some Christians seem to be content to be “borderland Christians.” Numbers 32 tells us that the 2 1/2 tribes wanted material prosperity for themselves and their families. They thought that prosperity was more easily available on the “wilderness side” of the Jordan River. They didn’t want to make the commitment to live permanently across the Jordan. They begged Moses, “Do not make us cross the Jordan!” (Numbers 32:5). Unfortunately, Christians who follow half-hearted lifestyle choices will find that they (and their families) may end up falling short of the blessings that God intended for them in this life.
Cutting off the old life
Cutting off the old life is yet another principle of crossing the Jordan. This principle is seen in Joshua 5. The new generation of Israelites had not been circumcised during the 40 wilderness years. Circumcision is the distinctive sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. It was commanded by God as a sign of the relationship between Him and His chosen people (Genesis 17:9-14). Obedience in this area was necessary before God’s people could move on to occupy the Land, and so this new generation of Israelis was circumcised.
In the spiritual picture, physical circumcision pictures the necessity of “spiritual circumcision.” Spiritual circumcision involves a deliberate cutting off of the “flesh.” It means cutting ties with our old way of life so we may properly reflect our covenant relationship with God. Colossians 2:11 assures us that we have been spiritually circumcised as to our position in Christ. Realizing that our old sinful life is dead and buried is very important, but Colossians 3:5 makes it clear that we must vigorously put this truth into practice. We must take drastic measures to “cut off” the activities of our sinful nature. Leaving our sinful behaviors and selfish life-patterns behind us doesn’t happen automatically. “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature… you used to live in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things… (Colossians 3:5-8).
So spiritual circumcision is more than just recognizing our position of having died and risen with Christ. It is the active practice of the “death to self” principle as a way of life. That’s what Galatians 2:20 teaches: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Spiritual circumcision means cutting out anything in our lives that is not pleasing to God. It means bringing our lives into obedience to God’s Word. It means conscientious discipline of our thoughts, speech and activities. It means monitoring how we spend our time, how we spend our money, and what we read, or watch, or do. It means being loving and thoughtful in our relationships with our families and others, so that our covenant relationship with God can clearly be observed in the way we live our daily lives.
Conclusion
The final scene in the “Egypt to Canaan mural” is described in Joshua 21:43-45: “So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side…Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”
What a wonderful spiritual picture of the Christian life God has given to us in His Word! And we’ve touched down in only a few places! There are many more lessons and truths to be learned from this spiritual mural.
As the Lord wanted all His Old Testament people to cross the Jordan and possess the Land He had promised them, so He wants His present-day people to “cross the Jordan” - to possess the Land of blessing He has given us. He doesn’t want us just barely out of Egypt, or wandering in the wilderness, or living on the fringes of the Land. And He doesn’t want us moving in and out of the Land by living an inconsistent Christian life. He doesn’t want us straddling the Jordan River - living with one foot in the Land and one foot in the world - reluctant to fully cross over. No!
God wants to see all His children enjoying the “abundant life” (John 10:10) and finding “rest of soul” (Matthew 11:28). He wants us to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). He wants us to “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12) and “stand firm” in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:14). These blessings and promises are all part of living in the promised land of the “heavenlies” - but they can only be enjoyed and experienced by Christians who are willing to cross the Jordan.
- Dave Reid