Consecrate Yourself

Consecrate Yourself

Joshua 3:1 – 5

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." (ESV)

Introduction

Charles Dickens famously opens his classic tale, A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, with the line, "Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever, about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it; and Scrooge's name was good upon 'change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."

Well, Moses was dead. He died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. [1] The people mourned for him until 30 days had passed, and then it was Joshua whom God anointed via the Spirit. It was a tough time of transition for Israel, who had spent 40 years in the wilderness wandering and watching a generation die off daily as judgment for their sin of disbelief. However, now that the generation of Egyptian hearts was gone, the younger generation now sought to enter the land that God promised all those years ago. This was a time of anticipation, waiting, worry, and necessary faith.

For you and me, a book like Joshua may not seem like something that we'd turn to for modern applications. After all, the book focuses on the conquest of the promised land by the Israelites as well as their failures to do all that God said, but I would like us to focus on Joshua's commands in this post as the Israelites prepared for the Jordan River crossing. I believe there is much we may glean from this scripture for our use, so let's dig in.

Waiting (Josh. 3:1-2)

In verses 1 and 2, we see the Israelites wait for the command from their leader, Joshua. They reached the river, could see across the river a land that their fathers rejected for fear, and no doubt felt their hearts racing with anxiety and excitement. They lodged along that riverbank for three days, awaiting Joshua's call to move forward. Imagine the patience required! They wandered for a hard 40 years and now could throw a stone and hit the other shoreline. No doubt, these people felt ready and probably believed they were, but there were some final steps to take.

For us, waiting is an inevitable aspect of the Christian walk. There will be seasons where we sit on one shore, waiting for God to give the go-ahead to cross to the other. It's frustrating and is the true trial of our patience and trust in the Lord. If we're waiting, it behooves us to remember that there's a reason and that it's God working for our good – whether we understand or not.

Following (Josh. 3-4)

"As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it… Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before…"

Joshua issued a command that was crucial to the people: follow the ark, not get ahead of it, but rather maintain some distance behind because this land is foreign to you. It's an understandable command, considering the people of that time did not have maps like we do, nor did they know the destination God was leading the people to. The last thing Joshua needed was confusion, chaos, and division as everyone attempted to cross the Jordan River as they saw fit, landing at different areas and then dispersing across the lands going whichever direction they desired – no, this whole endeavor required not just unity, but divine leadership.

The promised land is often compared to heaven, but I find that to be a mistake. Israel did not know a heavenly rest within the promised land, nor did they find themselves living in obedience. Instead, the promised land is more like the Christian life, and the Jordan River is like the waters of baptism. You and I are baptized as our first act of obedience and submission to God, and we begin our journeys through the lands on our pilgrimage to the Holy City on a Hill. We will face enemies, wilderness lands, and even our flesh, but I encourage you to heed Joshua's call. We do not have the ark like the Israelites did – we have something or, rather, someone better, Jesus Christ.

Whether it's the initial jump into the life of sanctification or finally having the door of opportunity be opened by God's hand, we must let Christ lead in all that we do. He goes before us[2], knowing every step that must be taken. You or I do not know tomorrow,[3] but God knows each of our days, for He sees the beginning from the end. [4] When we allow our King to lead, we ensure that our feet will stay on the path that the Lord has set before us and our feet will cross the deepest areas on dry ground. Yet again, it's not easy because it requires us to focus on Christ without looking to the world around us or even our wisdom. Set aside your earthly wisdom, and do not trust your worldly eyes, for neither can see or understand the spiritual or divine. We walk in faith, following Christ, and so we're kept on the right path toward our most excellent, eternally decreed destination.

Consecrating (Josh. 3:5)

This concept of consecration is the most essential aspect of the whole ordeal for Israel. In order to be ready to cross, they must consecrate themselves (or make themselves holy). Holiness is an integral part of God's character, and as His people, we are called to be Holy. [5] The people wandered for years, and now it was time to cleanse themselves before the Lord. God wanted his people to be separate from the world. These people belonged to God, and He wanted them prepared and clean before Him as they entered a land their fathers denied. He wanted the pagans that dwelled within the lands to see that God's people were different; they were obedient, faithful, and, most importantly, holy people. The miracles that God would perform necessitated holy obedience.

Modern Christians have a strong distaste for holiness. They either misunderstand what it means or outright reject it. If you are reading this, I encourage you to accept that if you are God's, then you must pursue holiness. Consecrate yourself from the world, and seek to be Holy like your heavenly Father. So often, we pray, wait, promise, and so on as we seek God's will in our lives, but do we make ourselves holy before God? Do we kneel before the Throne of Grace and not only repent but ask that God cleanse and purify us so that we can be as holy as He is? Do we look to Christ for holiness? After all, there's nothing we can do on our own that will make us holy, but Christ can. We should seek God's help to put aside our sinful desires, our acts of disobedience, and all the things that mark and stain our souls so that we can find holiness within his presence. You may be ready to cross the river, you may be prepared to follow, but have you prepared your heart and assessed your standing before God?

Conclusion

Just as the Israelites prepared for a journey in a new land, so do we so often find ourselves waiting for God to begin new chapters within our lives – whether it be in his service, within our careers, our families, etc. Ultimately, as Christians, we need to be prepared to wait, follow, and, all the meanwhile, seek to be holy before God through Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit within our lives. It is a daily work that requires us to be in constant prayer before the Lord, asking for strength, wisdom, and His help to overcome the temptations of this world. It can be frustrating, intimidating, tiring, and genuinely trying on our faith. We can get caught up in the wrong mindset that God has somehow forgotten us or is dragging His feet. Friends, all things will come to pass as God decrees it and not a second sooner. I encourage you this day to seek God in prayer as you wait, keep your eyes on Christ as you follow, and let the Spirit cleanse your soul so that you may be holy unto God. There may be uncertainty and fear, but God is faithful, and He will see you through to the end.

[1] Deut. 34:5-12

[2] Deut. 31:8

[3] James 4:13-14

[4] Isaiah 46:10

[5] 1 Pet. 1:15-16