On Sunday we shared about our attempts at the challenge for 1/hr a day in the secret place, and the consensus was that it wasn't always easy, and that God has been fairly silent. All that we shared confirmed the necessity of the metaphor of crossing over the Jordan River by the Israelites given to me this week.
Earlier in the week I was brought to Joshua ch. 3, a cross-reference at some point during my studies (I'm reading in 4 specific areas, and Joshua is not one of them right now). Let's set the scene of this story:
The Israelites are very close to the land that God had promised them 40 years earlier, but there is a massive obstactle in the way--the Jordan River. Moses has been taken up by God and Joshua has taken over in leadership. During the time of year the Jordan was exceptionally high, as verse 15 states, "(for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest)," which makes it go from a hundred feet or so wide to an impressive 1/2 mile or more wide and presumably quite rapid and raging!
At this point, there is only way that 2 or 3 million Israelites are getting across this sucker: a miracle of YHWH, their redeemer! Many of them were there for the crossing of the Red Sea, provision of manna, water from the rock, etc. Did the Lord have yet another miracle in store? Let's see what He tells Joshua: The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'" (Josh. 3:7-8)
After some research, I discovered that the Hebrew word translated "stand still" in this verse is the verb "amad," which is primarily used for "stood" or "stand" but is also the word translated as "endures" in Psalm 111:3,10 and 112:3,9, as in "His righteousness [or praise] endures forever." My point is that this miracle was likely not an instant thing, but required endurance by the priests, and patience, trust, hope, and faith by the people. You see, the waters were not parted like the Red Sea was with Moses, but instead God "cut off" the river waters about 18 miles upstream at the ancient city Adam, either geologically by a "heap" of rocks that formed a dam or supernaturally with the strength of His mighty hand (since the waters start flowing again after they cross).
"..and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water...that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho." (Josh. 3:15-16)
Depending on how fast the river was flowing, it may have taken a couple of hours before the river ceased flowing and dried up; of course we don't know for sure, but it is likely that there was a bit of a holy pause, delay, a silence, that preceded the slowing down and drying up of the river.
By committing longer amounts of time more frequently to the secret place, we, like the priests, have stepped out in faith and placed our feet into the edge of the Jordan, trusting that God will reward those who seek Him with diligence by bringing us into the promised land of deeper intimacy with Him; a place filled with the gifts of the Spirit, revelations, visions, miracles, wisdom and understanding. We wonder why God has been silent, but we neglect to realize that further upstream, He is working out His will for us to grow closer to Him.
Therefore brothers and sisters, stand still and endure at the bank of the Jordan! He will respond to your cries, your prayers, your diligence and faith! Keep giving Him your utmost in your daily time in the secret place, striving for an hour or more, or whatever time you can muster.
--Josh
0 comments:
Post a Comment