GOD WANTS TO DO GREAT THINGS

One of my favorite verses in the entire Word of God is Joshua 3:5 “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

In this address to the people, Joshua gives them a message from God. His words here in verse 5 contain not only a command, but a tremendous promise. Remember, this challenge was given to a people who had just lost their leader (Moses) and had spent the past forty years wandering in the wilderness. They had seen funeral after funeral as their friends and relatives had died because of their lack of faith. The message must have brought encouragement and anticipation, but at the same time maybe a little apprehension. They were approaching a land flowing with “milk and Honey,” but there were also giants and walled cities.

Notice what God’s man does as he prepares the people of God to enter Canaan, the land that God had promised years before: (I’m not going to spend much time on the first two points, nor the last point)

1. THERE IS A COMMAND (v 1-2)

Notice verses 1-2 “And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. And they commanded the people, saying When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.”

Joshua, the general, moves the army of Israel (probably 600,000 or more) from Shittim in the plains of Moab, to the river Jordan. It is here that Joshua reminds his officers of the role each tribe would play in this engagement. They also prepared everything they needed for this invasion.

2. THERE IS A CHALLENGE (v 3-4)

Many times there is a test before God works a miracle. This is to be no exception. Notice “. . . When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.” When God moved, they were to move. They were not to move if God didn’t move. Oh, I wish I had been mature enough to know this as a young man. Too many times, I moved when God didn’t move. How about you?

Notice verse 4 “Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” They were not to get too close to the Ark (presence of God). Remember Uzzah? Today, there is not enough respect for God, even among believers. Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes ““God is our companion as we go through life, but we dare not treat him like a ‘Buddy.’” He’s not the “Big guy up there” or “Our Co-Pilot.” He’s Almighty God. The nation of Israel was to respect that and we must too.

3. THERE IS CLEANSING (v 5)

Notice verse 5 “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”

As I said in my introductory remarks, this is both a command and a promise. God promises that He is going to do something miraculous in their midst, but first they were to “sanctify” themselves. And what does that mean? What is entailed? How does it relate to us?

Adam Clark’s Commentary: “(Sanctify yourselves) What was implied in this command we are not informed; but it is likely that it was the same as that given by Moses, Ex 19:10-14. They were to wash themselves and their garments, and abstain from everything that might indispose their minds from a profitable attention to the miracle about to be wrought in their behalf.”

The image of washing and changing clothing was a symbol of a new beginning with the Lord. Since sin is a defilement, God has to cleanse us before we can truly follow Him, or even worship Him for that matter.

Do you remember the story of David’s baby at death’s door. David mourned and cried for his baby, but then the baby died. What did he do? Notice what we read in II Samuel 12:20 “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.”

Before David worshiped, there was a time of cleansing. He didn’t want to enter into the presence of God, without doing what was necessary to be clean and pure.

I’m writing this on Saturday evening. Tomorrow I will go to church to worship God, not that this is the only time in the week I can worship. This will be public worship with other like-minded believer. Will I be clean? Will I be in a right relationship so that I can worship? Is there sin in my life? These are questions that should be answered before tomorrow morning. If I find that there is sin in my life then I must take care of that by confessing those sins and I’m glad that God promises He will forgive. We read in I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To “confess” means to say the same thing about our sin as God say about our sin.

Cleansing is important for God’s people. We cannot see God perform the miracle we need without having a clean heart and life.


4. THERE IS CONQUEST (v 17)

Notice verse 17 “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

The nation of Israel saw a great miracle as the army of the Lord’s people walked through the water on dry ground. This was the first of God’s miracle on behalf othe His people. They saw the Lord conquer the city of Jericho and give them victory after victory through the land of promise.

There is no end to the victories that a clean vessel in the hands of Almighty God can experience.

Are we willing to believe God, sanctify ourselves. and trust God in our lives? What miracle do we need in our life?

That's my view; how about you?