The Covenant that Leads Across the Jordan and Beyond (Josh. 4:15-24)
Today we will share the grace of God’s Word with the last portion of Joshua 4. The entire Bible is the Word of God. Why do we have to listen to the Word of God? We must be able to understand this part first. John 1:1 says that God Himself is the Word. That is the way God works as well. In Gen. 1:3, God spoke His Word and things were created out of nothing. Then in John 1:4, it also says that this Word is Life, so everywhere the Word of God goes, the works of saving lives takes place.
It also says the Word of God is Light, meaning wherever the Word of God goes, the darkness flees. Then John 1:14 says this Word of God came to us in the flesh and that is Jesus Christ. When we accept this Word of Life into our hearts, we have the authority to become children of God. That’s the reason why we need to listen to the Word of God instead of the words of people.
In every situation in our lives, we need to follow God’s Word, because even right now, God is giving us His Word and the Lord is fulfilling His Word, and we are going forward in faith. So, if I don’t have the Word of God, it is the same as saying, “I don’t have God.” There are two situations, you might have received salvation or not, but if God is with you, it means the Word of God must always be living within you. The way we enjoy the Word of God is prayer, and evangelism is also another way to enjoy God’s Word.
When God created humans, He created only us in the image of God. This doesn’t mean that humans are God; it means we are in the image of God. It means that God has planned our DNA so we live by the will of God, ruling and subduing over the world with the Word of God and prayer. The way we are always in communication with God is through HIs Word and prayer. We do not live according to our own thoughts or our own words.
If we do, then that is Gen. 3, when Satan says, “You will be like God,” meaning, “You are God,” and he tells us, “It is not about God’s Word, but your thoughts are the standard.” Satan is working even now, telling us that our experiences and value systems are the standard. That is the beginning of all problems and we have no choice but to live like that if we lose hold of God’s Word, the covenant.
For the people who are living right now without any answers or suffering, I hope you will quickly return to God’s Word now. There is a possibility that as you listen to God’s Word, you may misunderstand, you may think you’ve succeeded without the Word of God until now, but God’s Word and success are not linked. You’re rooted so deeply in something else that that has become your standard. Because humans are spiritual beings, we need to have the answers take place where, by the Word of God, we have success.
But there are a lot of young people who say they do not live a walk of faith but are happy. They say, “I don’t evangelize and I don’t have answers to prayer but my life is still happy.” That person’s happiness just means they don’t have problems. Sometimes, they accomplish whatever they’re dreaming of. So, I’ve seen a lot of young people say, “Without the Word of God, with the physical standard, without the Word, prayer, and evangelism, I live a happy life without problems.”
When evangelists hear this, they have nothing to say because the person says they’re okay. Do you think those person’s words are true? It’s a lie. It’s just that they do not have any problems right now, but what happens when they do? It’s just that right now they don’t have problems but what happens if they face a big problem in the future? Even if we don’t have any problems right now, we should be happy in the gospel with the happiness of God.
Then I tell them, “It seems like you say these words based on physical standards, but later on, your spiritual problems will arise. It’s not that invisible things don’t exist; but they are bound to give you a visible influence one day; but you don’t know when that time schedule will happen. I hope you will remember me when that happens.” This is not a threat, I’m just telling them the truth. “Pastor, you’re supposed to bless me, why are you threatening me?” I’m not threatening them; I’m just telling them God’s Word.
Even people say in your mental state, the physical things are not everything. If your thoughts are always negative, you will have negative things happen. If you’re always afraid, then things will happen like to Job. Why are we always afraid? Job had so many possessions and children and wanted everything to go well all the time before God, but he was always nervous about what might happen.
Satan worked upon that spiritual state one day. So, exactly what he had was revealed. It looked like everything was good for him, he had good kids, a good wife, he was always giving worship and charity, but his internal spiritual state was full of fear. Then, our physical possessions are not everything. It might be everything in that moment, but eventually, the inner spiritual state we have will come outward.
Just like Adam and Eve, when their spiritual state left God, they were filled with fear. So, people are always living in a state of fear. In their everyday life, they are living with a fear of death. But they’re lying if they say that they’re happy. They have to say, “I’m happy because God is with me.” Though I am hard pressed on all sides, it doesn’t matter. But the person who says they’re happy is only saying that because they are not yet hard pressed on all sides. Even though we are hard-pressed on all sides, it doesn’t matter. Even if I’m turned upside down, I will not fail, meaning, even if I do fail, I’m not really failing. Where does this come from? That is the confession of the spiritual state of faith, of God being with us.
If you have something, it doesn’t mean you have something; if you don’t have anything, it doesn’t mean you lack. If God is with me, I have everything; if I don’t have God’s promise and I have everything else, then I have nothing.
The first failure of mankind is that we were deceived; we were created to live by the will and Word of God, but we thought we could live on our own. When humans lived on their own, they were filled with fear, and the entire land was cursed, including the land we live on. Even though we live so diligently, it is a curse. The word, “diligence,” is not aligned with the Bible. For us, we stake our life. That transcends diligence. God is working hard even now, and we are following that in faith.
God gave us the promise of our liberation in Gen. 3:15. Unless the offspring of woman comes, the authority of Satan will never be broken down. The spiritual problems are continuously arising in this age because of the authority and works of Satan. Even right now, we are constantly facing curses. We have no choice but to live the path of life we don’t want to live, and we cannot escape.
What can we possibly do? There’s nothing. We need to believe in the work that God is doing. Legalistic people will emphasize our actions a lot. Of course, our actions must follow, but if your actions come before you receive the promise of God, that’s just your nature, that’s irrelevant to God. Because this person just has a very diligent, hard-working nature, they can’t stay still because of fear. If anything, if they stay still, they are afraid of failure. That’s evidence that the person does not have God’s Word.
Right now, God is talking about God’s Word, and God gave the promise of God’s Word in Gen. 3:15 to Abraham. Abraham held onto that Word and left. God then told him, “Go to the land that I will show you,” which is Canaan. Age by age, God chooses an individual to relay the Word God has given in Gen. 3:15, and He gives the Word to fulfill it. Then in Gen. 15, God gave His Word, “Your future generations will suffer as slaves in Egypt for 400 years.” Then He says, “I will allow you to leave this land.”
God gave that Word and that Word was ultimately fulfilled through Joseph and Moses. Age by age, God’s Word is always fulfilled, it’s just that the time schedule may be different. Then the true wisdom is knowing what Word God is giving to me in this age, then God will carry out that Word.
After the Exodus, they went into the wilderness, and those with the covenant went into Canaan. But the people who lost hold of the words of God’s covenant, because of their thoughts and experiences, died in their Gen. 3. So, most of the people who wandered the wilderness for 40 years lost hold of God’s Word and failed. Heb. 4:12 says the Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword, and it penetrates, dividing soul and spirit, joins and marrow. When the Word of God comes into us, He knows our deepest thoughts. Then, my heart will be healed and changed. Within the stream and direction of the overall word, we need to hold onto the Word God is giving us specifically.
In Gen. 3:15, the offspring of woman will be born in the land of Canaan, and that’s why they had to go there. Because He said Jesus Christ would come, He had to come. He had to solve all of our problems on the cross. It took many thousands of years for that Word to be fulfilled. In the process of fulfilling that Word, age by age, they had their individual mission. Now, Jesus Christ has come to this earth, and through the Early Church, God had a request for each church. “Now, scatter all around the world and make disciples of all nations.”
Then, what must I do? Will you hold onto that as your covenant, or will you fail like the 90% of the people in the wilderness? How does God desire to do world evangelization through our church? That is the reason why I belong to this church and receive God’s Word. It may seem you’re just here, but God called you here because your mission is in line with the church’s mission. You may not be aware of this, but as the mission of God is relayed through the pulpit message, you will realize.
In this overall stream of the Word, God is telling us to cross the Jordan River. Why did I explain the stream of God’s Word from beginning to end? God Himself is the Word, then if you don’t know the stream of God’s word, then you don’t know if you’re holding onto the stream and going the correct way.
Especially when I say, “hold to the Word of God,” it seems people misunderstand. Especially for people who grew up in legalism, they do it well because that is how they were raised, but they also realize there aren’t that many answers. In reality, we are not holding onto God’s Word; God gives us His Word. When I say, “Hold onto the Word of God,” they only hold onto the Word that they want.
The Word does not come from me; God gives us the Word He desires. It doesn’t matter whether it makes me feel good or not; with whatever God pierces our hearts, that is what God gives us. Sometimes it comes as grace, but sometimes, if we go down the wrong path, the Word of God comes to us as piercing guilt. You shouldn’t avoid that and hold onto something else instead. You need to hold onto the Word God has given you; you are not the Creator to create your own word.
God says through Joshua to cross the Jordan River, and first, send the priests holding the Ark of the Covenant. Then God splits the river, then all the Israelites pass through and end up in Gilgal. But that’s not the end, after that, there’s another Word. God’s Word is not a one-time thing, but God works 24 hours, eternally. A lot of people just say, “I received the Word of God once on Sunday,” then turn back to their own ways and wander. Because the Word God gave on Sunday is constantly fulfilled throughout the week, hold onto it and confirm it all throughout the week.
After all the Israelites had crossed the Jordan River, God said, “Tell the priests to come up out of the River.” But we think God only gives us the Word when we have to go into the Jordan River, and the rest of the time, we do whatever we want, but God even gives the word on when to come out of the River, because God gives the Word and is the One Who fulfills the Word. Then, He fulfills His Word through me so I need to have faith regarding His Word of the covenant.
When this Word came upon them, the priests who had the Ark of the Covenant then came out. Then, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place to the flood stage as it was before. There’s a time schedule in God’s Word. That’s why you should not hold onto the Word you desire, but you need to hold onto the stream of God’s Word to see it fulfilled and see His works.
Then in Joshua 4;20, “They set up the twelve stones at Gilgal,” meaning they raised up these towers. When God gives us His Word today, it means it is for the future, so in Joshua 4:21, He said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’” It is the Word of God. Leave behind evidence so that the future generations have no choice but to ask, then as the future generations see this evidence, they see the works of God in the past and through that, they are also able to see the works of God at the present day.
The works and the fulfillment of God’s Word of the covenant not only saves us, but leaves behind the evidence for the future generations. The answers you receive today become an incredibly important point for your future children. That’s what it means that the answers of today are bound to save the future. That is why today is very important to me.
In Joshua 4:23, “The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.” The work of God is the same. This is also shown very well in Exodus 14:15. Right before this, Moses had told the people, “Stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today,” and to those people, he said, “Move forward.”
At that time, the Israelites were being chased by the army of Egypt so they were in an uproar because they had already confirmed the army following behind them would kill them. They could not cross the Red Sea, then what would they have to do? That’s why God gave His Word in advance to Moses, “I will allow you to cross the Red Sea,” so God gives the Word in advance, and when they actually face that situation, God gives the Word to Moses again, “Tell the Israelites to move on.”
Exodus 14:16. There must be a reason why God does these works. First, God is doing this to really plant our faith in God’s covenant. Right now, whatever situation you’re in is not the problem. We think it would be great if we didn’t have to face situations like the Red Sea or the Jordan River, but that’s just our thoughts. God desires for us to have the covenantal faith that confesses, “Though I’m hard pressed on all sides, I will not be crushed.”
Back in the days when they didn’t even have airplanes, God gave them the words to make disciples of all nations, but that’s impossible. Our situation is not what is important. The situation is just my circumstance, it’s not God’s circumstance. But instead, we’re obsessed with our own situation. It’s just like that first young adult I talked about, they look at their situation and judge themselves, “I’m okay, I don’t have any problems,” but that’s a state where you’re separated from God; they are their own standard, and as time passes, that will be revealed.
For us, our situation is not the standard; the Word God gives us is. You and I may be facing many circumstances now, and they may be very good circumstances,, then should you not hold onto God’s Word in such circumstances? That should never be the case. We should live the spiritual life where we hold onto the Word God gives to us, and we follow that. But when things physically go well for us, our spiritual state falls. That’s the Age of Rome. After they evangelized Rome, they failed.
When we personally become physically okay, our spiritual lives fall, and the reason is because our faith is set on the wrong foundation. People like Joseph, David, and Daniel were the same. For those people, they did not make their measuring standard their circumstance, but they held onto the Word of God no matter what. Even after Joseph became the governor, he did not fluctuate up and down based on his situation, but he always went back and forth with God’s Word.
Daniel was about to be killed if he didn’t eat the food offered to idols, but that situation wasn’t the problem; he overcame with God’s Word. That’s why when you’re rooted in God’s Word, when time passes, you will bear those fruits. Just like crossing the Jordan River, the River is not the problem but God knows our situation and gives us His Word.
Joshua 4:24. Back in Joshua 4:24, the reason why God let them cross the Jordan River is so they may have faith, but it is also so that the whole earth may know the hand of the LORD is powerful. When we face a situation, we always look at ourselves, but God’s interest is working so that all people may know who God is. It says in today’s verse that they might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful.
But the opposite of this means, it’s impossible with any idols. It means that, as those other people face idols, they face their limitations. The reason why God is showing them these works is to show them that Jehovah is the true God, and the way is Jesus Christ. So, the fulfillment of God’s Word within your life is to reveal this to the many people living in your region; if you have this, then God will attach people to you so they can know this, then you should not say nonsense. Don’t say things like, “Oh, it’s because I prayed so hard.” Don’t say nonsense. “I just gave so much offering so God looked at my actions.” All you have to do is take the evidence of God’s word and relay that word to them.
In other words, if you’re not able to evangelize, it means you don’t have evidence, and it’s the same thing as saying you are living without God’s Word. If you’re able to evangelize, and you relay this to the 237 nations, it means you do have the evidence, and for that person, the Word of God’s covenant is their standard. That is how you can express it. If I, one person with God’s Word, receive this evidence, many people can be saved.
This is not about working diligently; that’s not going to cut it. What’s important is your faith regarding God’s Word. Prayer is what takes that faith in God’s Word forward. Isn’t that right? You receive the Word of God on Sunday but when you face the Jordan River on Sunday, if that Word doesn’t turn into prayer, you just stand still. Prayer is what takes the Word of God given to you and takes it forward.
Sometimes prayer means asking God to give you the Word in that situation. Even the standard of your prayer is the Word of God’s covenant. In Acts 1, they had a prayer that, according to God’s promise, the Holy Spirit worked upon them. They never prayed without God’s promise. If you pray without God’s promise, that’s just a religion. Without a doubt, you are holding onto God’s promise and waiting in prayer, then God attaches people to you. For people who are in business, God attaches business people to you. For people who are studying, God attaches people who are attached to your studies. For regional evangelism, the person holding onto the covenant to do regional evangelism will be attached to you for God to fulfill this.
Only Jesus Christ finished all problems, because the Triune God is now with us, everything is already finished. He gives us His Word, and even now, He is carrying out the ministry of salvation and working in power; everything is finished. Inside of this “only,” study and do your business. That is how the forces of darkness will be broken down and I receive answers. We don’t have the strength to do this, so we must receive this strength every day. The older you get, it doesn’t matter how much you try to control your facial expressions, when you go back, you’ll end up the same.
That is why, if you don’t raise up the bartizan and maintain that every single day, you’ll go back to your old imprints. Then, when do I have to do this until? Until you die; you must enjoy this, and God must be with you until the day you die. God must be with you for all of eternity. You should enjoy that. If you’re obsessed with your job, then you’ll be diseased. If you’re always thinking about your jobs, then that’s an obsession. If you think about your job constantly, that is an obsession and disease; then one day, you’ll get a spiritual problem. That’s not the Word God gave us.
God told us to run our business within God’s covenant, receiving God’s power and answers; He never told us to be obsessed with it. Obsession itself means you’re separated froM God’s Word. Think about it carefully, what are my thoughts mostly obsessed with? Then people may ask, “Should I not think about my business?“ If you run your business without any thoughts in your head, it makes no sense; you have to think about your business, but if you do that, that’s obsession. You should think about your business within God’s Word and covenant. You should think about it while you pray, and it’s the same for students’ studies. But if somebody thinks about something without God’s word, they will be enslaved by the physical needs that they have. There will be a slave to their studies, and God never told us to live like that.
You should receive the power that comes from the throne, and the work of God should take place. We are created to study and work within prayer, then we will overcome. My limitations like the Jordan River will continue to break down and I will overcome them. That is why you need to have this time first, as soon as you wake up in the morning. If you don’t do this, but things are well, wait until time passes and the spiritual things will be revealed physically.