Let us Pray - Creator and maker of us all - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts - grow thou in us and show us your ways and inspire us to live by your truth. Amen
Promised Land - across and through the Jordan
- think of this in terms of metaphor
- through death into the eternal realms of God - into heaven
- to the place where the saints dwell forever
- to the place where death is no more....
But crossing the River into the Promised Land was not always seen as a Metaphor for dying/rising
Rather - at the time of Moses - the time of Joshua - from whose book we read today, the Promised Land was a real place - a place in which the people looked forward to living now - It was a place where the land flowed with milk and honey, where the people could not only cry "Free At Last - Free at Last" - but also cry - At home at last - At home where God promised he would lead us - in the place which God promised he would give us. The Promised Land is the rich and abundant land God promised to Abraham - and to his children after him - the place promised to Isaac and to Jacob - the place of which Moses spoke as he led his people out of Egypt. It is the rich and abundant life promised by Christ to all his followers.
The Promised Land was - and is a real place -- located in our space - and our time. As Caleb and the others who spied out this land for Moses - reported - it not only was a rich land - a blessed land - but it also was a land so real - so good - that others occupied it -- it was a place of cities and of towns - of warriors and giants -- not all of whom would prove to be friendly - but all of whom - with God's help - would be overcome - that the people might truly be blessed in their occupation of that land.
All of us long for this kind of land - this kind of place - this kind of life - where our enemies are overcome by the power of God - and where our needs are met with unheard of abundance - where the fear and the awe of the wilderness in which we wander is replaced by the joy and the celebration of life lived in a place like unto Eden itself.
And God promises to us - as he promised to the children of Israel just such a place. Just such a way of life. And as he did with the children of Israel - he guides us through the wilderness towards it - he leads us to the very edge of the place - and shows us the way to enter into it.
Today, in the third chapter of the book of Joshua we see the final stage of the people's wandering in the wilderness - the stage where they are finally called into the promised land - we see them cross through the Jordan and into the land of promise.
The details of the story are instructive for our own entering into the land - the state of being - that God has promised to us in Christ Jesus.
First we must understand about the River Jordan - the largest river in the region - no bridges across it - the Kings highway from Egypt to the Euphrates, from the land of the Pharaohs to the land of Assyria and of Babylon never crossed the river - but ran along side it - it is normally a murky river - slow moving and muddy - even so it can be easily crossed at certain places - that is if you don't mind stepping into a river whose bottom you can't easily see, if you don't mind getting the feet wet, and much more....
Crossing a river, even when you have a bridge, represents a big event in life. Rivers epitomize a big obstacle in the itch to be mobile. Indeed the symbol of crossing the river flows deeply in our faith history.
Sometimes, the symbol of the river means a roadblock. As it most surely meant to the people of Israel on the day appointed for them to cross the Jordan. It is one thing to put your feet in a gentle stream and another to step into roaring flood waters. Which, according to verse 15, is what the Jordan was like the day the people crossed over it.
Not only was the river in flood - but - according to verse 4 of today's passage, the people are not familiar with the place where they are about to cross the river - they have not been there before - they do not know what it will be like.
Joshua and the leaders of the people tell the people that they are to enter the promised land by following the priests (who carry the ark of the Covenant - the sign and symbol of God's presence with them - into the river) and that the river will part for them to make their passage through it possible.
I think it is very significant that one has to step into the roaring waters before they are parted, rather than waiting for them to first be parted. Very significant indeed. It was when the soles of the feet of those bearing the ark touch the water that the waters part. Not before.
In verse 15 through 17 we hear the conclusion of the matter:
"As soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, the river stopped flowing, and the water started piling up at the town of Adam near Zarethan. No water flowed toward the Dead sea, and the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed near Jericho while everyone else crossed over."
In the faith journey, there comes times when it looks like you are backed up against a barrier, a river at flood stage. The promised land is on the other side of the raging river.
As followers of Christ, as a people whom have been promised a new land, a new life, we are called to step out in faith - before the circumstances seem to be ready - that we may enter into that land - that we experience that life. We called to cross the river, to enter the turbulent and muddy flood waters so that we may receive the fullness of what God has promised to us and to those who follow us.
It can be a frightening proposition....
But we - like the people of Israel - have God with us. And as we step forth - carrying God with us - as we hold in our hearts the precious name of God - as we trust in God's living presence even though the circumstances do not appear to favour us - the waters will part.
What today's story tells us - with it's mention of how the priests led the way for the people into the river - is that God goes before us into the flood waters of life. God stands in the middle of the murderous waters, and God watches us pass safely to the other side.
The story is one of salvation. It affirms that God loves you and will not let anything stand in the way of his divine love and salvation for you.
The hymn "HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION" sings this faith in verse 3:
"When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; For I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress."
Fear not my brothers and sister-in-Christ - take the plunge - step out in faith -get your feet wet - and God will bring you safe to the other side of the Jordan, to the land and to the life that he has promised to all who follow him.
This is the message of the Gospel that we proclaim.
As Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica this message is not a human word, rather it is God's word - able to work in those who believe.
Trust in it. Trust in God - and step forward - and God will make straight your path and bring you into the promised land. Blessed be the name of God - now and forever. Amen
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