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Lesson Four Joshua 3:1-17 Israel Crosses the River Jordan Key Concept: the LORD Is with Those Who Follow Him

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Lesson Four Joshua 3:1-17 Israel Crosses the River Jordan Key Concept: the LORD Is with Those Who Follow Him Lesson Four Joshua 3:1-17 Israel crosses the River Jordan Key Concept: The LORD is with those who follow Him. Key Verse: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. (Joshua 3:11) The Before Word: As Joshua and the Israelites are poised to cross the Jordan River and enter the land promised to their forefathers, GOD wants them to know that He is traveling with them. As you study Joshua 3, look for all the ways GOD shows the people that He is with them and all the ways He shows Joshua that He is with him. As you work through the scripture, record all the ways the LORD assured Joshua and the people that He was with them as they crossed over. This exercise is designed to increase your faith and your ability to see all the ways the LORD is traveling with you! Record all the ways the LORD assured the people and Joshua that He was with them as they crossed over the river. (Record the verse along with the assurance.) Assurances to the People Scripture Assurances to Joshua Scripture Questions for Joshua 3 1. 1. a. Where were the Israelites positioned? (3:1-2) b. For how long did they wait? 1. 2. a. Who was to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River? (3:3-4) b. What were they to carry? c. Why did the officers warn them to keep a distance of 2,000 cubits? d. What significance do you see in this arrangement? The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10-22) was constructed of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, covered with golden cherubim, and housed three articles: Aaron’s Rod of Budding, The Stone Tablets of the Law, and a Jar of Manna. The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Holy of Holies unseen by man. Each element in the Ark of the Covenant symboliZed GOD’S desire to travel with His people as they made their way into the land. Aaron’s Rod of Budding (Numbers 17) was the rod used by Aaron, Moses’ brother, as he crossed the desert. Aaron and his descendants were chosen by the LORD to serve as mediators between a holy GOD and the people of Israel. They carried the Ark of the Covenant, offered the sacrifices, and taught the people how to honor the name of the LORD. The Stone Tablets (Exodus 19-20) were the tablets of the Law carved on Mount Sinai by Moses in the presence of the LORD. GOD’s LAW provided a system of government that reflected a righteous and just GOD. The Jar of Manna (Exodus 16) was a stone jar filled with the manna that GOD provided for them everyday in the desert, a testimony to the fact that He traveled with them in their desert journey. 1. 3. a. How did Joshua prepare the people to enter into a new land and a fresh relationship with the LORD? (3:5) b. How did the journey across the Jordan begin? (3:6) 1. 4. What confirmation did the LORD give Joshua to prepare him to lead the people into enemy territory? (3:7) 1. 5. What command did the LORD give? (3:8) Picture the priests in their priestly garb carrying the Ark of the Covenant toward the waters of the Jordan River. Following at a distance of 2000 cubits are the people. They can see the Ark lifted high on poles carried by the priests and know that GOD Himself is traveling with them. GOD was doing a new work in His people. He wanted them to see Him and know Him. GOD wants you to see Him and know that He is traveling with you. Look for specific ways GOD is revealing Himself to you and reminding you that He is with you and going before you this week! 1. 6. a. Read Joshua 3:9-13 aloud. Reading scripture aloud allows you to receive GOD’S Word with your eyes and your ears. What in these words would inspire confidence in the people? b. What part of this section particularly speaks to you and why? 1. 7. How did GOD symbolically involve all the people? (3:12) 1. 8. a. What action was required of the priests? (3:13) b. What did the LORD promise to do in response to their obedience? 1. 9. a. How does Joshua describe the LORD in verse 13? b. How does he describe the presence of the LORD? It is interesting that Joshua once again speaks the word of the LORD to the people (3:9). How many times do they need to hear that GOD is with them? How often would you like for the LORD to remind you that He is with you? GOD knows that we are prone to look around and lose our faith in the Word that He has spoken to us. Hearing, speaking, meditating, and memoriZing the Word of the LORD are essential elements in maintaining a vibrant faith in the living GOD. As Joshua speaks the word again to them he says, “By this you shall know that the living GOD is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgasite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite.” (3:10) GOD wants you to know that He is with you! 1. 10. What happened when the people and the priests obeyed the WORD of the LORD? (3:14-16) 1. 11. a. In what season did they cross? (3:15-16) b. What is significant about the Jordan River in this season? c. Why do you think GOD chose this as the time for their crossing? 1. 12. How long did the priests stand firm on dry ground? (3:17) The Afterword: GOD faithfully and spectacularly delivered the people across the Jordan River just as He had told them He would! The same GOD who brought their ancestors out of Egypt was taking them into a new land and a new way of life. Right now they know GOD is with them and is doing wonders among them, but will they continue to hear His voice and see His hand when life settles in around them? Every great insight and victory is followed by the reality of following the LORD in the every day. Soon they will be dispersed throughout the land by tribes-- planting and harvesting, taking care of their livestock and vineyards. The real challenge to their faith and to ours is following GOD in the ordinary and mundane issues of life. The same living GOD who leads you through the big challenges is invested in every minute of your day. Joshua 3 is a vivid illustration of the truth that GOD is with those who follow Him. Review the assurance GOD gave Joshua and the people. Choose one and apply it to your life. The LORD is with those who follow Him. .
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