The people of Israel reached their most critical hour. They failed once, wasting 40 years of wilderness wandering. Now, God had graciously granted them a second chance.
When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, they would begin to fulfill God’s promises first given to Abraham. Everything would change. They would no longer be nomads and former slaves but a nation, God’s nation.
Israel’s preparation to cross the Jordan River into Canaan (their Promised Land) models what we must also do to successfully enter God’s “Promised Lands” for our lives, families, churches and societies.
At this critical time, the Israelites had lost the only leader they ever knew—Moses—to be replaced by Joshua. Was he up to the task of leading them into their Promised Land against the wicked and formidable Canaanites? Was he truly God’s chosen leader, the man of the hour? The Israelites needed assurance of this to move forward with boldness, knowing that God Himself appointed him.
They were headed to Jericho where they needed to know that victory was inevitable over the formidable strength of the foe.
God gave them needed assurance by sending the priests with the Ark of the Covenant (and His presence) ahead of them. His very presence would open the Jordan River, backing it up for miles, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land even as they crossed the Red Sea.
God’s promises to them would become a “done deal” depending how they cooperated with God to make it happen. This demanded that they set aside every hindrance to faith and obedience. They had to ready themselves to see God work in miraculous ways never even imagined before. It was an unprecedented hour demanding utmost confidence in God. They had to stop thinking of themselves as nomads and slaves and think of themselves as a nation.
This was the moment for which God called them. It was a holy moment demanding full commitment and a dramatic shift in self-perception. This is why Joshua told them, “Consecrate yourselves.” By doing so, they would participate in the miracles God was about to work. God didn’t tell them just what He would soon do, but He gave them the assurance they needed to advance in confidence.
In short, God did not require blind faith from the Israelites, but action based on evidence that things not yet seen would become reality. This is the essence of the faith that pleases God which we find in Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the assurance [or evidence] of things not seen.”
This should encourage us as we enter new chapters in our own lives. God never requires our blind faith. When we face life’s challenges and tests of God’s promises to us, He welcomes our requests for assurance that we are on the right path to victory. He requires us to rid ourselves of strongholds. We may not know just how He will fulfill His promises, but He wants us to know we are on course.
We live in a time of unusual shaking with challenges to life, ministry and nation. But His promises still stand. Let us consecrate ourselves, put aside past habits of limited or faulty thinking and seek Him for assurances we need to trust Him as we join Him in His miracles of redemption and justice.
From the Desk of Valson Abraham 