Title:
Sanctified for a Holy Use
Text:
Joshua 3: 7-4: 24
Date:
September 15, 2018
Place:
SGBC, New Jersey
Proposition: The preeminent purpose of God in sanctification is to
magnify Christ in the heart of his people so that we will fear God our Savior
and follow him in faith to be used to preach the gospel of Christ.
Joshua 3: 7: And the LORD said unto Joshua,
This day will I begin to magnify THEE in the sight of all Israel, that they may
know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
Joshua
is type of Christ. His name means
Savior. Moses could not take the
children of Israel into Canaan because Moses represents the law. And no sinner can be justified by the law of
Moses. Christ alone fulfilled the law; Christ
alone is the Righteousness of his people and his righteousness is imputed to us
through faith alone; Christ alone brings the elect of God into God’s presence,
into the promised inheritance of his people. That is what we are about to see
and seeing Christ accomplish our salvation is how God gives us a new heart of
reverence for Christ and faith in Christ.
I. GOD MAGNIFES CHRIST IN THE HEART OF HIS
CHILD BY SHOWING US WHAT CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE. (As we read this, focus your attention on the Ark; the
Ark also typifies Christ). Joshua 3: 8:
And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying,
When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in
Jordan. [picture Christ faithfully enduring the cross] 9: And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear
the words of the LORD your God. 10: And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the
living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out
from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the
Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.
The River of Sin and Death
The
Jordan River represents our death in trespasses and in sins, these enemy
nations represent all our enemies, which separated us from our God. The Jordan
River separated the children of Israel from the promised land. God brought them
to the Jordan at this time of year because this was when the river was
overflowing its banks. Left to themselves, there was no way they could cross.
Do you
see the picture? “Your iniquities [your overflowing river of sin, your
overflowing river of death] have SEPARATED BETWEEN you and your God.” (Is 59:
2) Our enemies are too many, too mighty
for us.
Christ Pictured in the Ark
How
then can a helpless sinner cross the overflowing river of sin and death, defeat
all our enemies and come into communion with God into his promised land? Here is how, “the living God is among
you, and he will without fail drive out from before you” all your enemies. How
so? Here is how? Here is how, “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of
all the earth passeth over BEFORE you into Jordan.”
Christ
is pictured in the Ark, going before those he will deliever, into the
overflowing river of death. Christ put away all the sin of God’s elect and
defeated all the enemies of his people by enduring the cross in place of his
people. Christ took our flesh; Christ took our sin; Christ took our punishment;
Christ took our death, standing still in the River of death, til it was dried
up. Let’s see it pictured in our text.
Joshua 3: 13: And it shall come to pass, as
soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the
Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of
Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they
shall stand upon an heap. [a mound] 14: And it came to pass, [if God says
it, it always does come to pass] when
the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests
bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; 15: And as they that bare the
ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were
dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the
time of harvest,) 16: That the waters which came down from above stood and
rose up upon an heap very far, [upstream] from [at] the city Adam, that
is beside Zaretan: and those [waters] that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, [the
Dead Sea where Sodom and Gomorra once were]
failed, and were cut off:…
Adam’s Transgression Finished
The
city of Adam was 20 miles upstream. These
cities—Adam and Zaretan—were about 12 miles apart. They were beside each other
at the same latitude: the city called Adam was on the east side, the wilderness
side of the Jordan River; Zaretan was on the west bank. When they stepped into
that river a dry channel of about 20 miles appeared for the children of Israel
to cross.
Habakkuk 3: 8: Was the LORD displeased against the
rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that
thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?... 13: Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
even for salvation with thine anointed;
Oh how
wise and powerful our God is, brethren! He
brings them to this place where there was a city called, Adam. And by the
priest bearing the ark stepping into the river of death, the waters as far back
up stream to the city of Adam were cut off.
Remember
Daniel 9:24 said Christ would “finish the transgression, and make an end of
sins.” All Christ’s people were
represented in the first man, Adam, and by Adam’s ONE TRANSGRESSION—the
transgression—death flowed like an overflowing river downstream through generation
after generation drowning all God’s elect people in sin and death. But by Christ the last Adam, stepping into
that river in place of his people—he made an end of the transgression for his
people all the way back upstream to our first representative Adam. That is what
is pictured here.
The Work Finished
Drop
down to: Joshua 4: 10: For the priests
which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was FINISHED
that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that
Moses commanded Joshua:
Christ
remained on the cross until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded
him AND until everything was finished that Moses commanded him, that is, until
everything was finished that the law commanded of him. Christ hung on Calvary’s
tree with the sin of his people upon him bearing the wrath of infinite justice
in place of his people until everything God commanded and everything the law
commanded was totally FINISHED!
And
when Christ finished the work and was buried, right then, the fleshly, sinful
man of each of his elect died and was buried so that our body of sin is
destroyed.
Romans 6: 6:…our old man is crucified with him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed,…
Romans 7: 4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become
dead to the law by the body of Christ;…6:
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held;
The Ark Came Out of the River of Death
It gets
even better! When Christ was raised from the dead every elect child of God
passed over the river of death in him and entered into God’s presence in the
promised land in our risen Redeemer—Joshua
3: 16:…and the people passed over right against Jericho. 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 [drop down to] Joshua 4: 11: And it came to pass, when all the people were clean
passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE PEOPLE [notice: the ark and the people passed over
together.]….15: And the LORD spake unto
Joshua, saying, 16: Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony,
that they come up out of Jordan. 17: Joshua therefore commanded the priests,
saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
The
LORD commanded and Joshua commanded—at both God the Father’s command and at
Christ the Son’s own command, Christ our High Priest arose out of death, out of
the grave.
When Christ arose to the right hand of the
Father all his elect arose in him.
Colossians 2: 12:…wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Question:
once they were passed over that river, the river began flowing again, but was
that flowing river a threat to them any longer now that they were on the other
side? No. Believer, sin and death has no more dominion over you because we are
risen with Christ to the other side! You
have no reason to worry anymore about that river of sin and death.
Romans 6: 9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the
dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10: For in that he
died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11:
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our Old Man and New Man
How can
I be sure? Notice this in Joshua 4: 9:
Joshua set up twelve stones in the
midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark
of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day….4: 20: And those
twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
Did you
see the picture? Believers are called “lively stones.” (1 Pet 2: 5) Twelve stones
lay buried in the river of death where they are to this day. Those stones picture
our old man of flesh, “For ye are dead.”
(Col 3: 3) But the twelve stones
which where set on the other side of Jordan, picture our new man, “and your
life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col 3: 3)
Right
now, believer, in the mind and all-seeing eye of God, your old man of sin is dead
and gone while your new man has eternal life—“Old things are passed away, behold
all things are become new.” (2 Cor 5: 17) Christ said, “I am the resurrection
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
(Jn 11: 25-26)
Reproach Rolled Away
Can it
get any better? Yes indeed. Now look at
this: once on the other side Joshua 4:
19: And the people came up out of Jordan
on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east
border of Jericho.
They “encamped
in Gilgal”—it means “a rolling away”.
Joshua 5:9: And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have
I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the
place is called Gilgal unto this day.
When
God raised Christ, and his people in Christ, he “rolled away” the reproach of
our sin off Christ—and likewise the reproach of all our trespasses, along with
the law which was against us—all is rolled away.
Colossians 2: 13: And you being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven
you all trespasses; 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to
his cross;
Believer,
everything that was against us is rolled away—taken out of the way—everything!
Hebrews 10: 16: This is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17: And their sins and iniquities
will I remember no more. 18: Now where remission of these is, there is no more
offering for sin.
Romans 8: 1: There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2: For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Hebrews 9:28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins
of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time
without sin unto salvation.
Christ Magnified in Our Sight
Do you
remember at the beginning why God said he was doing all this in our sight?—Joshua 4: 14: On that day the LORD magnified
Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses,
all the days of his life.
Beholding,
Christ crucified in our room and stead, accomplishing complete redemption for
us, is how God puts his fear—good fear—into our hearts, (pictured in their new
fear of Joshua). This new Godly
reverence for Christ replaces that legal fear we once had toward the law
(pictured in their fear of Moses.)
Romans 8: 15: For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we
cry, Abba, Father.
II. SECONDLY AND LASTLY, GOD SANCTIFIES US TO
USE US FOR THE HOLY USE OF DECLARING THIS GOSPEL FOR THE CALLING OUT OF HIS
LOST SHEEP IN THIS EARTH—Joshua 4: 1: And it came to pass, when all the people
were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, 2: Take
you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, 3: And command ye
them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where
the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with
you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. 4: Then Joshua
called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of
every tribe a man: [and they did as he commanded]
Called Out of the River of Death
God
commanded twelve men be called so Joshua did it; God commands and Christ
accomplishes all that God demands. These 12 men were called “out of the people, out of every tribe.”, “according to the number
of the tribes of Israel.” (v5) It signifies that each elect child whom Christ
redeemed shall be called to life, sanctified out of the people, into Christ.
These twelve
men gathered twelve stones from the river of death from the place where the
priest’s feet stood firm. Christ called twelve apostles and by them “standing
firm” in the gospel, Christ called more of his elect out of the river of death,
and continues unto this day, calling and building up his “lively stones” out of
“every tribe,” kindred, tongue and people on earth. They left those twelve
stones “in the lodging place.” Christ
has left us in his church which is our “lodging place” just for the night,
until Christ returns. Those 12 men were
men “whom he had prepared.” Every blood
bought, Spirit born child of God, is a child whom Christ has prepared.
Called to Call Others
What
was the purpose of these stones? Believer, what is our purpose? Joshua 4: 6:…that this may be a sign among you,”…7:….these stones shall be for a
memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
Believers,
as living stones, are “signs”, miracles of God’s grace, for “a memorial” to the
children of Israel, to those called and those of God’s elect whom Christ shall
yet call.
Do you
realize a believer is a standing witness of Christ just by the simple fact that
we now believe on Christ. That in itself is a wonder and sign memorializing our
great Savior.
Our Message
What
are we to declare as we bear witness? Joshua
4: 22: Then ye shall let your
children know, Israel came over this
Jordan on dry land. 23: FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD dried up the waters of Jordan
from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red
sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
We are
only to declare what God our Savior has accomplished for his elect. We have
nothing to boast of because all we contributed was sin. We are to go forth speaking of God’s works
not our own.
Deuteronomy 3:24: O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy
servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or
in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?
Prepared for War
We
shall meet with enemies but we are well armed for this warfare—Joshua 4: 13: About forty thousand prepared
for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Forty
thousand was a remnant compared to the number of enemies they faced and so it
is with us. Yet, we are a remnant armed, prepared for war—but “the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds.”
Brethren,
the work he has already finished for us is guarantee to us that he shall make
us victorious against any enemy we face. Remember, Joshua 3: 10-11: “And Joshua
said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will
without fail drive out from before you [all your enemies]. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord
of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.” Because God gave his Son and his Son went
into the river of death on our behalf on the cross, God will with him give us
all things and “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us!” (Rom 8:
32; 37)
A Two-Fold End
This
work he has separated us unto works a two-fold end.
First,
it is to make all people to know who our great God is—Joshua 4: 24: That all the people of the earth
might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty. No matter if men hear and bow or if they
hear and reject us, “all the people” shall know “the hand of the LORD, that it
is mighty.” Our gospel is either a
savour of death or of life. (2 Cor 2: 16)
All men shall know either by the grace of God or in the day of
judgment.
Secondly,
this gospel God has graciously entrusted into our hands is not only for the
benefit of others whom he shall call but it is for our own benefit as we
declare it to others—Joshua 4: 24:…that
YE might FEAR the LORD your God for ever.
Imagine
fighting a warfare in which they you defeated your enemies was by eating good
bread. So that not only are your enemies
defeated but also you are edified by the bread yourself. That is what happens as we go forth with the
gospel. This is how God sanctifies Christ in the hearts of his people and makes
Christ All unto us. I pray he do so for
those who do not yet know him.
Did you
notice the ark came behind the last one to come across the Jordan? This is how he shall continue to sanctify
Christ in our hearts until the last one has safely reached our promised
Canaan. Was there one lost? One left in
the wilderness? Not one! So it shall be!
Amen!