Crossing at Flood Stage
Timing is everything – so they say. Have you ever wondered about God’s timing? Joshua may have felt the same way when he went to lead the people of Israel into the Promise Land. After 40 years of wondering in the desert, they were finally back at the Jordan River. God had been preparing them to take possession of the Promised Land. A trip from Egypt that could have lasted only a few weeks had now lasted more than a generation. What was worse, at the very time that God said to cross over, the Jordan was at full flood stage. This was the worst possible time to cross at the Jericho crossing. Joshua 3:14-15a says:
“So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.”
Can you imagine standing on the eastern shore of those cliffs, looking down into the river valley and seeing that mighty river, dark with mud from seasonal rains? Many probably said, “Wait! We’ve been waiting 40 years. What would it hurt to wait 40 days.” Timing is everything. The only reason that I can think of for God to move the people at this time was glory – God’s glory. Jericho needed to tremble at the hand of God. Something miraculous needed to happen to show that God had done it. So God said move forward. Here’s what happened next:
“Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away… So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.”
They stuck their feet into the water and the climate changed, a miracle happened, and dry land appeared. They needed to be reminded of Moses crossing the Red Sea – since they weren’t there. They needed to see that God would go first before them and prepare the way as they showed faith. It didn’t make sense, but timing was everything.
Remember this example as we move forward as a church into the building process. Some might say that the economy says no. God is not limited by the economy. God wants to display His Glory to this community for generations to come and He wants to use this church to do it. Continue to pray for our committees working right now to bring a plan forward. In the meantime, stick your toe in the floodwaters and give to the building fund. I think you’ll find the timing to be - just right.
December 6th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
It is just another chance for God to be God…