Joshua 3:1-17

As you're settling into your seats, if you join me, please, in Joshua chapter 3.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

As you're getting there, recall that we have been and we will be taking some strides to the Old Testament up until Advent season this year.

We've been doing this now for quite a few months, really working at helping you see the larger narrative,

what's happening throughout the entirety of the scripture with this particular focus on the Old Testament, right?

We see in Genesis chapter 1, God creates the world and then he rests.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Things are good and they are completed, right?

And intends to reign in this place with his people.

We see very quickly, beginning of Genesis chapter 3, a disruption of that rest.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

And so the rest of the story is bringing us back to that place.

How is it that God then reestablishes, restores all things and brings his people back into relationship with him forever, right?

It's a big, grand narrative.

And it's really easy to get lost in the details.

And so we've been hoping as we just kind of jump through the Old Testament narrative to bring you back to that redemptive story.

What is it that God is accomplishing?

And we're looking at some of these very major events in this storyline.

Now, we have attempted to do it in 14 weeks.

I used up one of them last week with something else, so we're trying to do it in 13 weeks.

So we've skipped some significant things, like we talked about the creation story, Genesis chapter 1 and 2,

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

but then we skipped all the way to Genesis chapter 12 to talk about the calling of Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

So we skipped over the flood as an example.

We went on to talk about the call of Moses to deliver Israel from bondage to Egypt in Exodus chapter 3,

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

the Mosaic covenant of Exodus chapter 19,

Exodus 19 · chapter mention

so the giving of the law as an extension of the Abrahamic covenant.

And we talked about the rebellion of the Israelites in Numbers chapter 14.

Numbers 14 · chapter mention

So to give us some immediate context for this morning,

I want to read to you from Numbers chapter 14,

Numbers 14 · chapter mention

where the people have sent into the land spies.

There's 12 of them.

They have come back and given the report that the people of the land are too great.

They cannot be conquered.

Ten of them say this, two do not,

and God punishes this generation who believes those who say that God won't fulfill his promise

because of the might of the people of the land.

So beginning in Numbers chapter 14, verse 26 and following,

Numbers 14:26

and the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying,

How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me?

I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.

Say to them, as I live, declares the Lord,

what you have said in my hearing I will do to you.

Your dead body shall fall in this wilderness,

and of all your number listed in the census from 20 years old and upward,

who have grumbled against me,

not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell,

except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

But your little ones, who you said would become a prey,

I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.

But as for you, your dead body shall fall in this wilderness,

and your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness 40 years

and shall suffer for your faithlessness

until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.

So there's this punishment placed on Israel, right?

That they'll stay in the land for 40 years.

And at the end of that, when that generation passed,

the little ones, the ones that will grow up then in this wilderness,

will be the ones that will go in to the promised land.

It's during this time that most scholars believe

that Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament,

often called the Pentateuch, right?

He's telling, retelling, and telling to this generation

that they would know what they need to know to enter into this land, right?

It's believed that Joshua completes the book of Deuteronomy,

records Moses' death,

and then writes this book about these people going into this land.

So there's two spared from this judgment.

They're the two spies that said,

no, let's go and take the land because God has promised.

And they're Caleb and Joshua.

So this 40 years has passed,

and we see at the beginning of the book of Joshua,

the first three verses records,

after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord,

the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,

Moses, my servant, is dead.

Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan,

and you and all this people into the land that I am giving to them,

to the people of Israel.

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon,

I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.

And we see in chapter 2 that spies go in once again.

There's a wonderful story there I would encourage you to read.

And they come back and say,

the people are afraid of us.

And this bolsters the confidence of the Israelites to go into the land.

So let's read our text.

This will be all of Joshua chapter 3.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

Before we read, let me remind you, beloved,

that this is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

And we would all do well to listen to it

in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

Beginning in verse 1, chapter 3.

Then Joshua rose early in the morning,

and they set out from Shittim.

And they came to the Jordan,

he and all the people of Israel,

and lodged there before they passed over.

At the end of three days,

the officers went through the camp

and commanded the people,

As soon as you see the ark of the covenant

of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests,

then you shall set out from your place and follow it.

Yet there shall be a distance between you and it,

about 2,000 cubits in length.

This is about a half a mile.

Do not come near it,

in order that you may know the way you shall go,

for you have not passed this way before.

And Joshua said to the people,

Consecrate yourselves,

for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.

And Joshua said to the priests,

Take up the ark of the covenant

and pass on before the people.

So they took up the ark of the covenant

and went before the people.

The Lord said to Joshua,

Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel,

that they may know that as I was with Moses,

so I will be with you.

And as for you,

command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant,

When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan,

you shall stand still in the Jordan.

And Joshua said to the people of Israel,

Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.

And Joshua said,

Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you,

and that he will without fail drive out before you

the Canaanites,

the Hittites,

the Hivites,

the Perizzites,

the Girgashites,

the Amorites,

and the Jebusites.

Behold,

the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth

is passing over before you into the Jordan.

Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel,

from each tribe a man.

And when the soles of the feet of the priests

bearing the ark of the Lord,

the Lord of all the earth,

shall rest in the waters of the Jordan,

the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing,

and the waters coming down from above

shall stand in one heap.

So when the people set out from their tents

to pass over the Jordan

with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant

before the people,

and as soon as those bearing the ark

had come as far as the Jordan,

and the feet of the priests bearing the ark

were dipped in the brink of the water,

now the Jordan overflows all its banks

throughout the time of harvest.

The waters coming down from above

stood and rose up in a heap

very far away at Adam,

or Adam probably,

in our English.

The city that is beside Zerathon

and those flowing down from the sea of the Arabah,

the salt sea,

were completely cut off,

and the people passed over opposite Jericho.

Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant

of the Lord stirred firmly on dry ground

in the midst of the Jordan,

and all Israel was passing over on dry ground

until all the nation finished

passing over the Jordan.

Right?

So there's a lot going on in this chapter,

right?

A significant episode in the life of Israel,

right?

Speaking to the faithfulness of Israel

in this moment,

to the promises of God.

So we have an opportunity this morning

to observe the faith of the Israelites

and to have our faith increased.

So we'll look at the text

in the following three points.

I promise I won't satisfy

every answer you may have about this text

because we just don't have time this morning.

But we'll structure it this way.

Number one,

the order of faith.

Number two,

the obedience of faith.

And number three,

the object of faith.

Order,

obedience,

object.

And I am always so proud of myself

when I alliterate.

Three points.

So for a moment,

let me gloat.

I did it.

Three points.

Order,

obedience,

object.

Number one,

the order of faith.

We will not spend much time

on this first point,

but I believe that it is important

to see that God makes promises

and his people believe those promises

in that order.

If you go and do a search for sermons

on Joshua chapter three,

you're going to see lots of sermons

with the prominent point being obedience.

And it's there.

It is in the text, right?

We must note that yes,

in fact,

the Israelites obeyed.

That is important for us today.

We must also obey.

But I don't think we see that

as the main point.

We don't want to miss what's happening

as God is redeeming a people.

We will lose sight of the entire narrative

if we don't recognize

that the Israelites

were not deserving people.

We are not deserving people.

God chose them

despite their faithfulness, right?

This people that came from Abraham,

We find out that Abraham

was an idolater.

Abraham had done nothing

to deserve God's favor,

and yet God made a covenant with him.

He promised to bless him

with a land, right?

With seed,

a great people, right?

That would be a blessing

to all nations.

And he did this

before Abraham had done anything.

He had only been an idolater

up until that point.

So he chose a people

for his glory.

He's chosen us

despite our faithlessness.

If we are in Christ this morning,

not a single one of us

did anything to merit

God's favor for us.

If you don't believe this,

you need to be humbled

by your sin, right?

We do not deserve

God's grace

and his mercy.

He does this very act,

the saving of a people, right?

So that he can put on display

his mercy and his grace.

That he would have a people

who say, right,

if it were not but for

the mercy and grace of God,

I would be utterly destitute.

I would be cut off from him.

I would not choose

to follow God in Christ,

but because he saved me,

I follow him willfully.

So you want to note

in our text, right?

Joshua is saying to them,

he's reminding them

of what God has promised

he would do.

He's saying to them,

you are God's people.

Remember these promises

that we've been waiting

for 40 years.

Your parents have been telling you,

you will not go into the land

or we will not go into the land,

but you will, right?

This is what he's reminding them of.

Verse five, he says,

consecrate yourselves

for tomorrow,

the Lord will do wonders among you.

The Lord will work.

He will act to bring you

into the land.

And then verse 10 and verse 11,

here is how you shall know

that the living God is among you

and that he will,

without fail,

drive out from before you

the Canaanites,

the Hittites,

the Hivites,

the Perizzites,

the Girgashites,

the Amorites,

and the Jebusites,

right?

Will they be agents

in that driving out?

Yes.

God will use them

to drive out these people,

to bring judgment upon

these peoples.

But it's very clear here,

Joshua says,

that it will be the Lord's doing.

And then the guarantee of this,

he says in verse 11,

is the ark of the covenant

of the Lord of all the earth

is passing over before you

into the Jordan, right?

God is about to put on display

his power so that you will believe

that he will act

as you are faithful to him.

So we have to get this order correct,

right?

We must be very,

very careful about this.

Many of us who are in Christ

can err in this way, right?

Thinking now that we're in Christ,

somehow we continue

to earn his favor

by our works.

May it never be, right?

We work because we're saved,

not the other way around.

Some of you may think

that if I just do enough,

there's enough of a Christendom

injected into you

in your upbringing.

If I just look just so,

so, right?

If I have the faith

of my parents,

then I will be accepted by God.

We must be accepted

by God in Christ.

It's an important order

to get correct.

So I want to show you that order.

They're riding the coattails,

right,

of this order of faith

that began with Abraham.

So I want you to turn back quickly

to Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

You can mark us here.

We will be back

in Joshua chapter 3.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

We're most certainly

not done with it,

but kind of in a rushed way,

I'm going to read

quite a bit of Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

Connecting you

to the bigger narrative, right?

So after these things,

verse 1 of chapter 15,

after these things, right?

Much time has passed

since the original covenant

was given to Abraham.

Roughly 25 years.

He's fought a war

to rescue Lot, right?

Lots of stuff has gone on.

After these things,

the word of the Lord

came to Abram in a vision.

Fear not, Abram.

I am your shield.

Your reward

shall be very great.

But Abram said,

O Lord God,

what will you give me?

For I continue childless,

and the heir of my house

is Eleazar of Damascus.

It would seem

that Abram has appointed an heir.

If I should die,

this Eleazar of Damascus

will be my heir.

Verse 3,

And Abram said,

Behold,

you have given me

no offspring,

and a member of my household

will be my heir.

And behold,

the word of the Lord

came to him,

this man shall not be your heir,

for your very own son

shall be your heir.

And he brought him outside

and said,

Now, I think there is

an element of faltering faith.

We're going to read

in a little bit

that Paul magnifies

the faith of Abraham.

And I think he's right to do so,

but I think we're seeing

this transition happen

here in the text right now.

He seems to have

some faltering faith.

He says to God,

what will you give me?

I don't have a son.

I've made this guy Eleazar a son.

He's trying to accomplish

kingdom through his servant

rather than through a son

because he's 100 years old

at this point.

99 years old.

He has no son.

So God,

in his loving kindness,

brings him outside,

verse 5,

and says,

Look toward heaven

and number the stars

if you are able

to number them.

It's a rhetorical question.

He can't.

Then he said to him,

So shall your offspring

be, right?

And here in verse 6,

we see this really key phrase.

And it's repeated again and again

throughout the Bible,

particularly the New Testament.

And he, being Abram,

believed the Lord

and he counted it to him

as righteousness.

So he believed the Lord

and he counted it to him

as righteousness.

His belief itself

was not righteousness,

right?

This was a righteousness

from outside of himself.

The Lord counted it to him,

credited it to him,

right?

So he believed God

and God declared him

righteous.

And he said to him,

I am the Lord

who brought you out

from Ur of the Chaldeans

to give you this land

to possess.

But he said,

O Lord God,

how am I to know

that I shall possess it?

He said to him,

Bring me a heifer

three years old,

a female goat

three years old,

a ram three years old,

a turtle dove,

and a young pigeon.

And he brought him

all these,

cut them in half

and laid each half

over against the other.

But he did not cut

the birds in half.

And when the birds of prey

came down on the carcasses,

Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down,

a deep sleep

fell on Abram

and behold,

dreadful and great

darkness fell upon him.

Okay, now there's a lot

of strange things

happening here.

We won't have time

to talk about each

and every one of them.

But this was an old

covenant keeping method,

right?

If you and I were to make

a promise with one another,

we might take an animal

and we would tear it in two.

And we would put it

on the ground

and we would pass together

between that.

And it was a way of saying,

if I don't keep

my end of this bargain,

like let what happened

to this animal

happen to me.

It's a very serious,

somber way

of making the covenant,

right?

Even as this is being

recorded here in Genesis,

Moses assumes

everybody knows,

right?

He doesn't give a lot

of textual explanation

as to why this thing

happened because

in his thinking,

everyone knows,

understands what's

happening here

as the Lord

does this.

But something very

significant happens

in verse 12.

As the sun was going down,

a deep sleep

fell on Abram.

And the previous place

that we see this

deep sleep,

same Hebrew phrase

used,

is when Adam

was put to sleep

and a rib was taken

from his side

and the woman

was made.

The point being,

Adam was entirely

passive in that process,

right?

He is asleep

and so was Abram.

Abram has nothing

to do

with this covenant

that's being made.

This is entirely

a promise being made

and therefore

kept by God.

Verse 13,

Then the Lord said

to Abram,

Know for certain

that your offspring

will be sojourners

in a land

that is not theirs

and will be servants

there and they will

be afflicted

for 400 years.

He's talking about Egypt.

But I will bring judgment

on the nation

that they serve

and afterward

they shall come out

with great possessions.

As for you,

you shall go to

your fathers in peace.

You shall be buried

in a good old age

and they shall come back

here in the fourth generation

for the iniquity

of the Amorites

is not yet complete.

When the sun had gone down

and it was dark,

behold,

a smoking fire pot

and a flaming torch

passed between

these pieces.

These two things,

smoke and fire,

represent God on earth,

his presence itself.

So think about

the burning bush,

think about Mount Sinai

on flame

and with smoke.

So these two things

represent God's very presence

making this covenant promise

as it passes

between these pieces.

Verse 18,

On that day,

the Lord made a covenant

with Abram saying,

to your offspring

I give this land

from the river of Egypt

to the great river,

the river Euphrates,

the land of the Kenites,

the Kenizzites,

the Kadmonites,

the Hittites,

the Perizzites,

the Rephaim,

the Amorites,

the Canaanites,

the Giggishites,

and the Jebusites.

You notice some of those names

that are familiar

to Joshua chapter 3.

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

So Abraham believed

and it was counted to him

as righteousness.

He did not act.

He merely believed.

Paul picks this up

in Romans chapter 4.

Romans 4 · chapter mention

He writes,

In hope,

Abraham believed against hope

that he should become

the father of many nations.

As he had been told,

so shall your offspring be.

He did not weaken in faith

when he considered

his own body

which was as good as dead

since he was about

a hundred years old

or when he considered

the barrenness

of Sarah's womb.

No unbelief made him

waver concerning

the promise of God

but he grew strong

in his faith

as he gave glory to God.

Fully convinced

that God was able

to do what he had promised.

That is why his faith

was counted to him

as righteousness.

Right?

He's quoting there

from Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

But the words

it was counted to him

were not written

for his sake alone

but for ours also.

It will be counted

to us who believe in him

who raised from the dead

Jesus our Lord

who was delivered up

for our trespasses

and raised

for our justification.

We're going to talk

a bit more

about the typology

of Joshua chapter 3

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

if you'd like to turn

back there.

But you see

God's people

having been promised

an inheritance

that they've not yet

entered.

They've not yet

entered into it

and yet they're going to.

Right?

We're about to see that happen.

We've read it already.

We're going to talk a bit

about it here

in just a moment.

Right?

They're obedient

from faith

that God

will

accomplish.

And we approach

God in the very

same way.

Right?

The promise made

to us.

The inheritance

that is ours.

The eternal rest

that is promised us

that is found

in Christ.

Right?

This is not because

we work

to do it.

Right?

It's because

God makes a promise

we believe

and that is counted

to us

credited to us

as righteousness.

Right?

So the order

of faith

matters.

It matters

quite a deal.

Now

secondly

the obedience

of faith.

We're actually

not going to spend

a whole lot of time

here.

We see that the people

obey.

Right?

They believe

in God

and they believe

what God said

will come

to pass.

We are astute

learners of our

Bible.

If you have read

the book of Joshua

before,

we're going to see

all sorts

of failure

to faithfulness.

Right?

Just chapters

later,

we already see

them not obeying

God's commands.

But in Joshua

Joshua 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

right,

praise God,

we see an example

of their obedience

to what God

has asked

for them

to do.

Right?

We do not

become God's

people by our

works,

but our

works show

us to be

God's people.

Verse 6,

Joshua said

to the priest,

take up the

Ark of the

Covenant and

pass on before

the people.

And simply

recorded,

so they took

up the Ark of

the Covenant

and went

before the

people.

Right?

I love these

instances in the

scripture where

we merely get

the command and

the obedience to

the command.

No dialogue in

between,

no resistance at

all.

They just

did what

they were

told to

do.

Last part

of verse 16,

and the people

passed over

opposite Jericho.

Right?

They did the

very thing

that they were

commanded to

do.

They followed

the Ark

at a distance.

It went

into the

water.

The water

was parted

and they

passed over.

Verse 17,

now the

priest bearing

the Ark of

the Covenant

Lord stirred

firmly on

dry ground

in the midst

of the Jordan

just as they

were commanded

to do.

Right?

They stayed

there and

all Israel

was passing

over on

dry ground

until all

the nation

finished passing

over the

Jordan.

Right?

So they did

the thing

that they

were commanded

to do.

They did

the thing

that their

parents'

generation

had failed

to do.

Right?

They rightly,

properly feared

God over

the inhabitants

of the land.

Right?

Their parents

had done

quite the

opposite.

The parents

had feared

the people

of the land

instead of

fearing

God.

On your

bulletin

this morning

I always

try to put

these historical

quotations.

This is

William

Gurnall

a Puritan

preacher.

He said

we fear

men so

much

because we

fear God

so little.

One fear

cures another.

When man's

terror scares

you turn

your thoughts

to the wrath

of God.

Right?

If the

previous generation

had done

this they

would have

gone on

over.

Right?

The story

would have

been told

differently.

Right?

They feared

the armies

of the

land but

if they

had instead

feared what

would happen

had they not

obeyed they

would have

gone over

and instead

they stayed

as a judgment

in the wilderness

for those

40 years.

Each of them

perished in

that place.

Here's a

generation

that fears

God more

than man

and so they

go over.

Right?

So if we

have faith

it's going

to be

evidence.

Right?

James speaks

about this.

This is his

very point

in his

letter.

Right?

If we

have faith

it will

have

evidence.

It will

bear

fruit.

So we

must be

obedient but

we must

get the

order of

that

faith

correct.

Finally

and we're

going to

spend a

little more

time here

so I'm

going to

speed up

a little

bit.

The

object

of

faith.

We

cannot

just

have

faith.

There's

a

declare

I

have

faith.

Right?

The

object

of our

faith

matters

immensely.

What is

it that

you believe?

If you

say you

have

faith,

what is

it that

you

believe

or have

belief

in?

And this

text helps

us to see

who we

must place

our faith

in.

And it

does so

typologically.

Okay?

So I'm

going to talk

a little bit

about typology

in just a

moment.

But it's

important to

know that

the Old

Testament is

written in

an Eastern

way of

thinking.

most of

us

naturally

have a

very

Western

way of

thinking.

Our

logic

is

extremely

linear.

It moves

along like

this.

This is

not the

typical way

that Eastern

thinkers

think.

So they

will do

things like

not this,

not this,

not this,

but this.

Leave you

wondering,

wait, if it's

not that,

if it's not

that,

if it's not

that,

then what

could it

be?

And they

help draw

the conclusion

in that

way.

The

scripture

does that.

A way

that it

does that,

a simple

example,

is the

law making

us right

with God.

No,

not that.

It helps

point to

our

insufficiency

to keep

the law,

so it

leaves us

saying,

so then

what?

I can't

keep the

law,

and there's

a curse

that accompanies

with the

breaking of

the law,

that is

death,

then what?

What

must we

do?

And the

Bible

answers

that

question.

So,

not this,

not this,

not this,

but this.

another way,

also,

like this,

but not

quite this.

And we

see that in

some of our

literature,

our western

literature will

foreshadow

things.

scripture does

this quite

often,

right?

This is

called

typology.

An example

of that

is the

sacrifice

on the

day of

atonement,

right?

A particular

day,

high priest

went in,

one day

a year,

made this

sacrifice,

right?

It wasn't

sufficient to

forgive the

sins of

Israel.

It was

meant to

show us

like this,

but not

quite like

this,

right?

Another

example would

be the

Passover,

the lamb,

the spotless

lamb that

had to be

killed.

The

Israelites

painted the

blood on

the doorpost

so that

the angel

of death

would pass

over him.

Again,

like this,

right?

A sacrifice

had to be

made,

but not

quite,

right?

There's a

type,

like the

spotless

lamb that

was killed

for that

reason.

Then there's

what's called

the anti-type,

right?

The fulfillment

of the

actual thing

that it's

being pointed

to.

So the

Old Testament

is full

of this.

Graham

Cole,

a contemporary

scholar,

defined

typology,

in this

way.

Typology is

the idea

that persons,

events,

and institutions

can,

in the

plan of

God,

prefigure a

later stage

in that

plan and

provide the

conceptuality

necessary for

understanding the

divine intent.

You know what

that means?

That if the

Old Testament

is in fact

full of these

kinds of

typologies,

that the

New Testament

is going to

be so much

richer to

you as you

read the

Old Testament,

as you come

to understand

that part of

this redemptive

narrative is

going to

become much,

much more

alive to

you.

Our New

Testament

writers quoted

the Old

Testament all

the time.

They're

constantly

pulling from

it.

They're

constantly

pulling it

in.

We shouldn't

unhitch our

faith from

the Old

Testament.

In fact,

our faith

should be

rich with

the Old

Testament

because it

helps us

to understand

our Christ.

It helps us

to fully

realize everything

that he came

and accomplished

and will

accomplish.

And we

want to be

careful with

typology.

It is

possible to

allegorize all

of the Bible.

We don't

want to be

doing this.

This is not

a healthy

thing to

do, but

we can

also miss

so much

of the

richness of

the text

if we don't

examine it

closely.

Jonathan Edwards

encouraged a

typological

reading of the

Old Testament.

He said,

the apostle

himself teaches

us that only

so small a

thing as the

silence of

scripture is

in not giving

an account of

Melchizedek's

birth nor

death was

typological.

This is

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 7 · chapter mention

7.

The author

of Hebrews

says he had

no beginning

and no end

simply because

the scripture

doesn't tell us

that there was

a beginning

and an end

to Melchizedek.

Of course,

he does that

under inspiration,

but it gives

us some clues

like, wait,

there's some

rich things

happening in

the Old Testament.

Edward goes

on to say,

if so small

things in

scripture are

typological,

it is rational

to suppose that

scripture abounds

with types.

So with

this in

mind, I

want to

show you

three types

from this

text that

speak to

the proper

object of

faith, but

before I can

do so, we

need to

understand the

significance of

the Jordan

crossing.

I think a lot

of us in our

minds have

this very

insignificant

picture of

the Jordan

crossing.

The Jordan

River is not

as large as

the Red

Sea, so

our minds

really ought

to be

hearkening

back to

the Exodus

crossing.

This is

again that

same pattern

being done

again.

This is a

new generation.

They're going

to cross

over waters.

And you'll

see some

people will

argue this

really wasn't

very significant,

the passing

over the

Jordans,

smaller, more

of a creek

than a river,

so to speak.

But there are

some places

that it's

very big,

and there's

something really

specific in

the text that

helps us to

know, no,

this is actually

a pretty substantial

event, and that

is the

parenthetical in

verse 15.

Now the

Jordan overflows

all its

banks throughout

the time of

harvest.

So it's not

just the Jordan

River, it's the

Jordan River

flooded.

It is outside

of its banks.

Anytime a river

floods, we get

big rains like

this and the

water comes up.

I used to be a

whitewater kayaker,

we loved rainy

weather because

water came up.

But I will tell

you when water

comes out of its

banks, it's a

whole other level

of flood.

Things get

dangerous when

that happens.

We had a time

when it rained

and rained and

rained.

I had like a

week of solid

rain, and all

of the big

rivers that we

like to go

paddle were

too big.

I mean,

dangerous,

dangerous,

dangerous.

So me and a

friend went and

got on the

upper Chattahoochee,

which normally

is like a

little class

two river,

not a real

big deal, but

it was flood

stage like.

The parking

lot we normally

parked in was

underwater, and

we just were

young and dumb

and thought,

sure, let's

get on.

And we

weren't too

far downstream

from our

vehicles.

When I looked

over to my

right, and a

tree, its roots

and everything

lifted up out

of the water.

It had been

underwater, so it

got caught on

something.

The current

picked it up out

of the water,

40 feet in the

air.

A tree just

emerged from

the water, and

it came crashing

back down.

And I said to my

friend, Kevin, I'm

not sure we should

be on the river

right now.

And Kevin in

classic form said,

it'll be all

right.

And it was,

praise God.

We survived.

But this is

significant, right?

The Jordan is

flooded, right?

This is a massive

amount of water

that's moving

downstream.

It has overflowed

all of its

banks.

Now, we could

go, okay, so

that's the extent

of that, right?

It's just the fact

that it's flooded.

God's going to

move a lot of

water around.

Wonderful.

God is doing a

mighty work.

But floods and

flooding are used

both in reality,

right?

Genesis chapter

six, God judges

the world with a

flood, puts a

bow in the sky,

promises to never

judge the entire

world through a

flood again.

But floods are

still spoken of all

throughout the

scripture in terms

of judgment,

right?

Judgment and

deliverance from

judgment all over

the text, like

used metaphorically

in many, many

places.

I'm going to show

you a few of

those.

I'm going to

move really

quick here.

Job 27 and

chapter 20.

Terrors overtake

the wicked man

like a flood.

In the night, a

whirlwind carries

him off.

Psalm 69,

Psalms 69:1

verse 1 and 2.

Save me, O God,

for the waters

have come up to

my neck.

I stand in deep

mire where there

is no foothold.

I have come into

deep waters and

the flood sweeps

over me.

Nahum, chapter 1

Nahum 1 · chapter mention

and verse 8.

But with an

overwhelming flood,

he will make a

complete end of

the adversaries

and will pursue

his enemies

into darkness.

Right?

So lots of this

kind of imagery

exists in the

scripture.

And I believe

that Joshua means

for your mind to

pop off when you

see this flooded

waters.

They're about to

cross over flooded

waters.

What's happened so

far in the narrative

with flood?

Right?

We've got the

Genesis 6 flood,

a judgment of the

world.

Right?

We've got the

deliverance from

Egypt.

And then what

happens after

Israel crosses

over on dry

land?

Someone's judged.

Right?

All the pursuers

from Egypt, the

army gets judged

by the waters

coming back

together, flooding,

covering over

them.

So there's this

picture of

deliverance through

flood.

And our biblical

authors pick this

theme up as well.

Psalm 124,

beginning in verse

1.

If it had not been

the Lord who

was on our

side, let

Israel now say

if it had not

been the Lord who

was on our

side, when

people rose up

against us, then

they would have

swallowed us up

alive when their

anger was kindled

against us.

Then the flood

would have swept

us away.

The torrent would

have gone over

us.

Right?

So David in that

psalm says, if God

had not been on

our side, that's

what would have

happened to us.

But because he

was, we were

delivered.

Psalm 18,

beginning in verse

15 and following,

then the channels of

the sea were seen

and the foundations

of the world were

laid bare at your

rebuke, O Lord, at

the blast of the

breath of your

nostrils.

He sent from on

high.

He took me.

He drew me out of

many waters.

He rescued me from

my strong enemy and

from those who hated

me, for they were

too mighty for me.

They confronted me

in the day of my

calamity, but the

Lord was my support.

He brought me out

into a broad place.

He rescued me

because he delighted

in me.

So you see this,

this is the kind

of things, the

imagery that should

be popping off in

our brain as we're

reading this account.

And yet, God

delivers them safely

through.

Safely through.

Verse 15,

So picture this flood

plain.

It got pushed way

back upstream.

And as far as we can

tell, right, from

historical maps to

this city.

I mean, I think it's

probably properly

pronounced Adam, but

we say Adam.

So five miles upstream.

So significantly

upstream.

And it's piled up in a

massive heap.

Not divided like the

Exodus waters from

Egypt, right?

But in this case,

piled up upstream and

everything else is

dried out down below

them.

Right?

I think this is

because God is

declaring to the

peoples that they're

about to cross over

into, here comes

Israel, right?

Could he have walled

it off right there

where they were?

Of course he could

have.

But he pushes it

way upstream to

dry up the land.

And there's all these

cities in the land that

have seen something

miraculous is happening

here, right?

You have to imagine

that they would have

heard that this great

group of people has

now crossed into this

land because those

waters were dried up,

right?

They were completely

cut off, it says at

the end of verse

16, and the people

passed over opposite

Jericho.

Okay, so this is

what's happening in

this story, right?

It's really happening,

but it's also meant

to help us understand

something greater,

right?

A deliverance through

flood is the theme

we pick back up.

And so we see three

types for Christ in

the text.

First, Joshua.

Joshua, his name

means God is

salvation.

In the Hebrew, it's

Yeshua.

That's what the very

name of Jesus is,

right?

So God is salvation.

So this Joshua is a

type for the eventual

Joshua, right?

Jesus Christ himself.

He leads the people

into the promised land,

right?

But Joshua and the land

were typological.

We read in Hebrews

Hebrews 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3, beginning

of verse 7 and

through chapter 4.