Sermon Central
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God Leads By His Covenant
Contributed by James May on Jan 9, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: This draws a double parallel between Joshua leading Israel across Jordan, Jesus leading his church into the New Testament Covenant, and the conversion of a lost soul being born again into eternal life.
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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording, including sermon titles, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these sermons. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copied and/or quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
GOD LEADS BY HIS COVENANT
Joshua 3:1, "And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over."
Israel had finally completed its 40 year journey in the wilderness and had come once again to the same place they were 40 years before. There were some big differences in what would happen now. Israel had learned its lesson the hard way. God had allowed them to wander until every man and woman who had turned away from the Promised Land in doubt was now dead. A new generation had grown up to take their place. This younger generation was not rooted and grounded in the ways of Egypt.
Israel would not allow God to remove Egypt from their hearts so God had to remove those who remembered the old life. All these younger people knew was that there was a Promised Land, a Covenant from Almighty God and new leadership and they were ready for their own land. They had known nothing but wandering all of their life and these “pilgrims” in the wilderness had only one great desire – to find their own country.
How many generations of worldly ancestors did God have to take out of your life before you could finally begin to believe and trust in Him?
How long have you wandered in the wilderness while God had to get all memories of the pleasures of this world from your heart?
Too many Christians are still looking back at the old life called “Egypt”. God will not allow us to continue walking with him while we continue to look back.
“Remember Lot’s Wife?” She looked back and turned to a pillar of salt. We are the salt of the earth but we are living salt. God doesn’t intend for you to be an immovable pillar!
Once you know the Lord as your Savior and truly begin to walk with him, then you are like those Children of Israel who are now following Joshua, their new leader.
Moses was the leader of Israel until they reached the River Jordan but God would not allow Moses to cross over into the Promised Land as the leader. God brought Moses to the top of a mountain, let him look over and see the fulfillment of God’s Promises to Abraham, but he couldn’t be a part of it on this earth.
Moses is a type of Christ for the Old Testament and it would not suffice for the Old Testament Covenant to “cross over Jordan” to the Land of Promise. Why would I say that? Because, in my mind, I believe that the Jordan River is a type and shadow of Death.
We have often heard physical death described as “crossing over Jordan” but I think that, in this instance, it was also a type and shadow of the wandering of lost souls in a wilderness of sin, who when they come to Christ and accept him as Lord and Savior, are “crossed over Jordan” from “spiritual death to a new life in Christ” as they are Born Again by the Spirit of God.
Thus we see that Joshua, (meaning Jehovah the Savior), has now become the new leader, deliverer or “Messiah” if you will, of the Children of Israel to lead them across that river of death into a land of promise in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Joshua, representing Jesus Christ, our Savior, leads us across the great chasm between spiritual death and eternal life, through his sacrifice upon the altar of the Cross, and now leads us and prepares a place for us in the presence of our enemies.
There are so many parallels that can be drawn through all of this passage that it is literally impossible for me to present them all in the short time we have in this service so take time and read it for yourself and ask God to open the scriptures to you. There is a wealth of information to be obtained here.