The Ark of the Covenant: Crossing Jordan Part Ii — Roy Hession

Crossing the Jordan Under the Ark of the Covenant

To Joshua 3 1. To Joshua 3 1 to 17. Rose. And they removed from the lodge there. It came to pass after three days that the officers went through the host and they commanded the people saying when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your priest the Levites bearing it then you shall remove from your place yet there shall be a space between you and it about 2 ,000 cubits by measure.

Come not nearer to it which he must go wonders among you. He's saying the magnified thee in the sight of all Israel that they may know that as I was with Moses he with thee he shall step said unto the children of Canaanites covenant.

Now therefore take you 12 men out of the tribes of Israel as soon as the souls 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 should be cut off from the waters that come down from above and they shall stand in one heap.

And it came to pass when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan and from above from the city Adam that is beside down toward the sea of the plain even the salt sea right against Jericho over Jordan.

And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over Jordan. Take your hands out of the midst of Jordan. His feet stood over before the ark of the Lord your God in the midst of Jordan. And take you up every man of your stone of the tribes of the children of Israel that this may be a sign fathers in time to come saying what mean ye by these stones.

Then ye shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off waters of Jordan were cut off. And these stone midst of Jordan as the Lord spake unto Joshua according to the number of the tribes of Israel place where they lodged isn't interesting.

Israel’s Journey from Egypt to the Promised Land

Set up 12 stones in the midst of Jordan presumably taken from the wilderness side. Now this morning we come to our you see something of it's acting River Joe in the midst of it sounds like 20th century slang.

And the title is going to be that. Can your it be more. Your experience in mine at least your book of Deuteronomy miserable life in Egypt that he might bring them into. He brought them out. It wasn't only a negative salvation that God purpose for Israel but a positive.

They did not immediately this reasons which we're not going to go in. And now at last they come up on the east side of Jordan. And there across Jordan is this fair land which they've been dreaming about for so long and to enjoy which being brought out being in the mouth.

He brought us up once we were in the world. But the Bible taught maybe some of whom is not yet true but I trust it will be before the weeks out. We've been brought out from into a new one into a land that flows with milk and honey honey.

The spirit Canyon is none other than Jesus and the fullness of Jesus enjoying the riches blessing that are in there for us which fill us up until that is God's purpose. He brought us out no matter where you may.

Jesus you brought me out from this. That you might bring me in. You purposed it didn't I only who desired it and have to plead with you. He wants to bring us in. His purpose is to bring us out of the world that we might live in the spirit.

The Self-Life as an Obstacle to Spiritual Fullness

But the trouble is now we're not living in the speech. We are quick. We as the script writers is not the body. It's that fallen self-life principle in our lives it's to be a good Christian presses itself in the very opposite way.

In the most self-centered manner you can conceive and remember. Self is the heart of everything. The central lecture of a little word sin is three tells us there are three sorts of places where we can live.

Three sorts of people that we can be. He talks there about the natural man. The natural man receive it not the things of the Spirit of God. The natural that's a condition of some people. They are natural.

I would like to spend more time to go into the full meaning of that word. But we must press on after the natural man sees. That's the main contrast. Are you a natural man or a spiritual man. The natural man is so to speak living in Egypt is living so to speak in Kenya.

Big distinction. He then comes up with a third the man living in the flesh. And I brethren he says could not speak unto you as spiritual that as unto car presumably who've been brought up in the flesh doing the very opposite you'd be brought out never.

Neighbors can be in the wilderness. Is your our taking control. Indeed your Kenyan experience before or once experienced. But we've slipped away from it. So this is exciting possibility. But alas between us and that which is going to satisfy us and cause us to live that life that he's got for us is flowing.

You're so weak dating in your determination to be what you are and you're settled down as a joy. I can talk of being satisfied and having cups full and running over but I can't. There's specific things that may represent our joy.

And to this day they separate us from God. Your sin always separate things that have happened to do with our relationship to God. It also concerns our relationship to one another. That which goes wrong between us and another goes wrong between us and God.

In my job that have seemed to impede me getting any further. I know something as much as any of reactions of jealousy and resentment what I think they've wronged me. When I have these mental arguments sometimes lying awake argue it out I win every argument quarrels hidden sins the separation which they and sin has erected a great draw between us promised land.

The Ark as a Picture of Christ’s Work

But listen dear brother you're going to go through that it is or no matter how much a savior by which you came out to be which avail for you then it's going to avail for you once again. And this is what this gives us in the ark.

As we saw yesterday is a beautiful and very complete picture. And this is the great thing that happens to their faith to expect it. Notably the sending of those spies. I was so encouraged by the testimony of Rahab.

You know they believe more in Israel's victory over Jericho than Israel did. She was actually certain they were finished. And that's so hard on those spies. They came back. We've got it with them. They're panic stricken with a great encouragement to faith and they need some faith for the next episode.

And they were prepared for it to explain but they were ready for anything with such a God. And so the priests were told to carry the ark. Remember those days there they are carrying it upon their shoulders parking river between that ark and then 2 ,000 cubits so they could see it see which way they were going to go.

Which was going to be done was gained. Which is going to be done is going to be done. First of all resurrected this copy. I lived with this for 20 years until I oh I wasn't you it backwards. I was glad to have a change.

The Savior prayed in dark Gethsemane alone he drained the bitter cup. He suffered there alone alone he gave himself to save his own. He suffered bled and died and justice Israel. I'm sorry his others were cut off.

Covenant of the Lord of the old. The earth went into Jordan with this extra clean over Jordan. They did it on dry ground when they are. And this is what the Lord Jesus has done. He's gone right into the water of Jordan the waters of sin.

And they're suffering alone. But he shed a cow properly. Deserve that. Even you and me who may well regard ourselves as failed saints yet pass out swimming without a happy experience into the canyon of freedom and joy in him into the freedom of just having Christ in all.

Tell you Jesus that sin is erected between you and the promised land. I care not what it is that difficult situation. Oh I know the other person may be wrong but the thing that's obstructed you is your wrong reactions to their role.

Could you but say that's the trouble and that you've really done it. And he's the way through it has anticipated that Jordan. And there's a way through into the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ into the life that satisfies where your heart is at rest.

We've got something for others. Let's tell ourselves that no matter what that Jordan is it's been anticipated and dealt with and parted by the Lord Jesus when he suffered there what it is. And you start going down the list anymore.

Christ’s Intercession and the Security of Salvation

And he says please don't trip. Don't try and be better. Just go on telling you know sometimes I've got any faith. And you start trying to get faith. Don't try and get there. Haven't got any love for all services.

Don't try and get it. Just tell him I haven't got it from the place we try. And I'll think how you can be more loving all this that and the other already been done that blood you are in Canaan rejoicing in heaven.

I want to compare verse 11 and verse 17. Verse 11 in this chapter 3 covenant of the Lord before you before you into Jordan. That was the first thing the ark into Jordan. But then in verse 17 covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan until the people were clean passed over standing in the midst of Jordan standing in the midst of Jordan until the people were clean passed.

And that brings this to my heart. Jesus didn't only go into Jordan at Calvary into death into judgment on my behalf. And you know he's still there not way back on count that I so rightly and properly deserve.

And the way kept still a turn to Hebrews 9 verse 34 24. Rather for Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.

And what's he doing there making intercession for me. And what is his intercession. I don't think it means a lot of pleading for me. He shows his in heaven the tortoise my intercession. Sinners can't stand there.

And Jesus took the sinners place. That which released him from that death and raised from the dead and gave him access back to glory was the mighty power of the blood he shed it availed for him before you avail for anybody else.

For he was brought again from the dead by the blood of the everlasting covenant. The fact that he's for all the sins for which he took responsibility and it was enough for him to be there it's enough for me.

And he's so to speak in glory standing still in Jordan holding back the rivers of judgment until all his people are passed clean over Jordan into Kenya. The way is all the time available. Therefore all the you may at any given moment enter.

If something goes wrong the way still there your Jesus is there anticipating the thing that's gone wrong and presenting the blood before God's eyes as the answer to what has happened. And the way through Jordan it's all the time.

And listen this is the only way not only by which we may enter into full of blessing but June is the only way by which we may say now. There is a summary of an important doctrine in one phrase once saved always saved.

And some people tell us after do I believe what say. Always say. And I say of course I do. Grace wouldn't be great if my salvation was on one day and off the next according to my behavior. But it's true not in a mechanistic way.

Simon decision car made a decision way back now and say doesn't matter. I know I can't live up to it but I'm going to say it nonetheless that's this rate this doctrine reduced to reckoning a wretched mechanistic formula which is metallic.

And little wonder that some have reacted against such a mechanistic formula. I'm saying only because everything every moment pens on Jesus but for him in the midst of Jordan but for him and that love those waters of judgment which have been accumulating there would cut me off and I would will lose my salvation absolutely dependent on the current contemporary activity of the Lord Jesus right now for me in heaven to remain saved at all.

I was really shaken. I was reading afresh with new eyes psalm 106 verse 23. This is talking about Israel in the wilderness. More than once said he was going to destroy that people and how Moses more than once it is seated for us 23.

Therefore God said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before them in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them. Want to tell you that nation would have been slaughtered God knows as a discipline many did die in the wilderness at the hand of God but the whole mother would have been destroyed had not Moses God's chosen stood before God in the breach and claimed the promises of God on this part of this people claimed that the God was bound up with this people.

And we're told had not Moses stood in the breach there would have been nothing to destroy to turned away the wrath of God. And you know that shook me. I saw that God had more than once virtually. I know this is putting it in a human sort of way if you like that did what he did to Israel so that fell needs to be finished.

He needs to be cut off. Had not Jesus stood before him in the breach. That I'm saying today only because of innumerable occasions when my heavenly advocate has stood before God in the breach way. God's wrath for me and this I want to tell you is no just for passing.

I can name the thing one two three which were quite enough on any ground you like for me to forfeit my salvation. But he's never failed. Once saved always saved only because of the current activity of Jesus for us which he will never fail to perform.

It really helped me. I regarded those things I was so prone to play with things that were past with a fear not forgotten of the fact that I might lose my salvation. And I knew my Jesus wouldn't fail to do that.

But he had to. There were specific issues lest you think that. This gives you the picture of a loving Jesus persuading an angry God. I remind you it's God himself who's appointed him to be my high priest.

The Lord swear and will not repent thou to priests forever for sinners and failing saints after the order of Melchizedek. And we're told that Jesus is faithful to him that appointed him not faithful to you so much as faithful to the one who appointed him.

I'm never going to fall job down on the job you've appointed me to do for sinners. But my dear friends you are saved by the skin of your teeth. It talks about the righteous being scarcely said you are only in any relationship to God because of the merits of Jesus and his blood holding back.

David once said when he was free from Saul there's but a step between me. There's nothing between me and the believer. I want to tell you literally nothing between you now after years of serving you in hell.

But Jesus does that make you feel insecure. You don't know your Jesus. He's faithful to him that appointed. But that's the underground and so he stands virtually so to speak in the midst of Jordan but up there in him.

The Two Memorials in Joshua 4

And because of that the way through every Jordan is open to us. And I want to pass on to have a look at those stones. 12 stones were taken out. They come in the next chapter Joshua Joshua 4. 12 stones were born on the shoulders of 12 men out from the bed of the river and erected as a memorial on the canyon side.

And at the same time 12 stones were taken from the wilderness side and put in the bed of the river. River returned to its course. It covered those stones. To this Israel had the experience of two river crossing.

There was first of all that extraordinary miraculous river crossing when they crossed the Red Sea by means of which they came out of Egypt. And then 40 years later there was another river crossing that through Jordan by which they got into King their great points of similarity.

And I believe they picture for us two aspects of the work of the cross of Jesus on our behalf that by which we come out of Egypt by which we come into Jordan as I say. There's all sorts of points of similarity between them.

But there's one big difference who was left under the waters at the end the Red Sea. Pharaoh and his hosts were left under the waters drowned and at Jordan in type was left under the waters. Those 12 stones from the wilderness side represented the old Israel who showed what they were like by their wanderings in the wilderness and they were put in the bed of the river and they were under the waters.

The Cross and Separation from the World

And this reveals the two aspects of the cross. Will you turn to Galatians 6 14. Galatians 6 14. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

This is that work of the cross by means of which I came out of Egypt. And here I'm told the world is crucified to me. It's the world. It's Pharaoh is that whole world system which is on the cross in which I live for so long.

And when you're born again the world is crucified to you. It's dead to you. And you treat it as a dead thing. If you don't it's doubtful if you'd be born again the real thing if you still love the world if you're part of it and all your interests and all your friendships are in the things of the world and in in association with men away from God.

And that's where your heart is. Your profession may have been an unreal one. The real thing always needs a man to look at the world. By that I mean of the world away from God. It's society as dead to him.

It always involves separation. Separation from the world is not some extra thing after conversion. It's implied when we first come to Jesus you are no longer of the world. You no longer belong to that old as old associations.

You're not better than them necessarily. You're utterly different. They can see they know. Oh he's one of them. Is he. They look upon you differently. And you look upon their good things at once. Charge you dead.

Of course the world returns a couple and you if you treat the world as dead they'll treat you as dead. You'll find you're left out of something not invited to some parties. You waiting for that you treat the world as dead.

Then they may pass you by and take no account of you. Well that's all right on us. We've got Jesus. What. What me more. So that's the first aspect of the cross. But the second aspect across is a gracious 220 in the same book chapter 2.

Crucified with Christ and Christ as Our Life

And the crucified or more literally I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ but Christ liveth in me now. It isn't the world on the cross. It's me on it. It's self on it.

This is all implied in going through joy. And of course self as I've said is our great problem. This fall of egocentric principle all the time intruding with wrong motives and wrong reactions even into holy things pressing itself in the most horrid self-centered ways.

And self-centeredness as I've said it's the heart of everything. And we be so worried about self the flesh we should all know. I want to be like this. I'm supposed to be a Christian and you and I have tried so often to improve so to make him more Christlike and more dedicated and nicer.

But you find what the Bible leads you to expect. You're incapable of changing his character. It is not subject to the Lord of God says Romans 8. Neither indeed can be just when you're hoping you're improving.

Then something happens and that old self acts in the old way. Here's the message. Jesus Christ didn't only die for me on the cross but he died as me. He not only bore my sins he wore my likeness. He became in the likeness of sinful flesh.

And the moment he took that place God judged him. But God wasn't judging the son as the son so much he was judging the son as you dare see the end of you in the flesh what God thinks of you in that terrible derelict form of Jesus.

In other words this means that you and I are ended and not mended as far as God's intentions are concerned. He's no intention of mending that old I. He's ended you at the cross. This means in turn that you are relieved of the painful necessity of trying to improve that man.

God says I'm not expecting any good out of him. He's ended as far as I'm concerned you can give up trying to mend it and you can then possess the Lord Jesus Christ as your life. Christ who is our life.

That's a picture of the other stone out of death. Christ my life. Jesus doesn't help me. He supplants me. There's only one victorious Christian life in the world and that's the life of the victorious Christ.

I've given up expecting any good for myself but I can accept and I'm called upon to accept that judgment of me at the cross. I said our Lord Jesus you take over. The only good thing about the Christian is Jesus.

Your old man is no different anybody else's old man. But you have Christ. But how easy to forget that fact not see the fullness of it and to be working hard on the old man. But the cross at Jordan shows you you're ended and not mended now.

This is not an experience so much as a historical fact. It happened already 1 ,900 years ago. You died with Jesus Christ. To which historical fact you may go back to and know the relief to accept yourself to be no better than what the cross declares to agree with God about yourself and not only have cleansing and forgiveness that a hand of the one mightier than you who lives in you.

Yes it's a historical fact. I love that phase. There they are to this day. There am I there is that old man to this day. That's why it's more accurate. Not. I am crucified as in the authorized but I have been as in the revised something already done.

Personal Testimony of Deliverance from Self-Reliance

And remember how this meant a great turning point of my own life. As a young person I was I've been to crusader camp. I was I was an officer as they call it in charge of a tent and I saw other Christians other tent officers being used of God to the blessing of boys more than I was and I found jealousy in my heart.

I struggle with it and tried to turn away from it but it wouldn't lie down. And I decided when I got back home and had more time I would really face this up with God. And I did. And one morning I was led to Galatians 220.

I saw that my trouble was I. I was an eye specialist. I wanted to be out front and there I saw it had already been dealt with. I had judged by God on the cross and Christ was to be my life. And I've been taught at that time through some writings that I just wasn't to wait for feed you but take God at his word and even go further to add the word of faith to the belief of my heart.

And at a meeting later I testified this was my new stand. I'd taken God at his word. Christ lost my life. Whatever I felt. I was on the cross already. I knew new release and you know one brother who since has become a world world known evangelist and Bible teacher.

Dear friend of mine rushed up to me said Roy. That's exactly what happened to me three days ago and in that part of Northwest London among our crusader classes among the seniors there took place something of a little revival.

We were so released. And I tell you it was then that I began to see the rivers of living water flowing. It wasn't me trying to win souls. He did it. I was on there again again I went back to that great historical fact.

Again again I appropriated Jesus and he did not fail. So these two river crossings are really to not to experience it necessarily you could say was the first blessing in a second blessing. I believe it's better to say two aspects of the cross.

Restoration, Revival, and Returning to the Land

Maybe it may come as a second blessing to you. My last word is this it is not once for all for the very people who went through Jordan in such splendid fashion and who later possessed the land because they turned away from the Lord and refused to return to him were taken captive and scattered throughout Asia Minor indeed as we know today throughout the whole world.

And the people who enjoyed came through going through Jordan needed later to be brought back again to that land. And indeed that's exactly what grace promised them. The very prophets who told them that this was inevitable their judgment because of their sin and their unwillingness to repent always saw beyond that judgment a yet more glorious day when they would be humble when they would have been disciplined where they would have learned and when grace would work the operative on their behalf again.

Oh I love those yet more glorious days which the prophets always see beyond the veil of tears for Israel. And so you've got such a passage of Jeremiah 23 7. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that they shall say no more.

The Lord liveth which brought us and our children out of Israel and out of the land of Egypt and even into Canaan. But a new testament the Lord liveth which brought up in which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country and from all the countries whither I'd driven them and they shall dwell in their own land.

And so you see revival for them needed to be revived. And though because of the way things went after they got in they were scattered God purpose they're going to come back. Grace is going to bring them back and again have a new testament.

Well they always talking about their conversion experience how they came out of Egypt but how they've been brought from these other bondages out of the north country. It's chilly up there where we've been scattered back to Jesus back into the fold.

I call that revival. And that was my experience too after all those fruitful experience I just mentioned and it was worked out in in years of fruitful evangelism as we walk this way. I and some of my friends in the national young life campaign we were ablaze.

Something went wrong for me. I lost what I got. I lost that easy power of the spirit. It was easy it was grace. I don't know what had gone wrong. And so I resorted to trying more praying longer preparing my service more carefully preaching more vehemently all to no avail until God sent to cross my path brothers who told me the old gospel once again the story of Jesus and his blood.

And I saw that I've been striving instead of repenting and was blind to the blood of Jesus Christ. And he began to show me what I needed to repent on and I began again. And my test is not only what I've given you how I first learned how to cross Jordan but I praise him that many a time since grace has brought me back from the north country where I've been scattered back to the land that flows with milk and honey.

Let us pray.