Joshua 4:1-3 KJV 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.
Joshua 4:17-24 KJV Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. (18) And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. (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. (20) And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. (21) And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? (22) Then ye shall let your children know, saying, 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: (24) That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
The directions were important.
And when we read of the reaction of the news of this, notice what the kings heard. Joshua 5:1 KJV And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. God phrased it as the waters drying up before the ark (Josh 4:7).
“Joshua” is the Hebrew form of “JESUS”.
After they removed stones, Joshua replaced stones in the Riverbed.
The enemy THEN also becomes afraid of US. IT WAS AT THAT TIME, JOSHUA CRICUMCISED THE MALES BORN IN THE WILDERNESS. Joshua 5:2 KJV At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. Two things occurred a second time.
Joshua 5:8-9 KJV And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. (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. The same day they crossed Jordan was the day they took a lamb 40 years ago. Joshua 4:19 KJV 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. Exodus 12:3 KJV Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And they sacrificed the lamb on the fourteenth day. Exodus 12:6 KJV And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Joshua 5:10 KJV And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. A man had to be circumcised to eat Passover.
Exodus 12:48 KJV And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. They crossed Jordan…
…THE SAME DAY THEY TOOK A LAMB 40 YEARS BEFORE FOR PASSOVER. Something must happen before we really receive Passover.
We took the lamb at our salvation for forgiveness and new birth.
Before They Crossed Jordan: Deuteronomy 12:8-9 KJV Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. (9) For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you. You can be saved from sin and a Christian… (cross Red Sea).
Joshua 4:7 KJV Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. Similarly, when lifestyle foundations (stones our feet stand upon) that are carnal and wrong are removed, there is something that will tell everyone we are God's children: John 13:35 KJV By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Then Joshua sees an ANGEL OF THE LORD. Joshua 5:13 KJV And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? Angels of God were present to fight for Israel!
Deuteronomy 12:8-9 KJV Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. (9) For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you. Hebrews 4:9 KJV There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. And in speaking of a REST in Hebrews 4, we also read of a sword, as Joshua saw an angel with a sword in Canaan, the rest. Hebrews 4:12 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Sword must slice through hearts, circumcising them…
James 4:10 KJV Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Matthew 23:12 KJV And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. We take bad FOUNDATION out, and he puts good FOUNDATION in – where our feet stand firm. Joshua 6:15 KJV And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. Joshua 6:20 KJV So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Bad foundations in your heart hinder you from hearing FULL TRUTH, so you can become mighty in God.
Enter the REST – seventh day represented this REST in God’s POWER.
Ark depicts the REST… Seated with Christ.
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