The Ark of the Covenant

Lesson 4

We were about to cross the Jordon River with Joshua and the Israelites, when time and space ran out on me last week. How rude of them! I’m sure we have all been in that place a time or two. Now we have the entire page, so let’s get started. Joshua chapter three is on auto play in our rooms at night, and we are listening to the story of how God brought the entire nation of Israel into the Promised Land across a barrier that was, for all intents and purposes, not crossable.

The Jordan is at full flood stage, the men have all just been circumcised (ouch), they have all of their belongings, women, children, and animals; the whole nine yards. It is a major endeavor. Only God would do this, because only God could do this. But…He has a deeper plan. Remember, He likes to do things in layers, like an onion. At first glance it is just God showing off a little, and finally letting the people move into their promise. Then we look a little deeper.

Let’s jump over to James 1:20-22 (KJV) and have a look. “…get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. The word save here is the word sozo. It does not just mean to be saved through salvation in Christ i.e., your born again experience with God, it also means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, and to save a suffering one from perishing, as one suffering from disease. It means to make well, heal, and restore to health. This is always God’s goal. He is all in, all the time. Amazing!

Joshua is taking his people into a new future. A future only God can secure. Joshua is a type, or representation of Jesus. Jeshua. They even have the same name. Coincidence? I think not. Jesus is the ultimate healer of our soul. He did it all for us, and He provides a way. Many times God has people walk things out in the natural to symbolize what they were walking out in the spirit. So what was happening in the spirit as the Israelites were crossing the river Jordon in the natural? I believe from the language of scripture that they were getting healed in their souls of centuries of woundedness that came in their desert crossing and their 400 years in slavery. I believe from what this chapter indicates that they were actually getting healed of every single wound that that went back in their family bloodline all the way back to Adam and the original sin. God was not just providing a way across the river. He was providing total Soul Healing for the entire nation for all generations going back to Adam, and going forward for generations for those who crossed over!

God always provides for His people. Noah had an ark, and so did Joshua. One ark carried people, the other carried the covenant, and the promise of the covenant to come through Christ. “…Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan” Joshua 3:11 (NKJV). It was the Ark of the Covenant that made it all possible. It was, and is Jesus. The ark was specifically built to represent Christ. It was Christ who was going before the people and making a way for them to cross over into the Promised Land. I am going to explain this further next week, but again, time and space… Love Katie