“JORDAN - A CHANGE OF SITUATION”

Scripture Reading: Joshua 3; 4:1-9

‘The passage of Jordan’, about which we read in these  verses, is a ‘consummate presentation’ of what ‘the Lord’ is saying to us in this ‘series’.  

That must be quite clear to us, as we read it, that it represents a profoundly ‘critical point’ in ‘the history of the people’ involved, the culmination of a ‘long process of preparation’, the initiation of a ‘new’ and ‘wonderful phase’ of their life.  

Moreover, from abundant ‘New Testament support’, we see that this is a ‘representation’ of ‘the life’ of ‘the children of God’ and of ‘the would-be children of God’ in our own time: that is, ‘the New Testament’ takes this ‘incident’ in ‘the life of Israel’ and declares that it was a ‘type’, or ‘figure’; that its ‘real meaning’, its ‘abiding meaning’, its ‘Spiritual significance’ relates to ‘the Christian’ or ‘the would-be Christian’.

So that we today, at this present time and in our present situation, really stand right into this part of ‘the book of Joshua’.  

It applies to us.  

We are not reading ‘ourselves’ back so many ‘centuries’ ago, merely with ‘the idea’ that something happened then in ‘Isreal’s life’ - that they passed out of ‘the wilderness’ into ‘the land of Canaan’.  

We are reading from there on into this ‘present day’.

We are bringing that right forward and saying, ‘That is not then, it is now; and this is that, or that is how it could be’.  

The wonderful thing is that that could be now, at this ‘very moment’, and ‘experience’.  

When ‘Joshua’ said, “Consecrate yourselves: for tomorrow  the Lord will do wonders among you” - that is possible now, that can be brought right up to date.  (Joshua 3:5) 

And so let us look at it, for we are keeping closely to all  that we have been considering in these ‘past lessons’ - 
‘the Pioneering of the Heavenly Way’. 

The Objective in View in the Transition: 

First of all, let us recall ‘the objective’, ‘the object in view  in this transition’, this ‘passage of the Jordan’.  

We are given ‘the Spiritual interpretation’.  

It is shown to be an illustration of ‘Life in Resurrection’ and ‘Heavenly Union with Christ’.  

Listen, that is ‘the objective’ to which ‘God’ has called ‘His people’.  

That is precisely ‘the thing’ for which ‘the Lord’ calls us at all, by ‘His grace’ - ‘Resurrection Union with Christ’: ‘Union with Christ’ on ‘the ground of Resurrection Life’. 

And not only that, but ‘Union with Christ in His Heavenly Life’, by ‘the Holy Spirit’; ‘Oneness with Him as in Heaven’, and all that that means.  

That is ‘the objective’; that is ‘the irreducible minimum of God’s will for His people’.  

If we do not come to ‘Resurrection Union’ with ‘the Lord Jesus’, we have not come to any ‘Union’ at all.  

That is to say, that, for all ‘practical purposes’ and ‘values’, we know nothing really of the meaning of being “joined to the Lord”. (1.Cor.6:17)  

There are many who know something of what it is to be in ‘Union with a Living Christ’, but who know perhaps very little, at most not enough, of ‘Heavenly Union with Him’ and all that that means.  

Until we come to that, we have not come to ‘the very object’ of our ‘Salvation’, neither have we come to ‘God’s satisfaction’ in ‘saving us’. 

‘God’ has redeemed us for ‘His sake’; “...and hast redeemed us to God...” (Rev.5:9)

We must see what that means. 

Transition: 

(a) Into ‘the Authority of Christ.

Now getting ‘the object’ clear before us, we want to look more closely at ‘the transition’.  

This ‘transition’ has ‘two aspects’.  

In the first place, it represented a ‘transition’ from ‘the authority of darkness’ into ‘the Authority of Christ’.  

Up to this ‘point’ these people had still been under ‘the authority of darkness’, notwithstanding that they had been out of ‘Egypt’ for a good many years.  

The fact is that, while they had long ago come out of ‘Egypt’, ‘Egypt’ had only just now come out of them.  

Oh, listen, it is possible for us to be ‘saved’ from ‘the world’ in an ‘outward way’ and not be ‘saved’ from it in an ‘inward way’. 

‘Egypt’ had retained a ‘strength’ inside of them through ‘the years of the wilderness’.  

That ‘generation’ had constantly been found harkening back to ‘Egypt’.  

“Would that we had died by the Hand of the Lord in Egypt”. (Exodus 16:3) 

‘Oh, that we had stayed in Egypt’! 

It was still inside, it still had a grip upon them, they still had ‘dreams’ and ‘imaginations of satisfaction’ there.  

They had not come completely and utterly to that  ‘emancipation’ which settles once and for all that there is absolutely nothing back in that ‘world’, nothing at all; ‘the very thought of it’ is repugnant, is hateful; ‘the very thought of it’ means desolation: they had not come there.  

There is that, even in ‘Christians’, which sometimes, under strain and pressure, makes them begin to think, that they would be better off if they were back in ‘the world’ - they would have a better time.  

But this ‘Jordan’ was ‘the settlement’ of that.  

Please, notice that whatever had lingered and lurked through all ‘the wilderness years’ was finished with at ‘the Jordan’.

It was a ‘transition’, an ‘utter transition’, from ‘the authority of darkness’ into, typically speaking, ‘the Authority of Christ’. 

Listen, there is such a thing as having and knowing ‘Christ’ as ‘your Savior’ without knowing ‘Him’ as ‘your Lord’ - that is to say, only for ‘Salvation’: as ‘Savior from condemnation’, from ‘pending judgment’, from ‘hell’; perhaps ‘Savior’ into some of ‘the positive blessings’ of that ‘position’: and yet - how much more is ‘possible’ and ‘real’ for ‘our knowledge’! 

It is all too long a gap from ‘the Exodus’ to ‘the Eisodus’,  ‘the Entry’; far too big a space between these ‘two things’. 
 
How many, many ‘Christians’, after having been saved for a long time, 25, 30, 40, 50 years, come finally to the place where they make ‘Jesus Christ’ ‘Lord’, discovering that that ‘space’ between ‘the two things’ has been far too long, that this might have been long ago. 

‘Jordan’ speaks not only of our finding ‘Christ’ as ‘our Savior’ from ‘judgment’ and ‘death’, but of our finding ‘Him’ as ‘Lord’ - with all that it means that ‘He’ should be ‘Lord’.  

It is not until ‘He’ is ‘Lord’ that we begin to discover ‘the Riches’, ‘the unsearchable Riches’, that are ‘in Him’, like ‘the Wealth of the Land’ 

(b) Into ‘the Fruitfulness of Life in the Spirit’.

‘The Jordan’ again represented ‘the transition’ from ‘desolation’ and ‘barrenness of nature’ into ‘the fruitfulness of Life in the Spirit’.  

They had lived so much in ‘themselves’; ‘the self-life’, ‘the natural life’, had been so much asserting itself; their ‘own personal interests’, ‘advantages’ or ‘disadvantages’ had occupied such a ‘large place’ on ‘their horizon’.  

If things in ‘the line of God’s purpose’ were not easy, but going contrary to ‘nature’, they were full of ‘murmurings’.  

If they went well, of course, it was quite ‘natural’ to be full of ‘rejoicing’.  

It was ‘nature’ either way.  

It was ‘nature’ rejoicing because things were easy.  

It was ‘nature’ grumbling because things were difficult.  

It was ‘the life of nature’ - and what a ‘barren wilderness’ that was for them, a ‘wilderness’ outside and inside. 

And now ‘the Jordan’ puts a finish to that and represents a ‘transition’ from that barren, desolate ‘life in the flesh’, ‘in nature’, to a ‘Life in the Spirit’.  

For that ‘Man’, who presently confronted ‘Joshua’ as ‘Representative of God’, was, I believe, no other than ‘the Holy Spirit’, ‘the Spirit of God’, ‘the Captain of the Lord’s Host’.  

‘He’ is that - “Prince of the Host of the Lord” (Joshua 5:13-15), ‘He’ called ‘Himself’.  

When those words which we so often quote, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts”. (Zech.4:6), were used by ‘the prophet’, you know that ‘the literal wording’ there is, “Not by an army...but by My Spirit”. 

And here is ‘the Captain of the host of the Lord’, ‘the Holy Spirit’, and from this time ‘He’ is going to take charge - and what a ‘different situation’ will prevail! 

It will be ‘Life in the Spirit’. 

Yes, there will be fruitfulness now; not a ‘life’ without slips and mistakes - they do happen - but a ‘life’ adjusted to ‘the  Holy Spirit’.

It was to be a ‘life of progress’, a ‘life of enlargement’, a life of ‘constant enrichment’, a ‘life of entry upon their inheritance’. 

“Every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ”.
(Eph.1:3) 

From ‘the barrenness of nature’ to ‘the fruitfulness of Life in the Spirit’: that was the meaning of ‘the transition of Jordan’. 

The Great Pioneer going before.

But then we come to ‘the central focal point’ of it all:
‘The Great Pioneer’ - this time written with a very big Capital - ‘The Great Pioneer’ as representd by ‘the Ark of the Lord of the whole earth’.

We shall take this up when we continue, next Sunday,
Lord willing!

Our text for last week’s and tonight’s lesson is found in ‘the Book of Joshua’ (Chapters 3; and 4:1-9).

Please, turn to it and keep it open.

We saw that ‘the passage of Jordan’ brought about a ‘change of situation’; the people involved passed out of ‘the wilderness’ into ‘the land of Canaan’, ‘the Promised Land’.

Keeping close to all that we have been considering in “The Pioneering of the Heavenly Way”, we recalled ‘the objective in view’ in this ‘transition’, this ‘passage of the Jordan’.  

We are given ‘the Spiritual interpretation’.

It is shown to be an illustration of ‘Life in Resurrection’ and ‘Heavenly Union with Christ’.  

This is ‘the objective’ to which ‘God’ has called ‘His people’.  

Let me say it again: until we come to that, we have not come to ‘the very object’ of ‘our Salvation’, neither have we come to ‘God’s Satisfaction’ in saving us.  

And notice: this ‘transition’ had ‘two aspects’. 

1.) It represented a ‘transition’ from ‘the authority of darkness’ into ‘the Authority of Christ’.  

While they had long ago come out of ‘Egypt’, ‘Egypt’ had only just now come out of them.  

Of course, the same is true of many ‘Christians’, after having been saved for a long time, finally they come to the place where they make ‘Jesus Christ’ ‘Lord’.  

‘Jordan’ speaks not only of our finding ‘Christ’ as ‘our Savior’ from ‘judgment’ and ‘death’, but of finding ‘Him’ as ‘Lord’ - with all that that means. 

2.) ‘Jordan’ again represented ‘the transition’ from ‘desolation’ and ‘barrenness of nature’ into ‘the fruitfulness of  Life in the Spirit’.  

Yes, there will be ‘fruitfulness’, because ‘Life’ is adjusted to ‘the Holy Spirit’.  

From ‘the barrenness of nature’ to ‘the fruitfulness of Life in the Spirit’: that was the meaning of ‘the transition of Jordan’.   

But then, and here we continue, we come to ‘the central focal point’ of it all: ‘the Great Pioneer’ - this time written with a very big Capital - ‘The Great Pioneer’ as represented by ‘the Ark of the Lord of the whole earth’. 

Once again, this is not imaginary ‘interpretation’. 

‘The New Testament’ warrants, by definite statement, ‘the interpretation’ that that ‘Ark’ was a ‘type of the Lord Jesus’. 

We will not take time to prove it from ‘the Scripture’, but it is so.  

‘The Ark’ typifies ‘Christ’.  

Please, keep that in mind.  

‘The great transition’ was going to be made.  

But how would it be made? 

“The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes over before you”. (Joshua 3:11)

But notice also Joshua 3:4, “There shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits. (appro. 3000 feet)”.

Why that?

‘Keep that space, come not near, keep that mighty space between you and it - shall we say, between you and ‘Him’?’ 

Why that ‘great space’? 

(a) The Greatness of Christ in Death.

Does it not speak, in the first place, of ‘the Greatness of Christ in Death? - for it says here in parenthesis “Jordan overflows all its banks at the time of harvest” (Joshua 3:15), and this was ‘the time’.  

“Jordan overflows all its banks”: a ‘wide inundation’ beyond its channel, spreading itself out in all directions; and we know so well that that speaks of ‘the waters of death’ and ‘judgment’.  

It speaks of ‘the Cross of the Lord Jesus’.  

And ‘He’ stands right in ‘the flood’, and ‘the overwhelming inundation of death’s power’: stands right in it, right in ‘the center’ of it, right in its full depth and length and breadth; 
‘He’ stems it all.  (Notice: Joshua 3:13).  

How great is ‘Christ in death’! 

Listen, ‘death’ is no small thing.  
‘Death’ is a mighty ‘overwhelming flood’.   

But ‘He’ has plumbed its depth, ‘He’ has taken its measure, and by dying ‘He’ has destroyed ‘death’.  

There ‘He’ is.  

‘He’ stands right into ‘death’: ‘death’ has lost its ‘power’: ‘death’ is ‘thrown back’: ‘death’ is forbidden to ‘move on’. 

Notice: ‘the description’ of that is ‘wonderful’.  

While on ‘the one side’ there was that mighty ‘wall of water’ standing up, on ‘the other side’, right down to ‘the Dead Sea’, all that spoke of ‘death’ was dried up. 

How great is ‘Christ’ in ‘death’! 

Incomparable! 

‘He’ is alone in that.  

No one else could do it!

(b) The Exclusiveness of Christ in Death.

Then it speaks of ‘the exclusiveness of Christ’: not only ‘the greatness’ but ‘the exclusiveness of Christ in death’. 

There was no other good enough.  

You know, it is ‘blasphemy’ to talk about ‘the death’, even ‘the most heroic death’, of a ‘soldier’, giving his life for his country, being comparable to ‘the Death of Jesus’! 

No, whatever ‘heroism’ there may be - and there may be a great deal which can be ‘honored’, ‘valued’ and ‘appreciated’ - but however great may be ‘the heroism’ and ‘sacrifice of men’, it comes not nigh unto this by ‘two thousand cubits’. 

There is a ‘space’ between.   

‘God’ has placed that space, and ‘He’ says, ‘this is inviolate’ (that is, ‘untouchable’): ‘He’ is apart, nothing can come near to this ‘mighty work of Jesus Christ’; no one else has done that, no one else can do it; it must be done by ‘Him’ alone.  

(c) The Loneliness of Christ in Death.

Alone! - Look at ‘the loneliness’ of that ‘figure’ - forgetting  for the moment that there were ‘the Levites’ bearing ‘the Ark’ on their shoulders: ‘the description’ is intended not to bring them into view at all, but to have this ‘Ark’ only in view - to behold it, as it were, afar off.  

It is a ‘great space’.  

If it were only ‘one thousand feet’, that is quite a distance from which to look on a ‘little object’ like that, - a lonely ‘little object’ right out there. 

How alone ‘He’ was in ‘death’.  

“All the disciples left him and fled” (Matt.26:56).  

‘He’ said, “you...shall leave Me alone” (John 16: 32), and they did.  

‘His aloneness in death’ is portrayed by ‘the Ark’ out there.  

Behold ‘Him’: - “Behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) 

Why this ‘aloneness’? 

Well, you see, there was no other good enough to pay ‘the price of sin’: there was no other great enough, to bear “the sin of the world”.  

‘He’ being ‘the only One’ Who could do it, it involved ‘Him’  in this ‘utterness of loneliness’.  

It is ‘the price’ ‘He’ paid as ‘the Pioneer’ - “the Pioneer  of our Salvation”, ‘the Pioneer of our Inheritance’, ‘the Pioneer of our Possession’ of all that unto which ‘God’ has called us by ‘Union with Christ’.  

‘The Pioneer’ had to pay ‘the price’ of this ‘utter aloneness’.
  
Is that not something of ‘the sigh’, ‘the cry’, in Isaiah 53? 

Yes, ‘He’ is the alone One there, wounded for our transgression, smitten of ‘God’ and stricken, ‘His soul’ made by ‘God’ an ‘offering for sin’; but “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,” and out of that ‘loneliness’ shall come, in a ‘mighty multitude’, ‘the children of His bereavement’. (Isa.49:20) 

Identification with Christ by Faith and Testimony.

‘The next thing’, and ‘the final word’ for the moment, is ‘Identification with Him’ by ‘Faith’ and ‘Testimony’.  

No, we cannot ‘literally’ and ‘actually’, come into this.  

‘Thank God’, it is not necessary.  
I mean that we are not called to go through all that ‘He’ went through, but we are called to take a ‘Faith position’, to give attestation, testimony, evidence to it in a ‘very practical way’. 

Not just walk in and through and take it as ours, but to recognize that it is only ours because of ‘Him’, only ours ‘in Him’.  

There is an ‘Identification of Life with Him’.  

And so this ‘Identification by Faith and Testimony’ is seen in ‘the Commandment of God’ as to what was to be done.  

Out of ‘the bed of the Jordan’, out of ‘the place’ where all this was ‘transacted’ by ‘the Great Pioneer of Redemption’, ‘stones’ were to be taken, and - notice - by ‘twelve men’:  “out of every tribe a man”. (Joshua 4:2) 

In effect, every man of every tribe is here ‘represented’.  

It is a ‘personal matter’ for ‘everyone’. 

“Every man...a stone”.  

It has to be a ‘personal transaction’, a ‘personal testimony’, a ‘personal appropriation’ of it all, a taking of it upon ‘our shoulders’ as bringing us under all that it means; our committal to it, our committal to ‘the death of the Lord Jesus’, to the fact that ‘in Him’ we died; our committal to ‘His burial’.  

“We are buried...with Him”. (Rom.6:4) 

Then our committal to ‘His Resurrection’.  

‘The stones’ in ‘the Jordan’ signify ‘our Union with Him in death and burial’; ‘the stones’ taken out of ‘the Jordan’ and built up for a memorial on the other side, ‘our Union with Him in Resurrection’.  

But there has to be a ‘practical’, ‘personal’, ‘individual transaction’.  

“Every man...a stone”.

Let me ask you, have you taken ‘the stone’ on ‘your shoulder’ personally?

Have you definitely done this? 

You know how ‘the apostle Paul’ tells us that ‘the testimony’ is borne, it is so ‘familiar’.  

“We were buried...with Him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the Glory  of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life”.  
(Rom.6:4)

That is ‘the story’ quite clearly, so simply.  

Yes, by ‘baptism’ we declare that we have taken ‘the stone’ on ‘our shoulders’, we have made this ‘our responsibility’, we have definitely committed ourselves to all this.  

Let me say again - it is not just to be saved from ‘judgment’, ‘death’ and ‘hell’, but to be ‘saved unto’ - not only from, but unto - all that which is in ‘the heart of God’; that it is no longer what we are going to get, how it is going to affect us: that is ‘the old tyranny’; no longer  ‘personal circumstances’ at all.  

It is what ‘the Lord’ wants, it is what will ‘satisfy’ and ‘glorify Him’.  

That is ‘the passion of the heart’ that is so committed; and when ‘He’ gets us through on that matter, gets us over ‘the fence of self-interest’, ‘worldly interest’, ‘fleshly government’, on to the ground where it is all ‘the Lord’ and what ‘He’ wants, we shall have found ‘the land flowing with milk and honey’, we shall have found ‘the Riches of Christ’, we shall have come into an ‘opened Heaven’ 

Notice: so much of ‘our Christian life and work’ is self- ward.  

Until it is changed from ‘self’ to ‘the Lord’, fully and utterly, we shall know nothing of ‘the heavenly life’ of ‘Spiritual fullness’.  

But that is what is here ‘represented’. 

May ‘the Lord’ find us all making this ‘great transition’, this ‘declaration’ - ”Every man...a stone”: that ‘Jordan’, with all that it means, has got to rest upon ‘our shoulders’.