Friday, November 22, 2013

Midweek Lesson Outline: Joshua 3-5

"Step Into the Water”
Joshua 3-5

Introduction: Joshua 1:6-9

First, if there is to be success, God's people must display a fixed …

I. Concentration 3:1-4

“Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. [2] At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp; [3] and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. [4] However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.””

Deuteronomy 1:30-33; Psalm 32:8-9; John 10:27; Hebrews 12:1-2

Next, for the people to cross the river and enter the land promised to them would require complete …

II. Consecration 3:5

“Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.””

Leviticus 11:44; 2 Timothy 2:19, 21

Third, to enter the Promised Land, God’s people would have to make full …

III. Commitment 3:6-17

“And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. [7] Now the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. [8] You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” [9] Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” [10] Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite. [11] Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. [12] Now then, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man for each tribe. [13] It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” [14] So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people, [15] and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), [16] the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. [17] And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.”

2 Corinthians 5:7; Luke 23:46; Psalm 37:5

Once they are on the other side, we see yet another vital part of Israel's success, which is a time of …

IV. Commemoration 4:1-8

“Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, [2] “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, [3] and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’” [4] So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; [5] and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. [6] Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ [7] then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.” [8] Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there.”

Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Conclusion: Joshua 5:1, “Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.”


Philippians 3:14; 1 John 3:2-3; 1 Peter 4:19; 2 Timothy 2:8; Romans 8:31; 1 John 5:4

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