Term 1 – Week 5
Big Idea – God held back the Jordan River to demonstrate his power for his people
Joshua 1-4, key passage 4:23-24
Outcomes
- See and feel the impact of God’s immense power holding back the Jordan River for the Israelites to cross
- Trust in God’s power in our lives, resting on the ultimate demonstration of God’s power in Jesus’ resurrection!
Implications
- Belief – Not to worry but to trust our great and powerful God!
- Behaviour – Live lives boldly for God knowing that he is great and powerful
Introduction
Only one geographical barrier separated the Israelites from the promised land of Canaan: the Jordan River. When the Israelites arrived, the Jordan River was flooded due to spring rains and snowmelt. Any other time, the river would have been manageable, but crossing the swollen river would have been as daunting as crossing the Red Sea.
After Moses’ death, this new generation looked to Joshua to lead them to the promised land. God had chosen Joshua and promised to be with him. Joshua prepared the people to cross the Jordan River, and they agreed to obey him as they obeyed Moses.
God gave Joshua a promise and a command. First, He promised to go before them and drive out all the people of the land. Then God commanded him to tell the priests to carry the ark of the LORD (a symbol of God’s powerful presence) into the waters of the Jordan. Then the waters of the river would be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above would stand in one heap. When this happened, all of Israel would know that God was with Joshua.
All of the people passed over on dry ground. Joshua set up 12 memorial stones as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in bringing Israel safely across the Jordan into the promised land.
The cross is something even bigger than the Jordan River, saving us from the ultimate peril of our sins. Just like the river it is something we cannot even remotely do ourselves, but we have to rely totally on God our Saviour.
We rely on the LORD then as the one who goes before us and will keep the many promises he has made to us as Christians. If we ever forget, we must remind ourselves that this is a God who is powerful enough to stop a river and to raise Jesus eternally from the dead.
‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight’
Songs
God’s people in God’s place – Awesome Cutlery
Leaders PDF
this has been put together using purchased external material and therefore this resource may only be used by Dundonald Church. For more information please contact natasha.small@dundonald.org
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