The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-28
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NlEABERSNACLD
BIBLE. .STu<~ ON @u
How Israel Crossed Jordan

4
Fear thou not; for 1 am with thee
| Isaiah Al TO-
Under Divine direction, the hosts OF
Israel removed from the high bench of
| the Jordan Valley down to the river three
days before the time appointed for cross
/ ing. The Jordan, as usual at this season,
was overfiowing its banks Ordinarily
about 80 feet wide, II is supposed TO have
been about 500 feet wide at this time.
Although expecting an invasion, tie Ca
naanites would not expect it at time
when the river was impossible and when
bridges were little known. The Israelites,
too, must have had various opportunities
for exercising faith or doubt The fact
| that nothing is mentioned respecting
doubts, fears or murmurings implies that
their wilderness experiences had taught
/ them valuable lessons of trust in the Di-
vine appointments.
| The crossing day came Joshua by Di-
| vine instruction, directed the priests to
bear the Ark of the Covenant and to go
before the people to the river brink As
their feet touched the water, 1t began to
recede and they to advance, until finally
they stood in the middle OF the stony bed
of the Jordan. still bearing the Ark. rep
| resenting the Divine promise under which
they had left Egypt and were hoping for
grand results.
| The hosts of Israel. lining the banks of
the Jordan for miles, crossed over frnm
Moab to Canaan. Twelve large stones
! from the bed of the Jordan and piled on
the shore as a monument OF .iod's aid,
| while IL stones from the shore were
placed in the river for a similar memo
rial Finally the priests foil ,wed the peo-
pie to the Canaan shore. Shortly there
after the waters began to return to the
river bed.
How the Miracle Was Done
The fact that we may row know with
considerable certainty just how this mir
acle was performed should not In the
| least detract from its value. With Gcd
nothing would be a miracle. since He Of
| His own power is able to accomplish His
| will in every respect Many things are
miracles simply because we do not under
| stand the Divine processes. We are mir
acles ourselves, fearfully and WONDERFUL,
made.
| The account tells plainly enough that
the heaping up of the waters was in the
| direction of Adam. This place has now
been located with consider able certainty
| by Professor Wright as situated II miles
above Jericho on the Jordan. The waters
1 became In a heap. a lake, the professor
| assures u.s. by reason of a landslide which
choked the narrow passage in the river
where there were steep banks History
| tells of a similar slide which took place
! in the same vicinity in A. d. 1867, dam
ming up the Jordan for several hours and
| leaving the river bed below quite dry
| the waters draining off to the Dead Sea
! Professor Wright says, $50 striking IS
this conformity of the facts to the condi-
tions indicated by the Biblical account.
that biologists can find but little difficulty
| in believing the written record. At the
same time the written record is so precise
itself, and free from fantastic elements.
| that the literary critic cannot we'll con-
slider 1t as anything but the original. un-
| vanished tale of an eye Witness
The marvel of the story is that the Di-
vine marching orders We're so timed as to
suit the circumstances and conditions ex-
actly
Entering Into Canaan Rest
ST. Paul. in Hebrews 45-S, gives us the
suggestion that Israel's entrance of Ca
naan under the leadership of Joshua typi-
| fed the entrance of the churcn into the
rest of faith and special privilege under
the leadership of the antitypcal Joshua
Jesus. The Isra elites had rest from their
| wilderness journeyings 1t was a blessed
| change, yet it was not the full realizatio 4
of all that God had promised them.
That full realization will be attained
only in Eden itself, as result of Mes
| siah's glorious work of Restitution. Fol-
lowing the Apostles lead, perceive
that Israels experience up to the time
| when Moses died represented the law
| dispensation, which ended al the cross.
| The gospel dispensation, beginning at
| Pentecost, Is typified by the crossing of
Jordan and the taking possession of the
! land.
I'VE who believe do enter into rest
| in proportion to our exercise of faith. He
who exercises much faith may have much
| rest, and may conquer and possess
| quietude. He who has less faith will
have less rest and will be able only par
| TALLY to enter upon his privileges. The
| storming of the cities of Canaan typified
| the warfare of the New Creature, begot-
ten of the Holy Spirit against the weak
nesses and depravites of the flesh, the de-
| sires of the flesh. the things of the flesh
| Those lacking faith entered not into
| Canaan but died in the wilderness. So
we read. Israel hath not obtained thet
which he seeketh for; but the election
has obtained it, and the rest were blind
ed" Only the faithful will constitute
Gods elect people. Only these can pass
| from the old to the new. Only these pass
from death unto life without actually
dying.
Throughout this gospel age, God has
been making up Israels defect by calling
a similar class from all nations. peoples,
kindreds and tongues Each one is called
| upon to exercise faith and to cross ever
Jordan in the sense of beginning a new
life-a life OF devotion 70 God life of
warfare against sin and the entrenched
weaknesses of his own flesh.
"There Remaineth Rest"
All of Gods consecrated people cen tes-
tify that they have a rest joy. peace,
a blessing, which the world can neither
give nor take away-and this IN proper
ton to their loyalty and faithfulness. Yet
God has in reservation something still
better. Respecting this the apostle de-
clares, There remaineth, therefore, rest
for the people of God"
That Heavenly rest will be entered by
the perfecting of the. new creatures In
the first resurrection. Their loyalty and
faithfulness having beer demonstrated In
fighting the good fight against the world,
the flesh and the adversary, the Lord
promises them a glorious change, lin a
moment. In the twinkling of an eve''-a
share In His own resurrection to the per-
fection of the Divine nature far above
angels princpalities and powers" and In
association with Himself In the glorious
Messianic kingdom. by which the world
of mankind is to be blessed
| The Sabbath of the Lord
| st. Paul intimates that the seventh dav
OF the law Sabbath typified the present
condition of the Lords people enjoying