Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

A Promise-Keeping God

Bryan Schneider · January 15, 2022

Joshua 3

sharonrpc.org/sermons/a-promise-keeping-god

Summary

Joshua 3 asks whether God will fulfill the promise of land first given to Abraham, and the Jordan crossing answers with a decisive yes.
The ark goes far ahead of Israel to make unmistakable that the Lord, not the army or Joshua, leads his people into an unknown way.
Israel consecrates itself, and the priests obey the difficult command to carry the ark to the edge of the flooded river and stand in it.
God promises to exalt Joshua as he had Moses and uses the crossing to establish his servant's leadership before the people.
The Lord identifies himself as the living God and Lord of all the earth, with both the right to give the land and the power to command creation.
As soon as the priests' feet touch the water, the river is cut off upstream and the entire nation crosses on dry ground.
Every act of packing, marching, approaching, and crossing expresses faith in God's Word before the promised path becomes visible.
The unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing God still keeps every promise in Christ, the true Joshua and object of Christian faith.

How does the Jordan crossing answer the question raised by God's promise to Abraham?
Why must the ark travel well ahead of the people?
What does consecration teach about approaching God's holy work?
What faith is required of the priests before the waters stop?
Why does God promise to exalt Joshua in Israel's sight?
What is confessed by calling God the living God and Lord of all the earth?
How does the crossing join God's sovereign miracle with Israel's obedient action?
Why should extraordinary miracles not be treated as God's normal way of directing daily life?
Which promises made to believers in Christ are especially difficult for you to trust?
How does Jesus, the true Joshua, provide the strongest reason to walk by faith?

Promise: God's reliable word concerning what he will give or accomplish, guaranteed by his unchanging character and power.
Ark of the covenant: The holy covenant chest that signified God's throne and presence and visibly led Israel toward the river.
Consecration: Setting oneself apart in reverent preparation for God's holy presence and work.
Miracle: An extraordinary work in which God displays his power beyond his ordinary providential ordering of creation.
Lord of all the earth: God's title asserting his ownership, authority, and power over the land, river, nations, and all creation.
Immutability: God's perfection by which he does not change in being, character, purpose, or faithfulness.
Walking by faith: Acting upon God's trustworthy Word and promised future even before the outcome can be seen.
True Joshua: Jesus Christ, the greater leader who brings his people into the promised salvation and inheritance.