“The rarest treasures of life are found in His Truth. That’s why I prize God’s Word like others prize the finest gold. Nothing brings the soul such sweetness as seeking His Living Words.” Psalm 19:10
I want to address the importance of taking time to dig into the treasury of God’s Word. There are so many amazing symbols that reveal the purposes and plans for His creation. These promises are germane to everyone but can only be acquired though Jesus Christ. If you haven’t accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do so today.
As I’ve walked out my faith journey, I’ve heard many claims that the Old Testament is an antiquated book full of irrelevant stories. My response? Not so!
In Joshua 3, we read about a miraculous event where the Israelites crossed over a river called Jordon carrying the Ark of the Covenant into a land promised to them by God. The Ark was a box designed by God to hold the 10 Commandment tablets, a pot of manna and the rod of Aaron. You can read about its origin in Exodus 25:10-22.
The Jordon River’s source flowed down from the mountains above and ended at the Dead Sea below. When the priests stepped into the river with the Ark, the raging waters stopped flowing at a city called Adam which was beside a place called Zaretan. This miracle cleared the way for the Israelites to cross over the river into their promised land led by a man named Joshua.
The symbology of this event and how it points to Jesus should not be overlooked when reading the story. Let’s take a look and see how it applies to New Testament Believers today:
Joshua: Joshua is a typology (a symbol) for Jesus. Both names mean savior in Hebrew. As Joshua led God’s people into their promised land, Jesus is leading His people into their promised land (Heaven) through salvation in Him.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
The Ark: God’s promises.
“For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20
River: Jordan means descender. The Jordon River ended at the Dead Sea which represents death and hell.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation 1:17-20
City of Adam and Zaretan: God stopped the flow of water to the Jordon River at these two places. The city of Adam represented the first Adam and the fall of man where the descent into hell began for humanity. The city beside it, Zaretan—which means pierced—represented Jesus, the last Adam, who was pierced for our transgressions. I would be remiss not to mention that this part of the story is written in Joshua 3:16, the verse number to another famous scripture about Jesus.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Romans 5:12
“The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45
“But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:5
The Israelites left 12 stones representing each Tribe within the river to symbolize “death to the old life.” They then took 12 more stones and placed them on the shore of the river which symbolized “new life.” This symbolic gesture was a type of Baptism in the New Testament. It was also the very river Jesus was baptized in right before He started His ministry.
The Jordan experience represents spiritual death, resurrection life, and the promise of entering into an Eternal Kingdom awaiting those in Christ. It teaches us the importance of being delivered from a life that is focused on self and living out the good and perfect Will of our Creator, Father God. It, indeed, is a very relevant story for today.
“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be His sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights His heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes. So live the rest of your earthly life no longer concerned with human desires but consumed with what brings pleasure to God.” Romans 12:1-2, 1 Peter 4:2
“You are God’s girl and He loves you! You sprinkle His seeds of love wherever you go!” Those words were spoken to me by my husband Joe many years ago. They came at a time when I was questioning my self-worth in God’s Kingdom, purposes, and plans. The Father made sure that in my darkest spiritual hour, I heard His Truth about my identity and self-worth. It has been my passion ever since to deliver that same message to any who may need to hear it. It is not about who we are, but Whose we are, and I am God’s girl!
