Something to Consider: Spiritual Preparation

“Then Joshua said to the people, consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” – Joshua 3:5

Without a doubt, the book of Joshua is probably my favorite book from the Old Testament. I think that this is due, in part, to a class that I had the privilege to take that was centered on the book, along with the book of Judges. It also stands out remarkably because God’s faithfulness and providence are the all-encompassing themes presented within the book. Over and over again throughout the book, this can be seen. For instance, you can see very early in the book the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua as he leads them in the land that been promised years earlier. Not only this, but God continually illustrates His faithfulness to the children of Israel by keeping His word, and He does so in ways that are absolutely mind-blowing.

Getting into the text, chapter three of Joshua contains one of the most significant miracles recorded in the Old Testament. Within this chapter, God illustrates His faithfulness to Israel by allowing them to cross the Jordan into the land that had been promised. As mentioned, God illustrated His providence to Israel in ways that were astonishing. In this case, God allows the Jordan River to be parted in order for the Israelites to cross over on dry ground…much like what was seen previously with the Red Sea. Though this event is one that warrants much discussion and study, it will not be our primary focus within this particular post. Rather, I would like to bring into consideration the event that takes place prior to this miracle.

To set the stage, the book begins with Joshua stepping into command after the death of Moses. Before actually crossing into the land that was promised, Joshua sends spies into the land in order to know what could be expected after crossing the Jordan. After getting the report from the spies, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp at the edge of the River. At the end of three days, Joshua spoke to the people of the camp and stated “consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5). Joshua was instructing the children of Israel to prepare themselves for something that was about to take place.

What was Joshua telling the children of Israel to do at this point? What does this mean? Other versions read this as “sanctify” rather than “consecrate.” Regardless of which English word that is used, the concept that is being described is the action to “set yourself apart” or “to separate.” He was presenting a challenge to the Israelites to prepare themselves spiritually for something that was brink of occurring, namely, the crossing of the Jordan.

It is interesting to look at Joshua’s discernment in this situation; he knew that something great and monumental was about to happen and his response is very unusual. Rather than challenging the Israelites to be prepared physically, which could have consisted of gathering food and other necessities, he challenges the Israelites to prepare themselves spiritually; he presented the challenge to remove from their lives anything that was unholy. This instruction was also given previously in the Old Testament. Before God had given the Ten Commandments to Moses, He presented the challenge to the Israelites to “consecrate” themselves (Exodus 19:22).

The reasoning for Joshua’s instruction is pretty clear. He knew that God was about to do a work and he wanted everyone to be aware of this. He was aware that minimal distractions were needed to shift focus from God to something of less significance; he wanted the Israelites to have their focus solely on God so that they could see that magnitude of the miracle that was about to take place. The same is true in our lives, especially in ministry. Whether it is the people that we are involved with or even the ministry itself, we are easily distracted.

We should be willing to consecrate ourselves, as well. Hebrews 12 provides clear instructions as to how this can take place within the life of a believer. The writer commands to lay aside every weight and sin that hinders from running the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1). The writer also shows where focus is to be placed; he states to fix “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The challenge that has been presented to me and that I pass to you is this: be willing to set the weights aside and consecrate yourself unto Christ; prepare yourself spiritually; fix your eyes on Him so that you are able to recognize the great things that He does in your life on a daily basis.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell