Slices
Prepare
Remind yourself today that Jesus not only died but rose again. He has defeated sin, Satan and death and now reigns victorious in heaven. And we reign with him.
Bible passage
10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the Lord had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war.
14 That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
15 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 16 ‘Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.’
17 So Joshua commanded the priests, ‘Come up out of the Jordan.’
18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran in flood as before.
19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, ‘In the future when your descendants ask their parents, “What do these stones mean?” 22 tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.’
5 Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Explore
We may not like to think of the Christian life as a battle, but it is. Our struggle is not against people, as Paul reminds us, but against principalities and powers, demonic forces who represent the kingdom of Satan (Ephesians 6:12).
Crossing the Jordan, although miraculous, was in some ways the easy part. Capturing the land would be much harder and would not happen without a fight. The Canaanite tribes would not surrender their land meekly but would contest the advance of Israel. That is why, when Israel crosses over, they are ‘ready for battle’ with about 40,000 men prepared for war (4:12,13). We are reminded of Paul’s vivid description of the armour of God that we are to wear as we face our own spiritual foes (Ephesians 6:13–17) and his call to face suffering ‘like a good soldier of Christ Jesus’ (2 Timothy 2:3).
Recent events have validated Joshua’s leadership credentials and established him as commander of the armies of Israel. In this he is like Jesus, the exalted head of the church and our victorious leader.
Respond
In what ways are you aware of the spiritual battle? Where do you see Satan’s activity in the world, and how does he come against you? Take time to put on the armour of God today so you can stand against his wiles.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 23,24; Acts 26
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray that the leadership of Mission Partner Trobwynt (working in and around Criccieth, Wales) will have a clear sense of God’s leading as they seek his direction for the future. It has been hard to get back into schools after Covid and there are funding issues.
Exploring Easter With Children and Young People
Easter Matters, our brand-new resource pack for Easter is now available.
We know that the message of Easter can sometimes be a difficult topic to bring up with children and young people, especially if they are new to faith. Easter Matters is packed with inspirational stories, ideas and activities to help you explore the message of the cross with children and young people.