“Do
not come near (the ark of the covenant), that you may know the way by which you
must go, for you have not been this way before.” Joshua 3:4
The people of Israel were about to
enter the promised land, a place where they had never been. They were being
sent there by God and led there by God. But it was still a place where they had
never been. So, God told the people to wait while the ark of the covenant went
first across the Jordan. They would stay well back and then follow it. What was
there in the Ark that they should find confidence in as it went before them?
The Ark contained the table of the
Commandments. The laws of God would remain as their guide in the new land as
well as the old. The Ark contained the rod of Aaron by which God set aside the
leadership of the Aaronic priesthood as the guiding spiritual leaders. When the
people came into the land and false prophets from false religions tried to lure
them away, God had already firmly set the right religious practices and
leadership for Israelites. The Ark contained a jug of manna. God had provided
for them food in the wilderness for forty years. His past provision was a
promise of His continued care and provision.
We are at the brink of a new year. God’s
laws have not changed. His leadership through His Word and His Son have not
changed. The promise of His presence and provision have not changed. We need to
keep our eyes focused on God and the new year will reveal itself according to
His gracious, loving, and compassionate will.
Dear Father, Give us steadfast
confidence in Your will and Your love. Amen.
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