Joshua 3:1-5 - "Sanctify Yourselves..."

We probably are living in the most exciting and challenging days of human history. For one, there are more people on planet earth than there has ever been. Today’s population is over 8 billion and is projected to be almost 10 billion by the year 2050, just 26 years from now. With more people, there are more challenges and of course more problems. Chaos and confusion, wars and rumors of war, violence and corruption are being experienced like never before. People are living in fear without hope, and the younger generations are trying to drown out their pain with drugs, alcohol, and pleasure.   For believers, this means that we have even greater opportunities and a greater responsibility to share a message of love and hope with those around us. People are broken, families are broken, relationships are broken, and we have a message from our Creator God in His Word that has the only cure for their deepest needs. When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church of Ephesus, Nero was a deranged ruler of the Roman world trying to destroy Christians and Christianity itself. It was a very evil time like now! But Paul wrote to the church and said, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:16-17). In other words, “Buy up the opportunities to share a message of hope and love, because of these evil days, the world is broken, and people need the Lord”.   As we look at the passage before us today, we notice that the officers had a message for the people in verses 2-4. As we face the tremendous challenges before us today, we need to keep our eyes on the glory of God and the promise of His presence.   Now in verse 5, Joshua had a message for the people. This was both an order and a promise, and the fulfillment of the promise depended on their obedience to the order. Some of God's promises are unconditional, and all we have to do is believe them; while other promises require that we meet certain conditions. In meeting these conditions, we're not earning God's blessing; we're making sure our hearts are ready for God's blessing.   If the experience of Israel at Mount Sinai was the pattern (Ex. 19:9-15), "sanctify yourselves" meant that everybody bathed and changed their clothes and that the married couples devoted themselves wholly to the Lord (1 Cor. 7:1-6). In the Bible the imagery of washing one's body and changing clothes symbolized making a new beginning with the Lord. Since sin is pictured as defilement (Ps. 51:2, 7), God has to cleanse us before we can truly follow Him. When Jacob made a new beginning with the Lord and returned to Bethel, he and his family washed themselves and changed their garments (Gen. 35:1-3). After King David confessed his sin, he bathed, changed clothes, and worshiped the Lord (2 Sam. 12:20). The imagery is carried over into the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Ephesians 4:26-27, and Colossians 3:8-14.   The promise was that the Lord would do wonders among them. As He opened the Red Sea to deliver Israel from Egypt, so also, He would open the Jordan River and take them into the Promised Land. But that would be just the beginning of miracles, for the Lord would go with them into the land, defeat their enemies, and enable the tribes to claim their inheritance. (Ps. 77:13-14). "How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders!" (Dan. 4:3).   Today, we can cleanse and “sanctify ourselves” with God’s Word. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psalm 119:9). Jesus said, “Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). And Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).   May the Lord help us today to confess our sins and, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).