Swelling Of The Jordan

"If thou has run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" Jer. 12:5.

I read this text and realized that God was talking to me. The small problems in my life were overwhelming me.

It seems like my whole life I wanted to be one of the people that lived until Christ comes. Just as Israel was taken through the plagues of Egypt, I have always believed that Christ can keep me through the last plagues of this world. "Thus it shall be with the last generation of men living on the earth. Through them God's final demonstration of what He can do with humanity will be given.

He will take the weakest of the weak, those bearing the sins of their forefathers, and in them show the power of God. ........... It will become evident to all that the gospel really can save to the uttermost, God is found true in His savings." pp 302 The Sanctuary Service by M. L. Andreasen. I wanted to be one that God could show His power through. But here was this text meant just for me. I was weary and this is a time of peace. I needed to know how to "contend with horses", how to cross the river Jordan when it was swollen past it's banks.

Jordan represents trials

The River Jordan represents the trials of our lives. Naaman was made clean by dipping in it seven times. It was dirty and murky and he resisted it, after all if dipping in a river could take away his leprosy, there were ones that were a lot cleaner. But it had to be the river Jordan. And I, just like Naaman, am looking for a less murky river to wash away the sins in my life, that I will die from, if not healed.

My father is a minister and for most of my life I remember him doing extra study into the Old Testament Sanctuary. In one of his sermons I remember his saying that each of the gems on the High Priest's breast plate started out as a common ore turned precious under pressure. Ore made precious under pressure, gold tried in the fire, crossing the River Jordan, all examples of the trials of life meant to prefect us.

I do not have a library that covers walls to refer to. But I needed to know more. I have Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, The Conflict of the Ages series, a few other paper back books purchased over the years, a Funk & Wagnall dictionary, and my Bible.

I learned that the river Jordan was a river that runs from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It was near Jericho. Jacob said that he had "passed over this Jordan;" and had "become two bands." Gen. 32:10. The people despised it. It was not impossible to cross, they had to cross it many times. When Elisah was returning from Elijah's translation to heaven, "He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan: and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The Spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him." 2 Kings 2:13-15. Long before the sons of the prophets could recognize Elisha by his face they knew him by the power he possessed to cross the river Jordan. You see it is not that Christians are exempt from going through the trials of life, what sets them apart is the ease with which they cross them.

We are coming to a time when the river will be even more treacherous to cross and the Promised Land is on the other side. Those of us headed for the Promised Land must cross it. When the children of Israel crossed over to the Promised Land it was in the spring when the snows of winter were melting and it made the river swell past it's banks. Running faster and swifter than any other time. The quick running water churned up the banks and dirt so that the water was dark and forbidding. No one else was crossing it at this time. Yet here stood Israel, preparing to cross. And here we are today facing the time of trouble like never before. How will we make it through? Will we go to the mountains and set up forts in which to hide? Will we stock pile food in caves for when we will not be able to buy or sell? What can we learn from the children of Israel's crossing of the River Jordan?

I went to my Bible

I went to my bible and re-read the account. Joshua 3&4. The highlights that stood out in my mind were verse 5, "And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." and verses 15-17, "And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap ..... And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan."

The key was the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I would need that if I expect to cross over the swollen Jordan of end times. A look at the ark, that went before the children of Israel into the Jordan, would be beneficial to me.

There are many parallels that can be derived from the study of the Sanctuary. There have been people who put their whole lives into such study. My father has held meetings night after night just touching on the subject. I love to hear them. I learn something new each time. But what I want to look at now are the highlights that will shed light on the crossing of the Jordan.

The ark was placed into the Most Holy Place, it was were God Among us sat. It has been called the seat of our propitiation. Propitiation, that is a word I had never thought about. If asked what it meant, I would not have been able to tell you. So I got out the Funk & Wagnalls. "propitiate: to cause to be favorably disposed; conciliate." It is in the Bible 3 times, all are of Christ and His disposition of our sins. This is what came to my mind. When I take out the trash to roadside it is picked up and gone out of my sight. But has not been favorably disposed of. The many large problems that have arisen from our dump sights over the years are a testimony to this. But just as the natural waste and dead things of this world decay into life supporting compost so our dead sins are transformed into hope for others that they too can over come.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor.3:16. The ark of the covenant of the Lord, the covenant between the Lord and me, would be in my heart. "If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chro. 7:14. My sins must be confessed, I must turn from my wicked ways, to have Christ sit on the mercy seat of the ark in my heart. He can only be the propitiation of sins confessed, given, to Him.

Hebrew 9:4 tells me "...wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;". Why were these 3 things in the ark? What do they have to do with the crossing of the Jordan? The first article to be placed into the ark were the tables of stone on which the 10 commandments were written. It has amused me that one of the clichés of today is "written in stone" to mean unchangeable and yet people want to believe that the 10 commandments were done away with at the cross. The very thought that they were placed into the mercy seat upon where God sat suggests that one would have to remove God from his throne to do away with them.

Could God move off his throne?

Who could ever move God off his throne to steal them? If His throne is in my heart, than only I could unseat him. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" John 14:12, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. " Rev. 22:14. "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand form doing any evil ...For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer....." Isa. 56:2-5. I found so many texts with my Strong's that I have pages of them. Yes, if I expect to enter into the Promised Land, I would have to make sure the 10 commandments are placed in my heart and ask the One sitting on this throne to keep them there.

The second article placed into the ark was "an omer" of manna. "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy father's know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deu. 8:3.

Christ met every temptation with scripture. Every promise, bidding, admonishment, and object lesson is manna to one that is hungry. The food to hide away in secret places needs to be tid bits of scripture. When the command goes out "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." Rev. 22:11 no one will be able to share the food of spiritual life with anybody, just as the wise virgins were unable to share their oil. "And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." Ex.16:18. When manna was collected, what was left over spoiled. Each collected their share, an "omer". Some believe that because the scripture says that "no one will be able to buy or sell" that stockpiling food somewhere will bring them through this time. But we can be fed, physical food, by the birds, the same as Elijah. What is needed for us to gather is the extra omer of manna. This is Friday, the preparation day, we need the extra omer in our heart to take us through the day when manna will not be obtainable.

The third article in the ark was "Arron's rod that budded". There was a take over in the planning and Korah was at the head of it. He accused Moses and Aaron "...Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is amoung them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?" Num.16:3. He figured that since the people could pray and speak to the Lord and be answered that they didn't need "figure heads" and that Moses and Aaron thought too much of themselves. I have heard these same murmurs in the church today. "What makes you think that God would tell you this when others in the church are just as close to him as you are and he hasn't told me that." "We have had as many or more baptisms in our church when we didn't have a pastor. The Elders can give as good a sermon as any Pastor. We are fine without one."

We sometimes forget

We sometimes forget how God has set up his organization. He gives us leaders, and I can not think of one time when he gave a message to the church that did not go to one person first. As close as Moses was to God, advise from Jethro, his father-in-law was helpful. As many times as God had spoken to David, it was David's servant whom God chose to admonish David. Yes, God speaks to us all, personally, but we should never forget how he leads and that he sets up leaders and he removes them. Arron's rod that budded was "...to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not." Num.17:10 "These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Prov. 6:16-19.

Arron's rod was a branch from an almond tree. And laying there in the tabernacle before the Lord, I am sure that the resemblance to the candlestick could not be over looked. The candlestick was a representation of Christ. it had buds, flowers and almonds carved into it. What does the almond have to show us? It was the first tree to bloom in the spring and the Jews called it the awaking tree. It is interesting to know that the peach tree is known as the false almond because it's pit looks like an almond but contains cyanide. The almond is known by herbalists to contain healing. So as with Christ in which there is healing and there is a false Christ in which there is death.

I looked up rod in my Funk & Wagnalls, "rod: 1Discipline; correction 3A septer or badge of office. 3 Dominion; power, 4 A measuring rule". All very good descriptions of Christ's roll in our lives. I looked up every text that had rod in it and I discovered something I had never realized before, it was Aaron's rod that was cast before Pharaoh which turned into the serpent that ate the others. It was Aaron's rod that was held over the waters and turned them to blood, and so on throughout the plagues. Aaron's rod was the representation of who was with them from the beginning of their freedom from slavery and throughout their journeys in the wilderness. It was the "Rod of God" that when raised by Moses the battle was won, and when lowered the battle lost. It was put into the ark so that they would never forget who had lead them all along.

Yes Aaron's Rod that budded would also have to be in my heart so that I will "die not". I must never forget who saved me from the slavery of sin, who has been my staff all along, the one to lean on. I must never murmur against his chosen leaders or cause discord among the brethren. I must accept the discipline and correction of this Rod, and use it always as my measuring rule. I must remember to hold it up during every battle if I expect to win. "We have nothing to fear from the future except that we forget how we were lead in the past." E.G. White.

How will I do at the swelling of the Jordan? Sometimes when I look at the past, times that were very dark in my life, I try to figure out how I made it through. The only possible explanation is Christ brought me through. There have been so many miracles in my life that I can not count them. It may not be for me to live through the final plagues of the last days. I may be one of the dead in Christ to rise first. But if I find myself facing the River Jordan at its worst, as long as I allow Christ to remain on his seat of mercy in my heart and keep the articles safe inside, and put this ark in the waters before me, the waters will part and stand up and I will cross on dry land. And "... I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Ps. 23:4. Praise God for providing a way through it all, past , present , future.