As I Was With Moses

Sermon as preached at Lambs and Evington UMC 11/2/14

Read Joshua 3:7-17 

 (Image Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Last week, we ended our scripture with the death of Moses. He had climbed up on top of Mt.

Pisgah and had seen the promised land, but died before he could get there.  The Israelite people had stayed for 30 days to mourn his death, but now they were on the move again, but now they had a new leader Joshua. Joshua, taken from the crowd of the Israelites now had to follow in the footsteps of Moses; the feet that had led the people out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, that climbed Mt. Sinai and brought back the Law from God, the feet that had led them here, right outside of the Promise Land, and now Joshua had to follow in those footsteps. What a tough act to follow, and Moses seemed to have given over control at one of the worst times for Joshua, for yes they were close to the Promise Land to Jericho, but the land was already occupied. This new leader was going to have to lead the Israelites into war.

            Now if we know anything about Joshua, then we probably know him as a great military leader. After what is the story that most of us know Joshua for? Maybe we even know the song about it, Joshua fought battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls come tumbling down. It is probably what he is best known for. How he sent out spies to go into Jericho, how they found a prostitute named Rehab that housed them and protected them and in return they protected her in the battle. We probably know of the army circling the walls for days with horns and the Ark of the Covenant, and then on the last day blowing on might blow, and as the song tells us, the walls came tumbling down. Oddly enough, in the early history of the Israelites it is not this story of Joshua conquering Jericho that was story that Joshua was known for; our scripture for today was actually the most spread and ritualized story of Joshua.

            You see, we know Joshua as a great and mighty warrior, but in our scripture for today, Joshua was still a new leader. Joshua was still following in the footsteps of Moses. So as Joshua led the army towards Jericho for battle, it wasn’t the great wall that we sing about that first stood in their way, it was the mighty Jordan river.

            Sure some spies had crossed the river and snuck into Jericho, but this was no group of spies, this a was an army and there was no way that they were sneaking. Crossing this river as an army was dangerous, it would separate them and leave them defenseless on the other side if their enemies had wanted to do a preemptive strike. Plus I’m sure the Israelites remember what happened to the huge Egyptian army when they tried to cross a large body of water. This river presented a real hurdle for Israelites. It seemed like at this moment Joshua really needed a pep talk, he was probably feeling discouraged and overwhelmed, he was probably thinking Moses would know what to do if here were here. So God speaks to Joshua and says, “this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses”  I will be with you as I was with Moses. What comforting words for Joshua to hear. It didn’t mean everything would go easy, Moses for sure had his own difficulties, but just to hear those words, I will be with you as I was with Moses just seems to bring such comfort.

            And it wasn’t only in word that God made this promise, God showed Joshua he was telling the truth. As Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan, God spoke to him and told him to tell those carrying the Ark of the Covenant to go and stand in the river. The moment they stood in the river the water stopped flowing. The river had dammed up further upstream and now the Israelites were able to walk across dry land. Now damming up a river might not be as dramatic as parting a sea and having crash it crash back down upon the enemy, but in the minds of the Israelites there was no doubt that this was the work of the same God who delivered the Israelites out of Egypt.  If there were any questions about Joshua leadership or whether or not God was still with the people, crossing over a dry Jordan river, especially in the middle of the flood season, erased all of these doubts. Walking across the river on dry land is a reminder to the Israelites and Joshua of God’s promise, “I will be with you as I was with Moses.”

            Though this event of walking across the Jordan may be a powerful event that triggers thoughts of God’s presence with Moses and now with Joshua, there is in fact a more present, more physical reminder of God’s constant presence with the people; the Ark of the Covenant. This chest that contains the Law Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai, constantly travels with the people. When the people stopped in one place for a moment, the Ark became the center of the Tabernacle, it became the center of place of worship, of the house of God. Later when the Israelites had established their kingdom under David, the great Temple was built to house this amazing ark. There are stories of the awesome power of this Ark as well, such as a man dying on contact simply from touching it. And now in our story, the Ark of the covenant is the main symbol of God’s presence with the Isrealites once more, for it is when the Ark crosses into the river that the river dammed up, and after all are across on the other side, the Ark was taken from the river, and once again it the river flowed. This chest, this Ark of the Covenant became a physical sign of God’s presence with them.

            But now the Ark of the Covenant is lost, if only we had a sign of God presence with us. If only we had something physical to hold on to, to touch, to smell, to taste even. If only something in the church could gather and unite us with the same power and assurance that the Ark gave Joshua and the Israelites. If only there were some great act like the damming of the river that we could relive and ritualize so that we may be reminded of and experience God’s presence with us. But of course we do. We have the Lord’s Table. We have Jesus’s body and blood given for us. We have this feast in which we are united as one body and experience Christ’s presence with us.  Like when God spoke to the Israelites through the power of the Ark of Covenant, so too God speaks to us through Holy Communion and reminds us, “I will be with you as I was with Moses.” If you are terrified of the call I have placed on your life, I will be with you as I was with Moses. If you are frustrated with the ways things are going in your life or in the life of the church, I will be with you as I was with Moses. If you are frightened, and feel stuck like there is nowhere else to turn, I will be with you as I was with Moses. And how do you know that I am with you? It is not because of an ancient holy artifact, it is because I have been with you. I have come down and lived as you have and even die for you. I will be with you because here is my body and my blood given for you. As I was with Moses, as I will be will be with you.