THE MYSTERY OF CROSS-OVER (Part 1-2)

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Eric Aboadwe
January 1 ·

THE MYSTERY OF CROSS-OVER (Part 1)

Our Scripture reading is once again taking from the account of Joshua:

“Then the priests who bore the ARK of the COVENANT of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel CROSS-OVER on dry ground, until all the people had CROSSED completely over the Jordan” (Joshua 3:17).

In the previous day, our study and attention was centred on how the word “CROSS-OVER” has been wrongly used, misinterpreted, and celebrated by majority of Christians without knowing it’s spiritual meaning or significance. So today we are going to look into the MYSTERY behind this important event in the LIGHT of God’s “Word” which reveals its prefiguration or foreshadow in JESUS CHRIST who came to “fulfill” all things through His ministries of birth, baptism, death, and resurrection (BBDR).

When Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo and to the top of Pisgah which is across Jericho according the COMMAND of the LORD, God showed him the extent of the PROMISED LAND which was wide open before his eyes. This was the LAND which God actually swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So God told Moses, “I have caused you to SEE it with your eyes, but you shall not CROSS-OVER there” (Deuteronomy 14:4)

This shows that Moses could not lead the people of Israel to “CROSS-OVER” the Jordan to possess the LAND of promise. Therefore after his death, Joshua the son of Nun who was also a High Priest according to Zechariah 3:1, was the one chosen by God to lead the Israelites to “CROSS-OVER” for the LAND of possession which flows with honey and milk.

Therefore God told Joshua, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, GO OVER this Jordan, you and all this people, to the LAND which I am giving to them – the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2). When many people read this passage, what is important to them is the fact that Joshua lead the Israelites to “GO OVER” the Jordan to possess the LAND, and they are not interested about the fact that God gave Joshua INSTRUCTIONS concerning how they will “CROSS-OVER” before they will be able to set their foot on the PROMISED LAND.

These INSTRUCTIONS which God gave to Joshua concerning the CROSSING of the Jordan River was a remarkable and mysterious event which will enable all the people of the world to “CROSS-OVER” from this Earth where we live to the spiritual PROMISED LAND. Therefore as Christians, we must understand the INSTRUCTIONS which God gave to Joshua so that we can also “GO OVER the Jordan” by FAITH to possess the LAND of Heaven.

When you read Joshua 3:11-13, God INSTRUCTED Joshua by telling Him that His “ARK of the COVENANT” is actually CROSSING OVER before them into the Jordan, and so he should take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. And He said that when the “soles of the FEET of the PRIESTS” who bear the “ARK” rest in the “WATERS” of the Jordan, then the WATERS shall be “cut off” to enable them to “CROSS-OVER.”

Now let’s see what happened after they followed God’s INSTRUCTION when they set out from their camp to “CROSS-OVER” the Jordan. The Scripture says, “And as those who bore the ARK came to the Jordan, and the FEET of the PRIESTS who bore the ARK dipped in the edge of the WATER (for the Jordan OVERFLOWS all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the WATERS which came from down from UPSTREAM stood still, and rose in heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the WATERS that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, FAILED, and were CUT OFF; and the people CROSSED-OVER opposite Jericho” (Joshua 3:15-16).

My beloved Brethren, before we move further in our studies, I want to say that when we are reading the Bible, we must not quickly jump over it, but we must pay attention with patience and MEDITATION so that the hidden TRUTH which is the golden nugget which comes from the “Word” will be unearthed to us. And when it happens this way, we receive eternal BLESSINGS which is much more precious than gold through our FAITH.

At the moment, I want us to focus on the “ARK of the COVENANT” of the LORD which the “PRIESTS” bore and which went before the Israelites to “CROSS-OVER” the Jordan as God told them. This “ARK” was covered by the “MERCY SEAT” on top of it. And inside the “ARK” was found the Ten (10) Commandments, the Golden Pot of Manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded. All these things have its meanings, and God speaks to us through them concerning the reason why He made the “ARK” to “CROSS-OVER” before them.

The Ten (10) Commandments inside the “ARK” actually stands for our rebellion against God’s standards and LAWS as revealed by the Israelites rebellion in Exodus 32:1-28. And the Golden Pot of Manna also stands for our rebellion against God’s provision as revealed in Numbers 11:1-5. Also Aaron’s rod which budded stands for our rebellion against God’s authority and His chosen priesthood as revealed in Numbers 17:1-11.

In fact concerning Aaron’s rod, God told Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the TESTIMONY, to be kept as A SIGN against the REBELS, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they DIE” (Exodus 17:10). This is the mystery of God’s LOVE and MERCY towards human beings who were conceived and born in iniquity (Psalm 51:5). This tells us clearly that if it had not been the “MERCY SEAT” or the “ARK of the TESTIMONY” which kept the rebellion of the Israelites “away” from God, they wouldn’t have been able to “CROSS-OVER” to the LAND, but they would have “DIED” and go to hell in addition.

Therefore whiles the “PRIEST” were bearing the “ARK” before them for the Israelites to “CROSS-OVER,” God was telling them, “You are not CROSSING-OVER to the Land that I promised to give you because of your own RIGHTEOUSNESS. This is because you are stiff-necked people. But I am bringing you to this Land because I have FORGIVEN all your SINS because of my MERCY as I revealed to you in the sacrificial system of atonement.”

In fact Moses confirmed this to the Israelites when he told them clearly, “Do not THINK in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my RIGHTEOUSNESS the LORD has brought me in to possess this LAND; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. It is NOT because of your RIGHTEOUSNESS or the UPRIGHTNESS of your heart that you go in to possess their LAND...” (Deuteronomy 9:4-5).

These words which Moses spoke to the Israelites was so important that God made Moses to talk about it by emphasizing it over and over again. Therefore when you read further, Moses spoke about it again saying, “Therefore UNDERSTAND that the LORD your God is NOT giving you this GOOD LAND to possess because of your RIGHTEOUSNESS, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Deuteronomy 9:6).

When I read things like this from the Holy Scriptures, it actually saddens me as to what is actually WRONG with the so called Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, and Teachers of today. It is really SHOCKING that whiles Moses told the Israelites to “UNDERSTAND” the fact that it is not by their own “RIGHTEOUSNESS” that they go to possess the LAND, many pastors of today do not have any clue about this, and they preach garbage in their so called “CROSS-OVER” sermons without understanding what they are saying.

The “CROSS-OVER” messages of the pastors of today are filled with human RIGHTEOUSNESS which is “filthy garments” (Isaiah 64:6) before God. They tell people to change themselves, their acts, and behavior through the moral code of the LAW. But Moses and Joshua who were the true servants of God, led the people of Israel to believe in the “RIGHTEOUSNESS which is from God by FAITH” (Philippians 3:9). What most of the pastors of today have been doing is to suspend somebody who commits a SIN against God’s LAW. Meanwhile they themselves cannot obey the LAW. They must REPENT else they are working as priests of Satan.

Our study continues, and in our next study, we will look at how JESUS fulfilled the “CROSS-OVER” for us through His BAPTISM in the Jordan River for us to enter the LAND that He PROMISED us which is the Kingdom of God.

JESUS is SUPREME!




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Eric Aboadwe
January 2 ·

THE MYSTERY OF CROSS-OVER (Part 2)

Our Scripture reading is taken from Joshua where it is recorded:

“And as those who bore the ARK came to the Jordan, and the FEET of the PRIESTS who bore the ARK dipped in the edge of the WATER (for the Jordan OVERFLOWS all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the WATERS which came from down from UPSTREAM stood still, and rose in heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the WATERS that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, FAILED, and were CUT OFF; and the people CROSSED-OVER opposite Jericho” (Joshua 3:15-16).

In our previous study, we learnt that by nature, the Israelites were a stiff-necked people and for that matter very rebellious. However, because God covered all their SINS of disobedience according to His MERCY as revealed by the “ARK of the TESTIMONY” (The Mercy Seat) which was also manifested bin the sacrificial system of atonement, they were able to “CROSS-OVER” the Jordan to the LAND of PROMISE when the priest bore the “ARK” before them.

And because it was not by their own works, good deeds, or “UPRIGHTNESS,” we learnt that Moses even told them before his death at Mount Nebo that they have no “RIGHTEOUSNESS” on their own, and for that matter it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for them to enter the LAND if it had not been by the doings of the Lord their God who saved them with His own “RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

We must therefore know that, the people of Israel did nothing on their own to make the “WATERS” which were coming from the UPSTREAM to “stand still,” and they did nothing on their own “CUT OFF” the WATERS on the other side which went down into the Sea of Arabah. Everything was achieved by the POWER of God and all that they were supposed to do is to believe in His Word and “CROSSED-OVER” to the blessed place. FAITH is all about believing that “with God nothing will be IMPOSSIBLE” (Luke 1:37), and also by accepting the fact that our own efforts are ineffective, unprofitable and fruitless.

Therefore just as the PROMISED LAND was prepared by God and it was given to the Israelites after they have “CROSSED-OVER” the Jordan, JESUS our Saviour also gave us a PROMISE, and so He told us that He is going to prepare a “PLACE” for us (John 14:1-3) which is the “Kingdom of God.” For this reason, unless we also “CROSS-OVER” the WATERS of the Jordan “SPIRITUALLY” we cannot enter the LAND of Heaven.

The Scriptures tells us that “For to be CARNALLY minded is death, but to be SPIRITUALLY minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Hence our CROSSING-OVER the Jordan must be perceived SPIRITUALLY. But the question is “How can we also CROSS it?”

To CROSS-OVER the Jordan, we must understand the Words of JESUS when He told His disciples, “...all things must be FULFILLED which were written in the LAW of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). And it was for this reason that Moses told the Israelites, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a PROPHET like me from your midst, from your brethren, Him you shall hear” (Deuteronomy 18:15). This PROPHET was none other than JESUS CHRIST.

Therefore just as Moses told the Israelites that they cannot “CROSS-OVER” to possess the LAND by their own “RIGHTEOUSNESS,” our Lord JESUS also told us that we have no “RIGHTEOUSNESS” to enter the LAND of Heaven. That’s why He said, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Matthew 6:33). We all know that we don’t “seek” for something that we have. Therefore If JESUS says we must “seek” God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS, then it means we don’t have it at all.

JESUS also said, “Did not Moses give you the LAW, yet none of you KEEPS the LAW?” (John 7:19). This is exactly what Moses also told the Israelites before they CROSSED-OVER to the LAND. He gave this same awareness spoken by JESUS to the Israelites by letting them know that they couldn’t even keep the LAW which he received on Mount Sinai. Moses summarized their SINFUL NATURE and DISOBEDIENCE by using the word “stiff-necked people.”

In the light of this, we can say that it is the worst of all IGNORANCE when a Christian believes or thinks that he can “CROSS-OVER” from this cursed “Earth” to the blessed LAND of the “Kingdom of God” through his own piety and obeisance to the LAW. JESUS told us clearly that “Unless a one is born again of the WATER and the Spirit,” he cannot CROSS-OVER to “enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

However some ignorant and false pastors have been challenging the Words of JESUS by saying that if people are able to stay away from fornication, murderer, an adultery, they can enter God’s Kingdom. This is the reason why God said that “My people are DESTROYED for lack of knowledge.” In fact God even went further by telling the false pastors, “Because you have REJECTED knowledge, I also will REJECT you from being priests for Me” (Hosea 4:6). And in accordance to His Word which does not “FAIL” (Isaiah 34:16), many pastors in Christendom have been “REJECTED” by God.

God is therefore telling us that we must have a SOUND “knowledge” and understanding about all the events recorded in the Bible including the Israelites “CROSSING-OVER” to the PROMISED LAND which was “a shadow of the GOOD things to come” (Hebrews 10:1).

Our study continues, and we will look at how JESUS fulfilled all things through His RIGHTEOUSNESS to enable us “CROSS-OVER” to the “...dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

AMEN!