Joshua 4:1-24 KJV
1 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,
3 And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:
5 And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:
6 That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
7 Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
8 And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10 For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan.
18 And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.
19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.
21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?
22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.

To be in Joshua shoes after Moses death was not only honor but also perhaps a time of wondering what God would do in his own lifetime. Israel had been separated from the promise land over 400 years and now was entering the promise land of their Fathe Abraham's faith. God made a bridge of dry land to leave the fiery pit of Egypt and now was going to make that same bridge of dry land when they cross over Jordan. Two bridges one of faith and one of hope. I began by looking up the word bridge this morning and could not find a bridge in scripture, however I certain there is another word in Jewish language for bridge. Yet the word meaning to bridge is to cross over. And as we think of what it means to cross over this morning, as a believer in Christ you already cross over from the land of Egypt/slavery. We are in slaved before getting saved to the things of this world, to the ways of the devil. We had no guide beyond our own whims and yet upon faith in Christ we no longer enslaved to the devil but we cross over to the journey of faith. Now we do not want to be the people that stop having faith but to people of faith like Joshua and even Caleb. To be people of faith that even if we got a glimpse at the promise land we know to follow the will of God.

This morning when we see the bridge God made into the land of learning to walk by faith, we see Moses departed the red sea. The blood covering the sin of the world behind as it flood over the Egyptian ruler. Into the journey of faith, they made it to the land of promise, the land of milk and honey. Joshua obey the Lord and had the ark set in the middle of the jordan as the children of Israel pass through to the other side into the promise land. We can only imagine what this was like, but imagine two walls symbolizing the narrow walk of faith and rightly dividing the word of truth. The words God spoke to Joshua about parting of Jordan was true and the pathway lead to the promise land. When the water came back over the dry land there was no turning back, in either the red sea crossing or into the promise land.

Twelve stones a symbol of each tribe like the twelve gates around the New Jerusalem in Heaven. A significant number of stones to tell that each tribe made it into the promise land. As a believer in Christ as we walk the walk of faith we learn to divide the word of truth. The word truth will lead us home to the promise land. God's bridge of dry land and two walls of water, one of Spirit of truth and the other the Word of truth. As a believer we have two principals of faith to trust in Jesus and to trust the Holy Spirit. Two walls of protection around the believer as they walk by faith. Now at what point we learn to divide the wall must come by the power of God and not the power of man. We can learn all the scripture without faith, but never learn how it applies to the people of faith beyond it being only a story. Until one believes, the word is not divided by the Spirit and things of this world. Two things in scripture, the walk of faith and the walk of the world. The walk of the world tells the story of greed, desire and wants. The walk of faith tells what occurs if we obey God. Some people just want to be like mean Queen Jezebel who was adultress woman of faith, who followed after Baal. Her husband not much better. The story of faith like Moses, Samuel, the disciples and so forth. They were not perfect men. The women of faith like Hannah, Deborah, Esther, Elizabeth and Mary to name a few.

If we can divide the word and truth from lies, and falsehoods, and follow in faith in the footsteps of Jesus by God's word, we will cross over the jordan river into the promise land called heaven. We cross over out of hell into the streets of faith. There is no turning back and none can go with you on your journey for this walk is a personal walk of faith. There may be others walking the same direction as you, but your walk you must do alone. This walk must be the walk towards heaven. When God departs the water you walk right in through those pearly gates. The walk of faith will lead you home. The story of cross will lead you home.

God through his Son brings us to a point of rest. The fear of separation from God no longer exist if we receive Jesus as Lord. We come to rest because we no longer have to be concern about separation from God. The journey of faith no matter what others do will not separate you from God, after receiving Christ as Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father, as you stand in our road, to help us divide your word of truth and Spirit so water floods not over to drown us, enable us divide your word and to know your truth of faith. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Hebrews 4:8-12 KJV
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.