PATTERNS
Ecclesiastes 1:9
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new (2319 fresh,) thing under the sun. KJV
- Past will be a pattern for present & future
- God WILL do it again!
Joshua 3:1-5
3:1 And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed (to start on a journey) from Shittim (notes below) and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.
2 And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;( after 3 days Jesus rose from the dead, now alive)
3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it(they had been used to following a cloud and a pillar of fire, now they were following the Ark carried by man as they were moved on by God), then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it .
4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits(sanctification 1 Kings 7:23,29) we cannot clean ourselves enough to come by our own standards, priests washed in lavers filled by the sea, His grace is new and unlimited (ish)) by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.
5 And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify (consecrate, prepare) yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do
- Shittim - means sticks of wood, scourging thorns, pierce (picture of The Cross, the Crown of Thorns and the stripes),
- Numbers 25:1 Israel abode(inhabit, dwell, endure, haunt, return) there, though free became enslaved to sin - they were set free to drive out evil, not partake of it
- Things that are not moving are dying, getting fat or growing unhealthy
- You come to The Cross to die that you might live, you leave The Cross to live that you might not die
- Same picture in 2 Kings 17:12 of The Cross/Crucifixion/Christ
- Cross was outside the gate - widow was outside the gate
- Jesus/Elijah asked for a drink
- 2 sticks were The Cross - symbolizing death (or life) the place of hopelessness became a place of hop
- Elijah asked for bread - Jesus was Bread of Life
- As The Lord liveth - I know He is alive but without Him I am dying (in my sins)
- Jesus was hidden for a time, then manifested
- Elijah was hidden for a time, then manifested
- Jesus was the Son that died, the widow had a son that died - Both were brought back to life
- This was before Jordan (baptism)
- the place that Israel rested after gaining victory over 2 kings
- Sometimes our greatest trials come after our greatest victories
- We can become complacent after victory and slack off
- Supposed to represent an End of desert wanderings
- Joshua sent forth spies - you decide, or don’t, how you leave Shittim
- We leave as "saved" grasshoppers, or as more than conquerors
PARTING OF THE WATERS - BAPTISM
- Crossed Jordan near Jericho
- Close to if not same place John Baptized Jesus
- Close to if not same place Elijah and Elisha went across
- Jordan - means The Descender, watering place, boundary, to subdue, place of death
Isaiah 43:1-2
43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. KJV
Waters - Red Sea
Rivers shall not overflow - Jordan at the time of harvest
Fire - firey baptism
Matthew 3:1
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. KJV
Matthew 3:11-16
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost (current of air, spirit, blow or breathe hard), and with fire (literally or figuratively, lightening):
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: KJV
STOPPING GROUNDS OR STOMPING GROUNDS
“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.”
Hebrews 4:12 KJV
- Man is a SPIRIT that has a SOUL and lives in a BODY
- We have to deal and bring into submission all 3 parts
- Three part man - God is a Trinity
2 Kings 2:1-17
2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal(SOUL)(rolling away, place of the wheel/circle, first place the camped, 12 stones/foundations (place where flesh is dealth w/ circumcised) where Saul - mans choice - was made king).
2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel FLESH/BODY(house of God, place where worship took place, courts of The Lord).
3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho (SPIRIT) (place of spiritual maturity, dominion, someone takes charge here, place of unity, perfection 7 times etc ), . And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan(stood by the place of death but would not die and pass over).
8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.(Spiritual maturity - faith overcoming natural)
9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.
13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;
14 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.
15 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.
16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.
17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.
KJV
Cloud is fine by day but you need a FIRE at night!!
YOU may not have passed this way before but OTHERS have:
- Jesus
- Israel
- Elijah & Elisha
- The Great Cloud of Witnesses
