The Concept of Crossing Over in the Bible and Its Meaning from a Spiritual Perspective
Why do people cross over?
Numerous great and little “decision moments,” or periods in our lives when we are unable to remain still but are also almost too terrified to go ahead, are characteristics of the Christian life. The future is dark, and we are aware that once we start down a certain path, there is no turning back. “Therefore, if anybody is in Christ, he is a new creature,” says the Bible. Crossing over is deciding to live in Christ. The old is gone, and the new is here. (5:17 in 2 Corinthians)
The first group of Israelites to leave Egypt after being set free from slavery paid a heavy price because they were unwilling to take a chance while facing God’s enemies. After forty years, their kids encountered a similar obstacle. On the precipice of the Promised Land, they were waiting. But they also had to cross a body of water to get there—the Jordan River. Joshua served as God’s appointed leader because Moses had passed away. Joshua was connected to everyone who had gone before him by God’s calling. Joshua received a promise from the great “I AM,” Jehovah God of Israel, similar to those made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses, that he would never desert them.
I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses…. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:3-5)
In this talk, God encouraged Joshua three times and urged him to “be strong and brave” (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). The covenantal promise given by Joshua’s God to Abraham thousands of years before was about to be realized:
The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:8)
The Jordan River was located between the Israelites and Jericho. The Israelites would have to wait until the flood season was through if God hadn’t stepped in, as He did at the Red Sea. But God overcame this difficulty to make Joshua their anointed leader (Joshua 3:7) and to get them ready for the much tougher task that lay ahead (vv. 9-13).
What Does It Take to Cross Over?
A clear directive from God’s Word is necessary for someone who is committed to “crossing over.”
Joshua and the other Israelites were required to study and reflect on God’s Word, or God’s Law, as it had been revealed to them via Moses, every day when God handed authority over to Joshua. Joshua and the people were also told to follow the Word rather than merely read it (see Joshua 1:8-9).
In order to “cross over,” one must be willing to experience pain and grief while serving the Lord.
Joshua also urged the people to separate themselves in front of God’s magnificent operation before crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:5). The mere act of consecration served as a reminder to them that the next campaign was only for the glory of God, not their own.
Our sixteen-year-old son died a few days later, and God instructed Sharon to go through her most recent diary entries. She sobbed as she understood that God had guided her to consistently entrust our kid to God’s care and sovereign purposes in the months before the disaster. Even in the context of perhaps losing him in a vehicle accident, Mark’s name was mentioned more often, even though she had also written prayers for our other children. In one note, she wrote, “If Mark were killed in a car accident, I know you would give me the grace to not only endure but to also feel joy once again.” This was expressed in addition to her anxieties. The recollection of this Spirit-led consecration allowed her the fortitude to trust God and endure the discouraging words of the enemy, who always wants us to turn back, to give up, at the water’s edge, on days when floods of sadness threatened to sweep her away.
The foundation of “Crossing Over” is the trust that God will provide the direction.
God guides us rather than sends us. Before the water piled up, the priests actually touched the water’s edge. They waited until every Israelite had crossed the Jordan and reached the opposite side of the river before they stood with the Ark there as God had instructed. In this verse, the Ark—which symbolized God’s personal presence and was the subject of their obedience—is referenced eleven times. In addition to getting His people through, He dried up the Jordan River “so that all the peoples of the world could know that the hand of the Lord is great and that you should always fear the Lord your God.”Judah 4:24
Free to Make Good Decisions.
The rules of God demand obedience and discipline. He often confuses or surprises us with how He answers our prayers for help and direction, whether He does so through our circumstances, the clear teaching in His Word, or the godly advice of a friend or pastor.
Will a Christian worker who is urged to sacrifice his Christian beliefs in order to maintain his job “cross over” and be true to God at all costs? Will the father “cross over” after having to show his kids “tough love” in order to protect them from a sin that may ruin their lives? Will the busy family heed God’s invitation to show compassion to the needy and the homeless and will they “cross over” as well?
Many of God’s commands seem to go against what we see as fair and proper conduct. In a way, we are perched on the Jordan River’s edge while we think about these directives. Can I rely on God to keep His promise to be there for me and keep me safe?Can I put my faith in God for the outcome of my obedience?
You can put your confidence in God for all of this and more, is the unquestionable response.
Of course, the tougher question is, “Will you?”
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