过河的难题
约书亚记一章10至18节
10于是，约书亚吩咐百姓的官长说：
11你们要走遍营中，吩咐百姓说：当预备食物；因为三日之内你们要过这约但河，进去得耶和华─你们神赐你们为业之地。
12约书亚对吕便人、迦得人，和玛拿西半支派的人说：
13你们要追念耶和华的仆人摩西所吩咐你们的话说：耶和华─你们的神使你们得享平安，也必将这地赐给你们。
14你们的妻子、孩子，和牲畜都可以留在约但河东、摩西所给你们的地；但你们中间一切大能的勇士都要带着兵器在你们的弟兄前面过去，帮助他们，
15等到耶和华使你们的弟兄像你们一样得享平安，并且得着耶和华─你们神所赐他们为业之地，那时才可以回你们所得之地，承受为业，就是耶和华的仆人摩西在约但河东、向日出之地所给你们的。
16他们回答约书亚说：你所吩咐我们行的，我们都必行；你所差遣我们去的，我们都必去。
17我们从前在一切事上怎样听从摩西，现在也必照样听从你；惟愿耶和华─你的神与你同在，像与摩西同在一样。
18无论甚么人违背你的命令，不听从你所吩咐他的一切话，就必治死他。你只要刚强壮胆！
信息分享
你见过河水泛溢、涨到两岸的情况吗？当你站在河的这边，急欲渡过对岸，却见到河水泛溢，那怎么办呢？河水正湍急地涌流，怎能安扺彼岸呢？
当以色列民看见泛溢的约旦河，他们的内心一定知道，除非神施行神迹帮助他们，否则，他们根本不可能过河。但与此同时，他们亦知道，他们若想得到神所赐的应许地，就一定要过河。
当约书亚透过长官对众民说：「当预备食物，因为三日之内你们要过这约旦河」，百姓一定在思忖着怎样过河(11节)。然而，百姓听命服从了，因为在第三章看见他们在命令下达后与神一同前行。信心驱使他们作好准备，信心驱使他们克尽职守，然后，等待神去作人不能行的。
这几节经文还有一点值得我们留意。约书亚提醒流便、迦得和玛拿西支派的百姓，他们虽然得到摩西的准允，让他们留在约旦河东定居，但他们亦承诺摩西，必与其他支派一同争战，征服约旦河西的地。「你们已经获得自己的地去建立家园，」约书亚对他们说，「可是，你们不要忘记你们有责任帮助其他支派得地为业。他们曾经帮助你们，如今便轮到你们去帮助他们了。」
当我们要求别人帮助自己时，一定很容易会答应将来回报他们，但有时却没有兑现。然而，这几个支派却真的谨守承诺，后来便得到约书亚的称赞。
遗憾的是，当他们回到约旦河东岸建立家园，安居乐业之后，他们却逐渐离弃了神，与其他的以色列民彻底地分开。
今天许多信徒也是一样。他们最初成为基督徒的时候，满腔热诚，积极地为神工作；但随着年日的过去，他们对神的爱便渐渐冷却，逐渐远离神。对于这些信徒，我们必须让他们知道：慈爱的神，永远为他们大开赦免之门，只要他们回转，神永远愿意接纳他们。
祷告：
主啊，你是信实的主，求你保守我，使我永远忠于你。
THE PROBLEM OF THE RIVER
Joshua 1:10-18
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’”
12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them,
15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
Message
Have you seen a river in flood? Have you ever tried to cross one? Have you stood on the bank and wondered how and when you could ever get to the other side?
As the people of Israel looked at that flooded Jordan River, they must have realised the hopelessness of their situation unless God did something extra special for them. At the same time, if they wanted what God had promised, they had to cross that flooded river.
They must have wondered how they would cross when Joshua said (v.11) 'Get some food ready. In three days we're going to cross the Jordan River.' But the people must have obeyed, because we will see in chapter 3 how they moved ahead with God when the command came. Faith gets ready. Faith does all that it can do and then waits for God to do what we cannot do.
There is one other point to notice in these verses. Joshua reminded the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, that they had made a promise when Moses gave them their land on the east of Jordan. 'You have your land', said Joshua, 'now remember your responsibility toward the others. They helped you, now you must help them.
It is easy to make promises, isn't it? It is sometimes much harder to keep them. These tribes did keep their promise, however, and later Joshua praised them for doing so.
Sad to say, after they returned home to the east side of Jordan, they drifted away from God. Finally they were completely lost to Israel.
Many today are like that. They are active for God in their early years as a Christian. But later, as the years pass, their love cools and they drift away from God. Our message for them and for us all today is that the way back is always open. The road to forgiveness is never closed. It is the way of the cross. But there we find the love of God waiting for us, ready to renew us when we call on him.
A PRAYER:
Lord keep me faithful as you are faithful.