Joshua 3:5 – Verse of the Day 9/28/13

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

In biblical terms, the word “consecrate” means “to make holy.” Washing was a common symbol of consecration, both for items used in Temple worship and for the people themselves. In Joshua 3, the Lord commanded Joshua to stand in the Jordan river, and promised to part the waters so that the people could pass on dry ground. This “passing through the waters” was a symbolic “washing” and indicated the consecration of the people as they passed through the river in to God’s Holy Promised Land.

Although we were separated from God because of our sin, through the work of Jesus we have been made holy and set apart for God’s service. As you pray, thank God for this beautiful picture of our washing from sin way back in the Old Testament. God has cleansed us from our sin in order to make us holy just as Jesus is holy. Thank God for the forgiveness that is ours in Jesus.