ALTHOUGH we have heard from many of the difficulty of the subject, and many have sent in no results at all, yet on the other hand many papers have shown a very profitable study of this wonderful type, and many students have expressed their joy and thankfulness for the fruit of their study of the Word.
Some seem to have got lost in going too minutely into detail. The broad outlines of Joshua’s career were more the object aimed at.
We have to thank those who have sent suggestions for study. Some suggestions were most interesting and helpful, and will certainly be made use of.
As many students send in questions resulting from their study, and there is some danger of questions which are written in the matter of the study being overlooked, we shall be very thankful if those who ask questions will write them on a separate sheet of paper with their number distinctly written on it. Questions will be answered as soon as possible, but there are many to be answered, and some delay is unavoidable.
We shall be glad to hear of more of God’s children, especially the young, who wish to take up this study together, and again would ask for the prayers and fellowship of all who seek the blessing and building up of those who are Christ’s wherever they may be found. Will those who are interested kindly make it known to others? All suggestions for study or for any means by which this study may be made more helpful and profitable to all, will be most welcome. Above all, may the study of the precious Word of God be continually accompanied by prayer, that we may increase, not in head knowledge, but in a true heart intimacy with Christ, and that the result may be increased energy and power for His service.
The most helpful way of following out the history of Joshua as recorded in the Word of God seems to be to take it in connection with the different stages of the journeys of the children of Israel, God’s redeemed people, from Egypt to the final settlement in the Land of Promise. As one of our contributors remarks, the subject is a “vast” one, and it is impossible to go into details, but the broad outlines of Joshua’s connection with the history of the redeemed people may be helpful for further study. The stages seem to be twelve in number:
1. Egypt to Sinai — This stage of the journey shows seven distinct steps, ending with the conflict with Amalek in the Valley of Rephidim. Here Joshua is mentioned for the first time.
It is long before his entrance upon public life, so to speak. He is a very young man, and this makes the type the more striking. After everything has been provided for the needs of the journey, manna every morning, and water from the rock, we are shown that the way of victory lies in the unceasing intercession of Moses on the top of the mountain, together with the leading of Joshua below in the valley. The special character of this conflict and its dangers are shown in Deuteronomy 25:17-1917Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. 19Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. (Deuteronomy 25:17‑19), in contrast with Psalms 105:3737He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. (Psalm 105:37). When God brought His people out of Egypt, “there was not one feeble person among their tribes,” but when Amalek met them, there were already those who were “hindmost” — “all that were feeble behind thee” — and over these Amalek prevailed. When Satan’s power over the believer has been broken by redemption, he tries fresh tactics, and since he can never get the believer back into his bondage, he tries to turn the heart of a believer back from pressing on to the glory where Christ is; he uses the difficulties of the way or the attractions of Egypt to make us lag behind and grow faint; then, when the eye is off Christ in glory, the flesh begins to work and Christ is dishonored, Amalek prevails. But what keeps us from turning back or lagging wearily behind, and so falling into Amalek’s hands, is the intercession of Christ on high for us, and the presence of the Holy Ghost in us bearing witness to the glory of Christ, and occupying our hearts with the glory and with Christ Himself. This character of the Holy Ghost’s indwelling is spoken of in Colossians 1:2727To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27) as “Christ in you the hope of glory,” and gives the special point of the type here. Thus it is not the conflict of Romans 7, which is the experience of a renewed soul under law, and is indeed bondage rather than conflict. Exodus 17 comes in before Sinai, that is, before the principle of law was introduced at all.
2. Sinai. — During the time of Israel’s stay at Sinai, the time of the giving of the law, first pure law, and then law mixed with grace, Joshua goes up with Moses (Ex. 24:1313And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. (Exodus 24:13)), comes down with him (Ex. 32:1717And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. (Exodus 32:17)), and departs not out of the tent that Moses has pitched outside the camp and called the Tent of Meeting (Ex. 33:1111And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11)). The constant association of Joshua with Moses is remarkable here. Acts 1:22Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: (Acts 1:2) may bear upon the first two passages, and Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) on the third, but the typical meaning here is not easy to see, and offers food for study.
3. Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea. — Trial and failure of people under responsibility. Three steps are taken, first they despise the manna (Num. 11), then they despise Moses (Num. 12), and finally despise the pleasant land (Num. 13), and are turned back — under law they could not get in. Joshua only comes in once in this stage (Num. 11:2828And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. (Numbers 11:28)), where he is seen jealous for Moses’ glory.
4. Searching of the Land. — This is the turning point. Here Joshua’s name is changed from Hoshea (“salvation”), to Jehoshua or Joshua, the same as Jesus (“Jehovah the Saviour”), and faith at once attaches itself to him; that is the special point of the remarkable connection between Caleb and Joshua. Faith owns that everything depends upon Christ and receives the Spirit’s witness to Him, and gets the blessing. All the rest fall in the wilderness (cf 2 Timothy 1:1212For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12), and Phil. 3:7-147But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:7‑14)). Note also the remarkable way in which Caleb by faith takes up God’s promise (cf. Numbers 14:3030Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (Numbers 14:30) with Josh. 14:66Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. (Joshua 14:6)). Caleb says “me and thee” because God said “Caleb and Joshua.”
5. Thirty-eight years’ wandering — marked by entire absence of any mention of Joshua. This is reckoned from Kadesh-Barnea to the brook Zered (Deut. 2:1414And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them. (Deuteronomy 2:14)). During the time of God’s governmental dealings, His estrangement from them (Num. 14:3434After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. (Numbers 14:34), New Tr.), manna remains and water from the rock, but there is no testimony to a glorified Christ. Caleb carries it in his heart through all. The remaining stages are simpler, and though there is much that is most interesting and profitable in them, we must pass rapidly over them as space limits are already exceeded.
6. Plains of Moab. — Preparation for entrance into the land. Joshua appointed to succeed Moses. (Num. 27:15,23, 32:28, 34:17; Deut. 1:36,38, 31:7,23, 34:9). Compare the passages relating to the Spirit in John 14-16
7. Jordan. — Joshua is magnified (Eph. 1:20,2120Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:20‑21); Phil. 1:2020According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)). Joshua places the twelve stones in Jordan (Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6), o).
9. Jericho. — True Christian warfare. Captain of the Lord’s Host is there. Yet Joshua commands. No carnal weapons. No word is uttered till Joshua says “Shout.” They attempt Ai without Joshua, and are defeated. Ebal marks the close of this first stage in the occupation of the land.
10. Ebal to Shiloh. — Conquest and inheritance in the energy of faith. Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Joshua conquers the whole land, and with Eleazar assigns the inheritance.
11. Shiloh. — Here, when the tabernacle has been set up, the seven backward tribes are stimulated to take their inheritance. Joshua sends three men for each tribe to describe the inheritance and write it in a book. Lastly, Joshua takes his inheritance. Cities of Refuge. Cities of Levites. Cf. Second Epistle of Peter.
12. Shechem. — Joshua lays all upon the stone of witness, and Joseph’s bones are buried in Shechem, for after all, though Joshua in the energy of the Spirit might conquer the land and allot it, all belongs to the one who was separated from his brethren, and whose only inheritance here is a grave. Cf. Epistle of Jude.
We trust that further study may fill out this meagre outline, and lead to rich feeding of heart upon Christ in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, and in Whom we too are complete.
The Subject for April will be (D.V) the Passover. The special points to be searched out are—
1. The meaning of the details of the Passover as given in Exodus 12, showing how they answer to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus.
2. The number of Passovers actually recorded as kept in the Old Testament, giving the occasions and if possible the difference in meaning.
3. All references to the Passover in the Word of God. Students may take either a single one of these divisions of the subject, or all three, “according to his several ability,” and we hope that the subject may be found easier for beginners, as well as giving a little harder work to older hands.
Further suggestions will be welcomed, and those received will be made use of shortly.
B. S. ED.