IN the book of Joshua we see the people of Israel brought into the land by the power of God, according to His counsel and promise. A dry path having been formed across the overflown river of judgment (Jordan), by the priests bearing the ark of the covenant having gone into the midst of it (typical of Jesus having gone into death and judgment for us), where they remained until all the Israelites had clean passed over.
Being thus in the land, large stones were heaped in Jordan to commemorate the finished work (chap. 4:9, 10), and another heap of twelve stones from out of the midst of Jordan was pitched in Gilgal, that the exceeding greatness of God's power and kindness to His people might be seen in coming ages; for all was of God.
The people were then circumcised; for they were not debtors to the flesh, and no flesh shall glory in God's presence. Circumcision thus set forth the truth that "the flesh profiteth nothing," and was only fit for the judgment of God. They kept the Passover, to show that they had been redeemed out of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb. The morning supply of manna now ceased, because they had "the old corn of the land," so that, feeding on it, they might be strengthened to fight the battles of the Lord of hosts who was with him. (chap. 5)
But Israel soon failed. As long as they were content to be weak and dependent, and willing to fight with "rams' horns" according to the word of the Lord, the strong walls of Jericho fell before them; but when they walked by sight and sense, and judged that they were so strong that two or three thousand would be enough to overcome the men of Ai, they fled before their enemies, and deeply suffered for their self-reliance. Afterward, it was made manifest that there was unjudged evil among them, and God, who is holy, could not fight their battles till this was judged and put away. (chap. 7) This being done, they overcame Ai in the power of God. It was not long before another form of failure manifested itself; not from self-reliance for strength, as at Ai, but from their fancied wisdom in the case of the Gibeonites: they asked not counsel of the Lord. (chap. 9:14) This having been dealt with, the children of Israel were again, by the power of God, victorious time after time, Until they had slain thirty and one kings. (chap. 12:24)
Again we see how terribly their faith failed in not utterly driving out all the Canaanites, and taking possession of and enjoying all the land which the Lord God had given them. (chap. 16:10; 17:1-3) An account is given of the land being divided by lot in ch. 14 &c. Joshua's farewell address in chapter 24. is very touching; but with all the blessings and prosperity God had given His people, he had to exhort them to put away the strange gods which were among them, and to incline their hearts unto the Lord God of Israel.
Such is a brief sketch of the facts the book of Joshua sets forth concerning the children of Israel. Its typical instruction to us, however, is very important; for the land corresponds to the "heavenly places" into which we are brought, and made to sit "in Christ' Jesus." And as the Israelites, when in the land, had to fight to drive out the enemy, and take possession of that which God had given them, so, no sooner do we enter (by faith in Christ risen and ascended) upon the heavenly places where divine grace and power have brought us, than our conflict begins with "wicked spirits in heavenly places," who try to oppose our standing where God has set us, and, if possible, to prevent our possession and enjoyment of things above, which He has graciously blessed us with in Christ Jesus.
Again, as Israel only really held so much as the sole of their foot touched (chap. 1:3), so the Christian only enjoys so much of the blessings God has given him in Christ as he really stands for and takes hold of, spite of the enemy's opposition, according to the word of the Lord. And as Joshua was with Israel, so the Lord Jesus will be with us and for us, against all the power of Satan and his hosts: hence we are exhorted to be "strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." To be consciously near to God in Christ, complete and accepted in Him, belonging to heaven in the true enjoyment of being sons of God, and having the spirit of adoption, is' proper Christian experience.
Perhaps few Christians are really consciously there. Those who are, know, well that they are not debtors to the flesh. They know, too, that in God's eye they are "not in the flesh," but "in Christ;" “not under the law, but under grace;" "not of the world," but delivered from it. (Gal. 1:44Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4)) We can say, there-fore, that we are the true circumcision; we know that the flesh has been judged, condemned, and crucified, set aside in the crucifixion of Christ for us, as unfit for the service of God. (chap. 5:2; 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)) We remember that Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us, and know, too, that we owe all our blessings to His precious blood. We feed on Christ Himself, now known to us in the glory—the old corn of the land—and are strengthened for conflict and service. Reverse and failure we may painfully experience, but, dealing with God about them, we often prove that He overrules all for blessing, and that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Our real loss and greatest source of weakness is, that we give place to the enemy, instead of going up to possess and enjoy all that the Lord God hath given us.
Un-judged evil must bring in Satan, and hinder God's power and blessing. When Israel judged the sin. of Achan they prospered, and overcame their enemies; afterward, however, when they omitted to utterly destroy all the Canaanites, according to the word of the Lord, and humbled not themselves because of it, they reaped the bitter consequences. May we be strengthened by the Spirit to walk with God!