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Joshua

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 25, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 21.

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Joshua

By F. D. Starr

BY F. D. STARR.
“Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.” Josh. 23:14. “And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers.” Ch. 21:44.
The book of Joshua is of special interest to us because it gives account of the typical rest in Canaan, which represents the final and eternal rest in heaven. It is a comforting message when we hear about the rest for the weary. Rest was the Gospel message that was preached to Israel in Egypt, and in the desert. But the true rest remains for the people of God.
We see from the quotations given that the people did enter into rest under Joshua. God promised them rest, and His promise did not fail. But that was not the true rest. See Hebrews 4. It is the same as it was with the manna. Jesus said concerning that, “Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.” John 6:32. The manna and the rest were both typical.
The book we are now considering has a peculiar interest for us on account of the name it bears. Joshua in Hebrew, and Jesus in Greek, are the same name; consequently the name of this book in the Septuagint is the book of Jesus. We see the identity of the names from Heb. 4:8, where the name “Jesus” occurs, but the margin gives the name “Joshua.” He was a very apt type of Christ, and very appropriately bore the same name as He did. Jesus of the Old Testament brought ancient Israel into the typical land of promise. Jesus of the New Testament is yet to bring His people into the real land of promise, the eternal rest in the kingdom of God.
Another instance of the occurrence of the name “Jesus” is found in Zech. 3:1, which reads in the Septuagint: “And the Lord showed me Jesus, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and the devil stood on His right hand to resist Him,” etc. Verse 9: “For as for the stone which I have set before the face of Jesus, on the one stone are seven eyes.” The language sounds very much like that in Hebrews where we read of Jesus, our great High Priest; also like some of the references to Him in Revelation. So we have some very lively types of Jesus bearing the same name in the Old Testament. Surely the book of Joshua (Jesus) should have for us a good degree of interest.
There are many items of history in this book that we could not afford to miss. The first chapter might be called the “good courage” chapter. Notice how many times the expression occurs: “Be strong and of a good courage;” “Only be thou strong and very courageous;” “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid;” “Only be strong and of a good courage.” Verses 6, 7, 9, 18. When our courage is somewhat waning, it would do us good to read this “good courage” chapter.
The account of the passage of the Jordan, whose waters were divided to let Israel through, is interesting to compare with the passage through the Red Sea. While that may seem like the more stupendous miracle, yet this appears the more calm, restful and dignified. It may take the two to represent the early and closing experiences in a Christian life. Two mighty deliverances lie in this path, the deliverance from sin, the present salvation now, and the deliverance from all the evils of mortal life at the end of the journey, the final salvation in the kingdom of God; both accomplished by the Author and Finisher of our faith, even Jesus. Heb. 12:1, 2.
Among the notable events recorded in Joshua are the taking of Jericho, mentioned among the acts of faith recorded in Hebrews 11, in which through faith the mighty walls of the city fell; Achan’s sin, illustrating how the love of money is the root of all evil; and also how God holds the congregation responsible for the conduct of the individuals composing the church. The unparalleled physical phenomenon of the sun standing still is thus described. “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it nor after it.”
The appointing of forty-two cities for the Levites shows how the Lord designs that His ministers and missionaries shall be amply supported; for altho the Levites had no tribal division of the territory, yet they had, besides the tithes of all the produce, permanent homes in the cities where they dwelt.
A very impressive lesson on the manner in which unjust suspicions are often circulated, is found in chapter 22. The act of the two and one-half tribes in erecting an altar with a truly devotional purpose, was construed to be an attempt at complete apostasy from God. It is very easy for us sometimes thus to misconstrue the actions of our brethren.
The solemn charge of Joshua, with the accompanying exhortations recorded in the last chapter are of most thrilling importance, and the words, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve,” and, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” are still ringing down through the ages, and sounding in our ears.