OVERVIEW:
The commission of Joshua; the covenant with Rahab; crossing the Jordan river into the land promised; the memorial of the twelve stones; the circumcision of God’s people at Gilgal.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
The book of Joshua is the account of how Israel crossed the Jordan River and claimed the inheritance that God had promised them. Before actually possessing the land, however, there were still many battles for them to fight, and many enemies they would need to defeat. Once again, we find that God is painting another incredible picture of the Christian life through His record of Israel’s history. Because, as we seek to take “possession” of our “inheritance in Canaan”, we, likewise, have many battles to fight, and many enemies to overcome. Namely, the world, the devil, and these bodies of flesh in which we all live. Note that 1st Thessalonians 4:4 tells us that we have been called to “possess our vessel in sanctification and honor.” For this to happen, just like the children of Israel in the book of Joshua, we must allow our Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ, to lead us to victory in every battle, and against every enemy! (Ephesians 6:10; 2nd Corinthians 10:4–5)
Be sure to keep in mind as we develop these pictures in the book of Joshua, that Canaan is NOT a picture of heaven. We do not have to battle to gain our home in heaven, it is a gift! (Ephesians 2:8–9) Rather, Canaan represents the abundant inheritance that God has for each of us “in Christ”. We sometimes refer to this inheritance as “the victorious Christian life”; Jesus referred to it as the “abundant life”. (John 10:10) It is very simply the life of fullness and fruit-bearing God designed all of us who have received Christ to “possess”. Practically speaking, it is when the life of Christ, in all of His fullness, is what is being manifested through our bodies (2nd Corinthians 4:11), while at the same time, we manifest the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23), the “fruit of holiness” (Romans 6:22), and the fruit of souls won to Christ (Colossians 1:6).
Notice that the book of Joshua begins with the ending of a life: “Moses my servant is dead.” (Joshua 1:2) Moses was the lawgiver and the simple but poignant fact is, the law could not give life or defeat sin! Romans 7:5 says, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Moses brought the children of Israel to the edge, but Joshua (Jesus) must take them in and give them the victory! Verse 2 continues with, “now therefore arise.” We must die to ourselves and our self-righteousness (Philippians 3:4–9) and allow God to raise us up to walk in newness of life on a daily basis! (Romans 6:4, 13)
Verse 8 of chapter 1 was certainly a key challenge for Joshua in terms of how God wanted him to approach His word, and yet this verse has likewise been used to challenge every child of God ever since it was delivered personally to Joshua in this text! God told Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
The simple reality for every person God has delivered from the bondage of sin, and redeemed to Himself, is that He intends for His word to be our “core value”. The reality is, every one of us has a value system and, in our value system, there are certain things that are at the very core. Our “core values” are the things of life that are the MOST IMPORTANT to us. They are the things in our life that are our HIGHEST PRIORITY. The things in life that make us TICK, they MOTIVATE us, they are a PASSION to us, they are WHAT WE’RE REALLY ALL ABOUT!
In light of what God says to Joshua here, could you honestly say that the word of God is one of your “core values”? Perhaps you’re thinking right now, “Well, how would I know if it was or not?” Actually, Joshua 1:8 lets us know that there are two key “tell-tale” indicators…
1. Our core values are easily identifiable by what we TALK about. Without even trying or consciously recognizing we’re doing it, the truth is, we TALK about what’s IMPORTANT to us! Joshua 1:8 says, “… this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…” If the word of God is one of our core values, it will be identifiable in the fact that we are constantly TALKING about it! What would those who know you best say you constantly TALK about?
2. Our core values are easily identifiable by what we THINK about. Again, without even trying or attempting to make it happen, the reality is, we THINK about what’s IMPORTANT to us. Joshua 1:8 goes on to say, “…but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.” Could you honestly say that the word of God is something you constantly find yourself THINKING about?
Oh, that it would be evident to God, to us, and to others, that the word of God is one of our “core values!”
Chapter 2 deals with the Jewish men who were sent to spy out Jericho, and their subsequent covenant with Rahab the harlot. Don’t miss the fact that Rahab’s story graphically pictures the story of every one of us who know Christ!
1. She was a sinner. (Romans 3:23) Joshua 2:1 plainly states that she was a harlot.
2. She was under condemnation. (John 3:18) The city had already been declared condemned by God. Notice, just like with the people of the world today, the people of the city would be destroyed whether they “felt” condemned or not!
3. She heard the word of God. (Romans 10:17) The message she heard was a convicting message of judgment that caused her to recognize that the God of the children of Israel was the one true God and Lord! (Joshua 2:8–11; John 16:8)
4. She believed the word. (Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8) Hebrews 11:31 states that Rahab believed and was saved by faith.
5. She sought to win others. (Mark 5:18–20) When a person trusts Christ, their first desire is to share Him with others, especially their own family. Rahab immediately shares her burden to see her family “saved”. (Joshua 2:12–13)
6. She was delivered from judgment. (1st Thessalonians 4:13–18, 2nd Thessalonians 1:7–9) Just like Rahab in Joshua 6:22–25, we, too, have been rescued from God’s coming judgment upon this world.
7. She went to a wedding. (Matthew 1:5) Matthew 1:5 lets us know that Rahab married into the royal lineage of the nation of Israel, and, check this out, the Messiah actually came through her family lineage! How gracious is our God to take a harlot and make her the mother of the royal family through which Messiah came?! We, too, have a wedding and a marriage feast to look forward to because of God’s incredible grace! (Revelation 19:7–9, 17–19)
In chapters 3 and 4, Israel follows Joshua and the ark of the covenant across the Jordan River. Note, in Joshua 3:16, that the water that flowed down from the city of Adam stood up and was stopped by the ark. It is a beautiful picture of the fact that the effects of Adam’s sin which flowed from Adam down to us (Romans 5:12, 17), are stopped by Jesus Christ when we “cross over the Jordan” in our lives, and take possession of the life of fullness found in Christ. (Romans 6:14)
In chapter 5, all of the Jewish males were circumcised. Note that circumcision was a mark of a covenant relationship (Genesis 17:9–14) that provided EXTERNAL evidence of an INTERNAL reality. (Deuteronomy 10:16) A perfect and discreet description of circumcision that captures both its physical and spiritual significance is that it is “the cutting away of the flesh that reveals the source of life.” Notice God refers to the covenant relationship of our salvation in Colossians 2:11 as the “true circumcision”. Practically speaking, if the flesh isn’t cut away in our lives, we will not reproduce spiritual life!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through JOSHUA – Joshua 1 (Note: Joshua’s very name means “Jehovah is salvation.” He is the one who leads us to the “land” that is promised.)
As Rahab’s scarlet thread — Joshua 2:18. (It is a type of the blood of Christ which brings about deliverance from judgment and safety from death.) As Captain of the Host OF THE LORD — Joshua 5:14–15 (Hebrews 2:10)