Gleanings In Joshua

by A.W. Pink

Grace-eBooks.com
 Introduction
The Significance of Joshua
"I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy
works" (Ps. 139:14). The reference there is to the physical body of
man, which is the product of Omniscience. "Thy testimonies are
wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep (treasure and submit to)
them" (Ps. 119:29). The Maker of man’s body is the Author of the
Word and each is alike "wonderful", evidencing its Divine source.
The human body is made up of two halves; two arms and legs, two
eyes and ears, two lungs and kidneys etc.; so also the Word is made
up of the two Testaments. Each is a living organism: a single and
complete entity, yet with many members. Each of those members is
necessary to give completeness to the others, and the cutting off of
one results in mutilation to the whole. Each of those members has its
own function to fulfill and each book in the Scriptures makes its
own separate contribution to the sum of Divine revelation. As each
physical member is fitted for discharging its own distinctive office,
so the substance of each book in the Bible is suited to its own
special theme. As there is a real difference between both the texture
and purpose of the eye and the ear, so there is between the contents
and leading subjects of any two books in the Word.
The analogies drawn between the living and physical body of
man and the living and holy Word of God might be considerably
extended. The design and functions of some members of our bodies
are self-evident even to the layman. But there are others which are
understood only by a trained physician. In like manner, the purpose
and purport of some of the books of the Bible is more or less
apparent to the rank and file of God’s people, but the special
character and distinctive features of others is discerned only by the
Spirit-qualified teacher. That particular parallel may be extended
still further: as there are certain glands of the body which still puzzle
anatomists, so there are some books of Scripture the theme of which
is by no means certain to the most diligent student. After all the
centuries that have passed and all the attention that has been devoted
to the human body and the Divine Word there yet remains an
element of mystery about the one and the other, and only the blatant
or the ignorant will deny it.
Now it should be evident that in approaching the study of
one of the books of Scripture it must be of considerable help to the
student if he can ascertain what is its main design and what is its
outstanding topic. As we pointed out in these pages over twenty
years ago, in our Introduction to Exodus (now out of print), each
book in the Bible has a prominent and dominant theme which, as
such, is peculiar to itself, around which everything is made to center
and of which all the details are but the amplification. What that
leading subject may be, we should make it our business to
prayerfully and diligently ascertain. This can best be discovered by
reading and re-reading the book under review, noting carefully any
particular feature or expression which occurs frequently in it—such
as "under the sun" in Ecclesiastes or "the righteousness of God" in
Romans. If other students before us have published the results of
their labors it is our bounden duty to closely examine their findings
in the light of Holy Writ, and either verify or disprove. Before
pointing out the peculiar character and dominant subject of Joshua,
let us briefly state that of the books preceding.
Genesis is obviously the book of beginnings. Considered
historically there is a three-fold beginning recorded: of the heavens
and the earth, of the post-diluvian world, of the nation of Israel—in
the call of Abram. Viewed doctrinally, it illustrates, as might be
expected, the foundation-truth of election, for our salvation began in
God’s eternal purpose. Thus we see here that Noah (alone of the
antediluvians) "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen. 6:8), and
that Shem (rather than Japheth or Ham) was the one selected to be
the channel through which should ultimately issue the Savior (Gen.
9:26). Here we see God singling out Abram to be the father of the
chosen Nation. Here we see God choosing Isaac and passing by
Ishmael, loving Jacob but hating Esau. Here we behold God
appointing Joseph from the twelve sons of Jacob to be the honored
instrument of saving them all from the famine. The same principle
appears again in the passing by of Joseph’s older son and bestowing
the portion of the firstborn upon Ephraim (Gen. 48:13-20). "God
hath from the beginning chosen you unto salvation" (2 Thess. 2:13),
and that basic truth is illustrated again and again in that book which
begins the Scriptures.
Historically the book of Exodus treats of the deliverance and
departure of the Hebrews out of Egypt, but doctrinally its theme is
clearly that of redemption. That is just what the spiritual mind would
expect, for it is by means of the redemptive work of Christ that the
Father’s eternal purpose is made good. If the first book of the Bible
reveals a sovereign God passing by some and choosing others to
salvation, Exodus makes known how that salvation is accomplished,
namely, by the mighty power of God and through the blood of the
Lamb. Moses was bidden to say unto the children of Israel "I am the
Lord, and will bring you out from under the burden of the Egyptians
and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a
stretched out arm and with great judgments" (Ex. 6:6)—the first
clause showing what redemption is from and the last how it is
effected. At the Red Sea they sang "Thou in Thy mercy hast led
forth the people which Thou hast redeemed. Thou hast guided them
in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation" (Ex. 15:13). Between
those two passages comes the record of the slaying of the lamb and
the efficacy of its blood, while the remainder of the book is devoted
to instructions re God’s habitation.
The book of Leviticus covers a period in Israel’s history of
less than two months, for the whole of it (as well as the first ten
chapters of Numbers) treats of what occurred between the first day
of the second year and the twentieth day of the second month (Ex.
40:17, Numbers 10:11). As we might expect, being the third book of
Scripture, it views the people of God as on resurrection ground—
regenerated. It is not so much doctrinal as experimental. The key is
hung upon its door: "And the Lord called unto Moses and spake
unto him out of the tabernacle" (Lev. 1:1). It naturally and
necessarily comes after Exodus, informing us what we are redeemed
for, being the book of Divine fellowship and worship. Here we are
shown the glorious privileges of the believer, the holy requirements
of God and the gracious provisions which He has made to meet
them. It proclaims that God will be "sanctified in them that draw
nigh Him" (Lev. 10:3). Typically it is full of Christ, setting Him
before us as our Altar, Sacrifice, and High Priest.
The fourth book of Scripture treats of the practical side of the
spiritual life, tracing the history of the believer in the world—for
four is the number of the earth. Its key is also hung upon the porch:
"And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai" (Ex.
1:1)—the "wilderness" being a symbol of this world in its fallen
condition, alienated from God. It records at greater length than
Exodus the history of Israel’s journeyings and sojournings. Its theme
then is the walk and wanderings of the believer during this life,
depicting his testings and trials in the world. Note well it is preceded
by Leviticus, for only as we first commune with God within the veil
are we fitted to go out into the world and there walk before Him.
Typically it represents the experiences we encounter in this scene of
sin and suffering, our repeated and excuseless failures and God’s
long-sufferance. It reveals God maintaining His holy government
and yet dealing in grace with His own, destroying unbelieving rebels
yet preserving the faithful.
Deuteronomy is the bridge between the four books which
precede and the seven which follow it, for the former deal with
Israel before they entered Canaan and the latter with their history
after settling there. Its name signifies "a second law"—the ten
commandments of Exodus 20 being repeated in Deuteronomy 5: the
reason for this being, because of their awful sin at Kadesh-barnea,
God swore that all the adult Israelites who came out of Egypt (with
the sole exception of Caleb and Joshua) should perish in the
wilderness (Num. 14). That fearful threat had now been carried out
and in Deuteronomy we find Moses (himself on the eve of death)
addressing the generation who had grown up in the wilderness. That
new generation required to know on what terms they were about to
enter Canaan and on what conditions they should hold and enjoy it.
The addresses of Moses therefore centered around two things:
reviewing the past and giving instructions for the future, pressing
upon them the claims of God (Deut. 10:12): hence the key words are
"remember" (14 times), "hear" (over 30) and "do" (about 100). In its
application to us it reveals that whole-hearted obedience to God is
the grand condition of possessing our possessions.
The book of Joshua records one of the most interesting and
important portions of Israel’s history. It treats of the period of their
estatement as a nation, of which Genesis was prophetic and the rest
of the Pentateuch immediately preparatory. The books of Moses
would be imperfect without this one: as it is the capstone of them, so
it is the foundation of those which follow. Omit Joshua and there is a
gap left in the sacred history which nothing could supply. Without it
what precedes would be incomprehensible and what follows
unexplained. The sacred writer was directed to fill that gap by
narrating the conquest and apportionment of the promised land.
Thus this book may be contemplated from two distinct but closely
related standpoints: first as the end of Israel’s trials and wanderings
in the wilderness, and second as the beginning of their new life in
the land. It is that twofold viewpoint which supplies the clue to its
spiritual interpretation, as it alone solves the problem which so many
have found puzzling in this book.
As the inheritance which the Lord appointed, promised and
gave to Israel, Canaan has rightly been regarded as a type of
Heaven, unto which the Church is journeying through this
wilderness-world. But Canaan was the scene of fierce battles, and
that presents a serious difficulty unto many, though it should not.
They point out that Heaven will not be the place of fighting, but of
eternal rest and felicity, and then ask, How could Israel’s history in
Canaan prefigure our experience on High? It did not, but it
strikingly and accurately foreshadowed what Christians must
accomplish if they are to enter and enjoy "the purchased
possession". The book of Joshua not only exhibits the sovereign
grace of God, His covenant-faithfulness, His mighty power put forth
on behalf of His people, but it also reveals what was required from
them in the discharge of their responsibility: formidable obstacles
had to be surmounted, a protracted warfare had to be engaged in,
fierce foes overcome, before they entered into the actual enjoyment
of the land.
If our conception of what constitutes a Christian or the
character of the Christian life be altogether lopsided, little wonder
that we have difficulty in rightly applying to ourselves the contents
of that book which typically contains so much important instruction
for us. If we will confine our viewpoint solely unto the sovereign
grace of God in connection with our salvation, and deliberately close
our eyes to all that Scripture teaches upon the discharge of our
responsibility in relation thereto, then it would indeed be strange if
we apprehended how that on the one hand Canaan was a free gift
unto Israel, which they entered by grace alone; and on the other, that
they had to fight for every inch of it! But when we realize that
"eternal life" is both the gift of God (Rom. 6:23) and a "crown"
which has to be won by faithfulness (Rev. 2:10), that the Christian
inheritance is not only purchased by the blood of the Lamb, but is
also the "reward" of those who "serve the Lord Christ" (Col. 3:24),
then we should have no trouble in perceiving how the type answers
to the antitype.
"Narrow is the way that leadeth unto Life" (Matthew 7:14)
i.e., unto Heaven, unto Glory. There is but one way that "leadeth
unto" it, and that is the way of personal and practical holiness (Isa.
35:8), "without which no man shall see the Lord". That "way" is a
narrow one for it shuts out the world and excludes self-pleasing.
True, the few who tread it have previously been made partakers of
spiritual life, for none of the unregenerate walk therein; nevertheless
they must persevere in it to the end, resisting temptations to forsake
it and overcoming whatever would impede, if they are to enter Life
itself. Salvation is indeed by grace, and grace alone, for human merit
has no place therein; yet good works are necessary, because it was to
fit us for them that grace is given. In Joshua we have a striking and
blessed exemplification of the two-foldness of Truth and the perfect
balance of its essential parts. The sovereign grace of God and the
discharge of His peoples’ responsibility run side by side therein.
Canaan was God’s free gift unto Israel, yet they had to fight for
possession of it—let that be carefully pondered, and remember it
was typical.
The reader should keep steadily in mind that Israel’s entrance
into Canaan occurred at the end of their trials in the wilderness.
Taking that alone, by itself, we have a foreshadowing of our
entrance into Heaven at the close of this life (Rev. 14:13); but
viewing Israel’s entrance into Canaan in the light of all that is
recorded in the book of Joshua, we must regard what precedes as the
experiences of the soul prior to conversion, and Israel’s history there
as adumbrating his new life. Thus, in Exodus we see the natural man
in bondage to sin and Satan; in Leviticus we behold him as one to
whom God is speaking, making known His holy requirements; in
Numbers he finds himself in a great howling wilderness, which is
what the world appears to one who has been awakened by the Spirit;
while in Deuteronomy he learns the strictness and spirituality of the
Law, which cuts into pieces his self-righteousness and reveals that
Another than Moses must become the Captain of his salvation if
ever he is to be estated in the antitypical Palestine.
Let the reader also remember that Israel’s entrance into
Canaan marked the beginning of a distinct stage in their history, and
there we have a figure of the new life of the converted soul. Observe
carefully how definitely and clearly this is brought out in the type. It
was a new generation of Israel (the second and not the adult one that
came out of Egypt) which is here in view; that they were under a
new leader—no longer Moses but Joshua; that they were inducted
into a new sphere—delivered from the wilderness, entering into
Canaan. Thus we have a picture of those who have passed through a
season of conviction of sin, who have felt the terrors of the Law, and
have now been brought to put their trust in Jesus Christ, the
antitypical Joshua. Conversion dates the end of the old life and the
beginning of the new. As Israel’s entrance into Canaan marked the
end of their wilderness wanderings, so at conversion the soul
experiences the verity of Christ’s promise, "Come unto Me and I
will give you rest". Likewise, as Israel’s entrance into Canaan
marked the beginning of their life of conquest, so at conversion we
begin that "good fight of faith" which is required before we can
enter our Eternal Rest.
Those two aspects of the Christian’s rest are brought together
in Hebrews 4. First, "we which have believed do enter into rest" (v.
3). The moment a regenerated, awakened, convicted soul savingly
believes in Christ the burden of his sins roll away, and peace of
conscience, rest of soul, assurance of acceptance by God, are his.
Yet, he is not there and then taken to heaven. No indeed, he is now
made conscious of foes, both within and without, of which
previously he knew nothing. He is now called upon to mortify the
flesh, resist the Devil, overcome the world: not by his own might,
but in the strength of the Lord, under the leadership of the
antitypical Joshua; and this in order to an entrance into the promised
inheritance. Thus, Second, Hebrews 4:11 bids us "let us labor
therefore to enter into that Rest". Yes, "labor" is necessary (cf. John
6:27, 2 Corinthians 5:9): fighting the good fight, finishing our
course, keeping the faith is required, if we are to receive the "crown
of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:7, 8)!
Joshua’s Earlier Days
Joshua was born in the land of Egypt and with the sole
exception of Caleb he was the only adult Israelite in the great
exodus who survived the forty years wanderings in the wilderness
and actually entered Canaan. He is mentioned for the first time in
Exodus 17:9, where he is introduced to our notice most abruptly,
nothing being told us there of his parentage, early history, or his
piety. It was on the occasion when Amalek came and fought against
Israel at Rephidim: "Moses said unto Joshua, Choose out men and
go fight with Amalek". From that brief statement we gather that our
hero had already attracted the notice of Moses, gained his
confidence and was therefore a man of valor and competent to be
captain over others. The following verse also represents him in a
favorable light: "So Joshua did as Moses had said to him": he made
no demur, objected not to receive orders from his superior, but
obediently complied with his instructions. "And Joshua discomfitted
Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (v. 13): thus
success attended his efforts.
What we have briefly glanced at above supplies a most
striking illustration of the law of first mention. The initial
occurrence of anything in Scripture invariably supplies the key to
the later ones, forecasting by means of a broad outline its subsequent
usage. In other words, the first time a subject or object, a person or
thing, is brought before us in God’s Word what is there said of it or
him virtually supplies a definition of its meaning, or at least gives us
the principal clue to the significance of its later mentionings. Thus it
is here. The very first time Joshua is brought to our notice it is as a
successful warrior: and note carefully, not slaying innocent people,
but in fighting the enemies of the Lord. How this brief allusion in
Exodus 17 foreshadowed the great work which lay before him! The
immediate sequel confirms this: "And the Lord said unto Moses,
Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of
(not Israel, but) Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of
Amalek from under heaven" (Ex. 17:14)—a plain hint of his future
work, as an appointed instrument to execute the Divine vengeance
upon His foes.
Personally we believe there is a definite reference unto
Joshua in Exodus 23:20-23, though his name be not specifically
mentioned. Those verses contain a Divine prophecy and promise
unto Israel, and as is so often the case with similar passages, there is,
we conceive, a double allusion. "Behold I send an Angel before thee,
to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have
prepared." No doubt the primary reference is to Christ as the Angel
of the Covenant, yet subordinately it points, we think, unto Joshua
as God’s "messenger" or "angel", for he was the one who actually
brought Israel into the heritage which God had prepared for them.
So too it seems clear that there is a double allusion in "My name is
in Him" (v. 21): when the Angel of the covenant became incarnate it
was said "His name shall be called Immanuel" (Matthew 1:23), and
when our hero’s name was changed from "Oshua" to "Jeho-shua"
(Num. 13:16), the Divine name was incorporated into his! Israel
were ordered to "obey his voice" (Ex. 23:22) and in Joshua 1:16
they affirmed to him "all that thou commandest us we will do"!
The next reference to him is found in Exodus 24:13, when in
response to Jehovah’s bidding Moses went up unto Him in the
mount that he might receive from Him the tables of the Law, we are
told that "Moses rose up and his minister Joshua, and Moses went
up into the mount of God". From this reference we learn the peculiar
and honored position which he occupied even at this early stage in
his career: he was the "minister" or assistant of Moses, the personal
attendant of that eminent man of God. But there is more in it than
that: he was subservient to Moses, yet he was also to complement
his work. Moses brought Israel out of Egypt, but Joshua would bring
them into Canaan. That the latter was not disconnected from the
former is clear from the opening verses of his book, for not only is
Joshua there again designated "Moses’ minister" (Josh. 1:1), but
when the Lord gave to him his great commission He expressly bade
him "do according to all the law which Moses My servant
commanded thee" (Josh. 1:7). So in the antitype: Christ was "made
under the Law" (Gal. 4:4).
When Moses left the camp to go unto Jehovah into the
mount, his minister Joshua accompanied him, though evidently only
a part of the ascent—the attendant being left at some lower level as
Moses drew near unto the Lord. In what follows we are furnished
with a valuable sidelight on our hero’s character. Joshua was left
alone for "forty days and forty nights" (Ex. 24:18)! What a testing of
his faith, his patience, and his fidelity was that! His response to that
severe test shines out the more blessedly when contrasted from the
conduct of Aaron in the camp. Exodus 25 to 31 gives a record of the
instructions which Moses received, while the opening verses of 32
show us what transpired in the camp. "When the people saw that
Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered
themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, "Up, make us
gods which shall go before us, for as for this Moses . . . we wot not
what is become of him" (v. 1). Apparently Aaron shared their fears
that they would see Moses no more, for he yielded to their
solicitation.
Now in blessed contrast from the unbelief and impatience of
the people and of Aaron, Joshua trustfully and perseveringly awaited
the return of his master. Thus was he tried and proved, manifested to
be "a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use"
before the grand task of conducting Israel into Canaan was assigned
unto him. Proof that Joshua had remained in the mount during those
forty days and nights is supplied by Exodus 32:15-18, for there we
are informed "And Moses turned and went down the mount . . . and
when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted (in their
idolatrous and carnal revelry: see verse 6), he said unto Moses,
There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the noise
of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the noise of them that cry
for being overcome; but the noise of them that sing do I hear"—
observe that though puzzled by what he heard, yet Joshua placed a
favorable construction upon it, not supposing the worst.
When Moses drew nigh unto the camp and beheld the
idolatrous and lascivious scene spread before him, he was filled with
righteous indignation, and took the golden calf, burnt it in the fire,
ground it to powder, strewed it upon the water and made the children
of Israel drink. Under his orders the Levites slew about three
thousand men and the Lord "plagued the people". After they had
been severely chastened and humbled, Moses "took the tabernacle
and pitched it without the camp". Then as he entered into the
tabernacle the Cloudy Pillar descended and stood at the door of the
tabernacle and the Lord talked with Moses. Later "he turned again
into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man,
departed not out of the tabernacle" (Ex. 33:11). That is indeed a
remarkable statement, yet too brief to warrant inferences. But it at
least shows the distinguished favor bestowed upon the honored
servant of Moses, that he, rather than Aaron, was here left in charge
of the sacred tent of meeting: whether he was inside it when Jehovah
stood at its door we cannot say.
Another brief mention is made of Joshua in Numbers 11. On
the occasion when Moses gathered the seventy men of the elders of
the people and set them round about the tabernacle, the Lord came
down in a cloud and spake unto him, and took of the Spirit that was
upon him and gave unto the seventy elders, so that "they prophesied
and did not cease". Two others of the elders had for some reason
remained in the camp, yet the Spirit now rested upon them, so that
they too "prophesied" even in the camp. Evidently deeming this
irregular, a young man ran and told Moses of the unusual
occurrence. "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one
of his young men, answered and said, My lord, Moses, forbid them"
(v. 28). That too reveals his character: he did not take it upon
himself to rebuke the elders, nor did he request Moses to slay them.
It was zeal for his master that promoted his petition, as Moses’ reply
clearly indicates: "enviest thou for my sake" There was no jealousy
or self seeking here on the part of Joshua, but only a concern for the
honor of the one he served.
We turn now to that passage which is probably the most
familiar to the reader wherein our hero figures. When the Lord gave
order to Moses that he send twelve men to "search the land of
Canaan", a ruler from each tribe, Oshua was the one selected from
the tribe of Ephraim, and it was on this occasion that his name was
changed to "Jeho-shua" (Num. 13:16), or, in its abbreviated form
"Joshua": so that he was one of the persons mentioned in Scripture
—all of them of eminence—whose name was changed. "Oshua"
means "salvation" and "Jeho-shua" he by whom Jehovah will save.
We need hardly add that, through the Greek, Joshua is precisely the
same as "Jesus"—see Acts 7:45, Hebrews 4:8. When the twelve
spies returned to Moses and made report of what they had seen,
though they acknowledged the land was one that flowed with milk
and honey, yet its inhabitants appeared to them so formidable and
their cities so powerful they declared, "We be not able to go against
the people, for they are stronger than we". The immediate sequel
was most solemn and sad.
Though Caleb boldly declared "Let us go up at once and
possess it, for we are well able to overcome it", his fellow-spies
persisted in their "evil report" and the whole congregation wept,
murmured against Moses and Aaron, lamented that they had ever
started out on their journey and said one to another "let us make a
captain and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on
their faces before all the assembly . . . and Joshua and Caleb . . . rent
their clothes". Then it was that our hero (and his faithful companion)
evinced his spiritual character and caliber, for we are told that they
said unto) the whole company of Israel, "The land which we pass
through to search it is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in
us, then He will bring us into this land and give it us . . . Only rebel
not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for
they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the
Lord is with us; fear them not" (Num. 14:7-9). Thus we see their
confidence in God and their courage, for as the next verse shows
they took their lives into their hands in so remonstrating with the
people.
It was there that that wayward and stiff-necked generation of
Israel filled up the measure of their sin. It was then that Jehovah
swore in His wrath that they should not enter into His rest (Ps.
95:11, Hebrews 3:18). They had said, "Would God we had died in
this wilderness" (Num. 14:2), and now He took them at their word,
declaring "your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and all that
were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from
twenty years old and upward, who murmured against Me, doubtless
ye shall not come into the land which I sware to make you dwell
therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I
bring in, and they shall know the land which ye despised" (vv. 29-
31). The ten spies who brought an evil report upon the land "died by
the plague before the Lord, but Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the
son of Jephunneh . . . lived" (vv. 37, 38), being the only two adults
who came out of Egypt which entered into Canaan.
In Numbers 27 we have an account of the ordination of
Joshua to office as the future leader of Israel. "And the Lord said
unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the
Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him (the symbol of identification),
and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation; and give him a charge in their sight (as proof of his
induction into office). And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon
him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be
obedient (to him). And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who
shall ask for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his
(Joshua’s) word shall they go out and at his word shall they come in,
he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
And Moses did as the Lord commanded him" (vv. 18-22). Thus, to
all who feared the Lord and had respect unto His servant Moses,
none could henceforth doubt that Joshua was the man appointed to
lead Israel after the removal of Moses from this scene.
"Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt . . . shall
see the land . . . save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son
of Nun fo
 Joshua 1:1-9
The Great Commission
The Call to Faith
"Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it
came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua" (Josh. 1:1). The
opening word of this verse, when rightly rendered, supplies to the
spiritual mind an indication of the verbal inspiration of the
Scriptures. Properly translated it would be "And," and what
uninspired writer would ever think of beginning his production with
such a connective! John Urquhart in his "The Bible: its Structure and
Purpose" (vol. 1) called attention to this feature, which though a
minute detail is one of considerable importance, namely, that many
of the books of the O.T. commence with the conjunction "ve." This
indicates of course that those which open thus are so closely linked
with the ones preceding that they are really continuations of them.
But, we may say, it does more than that: the employment of "And"
at the beginning of quite a number of them signifies that they are not
so many books but chapters in the Book. In other words, this
binding together of the variously books by the copulative "And"
gives more than a hint of their fundamental-unity: that one Author
composed them, that one Rule of Faith is found in them
Genesis has no "And" at the commencement of its opening
verse, for the simple reason that it is the first book or chapter, the
beginning. But Exodus opens with this connective "ve"—"and"—
rendered there "Now." So does Leviticus, and likewise Numbers.
Thereby we are taught that those first books are inseparably united
together, and form the first division of the Bible. But, as Urquhart
pointed out, "It is a surprise at first glance when we find that
Deuteronomy, which is regarded as the completion of the four
previous books, is, as a fact, disconnected from them." He might
also have dwelt on the fact that such a variation or difference is a
designed evidence of Divine superintendence. The very fact that
Deuteronomy is regarded (and from one standpoint, rightly so) as
the completion of the Pentateuch argues that were the first five
books of the Bible nothing more than the uninspired productions of
Jews, writing in collaboration, the fifth one had been brought into
accord with those which precede it.
The absence of" and" at the opening of Deuteronomy at once
intimates that that book is not a supplement to what has gone before,
but rather a new beginning, or a new division of the O.T. It looks
forward and not backward: a careful study of its contents will verify
this. Joshua comes next and it does open with "And "—and so does
every book which follows until 1 Chronicles is reached! Thus,
Joshua to the end of 2 Kings is annexed to Deuteronomy, and the
whole forms the second division of the O.T. Having pointed out this
feature, let us pause and consider its significance. Why are the first
four books of the Bible coupled together? why the next eight? and
why does Deuteronomy belong to the second group rather than the
first? The answer must be sought in the history of Israel, for that is
the theme of the O.T. The first four books give us the history of
Israel outside the Land which was promised them for an inheritance,
the next eight treat of their history in it. Deuteronomy rehearses the
past history of the Nation and restates the Law in view of their
approaching possession of. Canaan, informing them how they must
conduct themselves therein.
"And after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord" (Josh.
1:1). The removal of Moses from their head was a heavy loss unto
Israel. For many years he had been their leader and legislator. It was
under him they had been delivered from the cruel bondage of Egypt.
It was in answer to his prayers that a way was opened for them
through the Red Sea. He was the one who acted as their
representative before the Lord and as His mouthpiece unto them. It
is true there were times when they distrusted him and murmured
against him, yet on the whole they respected and confided in him. A
stage had now been reached when it seemed that Israel needed him
more than ever, for with practically no fighting experience and
possessing scarcely any weapons, they were about to pit themselves
against the "seven nations in the land of Canaan" (Acts 13:19). Yet
he was no longer to be their commander: death took him from them.
That was a deep mystery to carnal reason, a most painful
providence, a sore trying of their faith. That they felt it keenly is
clear:
"the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab
thirty days" (Deut. 34:10). "And after the death of Moses the servant
of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son
of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, "Moses My servant is dead: now
therefore arise, go over this Jordan" (vv. 1, 2). The work of God is in
nowise hindered by the decease of His servants, no matter how
eminent they be in office nor how much used in blessing to His
people. Though the workmen be removed, His work goes forward to
its ordained completion. "God will change hands to show that
whatever instruments He uses, He is not tied to any" (Matthew
Henry). That does not mean that God will necessarily supply another
pastor for a church when one has died, for His work in that
particular place may be finished; or that when His time arrives for
the work of this magazine to end, that He will provide another; but it
does mean that He will continue to maintain His Cause upon earth
and supply every need of His people. That is certain, and it should
both comfort and inspire us with courage in these dark days in
which our lot is cast.
It is to be duly noted that Joshua did not push himself
forward to fill the breach made by the departure of Moses, but
waited until ordered by the Lord to do so. The relation which he
sustained to his predecessor is not only one of interest but also of
deep importance, not so much so from a historical standpoint as
from the typical and doctrinal. This is the point at which we should
amplify that statement at some length, but we are afraid to do so lest
some of our readers wonder if we are ever going to ‘get down to
business,’ for we have already written three articles without taking
up the opening verses of our book. Yet others will say, What does
that matter if their contents were instructive and profitable? We will
therefore adopt a compromise, and defer our remarks upon that
subject until a little later. Meanwhile perhaps a few may be
stimulated to ponder and supply answers for themselves to the
following questions: What was the varied relationship of Joshua
unto Moses? and what important truth is illustrated and illuminated
thereby?
"Moses My servant is dead, now therefore arise, go over this
Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I do give to
them, to the children of Israel" (Josh. 1:2). The appointed time had
now arrived, for Jehovah to make good the promises which He had
made to Abraham and his children long centuries before. All that
had been accomplished through Moses was but preliminary thereto,
yet supplying a sure earnest that He would continue to show Himself
strong on their behalf, so long as they adhered strictly to the
covenant which He had entered into with them at Sinai. For that
covenant, and the earlier one constituted the basis of all His dealings
with Israel: while they kept it, they prospered: when they broke it,
they experienced His judgments. It is to be duly observed that this
commission which Joshua here received from the Lord was given to
him as the head of Israel: it was made not with him alone, but the
nation as well: "thou and all this people." This needs to be borne in
mind in connection with all that follows.
"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that
have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses" (Josh. 1:3). Here again
(see previous verse) the Lord emphasized the fact that Canaan was a
sovereign and free gift which He made unto Israel. It was not a
portion to which they were in any wise entitled: neither they nor
their ancestors had done anything to merit such a heritage, nor
would their subsequent prowess in conquering or dispossessing the
Canaanites warrant the idea that they had earned it. Thus it is with
the eternal inheritance of the spiritual Israel. When they are finally
gathered into it, they will with one accord exclaim "Not unto us, O
Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory" (Ps. 115:1). And
even now while upon earth, they frankly aver, "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Spirit, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our
Savior" (Titus 3:5, 6). They one and all subscribe to that declaration
"By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8,
9).
Nevertheless, though Canaan was a Divine gift unto Israel,
yet they did, not enter into possession of it without effort on their
part: their concurrence was required, and thereby their responsibility
was enforced! Unless that fact be clearly recognized we shall be all
at sea in applying the type unto ourselves, and seriously, aye fatally,
pervert God’s "plan" or way of salvation. There is not the slightest
excuse for our doing so, for the teaching of Scripture on this subject
—both in the type and the antitype—is as clear as a sunbeam.
Canaan was first given unto Abraham, and he is "the father of all
them that believe" (Rom. 4:11), and therefore his case is the norm or
model after which ours is patterned. Concerning Abraham himself,
all room for doubt as to how he obtained Canaan, is removed by
Hebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out
unto a place (which he should after receive for an inheritance),
obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went." It was by
faith-obedience that Canaan became his.
What has just been pointed out and our placing that clause in
parenthesis is clearly confirmed by Genesis 12:1, "Now the Lord
had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country and from thy
kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show
thee." There was no promise at that time that the land would be
made over to him for a possession: it was not until years after that
God said to him "I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the
Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it." Abraham was first
required to break completely from his old life and separate from the
world, to submit himself unreservedly to God, to walk by faith, to
act in unquestioning obedience to His revealed will, before the
heritage became his! Yes, my reader, the call which Abraham
received from God made very real and definite demands upon him;
and since he is "the father of us all" (Rom. 4:16), each of his
children must be conformed to the family likeness. Abraham is a
figure or prototype of those who have, by grace, been made
"partakers of the heavenly calling" (Heb. 3:1).
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place
which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he
went out, not knowing whither he went"—still less knowing that the
land would be given to him. A saving faith is one which heeds the
Divine commandments as well as relies upon the Divine promises.
Make no mistake about that, dear friends, Christ is "the Author of
salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9). Abraham obeyed
not only in word, but in deed: "he went out." In that he was in
marked contrast from the prevaricating one who said "I go, Sir, and
went not" (Matthew 21:30). Faith and obedience can no more be
severed than can the sun and the light, fire and heat. Therefore we
read of "the obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5 margin). "Obedience is
faith’s daughter. Faith hath not only to do with the grace of God, but
with the duty of the creature as well. By apprehending grace, it
works upon duty: ‘faith worketh by love’ (Gal. 5:6). It fills the soul
with apprehensions of God’s love, and then makes use of the
sweetness of love to urge us to more work or obedience" (T.
Manton).
And now the descendants of Abraham were called upon to
act by a similar faith and walk by the same implicit obedience unto
God which had marked their progenitor! The Jordan must be
crossed, cities must be captured, battles must be fought, the
Canaanites conquered, before Israel could enter into possession of
and enjoy their inheritance. True, blessedly true, they were not
required to perform such feats in their own unaided strength: the
might of Omnipotence would work on their behalf. Yet also and
equally true was it that God would show Himself strong on their
behalf only while they yielded to His authority and conducted
themselves according to His orders. The Land was indeed His gift—
His free and sovereign gift—unto them, yet they would only. obtain
possession of the same by their own efforts. There is nothing
inharmonious between those two things, any more than there is an
inconsistency in the Gospel call, "He, every one that thirsteth come
ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come ye, buy and eat;
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price"
(Isa. 55:1)—alas that that repeated buy is totally ignored by modern
‘evangelism.’
"Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that
have I given you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this
Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land
of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the
sun shall be your coast" (Josh. 1:3). As we have pointed out in a
previous paper, the contents of this book have a twofold application:
an initial and a progressive, to the sinner and to the saint. That is
intimated, we believe, by the very position Joshua occupies in the
Sacred Canon: it sustains a dual relation: coming after, yet being
linked to the Pentateuch, and also forming the commencement of the
Historical books. That hints strongly at a twofold spiritual
significance of its contents. Concerning the land of Canaan Moses
said to the Congregation, "Ye are not as yet come to the rest and to
the inheritance which the Lord your God giveth you" (Deut. 12:9).
In contrast from the wanderings in the Wilderness, Canaan was their
"rest," but in actual experience their entrance into the Land marked
the beginning of years of hard fighting. The moment a sinner
believes in Christ peace of conscience, rest of soul is his;
nevertheless, only then begins the fierce battle between the flesh and
the spirit.
That rest of soul enjoyed by the Christian when he ceases
fighting against God and trusts in the Savior is an earnest of his
inheritance, a foretaste of the perfect and eternal rest awaiting him
on high. The initial act of faith in Christ puts him in possession of an
inalienable title to "the purchased possession," but his actual
entrance therein is yet future. But it is both his privilege and duty to
"possess his possessions" (Obad. 17) even now, to enjoy them by
faith and anticipate them by hope. It is his privilege and duty to
appropriate by faith and live in the present enjoyment of that rich
portion which God has given him in Christ. But the flesh, the world
and the Devil will oppose, and seek to keep him out of a present
enjoyment of his possession. There is nothing the Devil hates more
than to see a saint glorying in God and rejoicing in Christ his Lord,
and therefore both directly and by means of indwelling sin, or the
allurements and cares of this world, he is ever seeking to deprive
him of his rights. But if we mortify the flesh, steadfastly resist the
Devil, live a life of faith and walk obediently, we can overcome both
self, Satan and the world.
In this connection we need to recall that word of the Lord
unto Israel at an earlier date: "I will not drive them out from before
thee in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the
field multiply against thee: by little and little I will drive them out
from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land" (Ex.
23:20,30), which shows that God does not act arbitrarily, but
compassionately with respect to His people. To their short-
sightedness it might have appeared a more signal mercy had God
exterminated the Canaanites in the first few months after the
crossing of its boundary, but that had neither been most for His glory
nor their good. There were wild beasts in the land as well as gross
idolaters, and even though the latter had been extirpated, Israel were
yet too few in number to properly occupy the whole of the country
—they must wait for that until they had sufficiently multiplied.
Moreover, by driving out the Canaanites from before them" little by
little," Israel was kept in a state of constant dependence before the
Lord. That is one of His principal designs in all His dealings with
people: to wean them from self-reliance and teach them to lean more
and more upon Himself.
The spiritual application to the Christian of the above is
simple and informative. God has nowhere promised to give him
victory over all his enemies at once, and therefore he should not
expect it. Nor would it be good for him if He did—pride and self-
esteem would be the immediate outcome. "Therefore will the Lord
wait that He may be gracious unto you" (Isa. 30:18). He has many
things to say unto us, but we cannot bear them now (John 15:12);
and He has victories to give us, but we are not yet fitted for them. As
Israel were not to be discouraged by the slowness of their arms,
neither must we be dismayed if victory be not ours at once—still
less entertain the thought that success will never be achieved by us.
In like manner, the possessing of our possessions, the present
entering into and enjoyment of our heritage in Christ, is not attained
all in a moment, but it is a progressive experience—"by little and
little." Growth in grace is not an instantaneous thing like the new
birth, but a gradual one: patience has to have her perfect work.
Perhaps some reader may recall another word of Jehovah’s
spoken before the Jordan was crossed: "The Lord thy God is He
which goeth over before thee: as a consuming fire He shall destroy
them and He shall bring them down before thy face; so shalt thou
drive them out and destroy them quickly" (Deut. 9:3). We need
hardly say that there, is no conflict between this passage and the one
in Exodus 23, for there are no" contradictions" in the Word of God.
All that is needed is a little careful attention to each passage. The "I
will not drive them out before them in one year" of Exodus 23:29
has reference to the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites, as the previous
verse shows; whereas the "them" of Deuteronomy 9:3 is the Anakim
—see verse 2. Nor does this present any difficulty in the spiritual
application: there are some enemies which the Christian is enabled
to overcome "quickly," while there are others which continue to try
him unto the end of his earthly course.
Divine Assurances
It is scarcely possible to overstate the importance of the book
of Joshua. Its contents are an intrinsic part of "the children’s bread",
which is essential to their well-being. It is of incalculable value to us
both doctrinally and practically. Doctrinally it casts clear light on a
subject which has deeply exercised the best theologians throughout
the centuries, namely, the relation which the Gospel sustains to the
Law; yet so far as we are aware, none has ever appealed to this
portion of the Word as providing a solution to that problem. Surely it
is clear that if we can ascertain what was the precise relations which
Joshua bore to Moses, we shall discover the relations which the
Gospel sustains to the Law. It has indeed been recognized by many
that the relation of those men unto each other indicated in a general
way one of the chief distinctions between the Law and the Gospel:
that as Joshua rather than Moses was the one who led Israel into
Canaan, so it is the merits of Christ and not the works of the Law to
which the sinner must look for his justification; but there they
stopped. Instead of starting at the beginning and tracing through the
subject, they began in the middle and drew a single conclusion.
The very first thing told us about Joshua in the book which
bears his name is that he was "Moses’ minister" (Josh. 1:1), a
statement that looks back to Exodus 24:13. Thus, Joshua is not set
before us as antagonistic to Moses, but as his attendant and
supporter. Apply that to the antitype and it should at once be evident
that it is a serious mistake to regard the Gospel and the Law as being
mutual enemies. Perhaps some will object, but is it not derogatory to
the Son of God to view Him as subservient to the Law? Our reply is,
What saith the Scriptures? Upon that point there is no room for
uncertainty: "When the fullness of time was come God sent forth
His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law" (Gal. 4:4). It was
in order to prevent any mistake upon this point, to allay any fears
they might entertain about it, that Christ said to His disciples "Think
not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17)—to "fulfill" it by
rendering thereto a perfect obedience and then to endure, on behalf
of His sinful people, its unremitting penalty.
But second, it is quite clear from the book of Deuteronomy
that the mission of Joshua was to complement that of Moses, to
bring to a successful issue what he began. Moses had led Israel out
of Egypt and he had been their leader all through the wilderness
journeyings, but it was left unto Joshua to induct Israel into their
promised inheritance. Here too we find no antagonism between
Joshua and Moses, but rather the one augmenting the other. Therein
we have a blessed and striking adumbration of the relation which the
Gospel sustains to the Law: it is not its adversary but its handmaid,
not its destroyer but its fulfiller. Christ has not only honored and
magnified the Law person ally, but He secures its being honored and
magnified in the affections and lives of His redeemed: "For the Law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"
(John 1:17). "For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness
of the Law might be fulfilled in us" (Rom. 8:3, 4).
Under Moses the Law obtained not its due because of the
weakness of the flesh in those who received it. They declared unto
Moses "speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak
unto thee, and we will hear and do" (Deut. 5:27). Nor was the Lord
displeased at such an avowal. So far was He from condemning them
for a presumptuous boast, we are told, "the Lord said unto me, I
have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have
spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken" (v.
28). Nevertheless, there was a "weakness" of which they were
ignorant, but of which He was cognizant, for He went on to say "Oh
that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and
keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them
and with their children forever!" There we learn what their
"weakness" consisted of: they lacked a heart for the Lord Himself.
That is the lack of the natural man the world over: until he is born
again no man has either any filial fear of God nor love for Him, and
where those be absent there is neither desire nor sincere effort to
keep them.
"The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject
to the Law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). Inexpressibly
solemn are those words: true of writer and reader alike until a
miracle of grace was wrought within him. The carnal mind is not
subject to the Law of God nor is it capable of being so: it is utterly
lawless, determined only on pleasing self and having our own way.
The reason for this in-subjection of the carnal mind to the Divine
Law is that it is "enmity against God": it is alienated from Him, it
hates Him—abhorring His ineffable holiness and despising His
sovereign authority. But at regeneration the love of God is shed
abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5): a contrary
principle is implanted which opposes that enmity and its reigning
power is destroyed. Hence, there is on the part of the regenerated
person a radically changed disposition and attitude to the Divine
Law, so that he declares "I delight in the Law of God after the
inward man . . . with the mind I myself serve the Law of God"
(Rom. 7:22, 25).
Third, not only was Joshua, originally, "Moses’ minister",
not only did he supplement his ministry and bring his mission to
successful completion, but when commissioned by Jehovah to
conduct His people into Canaan, he was bidden "Only be thou
strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded thee:
turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest
prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the Law shall not
depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and
night" (Josh. 1:7,8). Here again we see that so far from the work
assigned Joshua being inimical to that of his predecessor, he was
enjoined to honor and magnify it. That commission concerned not so
much Joshua personally as it did the people entrusted to his charge.
If Israel were to "possess their possessions", then under the leader
ship of Joshua they must regulate their conduct by the Divine Law.
God has not regenerated those for whom Christ died that they might
live as they please, but that they "might serve Him without fear, in
holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life"
(Luke 1:73, 75).
Herein lies the triumph and glory of the Gospel: not merely
that transgressors are pardoned and sinners delivered from the wrath
to some, but-that they are "created in righteousness and true
holiness" (Eph. 4:24), given a nature which delights in the Law and
sincerely serves it. The Law is written on their hearts (Heb. 8:10),
enshrined in their affections, and under the leadership of the
antitypical Joshua their conduct is governed by it. Christ has left
them an example that they should follow His steps (1 Pet. 2:21), and
He respected, honored, and fulfilled the Law. True, they do not
perfectly obey the Law, though they long to and honestly endeavor
so to do, and where there is that honest endeavor God accepts the
will for the deed. So far from the Law’s being set aside, N.T. saints
are "under the Law to Christ" (1 Cor. 9:21), and just so far as they
act in accordance with that fact is "good success" theirs in the
spiritual life.
Here, then, is the relation between the Law and the Gospel.
First, as Moses preceded Joshua, so God employs the Law as an
instrument for convicting the sinner of his need of Christ, for "by the
Law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20). Second, as Joshua was
"Moses’ minister", so Christ was made under the Law and satisfied
its every requirement, both preceptive and penal, that a perfect
righteousness might be provided for His people. Third, as the
mission of Joshua supplemented and complemented that of Moses,
so when the Gospel of Christ is made the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth, there is communicated to that
soul a nature which loves the Law and is subject to it. Fourth, as the
success of Israel in Canaan turned upon their obedience to Joshua,
who was to be regulated wholly by the Law of Moses, so the
Christian enters into possession of his possessions only so far as he
is subject to the Law in the hands of the Mediator. This will be made
increasingly evident if we are permitted to continue our meditations
upon this book of Scripture.
In our last we dwelt a little on Joshua 1:1-3. With verse 4
should be compared Genesis 15:18, Exodus 23:31, Numbers 34:3-
12, Deuteronomy 11:24. Turning now to verse 5 we have the blessed
promises which the Lord made unto Joshua as the basis of the great
commission he then received. "There shall not any man be able to
stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I
will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee". In seeking to
ponder them in the light of what immediately follows, we need to
bear in mind that the terms of the commission were made with
Joshua not simply as a private person, but as leader of the Nation,
that what God required from him He required from them, and that
what He promised him He promised them. We saw this when
looking at verse 2, wherein Jehovah said unto Joshua "Moses My
servant is dead: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all
this people" That "therefore" is most significant and suggestive so
far from the loss of their former leader inclining them to sit down in
dejection and despair, it was all the more necessary why they should
go forward under their new commander.
"There shalt not any man be able to stand before thee". That
this promise was made unto the Nation as here represented by
Joshua is clear from a comparison with Deuteronomy 7:24. There
we find Moses addressing the whole congregation, assuring it of
what the Lord God would do for them when He brought them into
the land (see verse 1): "He shall deliver their kings into thine hand,
and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no
man be able to stand before thee". Thus as Joshua 1:2 gave the
Divine call of duty unto Israel—"arise, go over this Jordan, thou and
all this people unto the land which I do give thee"—so in verse 5 we
see the Divine encouragement given them unto the discharge of their
duty. Moses had to face the haughty monarch of Egypt—then the
mightiest kingdom on earth—and confront his wise men and
magicians; yet none were able to stand before him. Powerful nations
were in possession of Canaan, among them the giant Anakim (Deut.
9:2), but none shall be able to withstand Joshua and those tinder
him: "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee"
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the
days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee". But
was that blessed assurance designed only for Joshua and the
Israelites of that day? Is it not recorded also for our sakes (Rom.
4:23, 24). Then are we making practical use of it? Do we frequently
remind ourselves of the same? Do we plead it before the throne of
grace in time of need and ask God to make it good in our
experience? Realizing that we are called upon to "fight the good
fight of faith", conscious of our weakness and the might of our foes,
have we put God in mind of this word? If not, why not? Is not our
failure at this point the explanation of many other failures? It is not
enough that we should long to enter more fully into our heritage in
Christ, we should also appropriate unto ourselves this blessed
assurance and beg God to overthrow whatever is standing in the way
and hindering us from a present and personal enjoyment of our
spiritual portion. We should be daily and confidently entreating Him
to teach us to vanquish the Anakim which are usurping our rightful
heritage.
Should any doubt the dispensational validity of what we
have just pointed out and demur at the idea of Christians today
applying to themselves a specific promise made to Joshua thousands
of years ago, then all room for a questioning of the same should at
once be removed by the final clause of that verse’ "I will not fail
thee nor forsake thee" (v. 5). Let the reader very carefully observe
that that very promise is quoted in Hebrews 13 and a most important
conclusion drawn from it: "For He hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (vv. 5, 6). The very
fact that the Holy Spirit moved the apostle to apply unto Christians
that promise made unto Joshua is clear proof of its significance for
believers in this age. Although the principle of one basic
interpretation with many legitimate applications may still be
maintained, the promises of God frequently transcend dispensational
distinctions. This is particularly true when the promise is restated in
another historical context. In such instances the promise definitely
pertains to those living in the other era as well and God’s children
should rightly partake of this needful portion of their bread.
What has just been mentioned ought to be so obvious that it
requires no further amplification: but since some of our readers have
been wrongly instructed therein, we must labor the point a little
further. Are not the needs of believers the same in one age as
another? Does not God bear the same relation to them and is He not
affected alike unto all of His children—does He not bear them the
same love? If He would not fail or forsake Joshua, then He will not
us. Are not Christians today under the same everlasting covenant of
grace as were the O.T. saints? Then they have a common charter:
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off—as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). Let us
not forget that "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the
Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:6). Then let this principle be
held tenaciously by us: the Divine promises which were made on
special occasions to particular individuals are of general use for all
the members of the Household of Faith.
"I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" is one of "the
exceeding great and precious promises" of God (2 Pet. 1:4) which is
addressed to me now as much as it was to Joshua of old, and
therefore is available for my faith to lay hold of and enjoy. Note the
use which the apostle made of the same: "So that we may boldly say,
the Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto
me" (Heb. 13:6). Those words "so that" point an inference drawn
from the promise: a double conclusion is thereby reached—
confidence in God and courage against man. That intimates the
various and manifold use we should make of God’s promises. The
conclusion drawn by the apostle was based upon the character of the
Promiser and similarly should faith ever reason. Since God is
infinitely good, faithful, all-powerful and immutable, we may boldly
or confidently declare with Abraham "the Lord will provide" (Gen.
29:8), with Jonathan "there is no restraint to the Lord to save by
many or by few" (1 Sam. 14:6), with Jehoshaphat "None is able to
withstand Thee" (2 Chron. 20:6), with Paul "If God be for us, who
can be against us" (Rom. 8:31).
"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me". Note attentively the
change in number from the plural to the singular: general principles
are to be appropriated by us in particular, as general precepts are to
be taken by us individually—as the Lord Jesus individualized the
"Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God" of Deuteronomy 6: 16 when
assailed by Satan (Matthew 4:10)! It is only by taking the Divine
promises and precepts unto ourselves personally that we mix faith
with the same and make a proper and profitable use of them. It is
further to be observe d that "The Lord is my Helper." etc, is a
citation from Psalm 118:6. In that quotation the apostle teaches us
again that the language of the O.T. is exactly suited unto the case of
Christians now, and that they are fully warranted in appropriating
the same"; "we may boldly say" just what the Psalmist did! It was in
a season of sore distress that David expressed his confidence in the
Lord, at a time when it appeared that his enemies were about to
swallow him up; but contrasting the omnipotence of Jehovah with
the feebleness of the creature his heart was strengthened and
emboldened.
Ah, but does the reader clearly perceive what that involved?
It meant that David turned his mind away from the seen to the
unseen. It means that he was regulated by faith rather than by sight
or reason. It means that His heart was occupied with the omnipotent
One. But it means much more: he was occupied with the
relationship of that omnipotent One unto himself. It means that he
recognized and realized the spiritual bond there was between them,
so that he could rightly and boldly say "the Lord is my Helper". If
He be my God, my Redeemer, my Father, then He can be counted
upon to undertake for me when I am in, sore straits, when my foes
would devour me, or when my barrel of meal is well-nigh empty.
But that "my" is the language of faith and "my Helper" is the
conclusion which faith’s assurance unhesitatingly drew. Often God
so orders His providences and places us in trying circumstances that
there may be suitable opportunity for our exercise of faith and that
He may be glorified by the same. Nothing honors Him more than the
unquestioning confidence of our hearts when everything outward
seems thoroughly against us.
Yes, David turned away his eyes from his numerous and
powerful enemies unto the omnipotent One, and so should we. God
will not disappoint us if we do: He never fails those who really trust
Him. Consider another example which illustrates the same principle.
On one occasion "the children of Moab the children of Ammon, and
with them other besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat
to battle" (2 Chron. 20:1). The king was quickly informed that "there
cometh a great multitude against thee", and we are told that he
"feared". But that was not all he did: he "set himself to seek the Lord
and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah". Then in the presence of
the whole congregation he prayed and pleaded with Jehovah,
concluding with "O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have
no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither
know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee" (v. 12). Nor did
they look unto Him in vain. Read the sequel—verses 14-26: without
themselves striking a blow, the Lord smote their enemies with such a
spirit of confusion that they fell upon one another and completely
destroyed themselves.
Divine Injunctions
When Jehovah called Moses to go down into Egypt and
make known His demand unto Pharaoh He assured His servant "I
will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Ex.
4:12). When Jeremiah was ordained a prophet unto the nations and
he shrank from the task before him, God said "they shall fight
against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with
thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee" (Jer. 1:19). With such
assurances does the Lord fortify the hearts of those whom He
commissions to go forth in His name. Similarly, when the risen
Redeemer bade His apostles make disciples of all nations and
baptize them, He first emphasized the fact that "all power had been
given to Him in heaven and in earth", and then comforted them with
the declaration "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world (Matthew 28:18-20). So too when He told Paul to remain at
Corinth, He cheered him thus: "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold
not thy peace, for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt
thee, for I have much people in this city" (Acts 18:9, 10).
In like manner did the Lord prepare Joshua for the
undertaking to which he was called. First, He gave him the threefold
assurance, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all
the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Josh. 1:5). The time had arrived
when he was to lead the people of Israel across the Jordan and
marshal their forces for the conquest of the promised land. On the
threshold of that difficult and dangerous task Jehovah had thus
encouraged and animated His servant. Great were the obstacles and
perils confronting them, but great too were the consolations here
vouchsafed him. Highly favored as was Joshua in being made the
recipient of such promises, yet they were not designed to set aside
the discharge of his own responsibility: he was not to say within
himself, These covenant engagements will certainly be fulfilled, so
there is no need for me to be exercised. So far from using them as a
couch for him to rest upon, they were designed as, a girdle
wherewith to gird up his loins for future activities.
"Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt
thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their
fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous"
(Josh. 1:6,7). The Divine assurance received by Joshua was
therefore intended as a spur unto energy, as an incentive to the
performance of duty, for the quickening of his heart unto the same.
The connection between this exhortation and what immediately
precedes it inculcates a most important practical lesson: God’s
promises are not meant to set aside His precepts, but rather are given
to encourage us to do with all our hearts and might whatever He has
bidden us. Assurances of Divine assistance must never be regarded
as nullifying our accountability or as rendering needless the putting
forth of our utmost endeavors, but instead, are to be taken as so
many guarantees that if we be "always abounding in the work of the
Lord" (the discharge of our daily duties), then we may know "that
our labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
Those professing Christians who reason, God has promised
never to leave nor forsake us and therefore it is quite safe for us to
flirt with the world and trifle with Sill, do but make manifest the
unregenerate condition of their hearts. They who take unto
themselves the Divine declaration "He who hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6), and
then conclude there is no need for them to make their calling and
election sure, or desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may
grow thereby, render it very doubtful that a good work has been
begun in them. They who say, God will assuredly fulfill His decrees
and draw unto Christ all whom He has ordained unto eternal life,
and therefore there is no need for us to be deeply concerned about
souls and seek after their salvation, speak not the language of His
true children, but wrest the Truth. If our response to God’s promises
be that of sloth and carelessness, that is proof we have received them
carnally and not spiritually. The use or misuse we make of the
Divine cordials affords a good index of the state of our hearts.
God had just assured Joshua "as I was with Moses, so I will
be with thee" That language was unequivocal and unqualified, yet it
was far from signifying that he might take things easily, or simply
"stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord"—words which have
heed grievously misapplied. No, rather were they designed to inspire
him to the performance of duty and to let him know that his efforts
should not be in vain. "Be strong and of a good courage"’ that was
the first effect which those assurances should work in him, and until
they did he was not fitted for the task before him. That task entailed
the facing of problems and dangers such as were enough to make the
stoutest heart to quake, nevertheless, Joshua was to undertake it
without trepidation or hesitation. And why so? Because the living
God, the omnipotent Jehovah had declared that not a man should be
able to stand before him, that He would not fail nor forsake him.
Then what was there to fear? Had not Joshua good ground, sufficient
reason, to be strong and to act valiantly?
Upon entering Canaan powerful enemies had to be faced, for
the land was inhabited by races of giants, men who were famous
both for stature and strength. They were a fierce and warlike people,
strongly armed, for they had "chariots of iron" (Josh. 17:16). True,
but God had said "Not any man shall be able to stand before thee".
Formidable obstacles had to be overcome. The cities of the
Canaanites were fortified, described by the ten spies as "great and
walled up to heaven" (Deut. 1:28) That was the language of
unbelief’s exaggeration, yet they were mighty strongholds which
had to be overthrown. Even so, God’s "I will not fail thee" was more
than sufficient. Again, there was the food problem to be considered.
In the wilderness the Israelites had been daily supplied with manna
from heaven, but that was now to cease. When the Jordan was
crossed that great host of people must quarter on the enemy. Who
was to provide for such a multitude? How should they be fed? Was
not such a problem enough to make Joshua quail? No, not after he
had received such assurances.
Not only were the Canaanites a numerous and powerful foe,
but those whom Joshua commanded were a most unpromising
people. What trouble they had occasioned his predecessor in the
desert! Ever ready to murmur, wanting to turn back to Egypt, stiff-
necked, and with no faith in Jehovah. What could Joshua expect
from their immediate descendants? How far could he count on their
loyalty and cooperation? Was it not more than likely that their hearts
would turn from him as those of their fathers so often had from
Moses? Even so, God had said "I will not forsake thee" How well
suited were those Divine assurances to his situation! In view of them
what good reason had the Lord to bid him "Be strong and of a good
courage". And in view of the same what sufficient ground had
Joshua to go forward in full confidence and valor! So he would if he
took those promises to heart and mixed faith with them. Ah, it all
turned on that. As cause stands to effect so would the laying hold of
those promises produce strength of spirit and courageous action.
Joshua did receive them by faith, and such was their effect upon
him.
What bearing does the above have upon us today? In our last
we pointed out that the promise of Joshua 1:5 belongs to Christians
today, and here we must insist that the precept "Be strong and of a
good courage" is also addressed to us personally, that God so enjoins
us. "Quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13), "be of good
courage" (Ps. 31:24) make known the Divine requirements from us.
Those are the graces specially needed by believers if they are to
overcome their enemies, surmount the obstacles in their path and
possess their possessions. Granted, says the reader, but when you bid
me "be strong" you do but tantalize me, seeing that is the very thing
I desire to be and yet am conscious I am not. But cannot you see the
fault is entirely your own’ that your weakness and fear is due to your
failure to mix faith with God’s promises? What more do you want
than what God has said to you in Joshua 1:5? If God be for you, who
can be against you? Look away from yourself, from your enemies,
from your difficulties, unto Him who hath said "I will not fail thee,
nor forsake thee": count upon Him, and strength will displace
weakness and courage fear.
"Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all the Law, which Moses My servant
commanded thee" (v. 7). This exhortation is not a mere repetition of
the one in the previous verse, but a particularizing of it or an
application of the same to a specific duty. The "be strong and of a
good courage" cf. verse 5 was more general, this here relates
especially to walking in tee way of God’s commandments.
Resoluteness, fortitude, daring and perseverance were required for
the great exploits which lay ahead, yet equally necessary and
essential—if less apparent unto some today—was strength and
courage if Joshua was to be completely submissive to the legislation
of his predecessor. The world admires most the man who is
independent, strikes out along a line of his own, and counts
meekness and submission as a mean-spirited thing. It is the free-
thinker and the free-liver who is generally admired by the godless,
and obedience is despised as something servile. Joshua was now
virtually made king in Jeshurun and it called for real courage for
Israel’s commander-in-chief to take his orders from another, and
especially so when the carrying out of the same seemed to be a
hazardous matter.
Let the Christian faithfully apply this exhortation unto
himself and perhaps he will the better perceive what it involved for
Joshua. "Be thou strong and very courageous, that (in order that)
thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law". Is there not an
inseparable connection between the two things: is not courage
required in order to obedience? Fellow-Christian, if your character
and conduct is to be regulated by the Divine standard, if all {he
details of your life are to be ordered by God’s statutes, what will
men think and say of you? Will they not deem you mad? It calls for
courage, courage of a high order, for a preacher to scorn all novelties
and disdain the contemptuous sneers of his fellows that he is "behind
the times" because he declares only the counsel of God. And it calls
for real courage for the private Christian to cleave close to the path
of obedience when many professors will sneer at his "strictness" and
"strait-lacedness". How many are afraid of being thought "queer" or
"puritanical"! Ah, my reader, it requires resolution and valor to swim
against the tide of popular opinion, as it does to differ from "our
doctrines" if one sees God’s Word requires it.
"That thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law,
which Moses My servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the
right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou
goest" (v. 7). There was the commission which Joshua received from
the Lord. He was not to be regulated by his own inclinations nor
lean unto his own understanding, he was not to be governed by the
principle of expediency nor be seeking to please those under him;
instead, he must be actuated in all things by a "thus saith the Lord".
For the carrying out of that commission he needed strength and
courage, that he might be daring enough to strictly heed the
instructions which Moses had left in writing for him. And in order to
the exercise of those graces his heart must be constantly occupied
with the assuring promises God had given him. So God’s servant
today must teach His people to observe all things whatsoever Christ
has commanded, resting on His promise "Lo, I am with you alway".
So too the private Christian must heed that word "whatsoever He
saith unto you, do" (John 2:5), counting on His promise to make his
way prosperous.
As another has pointed out, "In Joshua’s case, full obedience
to the Divine command involved innumerable difficulties, such as
besieging fortified cities and fighting against warriors who came to
battle in chariots of iron armed with scythes". He who contemplates
enlisting under the banner of Christ needs well to sit down and count
the cost, for it is no child’s play. to "follow the Lamb whithersoever
He goeth". A merely nominal profession is easy enough to make and
maintain after the manner of the times, but to be a real Christian
means to deny self, take up the cross and go forth unto Christ
without the camp. Through his obedience Joshua made many
enemies. When it became known that Jericho had been captured and
Ai vanquished, we read of certain kings confederating together to
destroy him. Such will be the experience of the obedient Christian. It
will be his desire and effort to make no enemies, but if he is faithful
to Christ many of his old friends will turn against him, and he
probably prove that his foes are found even in his own household.
"Woe unto you" if "all men speak well of you".
Joshua’s obedience required strength and courage because it
involved years of persevering effort. Rome was not built in a day,
nor was Canaan captured in a twelve month. Long marches,
protracted campaigns, much heavy fighting was entailed before
Israel fully entered into possession of their heritage. As another has
said "The days were not long enough for his battles. He bids the sun
stand still and the moon is stayed: and even when that long day has
passed, yet the morning sees him sword in hand still. Joshua was
like those old knights who slept in their armor. He was always
fighting". Such is the life of the Christian a warfare from end to end.
No sooner does he receive pardon from Christ than the great conflict
begins. Every yard of the narrow way which leadeth unto Life is
contested—not a foot will Satan yield to him. When victory has
been obtained over one lust, another immediately raises its ugly
head. When one temptation has been overcome, ten others more
subtle menace him. There is no respite, no furlough is granted. "He
that endureth unto the end shall be saved", and none other will.
Something more than human strength and prowess is called for.
"Do according to all the Law which Moses My servant
commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left". As
one has well pointed out, "It is the exactness of obedience which
constitutes the essence of obedience" The fact is that if we do not
desire and earnestly endeavor to keep all of God’s commandments
we are totally lacking in the spirit of genuine obedience. He who
picks and chooses between them is a self-pleaser and not a God-
pleaser. The vast majority in Christendom today say, We must not be
too precise: but that is too thin a garb to cover their hypocrisy. At
heart they want to turn their backs on God’s Law altogether, but as
an open avowal of such a sentiment would at once expose them,
they resort to such cant as, We must not be too nice, too strict, too
particular. It is this temporizing and compromising which has
brought Christendom into the sorry state that it is now in. An
omission here and a human addition there opened the flood-gates of
evil. As the Lord will have all our hearts or nothing, so He will
accept only an obedience which respects "all His commandments"
(Ps. 119:6), and not one which is partial and discriminating.
Joshua was granted no indulgence, but must adhere rigidly
and constantly to the Rule set before him. No matter how contrary to
natural wisdom and prudence might be the carrying out of its
precepts, no matter how unpopular it should make him with the
people of Israel, God required full and continuous obedience from
him. And so He does of us today, and unto those of His nominal
disciples who fail to render the same, He asks, "Why call ye Me,
Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Yes,
"nominal" disciples is all they are, for He Himself declares "that
servant which knew his Lord’s will and prepared not, neither did
according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes" (Luke
12:47). t is probable that the apostle had Joshua 1:7 in mind when he
said "by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the
left" (2 Cor. 6:9)—righteousness is right doing, acting according to
the standard of right, namely, the Law of God. When one said to a
Puritan, "Many people have rent their consciences in halves: could
you not just make a little nick in yours?" He answered, "No, I
cannot, for my conscience belongs to God"
Finally, let us notice that the path of obedience is the path of
prosperity: "turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that (in
order that) thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest" (v. 7).
Conformity unto the revealed will of God may entail trial, but there
will be abundant compensation. Of course there shall, for the Lord
will be no man’s Debtor. The path of obedience is the path of
blessing: the treading thereof may incur the frowns of men, but what
matters that if we have the smile of our Master! True, the prosperity
may not immediately appear, for faith has to be tried and patience
developed, yet in the long run it will be found that in keeping the
Divine commandments "there is great reward" (Ps. 19:11). So
Joshua found it: he adhered strictly to the Divine Law and success
crowned his efforts; and that is recorded for our encouragement. Let
us not forget that "Godliness is profitable for all things: having
promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1 Tim.
4:8), yet that promise is conditioned by our keeping of the precepts.
The Primacy of God’s Word
We turn now to the closing portion of the great commission
which Joshua received frown the Lord. We have already seen that it
came to him after the death of Moses, and that it was concerned with
Israel’s conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan (v. 1-4). We
have contemplated the blessed assurances which Jehovah gave unto
His servant, for the comforting of his heart and the strengthening of
his hands (v. 5). We have pondered the general injunction which
God laid upon the new leader of His people (v. 6), and sought to
show its meaning and timeliness. We have also noted the particular
application which the Lord made of that injunction unto Joshua, in
requiring that he should be very courageous in regulating all his
actions by the statutes He had given through Moses and placed on
permanent record as an authoritative Rule for all who should
succeed him, and how that He enjoined implicit and undeviating
obedience from him, (v. 7), and endeavored to indicate the very real
and practical bearing all of that has upon our spiritual lives today. In
what we are now to ponder, we learn what more was demanded of
Joshua in order to ensure a successful realization of all the
foregoing.
"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" (Josh.
1:8). Joshua was to be guided and governed wholly by the written
Word, which was something unprecedented, unique, No man before
Joshua had received orders from God to regulate his conduct by the
Words of a Book. True, Abram and his household obeyed God’s
voice in keeping His commandments and His statutes (Gen. 26:5).
Moses too had acted by Divine authority, but each had received his
instructions from the mouth of the Lord, But Joshua, and all who
succeeded him, must be governed by "this Book of the Law" It is
remarkable that Joshua and the Book come before us together,
without any introduction, in the same passage: "and the Lord said
unto Moses, Write this in a book and rehearse it in the ears of
Joshua" (Ex. 17:14)—the Book was prepared for Joshua; Joshua
came to fulfill the words of the Book. The typical significance of
that is at once apparent.
Let it be carefully noted that God’s Word, from its very first
appearance as a book, occupies the same position, namely, the
position of unqualified supremacy. It was set above Joshua: all his
actions were to be regulated by it. Let us also observe that the
authority of this Book is quite independent of its quantity or size.
"The law of Moses", "Moses and the Prophets", "The Law, the
Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44), are descriptions of the same
Book, differing in the quantity of its matter but not differing in its
authority, nor in its relation to the people of God. "Blessed is he that
readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy" (Rev. 1:3), is
a declaration that applies with equal force to the Holy Scriptures in
every stage of their compilation, from the opening chapters of "The
Book of the Law" till the completion of the Sacred Canon. Let us
further remark that in this first title given to the Bible in its earliest
form, we have emphasized its leading characteristic: it contains
more than good advice or salutary counsel—it is a "Law" binding
upon us, a Law clothed with Divine authority, a Rule for us to walk
by.
"This Book of the Law" comprised the entire Pentateuch, the
first five books (or chapters) of the O.T. It is not "these books of the
Law" for all through the O.T. those five books are regarded as a unit.
Now it is very rare indeed that we turn aside and pay any attention
to the ravings of skeptics and infidels, but on this occasion we will
depart from our custom. It is one of the many erroneous allegations
of the self-styled "Higher Critics" that the Pentateuch was not
written by Moses, but was composed at a very much later date—
some say, in the time of king Manasseh; others, not until the days of
Ezra. But over against this assertion, stands the fact that a definite
"Book" is spoken of all through the O.T., as being constantly
appealed to, with directions how it was to be preserved; and it
should be of interest to our readers if we briefly outline the
references to the same. The first mention of this "Book" is as stated
above, in Exodus 17:14, and there we see it was written by
Jehovah’s command, and (in the Hebrew) is designated the Book.
"And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord . . . and he took
the Book of the Covenant and read it in the audience of the people"
(Ex. 24:4,7), tells who was its first penman. "Moses wrote their
goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the
Lord" (Num. 33:2), and if we compare Deuteronomy 1:2, 3 and
Deuteronomy 2:14 it will be found that those "journeys" were from
the early part of the first year after Israel came out of Egypt until the
end of the thirty-eighth. "Moses wrote this Law and delivered it unto
the priests, the sons of Levi" (Deut. 31:9) entrusting it to their
custody, and verse 26 of the same chapter informs us he bade the
Levites, "take this Book of the Law and put it in the side of the ark
of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a
witness against them". It is clear from verse 19 that copies were
made of parts of it at least, but the standard copy was preserved in
the side of the ark, which vessel was kept in the holy of holies. From
that Standard copy each king of Israel was required to "write him a
copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the priests the
Levites" (Deut. 17:18).
Once every seven years the whole of the Book of the Law
was to be read in the hearing of the entire congregation. "And Moses
commanded them, saying, At the end of every seventh year, in the
solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all
Israel is come to appear before the Lord their God in the place which
He shall choose, thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their
hearing . . . that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and
observe to do all the words of this Law" (Deut. 31:11-13). This was
the Book by which Joshua was to be regulated. At a later date, the
Spirit moved him to write therein (Josh. 24:26), as Samuel also
added portions thereto (1 Sam. 10:25). I
 Joshua 1:10-18
The Response Of Faith
"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people", giving
to them their orders. Observe that he did not call a conference of the
heads of the tribes to ascertain how many of them he could count
upon for cooperation, nor to seek their counsel and advice. No, like
the apostle, when the Lord’s will was made known to him, he could
say "I conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:16). Nor did he,
like vacillating Felix, defer the performance of duty unto "a more
convenient season". There is an old but wise adage "Strike while the
iron’s hot": act at once in response to the convictions of conscience
or the promptings of the Spirit. Or better, perform your duty
immediately it is clear to you. The longer we delay, the more
reluctant we are to comply with God’s requirements. Delay itself is
disobedience. Procrastination evidences a lack of heart for the
Divine precepts and an absence of concern for the Divine glory.
It is nothing but a species of hypocrisy for me to tell myself
that I am willing to obey God while I delay in doing so, for nothing
hinders me but want of heart—where there’s a will there’s always a
way. When there is an earnest bent of heart we shall not linger.
When the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem proceeded apace we
are told "for the people had a mind to work" (Neh. 4:6). Once a duty
is discovered, it should be discharged. Peril attends the neglect of
any acknowledged obligation. "Then Joshua commanded the
officers of the people": he not only complied with God’s order, but
he did so promptly. There was no absorption with the difficulties
confronting him, no inventing of excuses for the non-performing of
his task, no tardiness of action, but prompt obedience. That is
another important secret of success which each of us needs to take to
heart.
"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people". That
was his response to the commission he had received’ an immediate
tackling of the duty nearest to hand. He could say with David, "I
made haste, and delayed not, to keep Thy commandments" (Ps.
119:60). He resolved upon a course of instant obedience, and
promptly put it into execution. He considered that the One who was
vested with such sovereignty and power, and who had given him
such blessed assurances, was worthy of being loved and served with
all his heart and might. Is that the case with you? with me?
"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord" (Col. 3:23), and
where there is heartiness, there will be no delay. Is it not evident
then, my reader, that the readiness or tardiness of our obedience is a
good index to the state of our hearts? When we stand debating
instead of doing, reasoning instead of "running" (Ps. 119:32),
something is seriously wrong.
Alas, how different is our obedience from our praying under
the pressure of need. When at our wit’s end or sorely afflicted and
we cry for relief or deliverance, is not our language that of David’s
"Lord, hear me speedily" (Ps. 102:2)? And how disappointed and
fretful we are if His answer does not come swiftly. Ah, may we not
perceive from what has been before us why it is that His answers are
often delayed! If we be so slow in responding to His calls of duty,
what right have we to expect the Holy One to be early in responding
to our calls for favor? The One who has reason to ask "how long?"
(Rev. 6:10) is not myself, but God. A holy alacrity in God’s service
is much to be desired. "We are too often in haste to sin; O that we
may be in a greater hurry to obey God" (C.H. Spurgeon). Have we
not much lost time to make up?
"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people". In so
doing he did not act officiously, but was rightly exerting the
authority with which God had endowed him. As the servant of
Jehovah he was himself subject to the will of his Master, but as the
leader of God’s people it was both meet and necessary that he
should exercise his power and control over them. Therein he has left
an example which each genuine minister of the Gospel would do
well to emulate. While it be true that they today do not occupy a
position which is in all respects analogous to that of Joshua’s, yet as
those who have been called and commissioned by Christ to preach
in His name (John 13:20) and "rule over" His assemblies (Heb.
13:17), it behooves them to conduct themselves with becoming
dignity and decorum so as to command the respect of those they
address.
The true minister of the Gospel is neither a pope nor a mere
figure-head. He is to behave neither as a Diotrophes lording it over
God’s heritage, nor as a sycophant who is subservient to others.
There is a happy medium between conducting himself as a blatant
dictator and a servile flatterer. There are far too many preachers
today who act as though they are begging their hearers to do Christ
and His cause a favor, who are so apologetic, fawning and
effeminate they have forfeited the respect of real men. "These things
speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise
thee" (Titus 2:15). "The most effectual way for ministers to secure
themselves from contempt, is to keep close to the doctrine of Christ
and imitate Him" (Matthew Henry), and He taught "as One having
authority" (Matthew 7:29).
‘Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
Pass through the host and command the people, saying, Prepare you
victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in
to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess"
(Josh. 1:10,11). It is striking to note the iteration of this word
"commanded". First, the Lord declared unto Joshua "Have not I
commanded thee!" (v. 9), then he commanded his officers, and they
in turn commanded the people: the exercise of Divinely-given
authority and the requirement of implicit obedience was essential if
success was to be theirs. And those two things are indispensable
today if we would have the Lord show Himself strong on our behalf.
If the minister of the Gospel be required to "exhort and rebuke with
all authority" (Titus 2:15), those committed to his care are bidden
"obey them that have the rule over you" (Heb. 13:17). God requires
from His people a subjection to the ministerial office, as truly as he
does to the magisterial in the civil realm (Rom. 13) and to the
husband and parent in the domestic (Eph. 5:22; 6:1). Discipline must
be maintained in the house of God.
"Prepare you victuals". A journey lay ahead, a strenuous
campaign was before them, but the one thing enjoined by way of
anticipation was "prepare you victuals". The spiritual significance
and application of that unto ourselves is obvious. If we would be
strong and stouthearted, and therefore equipped for our warfare, we
must be well fed—nourished up in the words of faith" (1 Tim. 4:6).
The "victuals" are furnished us by God, but we must "prepare" them.
At no point does God encourage slothfulness. Unless we give good
heed to this injunction we shall not be able to overcome our foes.
That word is addressed as directly to us today as it was unto Israel in
the time of Joshua. We are guilty of flagrant dishonesty if we
appropriate to ourselves the promises "I will not fail thee nor forsake
thee . . . The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest"
(vv. 5, 9), and disregard the precepts "Observe to do according to all
that is written . . . meditate therein day and night . . . be strong and
of a good courage . . . prepare you victuals".
"Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass
over this Jordan" One had naturally expected that order to be
"Prepare you boats", for there was no bridge across the river. There
had been none over the Red Sea, yet Israel had crossed it safely, dry-
shod, and that without recourse to boats or rafts. As Matthew Henry
pointed out "He that brought them out of Egypt on eagle’s wings,
would in like manner bear them into Canaan". Such was evidently
Joshua’s expectation on this occasion. He was fully assured that if
he and those under him rendered obedience to the Divine Will they
could count upon God’s help: hence his contemptuous "this
Jordan"—it would present no difficulty to Omnipotence, nor need it
dismay them. "In three days ye shall pass over this Jordan: not "ye
may", nor "ye shall attempt to do so": it was the language of full
confidence—not in them, nor in himself, but in the living God. Such
must be the spirit of those who feed and lead God’s people today,
otherwise they will depress rather than hearten.
There is an important typical and spiritual truth contained in
that "three days": it is the number of resurrection. It is only as the
Christian conducts himself as one who is risen with Christ that he
can overcome the flesh, the world and the Devil, and that requires
two things from him: the exercise of faith and of obedience. Faith
seeing myself as God sees me, faith viewing myself as one with
Christ in His death and resurrection, faith appropriating His victory
over sin, death and Satan. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.
6:11). That is the "reckoning" of faith, for feelings have nothing
whatever to do with it. It is taking our stand on the infallible Word of
God, irrespective of our conscious "experience". In the reckoning of
the Divine Law the one who trustfully commits his soul unto Christ
has "passed from death unto life", and faith is to accept that blessed
truth on the bare but all-sufficient authority of God. The believer is
legally and vitally united to a risen and triumphant Savior.
What has just been pointed out is of first importance. There
can be no real peace for the conscience, no substantial rest of soul,
no lasting joy of heart, until the Christian is assured on the authority
of Him who cannot lie that "our old man is (Greek "was") crucified
with Him" (Rom. 6:6) and that we are "risen with Christ" (Col. 3:1).
The believer cannot walk on resurrection ground until it is a settled
and glorious fact in his mind that he is on resurrection ground,
legally one with his risen Surety, rejoicing that "there is therefore
now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus"; yea glorying
in the fact that the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to his
account. When that is received by faith then "the joy of the Lord is
my strength". I cannot possibly go forward and "fight the good fight
of faith" nor expect any success in overcoming the Canaanites, so
long as I doubt my acceptance before God and fail to realize my
union with Christ. That is foundational, and we repeat, feelings have
nothing whatever to do with it.
But something more than the exercise of faith—resting on
the declarations of Holy Writ—is required if I am to enter
experimentally and practically into the good of my being legally one
with Christ, and that is, the rendering of obedience to Him. "He died
for all (His people), that they which live (legally) should not
henceforth live (practically) unto themselves, but unto Him which
died for them and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:15). "But now we are
delivered from (the curse of) the Law, being dead to that wherein we
were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit" (Rom. 7:4)—
from a spirit of gratitude and joy. Henceforth the Christian is to
"walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4): a new principle is to actuate
him—love; a new design is to regulate him—honoring his Master.
The self-will which dominated him while unregenerate is to be
displaced by seeking to please Christ in all things. That is to "walk
in newness of life", on resurrection ground.
The antitypical Canaan is ours. It is the "purchased
possession", bought by Christprecious blood. That inheritance is to
be enjoyed now: by faith, by hope, by fixing our affection upon
things above. As we do so, we experimentally "possess our
possessions". "The upright shall have good things in possession"
(Prov. 28:10)—not merely in prospect, but in actual possession. But
there are powerful foes seeking to keep us from enjoying our
heritage! True, but we may obtain victory over them, as Israel did
over theirs. We may, we shall, in proportion as faith is in exercise
and as we walk obediently. Note the precision and meaning of
Joshua language: "to go in to possess the land which the Lord your
God giveth you to possess it" (v. 11). God had given Canaan in
promise long before (v. 3), but that promise was to be realized by
that generation according as they submitted themselves to Him. So it
is with us: God will give us a present possession if we meet His
requirements.
The Lord God had sworn unto their fathers "to give them"
the land of Canaan (v. 6), yet that did not preclude strenuous efforts
on their part. Hitherto He had furnished them with manna, for there
was nothing in the wilderness they could live upon; but now His
command was "prepare you victuals", and that was indicative of
what was required from them—they must discharge their
responsibility. The Lord never panders to laziness: it is the one who
is out and out for Him who enjoys most of His smile. A protracted
conflict had to be waged, and success there in was made dependent
upon their implicit compliance with God’s orders through Joshua:
only thus would He give the land into their possession. That is the
central message of this book: unreserved obedience as the condition
of God putting forth His power against our enemies and bringing us
into the enjoyment of our inheritance.
"And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites and to half the
tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember the word which
Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you (12, 13). The
reference is to what is recorded in Numbers 32. Upon Israel’s
conquest of the kingdoms of the Amorites and Bashan (v. 33), the
two and a half tribes, who had "a very great multitude of cattle" (v.
1), came to Moses and asked "let this portion be given unto thy
servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan" (v. 5). At
first he was very displeased, regarding their request as proceeding
from unbelief and from an unwillingness to bear their share in the
fighting which lay ahead. But being assured that on permission
being granted them to build sheepfolds for their cattle and dwellings
for their children, their men-folk would accompany the other tribes
and fight with them until Canaan was conquered (v. 16-19), Moses
consented to their proposal (v. 20-24).
If careful attention be paid to Moses’ words on that occasion
we see how that incident supplied a striking illustration of what is
dominant in this book. Numbers 32:33 says "he gave unto them" that
portion of country, yet it was not an absolute grant but a provisional
one, which turned upon the faithful discharge of their responsibility.
If the reader does not like the sound of that statement, if it clashes
with his "belief", let him pay extra diligence to what follows, and if
needs be correct his "beliefs". "Moses said unto them, If ye will do
this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war . . . until the
land be subdued before the Lord, then afterward ye shall return (to
your side of the Jordan) and be guiltless before the Lord and before
Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord" (v. 20-
22). They agreed: "thy servants will do as my lord commandeth" (v.
25).
Then we are told, "So concerning them Moses commanded
Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun" (v. 28). Accordingly,
now that Moses was dead and the Lord’s time had come for Israel to
enter Canaan, Joshua said unto those two and a half tribes
"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded you". In so doing he complied with his commission, for
Jehovah had bidden him "observe to do according to all the Law
which Moses My servant commanded thee" (v. 7), and this was one
of those things (Num. 32:28)! It was not natural prudence or a spirit
of expediency which actuated Joshua to seek their cooperation, still
less was it from fear that the remaining tribes would be insufficient
for the task confronting them, but obedience to his Master which
regulated his action.
Joshua did not take it for granted that the two and a half
tribes would now carry out their agreement, but definitely reminded
them of the same and held them to it. But note how he did so. He did
not beg for their compliance as a favor unto himself—I hope you
will be willing to serve under me. Nor did he appeal on behalf of
their brethren—the other tribes will be encouraged if you are willing
to help them. Nor did he bid them remember their promise to Moses.
No, he pressed upon them the Word of God! That is another lesson
for the servants of God to heed today: if we would honor Him, we
must honor His Word, by enforcing its requirements. "God now
commandeth all men everywhere to repent" should be their language
to the unsaved.
"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded you, saying, The Lord hath given you rest and hath
given you this land. Your wives, your little ones and your cattle shall
remain in the land . . . but ye shall pass before your brethren armed,
all the mighty men of valor, and help them. Until the Lord hath
given your brethren rest, as He hath given you, and they also have
possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them; then ye
shall return unto the land of your possessions and enjoy it" (v. 13-
15). There are a number of things here on which we can but briefly
touch. That word "remember" signifies heed, and is invariably a call
to obedience. The fact that their portion had already been "given",
placed an additional obligation on them—gratitude demanded their
compliance. As Matthew Henry reminds us "when God by His
providence has given us rest, we ought to consider how we may
honor Him with the advantages of it, and what service we may do to
our brethren"
Once again we would call attention to the truth here
exemplified: we cannot enter into our inheritance without fighting.
See how the two aspects combine: the eastern country of the Jordan
had already been allotted and given to the two and a half tribes, but
they must now bear their share in the conquest of Canaan. Nay, they
must take the lead in the fighting: "ye shall pass before your
brethren armed"—they were to form the ‘spearhead’ of Israel’s
army. See the meetness and justice of that arrangement: they had
obtained their inheritance before any of their brethren, and so they
must be in the van. And thus it came to pass: when the Jordan was
crossed the two and a half tribes "passed over armed before the
children of Israel, as Moses spake to them" (Ex. 4:12). Observe it
was "the mighty men of valor" who did so—there were no women in
the ‘forces’!
"And they answered Joshua saying, All that thou
commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we
will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will
we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as He
was with Moses" (v. 16, 17). If we wrote a separate article on these
verses, we should entitle it "Joshua’s encouragement" and dwell
upon the relation between this incident and that which precedes. It is
ever God’s way to honor those who honor Him. Joshua had
promptly complied with his commission and had magnified God’s
Word, and now He moved those two and a half tribes to willingly
serve under him. In his words "Until the Lord have given your
brethren rest . . . and they also have possessed the land" (v. 15), he
had spoken in unwavering faith as to the outcome, and now the Lord
graciously inclined these men to fully cooperate with him.
Those two and a half tribes might have pleaded that their
agreement had been made with Moses, and that since death cancels
all contracts, his decease released them from their engagement. But
instead, they averred their unqualified readiness to accept Joshua as
their leader and yield to his authority. Their promise to him went
beyond what they had pledged unto Moses. Joshua had received the
assurance "Be not afraid neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy
God is with thee whithersoever thou goest" (v. 9), and in His
mowing those two and a half tribes to loyal subjection unto Joshua,
He gave the initial manifestation and earnest of His fulfillment of
the same. Their promise to Joshua on this occasion was no idle
boast, for as Joshua 22:1-6 shows, they faithfully kept their word.
"Only the Lord be with thee, as He was with Moses" (v. 17) should
be regarded as their prayer for him.
"Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment,
and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest
him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage"
(v. 18). They suggested that this military edict should be enacted in
order to prevent cowardice and disloyalty on the part of others in the
army, implying their readiness to cooperate in the enforcing of the
same. It is probable that they had in mind the Lord’s word unto
Moses, "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren
like unto thee, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall
speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to
pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall
speak in My Name, I will require it of him" (Deut. 18:18,19). We
know that prophecy received its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, but
Joshua was a type of Him. "Only be thou strong and of a good
courage" was tantamount to their declaring "We, for our part, will do
nothing to weaken thy hands, but on the contrary will do all in our
power to make thy lot easier!" Such should ever be the attitude of
the Christian unto both magistrates and the ministers of the Gospel.
 Joshua 2:1-24
A Scarlet Cord
The Spies
In the second half of chapter 1, the Holy Spirit has recorded
the response made by Joshua unto the great commission he had
received from the Lord: he complied promptly, he conducted himself
according to the Divine Rule, and he acted in faith. The command he
issued to his officers (v. 11) showed he had no doubt whatever that
the Jordan would be crossed, and his words to the two and a half
tribes (v. 15) evinced his full confidence in the Lord’s help for the
whole campaign. Such language had been both honoring to God and
encouraging to His people. We have already seen how the Lord
rewarded His servant by constraining the two and a half tribes to
accept Joshua as their leader and yield full obedience unto his
authority. Those things are recorded for our instruction and
encouragement: to show that none are ever the losers by trusting in
the Lord and rendering obedience to His Word. In what is now to
engage our attention we have a further proof of the Lord showing
Himself strong on behalf of the dutiful.
The land which Joshua was called upon to conquer was
occupied by a fierce, powerful and ungodly people. Humanly
speaking, there was no reason to conclude that the Canaanites would
render assistance or do ought to make his task easier: rather to the
contrary, as the attitude and actions of the kings had shown (Num.
21:1, 23, 33). When he sent forth the two spies to obtain information
about Jericho, he could not naturally expect that any of its
inhabitants would render them any help in their difficult task. Yet
that is exactly what happened, for those spies received remarkable
favor in the eyes of her in whose house they obtained lodgment. Not
only was she kindly disposed toward them, but she even hazarded
her own life on their behalf. What an illustration was this that
"When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies
to be at peace with him" (Prov. 16:7)! Those two men were in the
path of duty, carrying out the orders of God’s servant, and He
undertook for them.
"And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to
spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went,
and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there"
(Josh. 2:1). For some time past the children of Israel had been
encamped in the plains of Shittim, which bordered on the Jordan and
lay opposite Jericho (Num. 33:49). And now Joshua sent forth these
two spies to obtain information about this enemy stronghold which
lay in their path of advance. In so doing, Joshua has been severely
criticized by some, who regarded him as here acting according to a
carnal policy, that was dictated by unbelief. They argue that he
should have trusted the Lord wholly, and that had he done so, he had
relied upon Him alone, instead of resorting to this device. We do not
agree with these fault-finders, for we consider their criticism is
entirely unwarranted, arises from their own confusion of mind, and
is a most mischievous one.
In the first place, Joshua had a good precedent for acting as
he did, for Moses had sent forth spies to view Canaan on a former
occasion (Num. 13) and Joshua had been Divinely ordered to
regulate his conduct by "this Book of the Law . . . to do according to
all that is written therein" (Josh. 1:7,8), and that was one of the
things recorded therein! But there are those who say that the
suggestion to send forth those first spies proceeded from the
unbelief of those who proffered it, and that Moses failed to detect
their evil motive. That is indeed the view taken by most writers on
the subject but there is nothing whatever in the Word to support it.
Moses declared "the saying pleased me well" (Deut. 1:23), and he
made no apology later for his action. The exercise of unbelief
appeared in the sequel it was the gloomy report of ten of the spies
which expressed unbelief, and the ready credence of that report by
the faithless congregation.
Not only is Scripture silent upon any unbelief prompting the
sending forth of those twelve spies, but Numbers 13:1, 2 expressly
informs us, "And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Send thou men,
that they may search the land of Canaan"! Nor is there the slightest
indication that that was a concession on the Lord’s part, or His
giving up the people unto their hearts’ lusts. Joshua, then, had a
good precedent, and a written example to guide him in the sending
forth of the two spies. Yet, even had there been neither, so far from
his action being reprehensible, it was the exercise of wise prudence
and the use of legitimate means. It was his duty to ‘look before he
leaped" to ascertain the lay-out of Jericho, to discover if there was a
weak spot in its defenses to learn the best point at which to attack,
and make his plans accordingly. In so doing, he was but discharging
his responsibility.
There is much misunderstanding today about the scope of
those words "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto
thine own understanding" (Prov. 3:5), and only too often fanaticism
is confounded with faith. It needs to be clearly insisted upon that the
exercise of faith does not preclude the use of all legitimate means,
though we are not to rest in the means alone, but rather count upon
God’s blessing the same. To decline the locking of my doors and the
fastening of my windows when there is an epidemic of burglary in
the neighborhood, or to retire for the night and leave a roaring fire in
the grate, under the pretext of counting upon God’s protecting my
property, is not trusting but tempting Him should any disagree with
that statement, let him carefully ponder Matthew 4:6, 7! Faith in
God does not preclude the discharge of my performance of duty,
both in taking precautions against danger or using proper means for
success.
Joshua was no more actuated by unbelief in sending forth
those spies than Cromwell was when he bade his men "Trust in God,
and keep your powder dry". Faith does not release us from our
natural obligations. As yet, Joshua knew not that the Lord had
purposed that Jericho would fall without Israel having to fight for it.
It was some time later when He revealed to His servant that this
stronghold of the Canaanites would be overthrown without Israel’s
army making any direct assault upon it. The secret will of God was
in nowise the Rule for Joshua to order his actions by he was to do
according to all that was "written" in the Scriptures; and thus it is for
us our responsibility is measured by the Word, not by God’s decrees,
nor the inward promptings of His Spirit. As Israel’s leader, it was
Joshua’s duty to learn all he could about Jericho and its surroundings
before he advanced upon it—Luke 14:31 illustrates the principle for
which we are here contending.
"And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to
spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went.
In view of his own earlier experience (Num. 13), there is good
reason to believe that Joshua made a careful selection on this
occasion and chose men of faith, courage and prudence. We are
therefore justified in concluding that ere those spies set out on their
dangerous venture, they first sought unto the Lord, committed
themselves and their cause into His hands, and asked Him to
graciously give them success in the same. If such were the case, and
it would be uncharitable to suppose otherwise, then they received
fulfillment of that promise "It shall come to pass that before they
call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isa.
65:24). Ere those two men set out on their mission, the Lord had
gone before them, preparing their way, by raising up a brave and
staunch friend in the person of her in whose house they took refuge.
How often has the writer—and probably the reader too—met with
just such a blessed experience!
"And they went and came into a harlot’s house, named
Rahab, and lodged there". They were Divinely directed to that
particular house, though it is not likely they were personally
conscious of the fact at the first. God’s providence acts silently and
secretly, by working in us "both to will and to do of His good
pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). Those spies acted quite freely, by their own
volition, yet their steps were "ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23). The
house in which they sheltered was owned by a harlot, named Rahab:
not that she was still plying her evil trade, but that formerly she had
been a woman of ill fame, the stigma of which still clung to her. As
Matthew Henry pointed out, "Simon the leper (Matthew 26:5)
though cleansed from his leprosy, wore the reproach of it in his
name as long as he lived: so ‘Rahab the harlot’, and she is so called
in the New Testament, where both her faith and her good works are
praised"
"And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there
came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the
country" (v. 2). Since it must have been known unto all in Jericho
that the hosts of Israel had been encamped for some months on the
opposite side of the Jordan, a keen watch had doubtless been kept on
all their movements, and the entry of the two spies had therefore
been observed. Even when we have committed ourselves and our
cause unto God, and are in the path of duty, we have no right to
expect that we shall be exempted from trials, and that all will be
smooth sailing. So long as Christians are left in a world which lieth
in the Wicked one (1 John 5:19), and is therefore hostile unto true
godliness, they may look for opposition. Why so? why does God
permit such? that their graces may be tested and developed,
evidencing whether they be real or fancied; and if the former,
bringing forth fruit to the glory of their Author.
Had He so pleased, the Lord could have prevented the
discovery of those spies in Jericho. Had He not done so in the case
of the twelve men sent forth by Moses? From Numbers 13 it appears
that they made an extensive survey of Canaan, and returned to report
unto Israel without their enemies being aware of what had occurred.
But God does not act uniformly, varying His methods as seems best
in His sight. That not only exemplifies His own sovereignty, but
keeps us in more complete dependence upon Him, not knowing
whether His interposition on our behalf will come in one way or in
another, from this direction or from that. No, even though those two
men were under His immediate guidance and protection, He
permitted their entry into Jericho to become known. Nor were they
the losers by that: instead, they were granted a manifestation of
God’s power to deliver them from a horrible death.
In more than one respect is it true that "the children of this
world are in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke
16:8): a case in point is here before us. Does not the wise precaution
taken by these Canaanites put most of us to shame! Are not the
wicked much keener in looking after their interests than the
righteous are? Are not unbelievers much more on the alert against
what would be disastrous to their prospects than the saints are? The
Christian ought ever to be on his guard, watching for the approach
of any enemy. But is he? Alas, no; and that is why Satan so often
succeeds in gaining an advantage over him. It was while men slept
that Satan sowed his tares (Matthew 13:25), and it is when we
become slack and careless that the Devil trips us up. We must
"watch" as well as "pray" if we would not "enter into temptation"
(Matthew 26:41). Let those who have access to Bunyan’s works read
his "Holy War".
There is yet another line of truth which is illustrated here,
and which we do well to heed. A careful and constant watch—by
"night" as well as by day!—had evidently been set, yet
notwithstanding the same, the two spies succeeded in obtaining an
entrance into Jericho! "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen
waketh but in vain" (Ps. 127:1) was strikingly exemplified on this
occasion. And what is the spiritual application of that unto us?—this
should ever be what exercises our hearts as we read and ponder
God’s Word. Is not the answer found in the verse just quoted above:
since watchfulness as well as prayer be necessary if we are to avoid
temptation, equally indispensable is prayerfulness as well as
watchfulness. No matter how alert and vigilant we be, unless God’s
assistance be humbly, earnestly, and trustfully sought, all our efforts
will be in vain. "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him,
and He shall bring it to pass"’ (Ps. 37:5).
Viewing this detail from a higher standpoint may. we not
also see here a demonstration, of that truth "There are many devices
in a man’s heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall
stand" (Prov. 19:21). It was so here: the king of Jericho proposed,
but God disposed. He determined to prevent any Israelite from
entering his city, but his well-laid plans came to naught. When the
Lord sets before us an open door, none can shut it. (Rev. 3:8), and
He set before those two spies an open door into Jericho, and it was
utterly futile for any man to endeavor to keep them out. Equally true
is it that when the Lord "shutteth no man openeth" (Rev. 3:7), yet
God Himself can do so: therefore it is the privilege and duty of His
servant never to accept defeat, but seek the prayers of God’s people
that He would "open to him a door of utterance, to speak the
mystery of Christ "‘(Col. 4:3).
"And the king of Jericho spake unto Rahab, saying, Bring
forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine
house; for they be come to search out all the country" (v. 3). If the
reader has not already formed the habit of so doing, let him now
begin to read such a passage as the one we are considering with the
specific object of trying to find something in each verse of practical
importance to himself—not that which is "deep" and intricate, but
what lies on the surface and is obvious to a thoughtful reader. Here
we may learn an important and needful "lesson" from the action of
the king of Jericho. When he was informed that Israel’s spies were
now in the city, he did not treat the report with either contemptuous
scorn or careless unconcern, but believed the same and acted
promptly upon it. Well for us if we heed a timely warning and seek
to nip a danger while it is still in the bud. If we do not heed the first
alarms of conscience, but instead, trifle with temptation, a fall is
sure to follow; and the allowance of one sin leads to the formation of
an evil habit.
Changing our angle of meditation, let us contemplate the
effect upon the two spies of the demand made upon Rahab by the
king’s officers. If she complied with their peremptory order and
delivered her guests into their hands, then—humanly speaking—
they could hope for no other treatment than what has always been
meted out unto captured spies. Imagine the state of their minds as
they listened intently—which doubtless they did—to that ominous
command. Remember they were men of like passions unto
ourselves: would they not, then, be filled with perturbation and
consternation? Up to this point things had gone smoothly for them,
but now all seemed lost. Would they not ask themselves, Did we do
the right thing after all in taking shelter in this house? Ah, have we
not too passed through some similar experience? We entered upon
what we believed was a certain course of duty, committed the same
unto God and sought His blessing. At first all went well, His smile
appeared to be upon us, and then a crisis occurred which seemed to
spell sure defeat. Faith must be tested, patience have her perfect
work.
Rahab’s Defiance
"And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring
forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine
house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the
woman took ("had taken") the two men and hid them, and said thus,
There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were. And it
came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was
dark that the men went out: whither the men went, I wot not; pursue
after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them" (Josh. 2:3-5). This
passage has presented some formidable difficulties to not a few of
those who have carefully pondered it, and perhaps we can best help
our readers by seeking to answer the following questions. First, did
Rahab do right in defying the king’s authority and betraying her own
country? Second, is she to be exonerated in the untruths she here
told? Third, if not, how is Hebrews 11:31 to be explained?
"Let every soul be subject unto the powers that be, for there
is no power but of God" (Rom. 13:1). God requires us to render
submission to human government: to be obedient to its laws, to pay
the taxes it appoints, to cooperate in upholding its authority.
Christians especially should set an example as law-abiding citizens,
rendering to Caesar that which he has a right to demand from his
subjects. Jeremiah 29:7 makes it clear that it is the duty of God’s
people to seek the good of the country in which they reside—see the
sermon by Andrew Fuller on "Christian Patriotism" which appeared
in these pages a year ago. There is but one qualification, namely,
when the powers that be require anything from me which is
obviously contrary to the revealed will of God, or prohibit my doing
what His Word enjoins: where such a case arises, my duty is to
render allegiance unto God and not unto any subordinate authority
which repudiates His requirements.
 The refusal of the three Hebrew captives to worship
Nebuchadnezzar’s image and Daniel’s defiance of the decree of
Darius which forbade him praying unto God, are cases in point
(Dan. 3:18, 6:10). We must never render to Caesar that to which God
alone is entitled. "Fear God; honor the king" (1 Pet. 2:17) indicates
our relative obligations: God must be feared at all costs; the king is
to be cheerfully and universally honored so far as that consists with
my fearing God. When the religious powers forbade the apostles to
preach in Christ’s name, they replied, "We ought to obey God rather
than man" (Acts 5:29). It was thus with Rahab: there was a clash of
interests: loyalty to her king and country, loyalty to God and His
servants. In the kind providence of God such a dilemma is rarely
presented to a saint today, but if it were, the lower authority must
yield to the higher.
It is indeed the duty of a saint to seek the good of that
country which affords him both shelter and subsistence, nevertheless
he is bound to love God and His people more than his country and
fellow-citizens. He owes fidelity to the Lord first, and then to the
place he lives in; and he is to promote the welfare of the latter so far
as it is compatible with the former. In seeking to estimate the
conduct of Rahab, we must carefully weigh Hebrews 11:31, James
2:25, and especially Joshua 2:9-11. From her language it is manifest
that she was fully convinced the Lord had purposed the destruction
of the Canannites, and therefore she must either side with Him and
His people against her country, or enter into a hopeless contest
against the Almighty and perish under His judgments. By her actions
she exemplified what God requires from every truly converted soul;
to renounce allegiance with His enemies—however closely related
(Luke 14:26)—and refuse to join with them in opposing His people.
As one who had received mercy from the Lord—for
Hebrews 11:31 evidences that sovereign grace had brought her out
of darkness into God’s marvelous light before Joshua sent those men
to reconnoiter—and as one who knew Jehovah had given the land of
Canaan unto Israel, it was plainly the duty of Rahab to do all in her
power to protect these Israelish spies, even at risk to her own safety.
That principle is clearly enunciated in the N.T.: "we ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). But now the question
arises, in view of that being her duty, was Rahab warranted in
resorting to falsehoods so as to protect the two men she had given
shelter to? Different opinions have been formed of her conduct, and
various arguments employed in the attempt to vindicate her. Some of
the best commentators, even among the Puritans, pleaded she was
guiltless in this matter, and we know of none who plainly stated that
she sinned therein.
One of the most difficult tasks which confronts a Christian
writer is that of commenting on the offenses of God’s dear people:
that on the one hand he may not dip his pen in the pharisaic ink of
self-superiority, and that on the other hand he does not make light of
any evil or condone what is reprehensible. He is himself compassed
with infirmity and a daily transgressor of God’s law, and should be
duly affected by a realization of the same when dealing with the
faults of his fellows. Nevertheless, if he be a servant of God,
preaching or writing to the saints, then he must remember that "it is
required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2), and
he is most certainly unfaithful if—even from a desire to be
charitable—he deliberately lowers God’s standard of holiness,
minimizes that which contravenes it, or glosses over anything which
is culpable. Much grace and wisdom is needed if he is to act in both
a spirit of meekness and righteousness, of compassion’ and fidelity.
It is one of the many evidences of the Divine inspiration of
the Scriptures that their Author has painted the conduct of the most
eminent characters portrayed therein in the colors of reality and
truth. Unlike human biographies, which almost always present a
one-sided view-setting forth and extolling the virtues of its subjects
and ignoring or toning down their vices—the Holy Spirit has not
concealed the blemishes of the most distinguished saints: the lapses
of Noah, Abram, Moses, David being faithfully chronicled. It is true
that their sins are not mentioned in the N.T., for the sufficient and
blessed reason they were all under the atoning blood of the Lamb;
nevertheless, the record of them remains on the pages of the O.T.—
left there as a lasting warning unto us. Moreover, it is to be borne in
mind that the sins of N.T. saints are not to be ignored but to guide
those whose task it is to comment thereon.
The prevarications of Rahab unto the king’s officers is
appealed to by the Jesuits in support of their pernicious dogma "The
end justifies the means", that if we aim at a praiseworthy object it is
permissible to use questionable or even evil means to attain the same
—a principle which has regulated many so-called "Protestants"
during the past century, and which is flagrantly flouted before our
eyes today throughout Christendom, as seen for example, in the
carnal and worldly devices used to attract young people to
"religious" services. But "let us do evil that good may come" is a
sentiment entertained by no truly regenerate soul, rather is it
detested by him; and Scripture plainly declares of such as are
actuated by it, that their "damnation is just" (Rom. 3:8). Bellarmine,
the infamous champion of Popery, boldly declared in his work on
"The Pontifice" that "If the Pope should err in commending vice or
forbidding virtue, the Church is bound to believe vice to be good
and virtue to be bad" (Book 4, chapter 5).
Some have pointed out the exceptionally trying position in
which Rahab found herself, arguing that considerable latitude should
be allowed her therein. We are aware that appeal is often made to
that aphorism "Circumstances alter cases", and while we are not sure
what its originator had in mind, this we do know, that no
"circumstances" can ever obliterate the fundamental distinction
between good and evil. Let the reader settle it in his mind and
conscience that it is never right to do wrong and since it be sinful to
lie, no circumstances can ever warrant the telling of one. It is indeed
true that all transgressions of the Divine Law are not equally heinous
in themselves nor in the sight of God: that some sins are, by reason
of certain aggravations, greater than others, even of the same
species. Thus, a lie unto God is worse than a lie unto a fellow-
creature (Acts 5:4), a premeditated and presumptuous lie is viler
than one uttered upon a surprise by temptation.
It is also true that attendant circumstances should be taken
into account when seeking to determine the degree of criminality: it
would be a far graver offense for writer or reader to utter falsehoods
than it was for Rahab, for we should be sinning against greater
privileges and light than she enjoyed. She had been reared in
heathendom: yet while that mitigated her offense, it certainly did not
excuse her. One preacher who occupied a prominent pulpit in
London asked the question, "Was Rahab justified in those
falsehoods?" and answered in the affirmative, arguing "She must
either utter them or else betray the spies, and their lives would have
been lost". But that the reasoning of unbelief, for it leaves out God.
Had Rahab remained silent before the king’s officers declining to
give any information, or had she acknowledged that the spies were
on her premises, was the Lord unable to protect them?
We much prefer the brief remarks of Thomas Ridgley’s to
those of his contemporaries. "She would have been much clearer
from the guilt of sin had she refused to give the messengers any
answer relating to them, and so had given them leave to search for
them, and left the event hereof to Providence". Undoubtedly Rahab
was placed in a most trying situation, for as Ridgley went on to
point out, "This, indeed, was a very difficult duty, for it might have
endangered her life; and her choice to secure them and herself by
inventing this lie, brought with it a degree of guilt, and was an
instance of the weakness of her faith in this respect" That last clause
brings us to the heart of the matter: she failed to fully trust the Lord,
and the fear of man brought a snare. He whose angels had smitten
the men of Sodom with blindness (Gen. 19:11) and who had slain
the fifty men sent to lay hands on His prophet (2 Kings 1:9-12),
could have prevented those officers finding the spies.
Some have gone even farther than exonerating Rahab,
insisting that God Himself approved of her lies, appealing to
Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 in support. But there is nothing
whatever in either of those verses which intimates that the Lord
sanctioned her falsehoods. Hebrews 11:31 says nothing more about
this incident than that "she had received the spies with peace". James
points out that the faith of Rahab was "justified by works"—not by
her "words"—and then specified which "works", namely, her
receiving of the messengers and her sending them out another way.
But, it may be asked, Did not the workings of providence in the
sequel go to show God approved of Rahab’s policy? did He not give
success to the same? Answer, His providences are no Rule for us to
walk by or reason from: though water flowed from the rock which
Moses smote in his anger, yet that was no proof God approved of
His servant’s display of temper. God indeed graciously overruled
Rahab’s conduct, yet that did not vindicate her.
We frankly acknowledge—though to our shame, that were
we placed in a similar situation to the one which confronted Rahab
and God should leave us to ourself, we would acquit ourselves no
better than she did, and probably far worse. Yet that
acknowledgement by no means clears her, for two wrongs do not
make one right. If God’s restraining hand be removed or His all-
sufficient grace be withheld, the strongest of us is as weak as water.
Therefore none is in any position to point the finger of scorn or
throw a stone at her. As Manton tersely summed up the case "Her lie
was an infirmity, pardoned by God, and not to be exaggerated by
men". It should be remembered that Rahab had only recently been
brought to a saving acquaintance with the Lord. Many young
converts have but little clear knowledge of the Truth and therefore
less should be expected from them than mature saints: they make
many mistakes, yet they have a teachable spirit, and as light
increases their walk is more and more regulated by the same.
In closing, let us point out one or two lessons which may be
learned from what has been before us. First, we may see therein the
refutation of a popular and widespread error, namely, that if our
motives be right the action is a praise-worthy one. It is quite true
that an unworthy motive will ruin a good deed—as, for example,
contributing to charity in order to obtain a reputation for
benevolence, or in performing religious exercises so as to be seen
and venerated by men; yet a good motive can never render an evil
act a desirable one. Even though Rahab’s design was to protect the
lives of two of God’s people, that did not render commendable the
deception which she practiced on the kings’ messengers. Four things
are required to render any action a good work in the sight of God: it
must proceed from a holy principle, be regulated by the Rule of
righteousness, be done in a right spirit—of faith or love; and be
performed with a right end in view—the glory of God or the good of
His people.
Second, it is recorded—as in Holy Writ are all the failings
and falls of the saints—as a solemn warning for us to take to heart.
So far from furnishing examples for us to imitate or refuges for us to
hide in, they are so many danger-signals for us to heed and turn into
earnest prayer. We are men and women of like passions as they were
subject to. Native depravity still remains in us as it did in them, even
after regeneration. In ourselves we are no stronger than they were
and no better able to resist the inclinations of the flesh. What need
has each of us then, to pray "hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe"
(Ps. 119:117). And even when we are preserved from outward sins,
the flesh obtrudes and defiles our best performances. It was "by
faith" that Rahab received the spies with peace, and at risk to herself
concealed them on her roof, yet when the officers appeared on the
scene her faith failed and she resorted to lying. Our godliest deeds
would damn us if they were not cleansed by the atoning blood of
Christ.
Third, this incident gives real point to and reveals our deep
need of crying "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil". Indeed, that seems the principal lesson to draw from it: that I
may be kept from any such situation, that, conscious of my
weakness, I may be preserved from such a temptation as confronted
Rahab. We deem it more than a coincidence that in the very midst of
preparing this article we heard—the first time in five years—from
an old reader in Holland. During the last half of that time, while the
enemy was occupying that country, our friend and his wife
concealed three Jewesses in their home, and the last ten days before
liberation actually had two German billeted with them: yet no
discovery was made of their refugees. I know not what my friend
had done if they had asked him point blank whether he was
sheltering any Jews; but I am thankful not to be placed in such a
situation myself.
Had I been in his place, I would have begged the Lord to
keep from me any such interrogators and counted upon His doing
so. Perhaps we may be pardoned for relating an experience—to the
praise of the faithfulness of a prayer-hearing God. Some fifteen
years ago when residing in Hollywood, California, we occupied a
furnished bungalow. The owner was a Jewess, and when we gave
notice of leaving she put an advertisement in the local papers and
stuck up a prominent sign "To Let" at the foot of our drive. Though
she knew we kept the Lord’s day holy and held a small service in
our room each Sabbath evening, she insisted it was her right to show
over the house those who answered the advertisement. We protested
strongly, but she would not heed, saying "Sunday" was always her
best letting day. We then told her that our God would keep away all
applicants on the coming Sabbath, which she heard with derisive
scorn.
That Saturday evening my wife and I spread the matter
before the Lord and begged Him to cause His angel to encamp
round about us, and protect us by keeping away all intruders. During
the Sabbath, which was a cloudless day, we continued seeking God’s
face, confident He would not put us to confusion before our
landlady. Not a single caller came to look over the house, and that
night we held our little meeting as usual, undisturbed!—one of those
present will read these lines, though not until he does so will he
know what has been related. Next day our landlady, who owned two
similar bungalows, stated it was the first time in her ten years’
experience of letting that she had ever failed to let on a "Sunday".
Ah, my reader, God never fails those who trust Him fully. He will
protect you if you confidently count upon Him. "Lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil".
A Harlot’s Faith
Little as Joshua may have realized it, he was Divinely
impelled and directed to send forth the two spies to "Go view the
land, even Jericho" (Josh. 2:1). Why so? Because there was one of
God’s elect residing in that city, and none of His sheep shall perish.
Unto that vessel of mercy were they led, in order that arrangements
should be made for her protection, so that she "perished not with
them that believed not" (Heb. 11:31). There was then a needs be
why those two spies should visit Jericho and converse with Rahab,
not merely a military needs be but one far more vital and blessed. It
is still another example of what we have, on several occasions,
called attention to, in these pages, namely, that when God works, He
always works at both ends of the line. As it was in the case of the
Ethiopian and Philip the evangelist and of Cornelius and Peter, so it
was here. Before those two men set foot in Jericho the Lord had
already wrought, signally and savingly, in the heart of Rahab, and
now opportunity is afforded for her to confess her faith, to receive a
token for good, and to be made a blessing unto others.
The needs be for those spies entering Jericho reminds one of
John 4, and there are some striking parallels between what is
recorded there and the case of Rahab. First, we are told of the Lord
Jesus that "He must needs go through Samaria" (v. 4). That "must"
was not a geographical but a moral one. From all eternity it had been
ordained that He should go through Samaria There was one of God’s
elect there, and though she was "alienated from the commonwealth
of Israel", being a Samaritan, yet she could not be ignored: "other
sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring"
(John 10:16) declared the good Shepherd. There were those in
Samaria whom the Father had given Him from before the foundation
of the world, and them He must save. And, my reader, if you be one
of God’s elect, even though now unregenerate, there is a needs be
put on the Lord Jesus to save you. For years you have been fleeing
from Him, but when the appointed time arrives, He will overtake
you.’ You may kick against the pricks, as did Saul of Tarsus, but He
will overcome your rebellion and reluctance and win you to
Himself.
Second, not only was the one whom Christ was constrained
to seek and save in John 4 a woman, and a Gentile, but she was one
of loose moral character. Said He to her, "Thou hast had five
husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband" (v. 18).
Such too had been this chosen one in Jericho: defiled both in mind
and body with idolatry and adultery—"Rahab the harlot". Many of
God’s elect, though by no means all of them, fall into gross
wickedness in their unconverted days: fornicators, idolaters, thieves,
drunkards, extortioners: "and such were some of you; but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). How
illustriously is the sovereign mercy and invincible might of God
displayed in the conforming of such unto His image! "Base things of
the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen" And
why so? "That no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:26-
29), that His wondrous grace might the more clearly appear.
But grace does not leave its subjects in the condition in
which it finds them. No indeed, it appears "Teaching us that,
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed
hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12,13). Saving faith is ever accompanied by
evangelical repentance, which mourns over past sins and resolves to
avoid a repetition of them in the future. Saving faith ever produces
obedience, being fruitful in good works. Those who are the
recipients of God’s grace are not only grateful for their own
salvation, but are concerned about the salvation of others, especially
of those near and dear to them by nature. When Christ stood
revealed to the Samaritan adulteress, she "went her way into the city
and saith to the men, Come see a man, which told me all things that
I ever did: is not this the Christ?", and "many believed on Him" (vv.
28, 29, 39). So too Rahab asked for kindness to be shown her
father’s house, and her whole family found deliverance (Josh. 2:12,
13). But we are anticipating.
The case of Rahab is worthy of our closest attention, for it
exemplifies and magnifies the riches of Divine mercy in many
striking respects. Born and brought up in heathendom, belonging to
a race that was to be exterminated, her salvation was a signal display
of God’s dominion, who not only singles out whom He pleases to be
the recipients of His favors, but is trammeled by nothing in the
bestowal of them. "She was not only a Gentile, but an Amoritess, of
that race and seed which in general was devoted to destruction. She
was therefore an instance of God’s sovereignty in dispensing with
His positive laws, as it seemed good unto Him, for of His own mere
pleasure He exempted her from the doom announced against all
those of her original and traducion" (John Owen). Being the
supreme Potentate, God is not bound by any law or consideration
other than His own imperial will, and therefore does He have mercy
on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens"
(Rom. 9:18).
In God’s saving of Rahab and bringing her into the
congregation of His people we may perceive a clear and glorious
foreshadowing, of the fuller scope of His eternal purpose as it is now
made more plainly manifest in this N.T. era. Since Rahab was a
Canaanite, she was by nature cut off from the Abrahamic stock and
therefore a "stranger to the covenants of promise" (Eph. 2:12). By
her conversion and admission into the congregation of Israel she
was obviously both a type and a pledge of the calling of the Gentiles
and their reception into the mystical Body of Christ. Thus did
coming events cast their shadows before them. In such cases as
Rahab and Ruth God gave an early intimation that His redemptive
purpose was not confined to a single people, but that it reaches out
unto favored individuals in all nations. Their incorporation by
marriage among the Hebrews was a blessed adumbration of the
"wild olive tree" being graft in and made a partaker of "the root and
fatness of the (good) olive tree" (Rom. 11:17). Such we believe is, in
part at least, the typical and dispensational significance of what is
here before us.
But the outstanding feature of this remarkable case is the free
and discriminating grace of God toward her. Not only did Rahab
belong to a heathen race, but she was a notorious profligate, and in
singling her out to be the recipient of His distinguishing and saving
favor God made it evident that He is no respecter of persons. By her
choice she was given up to the vilest of sins, but by the Divine
choice she was predestinated to be delivered from the miry pit and
washed whiter than snow by the precious blood of Christ, and given
a place in His own family. It is in just such cases as hers that the
unmerited favor of God shines forth the more resplendently. There
was nothing whatever in that poor fallen woman to commend her to
God’s favorable regard, but where sin had abounded grace did much
more abound, bestowing upon her His unsolicited and unearned
favors—the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23), the gift of saving faith
(Eph. 2:8, 9), the gift of evangelical repentance (Acts 5:31). He is
indeed "the God of all grace" (1 Pet. 5:10), and as such He is a
giving and freely-conferring God, and not one who barters and sells.
His bestowments are "without money and without price", imparted
to spiritual bankrupts and paupers.
Not only may we behold in Rahab’s case the exercise of
Divine sovereignty and the manifestation of Divine grace, but we
may also pause and admire the wondrous working of God’s power.
This is best perceived if we take into careful consideration the
virtually unparalleled element which entered into it: here the Holy
Spirit wrought almost entirely apart from the ordinary means of
grace. There were no Sabbaths observed in Jericho, there were no
Scriptures available for reading, there were no prophets sounding
forth messages from Heaven, nevertheless Rahab was quickened
unto newness of life and brought unto a saving knowledge of the
true God. The Lord Almighty is not restricted to the employing of
certain agencies nor hindered by the lack of instruments: He deigns
to use such or dispenses with them entirely as He pleases. He has
but to speak, and it is done, to command, and it stands fast (Ps.
33:9). It is to be duly noted that this woman, who had previously
walked in open sin, was regenerated and converted before the spies
came to her house: their visit simply afforded an opportunity for the
avowal and public manifestation of her faith.
It is quite clear from both the Old and N.T. that Rahab was
converted before the two spies first spoke to her. Her language to
them was that of a believer: "I know that the Lord hath given you
the land...the Lord your God He is God in heaven above and in earth
beneath" (Josh. 2:9,11) — yea, such assurance puts many a modern
professing believer to shame. "By faith the harlot Rahab perished
not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies
with peace" (Heb. 11:31). Summing up the whole of her conduct on
that occasion, Thos. Scott pointed out, "It cannot therefore be
reasonably doubted her faith had, before this, been accompanied
with deep repentance of those sinful practices from which she
derived the name of Rahab the harlot’"; with which we heartily
concur. But some, who have been poisoned with the errors of
dispensationalism, and others who are slaves to the mere letter and
sound of the Word, are likely to object, saying that is a gratuitous
assumption, for the word "repentance" is never found in Scripture in
connection with Rahab. For their benefit we will devote another
paragraph or two unto this subject.
"Repent ye and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:15); "Testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). A contrite spirit
and a heart acceptance of the Gospel are inseparably connected, so
that wherever the one is mentioned the other is presupposed. For
example, take the passages recording the Gospel commission: in
Mark 16:16 the emphasis is on "believing", while in Luke 24:47 it is
on "repentance"—the two together explaining the "make disciples"
of Matthew 28:19. The one cannot exist without the other: it is just
as morally impossible for an impenitent heart to believe, as it is for
an unbeliever to repent. There may indeed be a mental assent to the
Truth unaccompanied by any brokenness of heart, as there may be
natural remorse where no faith exists; but there can be no saving
faith where evangelical repentance is absent. Since the faith of
Rahab was a saving one, as Hebrews 11 clearly shows, it must have
been attended with godly sorrow for sin and reformation of life.
There can be no pardon while there is no repentance (Isa. 55:7, Luke
24:47, Acts 3:19) i.e. mourning over and abandoning of our evil
ways.
 Repentance is a change of mind: one that goes much deeper
and includes far more than a mere change of opinion or creed. It is a
changed mind, a new perception, an altogether different outlook on
things as they previously appeared. It is the necessary effect of a
new heart. Repentance consists of a radical change of mind about
God, about sin, about self, about the world. Previously God was
resisted, now He is owned as our rightful Lord. Previously sin was
delighted in, but now it is hated and mourned over. Previously self
was esteemed, but now it is abhorred. Previously we were of the
world and its friendship was sought and prized, now our hearts have
been divorced from the world and we regard it as an enemy.
Everything is viewed with other eyes than formerly, and an entirely
different estimate is formed of them. The impenitent see in Christ no
beauty that they should desire Him, but a broken and contrite heart
perceives that He is perfectly suited to him. Thus, while He
continues to be despised by the self-righteous Pharisees, He is
welcomed and entertained by publicans and sinners. Repentance
softens the hard soil of the soul and makes it receptive to the Gospel
Seed.
Repentance necessarily leads to a change of conduct, for a
change of mind must produce a change of action: repentance and
reformation of life are inseparable.. It must have been thus with
Rahab: she who had been a harlot, would become chaste, and a life
of wanton pleasure would give place to one of honest work. Some
may deem our conclusion a ‘far-fetched’ one, but personally we
consider that we are given a plain intimation of her changed manner
of life. In Joshua 2:6 we are told that she brought them up to the roof
of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid
in order upon the roof". As there is not a superfluous nor
meaningless word in the Scriptures, why then has the Holy Spirit
specified the particular kind of straw which Rahab used to cover and
conceal the two spies? Now "flax" was laboriously gathered by the
industrious women, laid out on the flat roofs of the houses to dry,
and was then used for spinning and weaving. The presence of a
quantity of it "laid out" on Rahab’s roof was an evidence she was
now living a useful life.
 But that is not all the presence of the "flax" tells us. If we go
to the trouble of searching our concordance and comparing Scripture
with Scripture, we discover something yet more praiseworthy. In the
last chapter of the book of Proverbs we are supplied with a full-
length portrait of "a virtuous woman", and one of her features is that
"she seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands"!
Such we are assured was now the character and occupation of this
outstanding monument of mercy. Another mark of repentance is a
changed esteem of and attitude toward the people of God: formerly
their presence irritated, for their piety condemned us; but when the
heart be changed by the operations of Divine grace, their company
and communion is desired and valued. It was thus with Rahab and
the two Israelites: she "received the spies with peace" (Heb. 11:31)
is the Divine testimony. It was not with reluctance and complaint
that she accepted them into her abode, but with a spirit of good will,
welcoming and giving them shelter. Admire then the blessed
transformation which the operations of the Spirit had wrought in her
character.
Let us now consider more particularly her faith. First, the
ground of it. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of
God" (Rom. 10:17). This does not mean that faith is originated by
hearing the Word of God, any more than that the shining of the sun
imparts sight to the eye. No, faith is bestowed by a sovereign act of
the Spirit, and then it is instructed and nourished by the Word. As an
unimpaired eye receives light from the sun and is thereby enabled to
perceive objects so faith takes in the testimony of God and is
regulated thereby. My acceptance of the Truth does not create faith,
but makes manifest that I have faith, and it becomes the sure ground
on which my faith rests. Unto the spies Rahab said, "I know that the
Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us
and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we
have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you
when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of
the Amorites that were on the other side, Jordan, Sihon and Og
whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these
things our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more
courage in any man, because of you" (vv. 9-11).
How marked the contrast between Rahab and that generation
of Israel whose carcasses fell in the wilderness! They not only
"heard" of but were the actual eye-witnesses of those wonderful
prodigies which Jehovah wrought on behalf of His people. They
personally saw Him cleave a way for them right through the Red
Sea so that they passed through it dry-shod, and then His causing the
waters to come together again to the drowning of Pharaoh and his
hosts. They beheld the solemn manifestation of His august presence
on Sinai. They were the daily recipients of a supernatural supply of
food from heaven, and drank of water which was made to gush from
a smitten rock. But their hearts were unaffected and no faith was
begotten within them. They too "heard" God’s voice (Heb. 3:5, 6)
but responded not, and therefore were debarred from the promised
land: "they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Heb. 3:19). Ah,
my reader, something more than the beholding of miracles or
witnessing outward displays of God’s power is required in order to
beget faith in those who are spiritually dead, as was evidenced again
in the days of Christ.
How marked the contrast too between Rahab and the rest of
her compatriots! As her words in Joshua 2:9-11 clearly indicate, they
too heard the same reports she did of the marvels performed by the
Lord’s might, yet they produced no faith in them. They were indeed
awestruck and terrified by the accounts of the same that reached
them, so that for a season there did not remain any more courage in
them; but that was all. Just as under the faithful preaching of God’s
servants many have been temporarily affected by announcements of
the Day of Judgment and the wrath to come, but never surrendered
themselves to the Lord. God declared unto Israel, "This day will I
begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations
that are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and
shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee" (Deut. 2:25). That
was literally fulfilled in the case of the inhabitants of Jericho, yet it
wrought no spiritual change in them, for they were children in
whom was no faith, and they had no faith because no miracle of
grace was wrought in their souls. Of itself the soundest preaching
effects no spiritual change in those who hear it.
Mark the contrast: "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not
with them that believed not" (Heb. 11:31). And why? Because a
sovereign God had made her to differ from them (1 Cor. 4:7). She
was blessed with "the faith of the operation of God" (Col. 2:12).
Consequently, she "heard" of the works of the Lord not merely with
the outward ear, as was the case with all her fellow-citizens, but with
the ear of the heart, and therefore was she affected by those tidings
in a very different manner from what they were who heard but
"believed not". It is clear from her words "I know that the Lord hath
given you the land" that she had both heard and believed the
promises which He had made to Abraham and his seed, and
perceiving He was a gracious and giving God, hope had been born
in her. Behold then the distinguishing favor of God unto this vessel
of mercy and realize that something more than listening to the
Gospel is needed to beget faith in us. "The hearing ear and the
seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them" (Prov. 20:12).
Only those "believe the report" to whom "the arm (power) of the
Lord is revealed" (Isa. 53:1). As later with Lydia, so Rahab was one
"whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things
which were spoken" (Acts 16:14).
Solemn indeed is the warning pointed by the unbelieving
fellows of Rahab. So far as we are informed, they heard precisely
the same report as she did. Nor did they treat those tidings with
either skepticism or contempt: instead, they were deeply affected by
them, being terror-stricken, The news of God’s judgments upon the
Egyptians, and their nearer neighbors, the Amorites, made their
hearts melt as they feared it would be their turn next. If it be asked,
Why did they not immediately and earnestly cry unto God for
mercy, the answer—in part, at least—is supplied by Ecclesiastes
8:11: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed
speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to
do evil" Space was given for repentance, but they repented not. A
further respite was granted during the six days that the hosts of
Israel marched around Jericho, but when nothing happened and
those hosts returned to their camp, its inhabitants continued to
harden their hearts. Thus it is with the majority of our fellows today,
even of those who are temporarily alarmed under the faithful
ministry of God’s servants.
The workings of natural fear and the stirrings of an uneasy
conscience soon subside; having no spiritual root, they endure not.
Only one in all that city was Divinely impressed by the account
which had been received of the Lord’s work in overthrowing the
wicked. Ah, my reader, God’s sheep have ever been few in number,
though usually a great many goats have mingled with them, so that
at a distance and to a superficial survey it seems as though the flock
is of a considerable size. Not only few in number, but frequently
isolated from each other, one here and one there, for the children of
God are "scattered abroad" (John 11:52). The experience of David
was very far from being a unique one when he. Exclaimed "I am like
a pelican of the wilderness, I am like an owl of the desert. I watch,
and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop" (Ps. 102:6, 7). God’s
thoughts and ways are not as ours, being infinitely wiser and better,
though only the anointed eye can perceive that. Not only is His
keeping power more strikingly displayed, and glorified, by
preserving a lone sheep in the midst of goats and wolves, but that
solitary believer is cast back the more upon Him.
It is this very loneliness of the saint which serves to make
manifest the genuineness of his faith. There is nothing remarkable in
one believing what all his associates believe, but to have faith when
surrounded by skeptics, is something noteworthy. To stand alone, to
be the solitary champion of a righteous cause when all others are
federated unto evil, is a rare sight. Yet such was Rahab. There were
none in Jericho with whom she could have fellowship, none there to
encourage her heart and strengthen her hands by their godly counsel
and example: all the more opportunity for her to prove the
sufficiency of Divine grace! Scan slowly the list presented in
Hebrews 11, and then recall the recorded circumstances of each.
With whom did Abel, Enoch, Noah have spiritual communion?
From what brethren did Joseph, Moses, Gideon receive any help
along the way? Who were the ones who encouraged and
emboldened Elijah, Daniel, Nehemiah? Then think it not strange that
you are called to walk almost if not entirely alone, that you meet
with scarcely any like-minded or any who are capable of giving you
a lift along the road.
During the past six years this magazine was sent to quite a
number in the different fighting forces, and without a single
exception they informed us that they were circumstanced similarly
to Rahab. Some were with the British, some with the Colonials,
some with the Americans; some were in the navy, others in the army
and air force; but one and all reported the same thing—totally cut off
from contact with fellow-Christians. The "Studies" were sent to anal
deeply appreciated by men in both the royal and the merchant
navies, but in each instance they were on different ships, surrounded
by the ungodly. How easily the Lord could have gathered them
together on to one ship! But He did not. And it was for their good
that He did not, otherwise He had ordered things differently (Rom.
8:28). Faith must be tried, to prove its worth. Nor is it a hot-house
plant, which wilts and withers at the first touch of frost. No, it is
hardy and sturdy, and so far from winds and rain dashing it to
pieces, they are but occasions for it to become more deeply rooted
and vigorous.
The isolation of Rahab appears in that utterance of hers: "I
know your terror is fallen upon us". They were but naturally and
temporarily affected, she spiritually and permanently so. What she
heard came to her soul with Divine power. And again we say, it was
God who made her to differ. By nature her heart was no different
from that of her companions, but having been supernaturally
quickened into newness of life, she received with meekness the
engrafted Word. "All men have not faith" (2 Thess. 3:2) because all
are not born again. Faith is one of the attributes and activities of that
spiritual life (or nature) which is communicated at regeneration. The
firm foundation for faith to rest upon is the sure Word of God, and
Divine testimony: by it alone is faith supported and established.
Frames and feelings have nothing whatever to do with it, nor is
spiritual confidence either begotten or nourished by them. Assurance
comes from implicitly receiving the Word into the heart and relying
upon it. Such was the case with Rahab: "I know that the Lord hath
given you the land . . . (or we have heard how the Lord" etc. She
received those tidings "not as the word of men, but as it is in truth
the Word of God" (1 Thess. 2:13). Have you done so, my reader?
Observe well how definite and confident was her language.
There was no "if" or "perhaps", no dubious "I hope", but instead, a
sure and positive "I know". That was the knowledge of a saving
faith. It is true that faith and assurance may be distinguished, yet
they can no more be separated than can faith and obedience. Faith
without works is dead, and faith without assurance is something of
which this writer can find no mention in Scripture. We refer, of
course, to a saving faith. What is that faith? It is taking God at His
Word, appropriating it unto myself; personally resting upon the
testimony of Him who cannot lie. Now I either am doing so, or I am
not. If I am, then I must be conscious of so doing, for I cannot
possibly be trusting in God and relying on His promise and yet be
unaware that I am so doing. Read through the N.T. epistles and
nowhere is there a single passage addressed to saints who
questioned their acceptance by God, but everywhere the language is
"we know" 2 Corinthians 5:l, Galatians 4:9, Ephesians 6:9,
Philippians 1:6, Colossians 3:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:18,
19.
Rahab’s faith was not only accompanied with confidence but
it regulated her actions. The faith of God’s elect is a living, energetic
principle, which "worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6) and produces fruit to
the glory of God. Therein it differs radically from that nominal and
inoperative faith of frothy professors, which goes no deeper than a
mere mental assent to the Gospel and ends in fair but empty words.
That faith which is unaccompanied by an obedient walk and
abounds not in good works is "dead, being alone" (James 2:17).
Different far was the faith of Rahab. Of her we read, ‘likewise also
was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received
the messengers and had sent them out another way" (James 2:25).
This does not mean that her good works was the meritorious ground
of her acceptance with God, but that they were the evidence before
men that a spiritual principle had been communicated to her, the
fruits of which vindicated and approved her profession,
demonstrating that she was a member of the household of faith.
"Had she said ‘I believe God is yours and Canaan is yours, but I dare
not show you any kindness, her faith had been dead and inactive,
and would not have justified her . . . Those only are true believers
that can find in their hearts to venture for God, and take His people
for their people, and cast in their lot among them" (Matthew Henry).
That is something which needs to be constantly insisted upon
in this day of empty profession. A faith which does not issue in
conversion is not a saving one, and conversion is a radical change of
conduct, a right-about face, a reversal of our former manner of life.
Saving faith necessarily involves the relinquishing of what
previously occupied the heart, the repudiation of what formerly was
trusted in, the abandonment of all that is opposed to the thrice holy
God. It therefore involves the denying of self and the forsaking of
old companions. It was thus with Abram, who was required to leave
his old situation in Ur of Chaldea and follow the call of God. It was
thus with Moses, who "refused to be called (any longer) the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of
Egypt" (Heb. 11:24-26). It was thus with Ruth, who, in sharp
contrast from Orphah went "back unto her people and unto her
gods", refusing to forsake Naomi, averring "thy people shall be my
people, and thy God my God" (Ruth 1:15, 16). And it was thus with
Rahab. A faith which does not relinquish anything and produce a
break from former associations is worth nothing.
Yes, Rahab’s faith was a self-denying one, and nothing short
of that is what the Gospel requires from all to whom it is addressed.
Said the Lord Jesus, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34); and
again, "Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after Me,
cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:27). Ah, dear friend, you may
profess to "believe John 3:16", but suffer us to ask, Do you also, do
you really, believe Luke 14:27? Be honest with yourself: does your
daily walk supply proof you do so? The self-denying faith of Rahab
appeared in her preferring the will of God to the safety of her
country and in sheltering those two spies before the pleasing of her
fellow-citizens. Still more conspicuously did it appear in the
venturing of her own life rather than betray the messengers of
Joshua, who were the worshippers of the true God. Her faith in God
and love for His people made her scorn whatever scoffs she might
be subject to and the dangers threatening her. A saving faith is ready,
whenever God shall call upon us, to part with everything which we
hold near and dear in this world. Acts of self-denying obedience are
the best and surest evidences of a real spiritual faith.
From the standpoint of natural and temporal considerations
Rahab’s faith cost her something. It induced her "to renounce all her
interests among the devoted Canaanites (i.e., doomed to
destruction), to venture her life and expose herself to the imminent
danger of the most cruel tortures in expressing her love for the
people of God (T. Scott). Such is the wonder-working power of the
Spirit in a human soul, producing that which is contrary to fallen
human nature, causing it to act from new principles and motives,
making it to prefer sufferings for Christ’s sake and to endure
afflictions by throwing in its lot with His people, than to pursue any
longer the vanities of this world. Such was the transformation
wrought in Saul of Tarsus, who not only bore with fortitude the
persecutions which faith in Christ entailed, but rejoiced that he was
counted worthy to suffer for His sake. Such too has been the blessed
fruit borne by the faith of many a converted Jew since then, and
many a Gentile too, especially those in Papish and heathen
countries, as the missionary-records abundantly testify. And such in
stone measure is the case with every converted soul.
In "receiving the spies with peace" Rahab made it manifest
that she had a heart for the people of God, and was ready to do
everything in her power to assist them . . . That brief clause
summarizes all that is revealed in Joshua 2 of her kindly conduct
toward the two Israelites. She welcomed them into her home,
engaged them in spiritual conversation, made provision for their
safety, and refused to betray them. "Her whole conduct manifested a
reverential fear of the Lord, an entire belief of His Word, a desire
and hope of His favor, an affection for His people, and a disposition
to forsake, venture and suffer anything in His cause" (Scott). We
believe there is a latent reference to her kindness (as well as
Abram’s) in Hebrews 13, for the word translated "messengers" in
James 2:25 is the one rendered "angels" in Hebrews 13:2: "Let
brotherly love continue, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for
thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them
that are in bonds, as bound with them". Alas, that so many today
instead of so doing, are almost ready to rend each other to pieces
over every difference of opinion.
Yet, as we saw in our last, Rahab’s faith—like ours—was not
free from defect, for her falsehoods proceeded from one who failed
to trust God fully. This illustrates, in a general way, the humbling
fact that in our best performances there is a mingling of frailty and
folly. But let it be pointed out that in this matter her conduct is far
from being recorded as an excuse for us to shelter behind. Rather is
it chronicled as a solemn warning, and also to teach us that faith in
its beginnings has many blemishes. God bears with much weakness,
especially in the lambs of His flock. Those who have faith do not
always act faith, but there is often much of the flesh mixed with that
which is of the spirit. Very different is our case and situation from
that of this young convert from heathendom. Rightly did the editor
of Matthew Henry’s O.T. commentary point out, "Her views of the
Law must have been exceedingly dim and contracted: a similar
falsehood told by those who enjoy the light of Revelation, however
laudable the motive, would of course deserve much heavier
censure".
"And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given
you the land...for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above,
and in earth beneath" (vv. 9, 11). Here we find her making an open
avowal of that which the Holy Spirit had secretly wrought in her
heart. She acknowledged Jehovah to be the true God, that Israel was
the people whom He had loved and owned, and hoped for a place
among them. Nothing less is required from the believing sinner
today: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9). The Lord will not own any
cowardly and secret disciples. "Whosoever therefore shall confess
Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in
heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also
deny before My Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32, 33).
Joseph was not ashamed to confess his God in Egypt, nor Daniel in
Babylon, and when Paul stood forth in the midst of the idolatrous
crew and soldiers on the ship and told of the reassuring message he
had received from the angel of God, he added, "whose I am, and
whom I serve" (Acts 27:23). Then, no matter where we be, let us not
be afraid to show our colors and make known whose banner we
serve under.
"Now therefore, I pray you, sware unto me by the Lord,
since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness
unto my father’s house, and give me a true token. And that ye will
save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my
sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death" (vv.
12, 13). Some contracted hearts, in which the very milk of human
kindness appears to have congealed, would regard this request of
Rahab’s as highly presumptuous. Personally, we believe that her
soul was so overflowing with gratitude unto the Lord for having
saved such an abandoned wretch, that her faith now perceived
something of the infinitude of the Divine mercy, and believed that
such a God would be willing to show grace to the whole of her
family. Nor was she disappointed. Moreover, as Matthew Henry
rightly pointed out, "those who show mercy may expect to receive
mercy". Thus God promised Ebedmelech, in recompense for his
kindness to the prophet, that in the worst of times he should "have
his life for a prey" (Jer. 39:18).
 That this request of Rahab’s was something more than an
expression of the tenderness of nature is evident from the whole of
its tenor: that it was the language of faith appears from her assurance
that without any doubt Canaan was going to fall before Israel. Her
"sware unto me by the Lord" indicates the intelligence of her faith—
a solemn oath would clinch the matter. In asking for a "true token",
she made request for some pledge of deliverance —the word occurs
first in Genesis 9, where God announced that the rainbow would be
"the token of the covenant", in supplicating for the deliverance of
her whole family, she left us an example which we may well follow.
It is right that we should desire God to show mercy unto those who
are near and dear unto us: not to do so would show we were lacking
in natural affection. It only becomes wrong, when we ignore God’s
sovereignty, and dictate instead of supplicate. It is blessed to observe
that He who has said "according unto your faith be it unto you",
responded to Rahab’s faith (Josh. 6:22)!
The Scarlet Cord
Rahab’s request of the two spies that they should enter into a
solemn covenant with her, guaranteeing the preservation of her
family from the impending destruction of Jericho (Josh. 2:12, 13),
placed them in a very awkward predicament, or it is more accurate
to say, presents an acute problem which we fear some of our
moderns would fail to solve aright. Only a short time before, Israel
had received the following commandment concerning their
treatment of the Canaanites: "When the Lord thy God shall deliver
them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them:
thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them."
(Deut. 7:2). In the light of that express prohibition, what ought the
spies to do? The correct answer to that question turns upon the
proper application of a real and necessary distinction between the
Divine commands—a distinction which has been drawn by well-
instructed scribes in all ages—namely, between moral and positive
laws: the one being grounded in essential rectitude, the other in
sovereignty. The moral nature with which God has endowed us
teaches that parents should cherish and care for their children, and
that children should revere and obey their parents; but it would not
prompt Christians to practice baptism or observe the Lord’s supper
—those are positive institutions, ad extra.
The things enjoined by God’s positive laws depend solely on
His sovereign pleasure, there being no other reason for them. But the
things enjoined by His moral precepts are required not only by the
authority of His will, but also by that nature and order of things
which He has placed in the creation. The former are alterable at His
pleasure, being appointed by mere. prerogative’ the other are
perpetual, enforcing as they do the necessary distinctions of good
and evil. All the ceremonial laws given unto Israel were of the
former order thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart
and thy neighbor as thyself—the sum of the Ten Words—belonging
unto the latter. The former are only of local application unto those
who receive them by Divine revelation, the latter are universally
binding on all who are possessed of moral accountability. Whenever
obedience to a positive law would involve a plain violation of the
principles of the moral law, then the inferior must necessarily yield
to the superior though God requires us to believe and do many
things which are contrary to our depraved inclinations, yet He never
demands from us that which is opposed to the moral nature He has
given us.
An illustration of the distinction pointed out above is
supplied by the case of David and his men when they were a
hungered, and he requested five loaves of the show bread (1 Sam.
21). Abimelech the priest pointed out that that bread was not for
common use, but had been "sanctified unto the Lord", yet after
being assured the men were free from defilement, gave the loaves
unto David. None other than our Lord tells us that though it "was not
lawful" for them to eat the sacred bread, yet they were "blameless"
(Matthew 12:3-6). Thus the positive law which prohibited the priest
from giving the hallowed bread for food unto David and his men,
yielded to the pressing need of the situation. "The Son of David
approves of it, and shows from it that mercy is to be preferred to
sacrifice, that ritual observances must give way to moral duties, and
that that may be done in a case of urgent providential necessity
which may not otherwise be done" (Matthew Henry).
The law laid down in Deuteronomy 7:2 was, then, a positive
one, and neither absolute in its force nor binding in all cases, for
justice itself requires that we must ever show mercy unto the
merciful and never return evil for good. Now Rahab had shown
mercy unto the two spies, and at great risk to herself. The instincts
of humanity would fill them with kindly feeling toward their
benefactress. Gratitude is a law of nature, and the law of nature takes
precedence over positive precepts. Thus those two godly Israelites
had sufficient moral sensibility and spiritual discernment to perceive
that Deuteronomy 7:2 could not debar them from acting justly and
kindly toward her who had ensured their safety. Yet, though their
duty was quite clear, that did not warrant them acting hurriedly and
rashly. No arrangement should be entered into thoughtlessly, on tire
impulse of the moment. No definite promise should be made until
we have carefully weighed what we are committing ourselves unto,
for our word must be our bond. Still less should we enter into any
solemn compact without first prayerfully and thoroughly pondering
all that is involved in it.
"And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye (better
"thou", as in verse 20) utter not this our business. And it shall be,
when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and
truly with thee". (Josh. 2:14). Let it be noted that the fulfillment of
Rahab’s request was suspended upon an "if"! Necessarily so, for
those men were entering into a covenant with her—as her "sware
unto me by the Lord" intimated’ compare 1 Samuel 20:16,17: Psalm
89:3—and a covenant is a mutual compact in which each party
agrees to do or grant certain things in return for the other fulfilling
certain conditions. That which they agreed upon was qualified by
three provisos, the first of which was that she must continue loyal to
their interests. Thus we see their circumspection in binding Rahab to
this condition. "They that will be conscientious in keeping their
promises, will be cautious in making them, and perhaps may insert
certain conditions which may otherwise seem frivolous (Matthew
Henry). The Christian should always qualify his promises with "the
Lord willing" or "the Lord enabling me".
They solemnly bound themselves for her preservation in the
common destruction of Jericho. Their "our life instead of you to die"
(margin) not only affirmed that they would be as much concerned
about her safety as their own, but signified a definite imprecation of
God’s judgment on them if they failed in their part of the agreement.
"We will deal kindly with thee" was an assurance that their words
would prove no empty ones, but that there should be an actual
performance of what was promised. Observe too how they
employed the language of faith: "it shall be when the Lord hath
given us the land." There was no doubt in their minds about the
issue: instead, they were fully convinced that Canaan was going to
be conquered—yet "by the Lord" and as His "gift"! We too should
wage the fight of faith with full assurance of the outcome, that the
Lord will grant ultimate success, so that each exclaims, "I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6). In their "we will deal
kindly" they gave proof they were imbrued with no ferocious spirit,
and were far from being the blood-thirsty creatures which infidels
charge the conquerors of Canaan with being.
"Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for
her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall" (v.
15). As soon as she received promise from the spies, Rahab set
about assisting them in their escape. It was most convenient for
them that her house was so situated, for had it been in the center of
the town there was much more likelihood of their being recognized
and arrested; but being on the outer wall, they could be let down by
night unseen by unfriendly eyes. Yet let it be pointed out that the
convenience was no mere happy coincidence but ordered by the
Lord, for of all men He hath appointed "the bounds of their
habitation" (Acts 17:26)—a sovereign God ordained where each of
us should be born and reside. But not only was the particular
location of Rahab’s house of assistance to the spies, it also served to
display more evidently the power of God, for it was the wall of the
city which "fell down flat" (Josh. 6:20) and the preservation of her
lone house amid the universal devastation, stood forth as a
monument both of His might and of His mercy.
"And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the
pursuers meet you, and hide your elves three days until the pursuers
be returned, and afterward may ye go your way" (v. 16). It is striking
to behold the blending together of Divine power and human
precaution all through, this incident. The grand truth of Divine
preservation is typically illustrated, yet that preservation was
accomplished by the use of means at every point: Rahab’s by
obeying the orders she received, her house because of the cord in her
window, the spies by concealing themselves in the mountain. Let
those who teach the "eternal security of the saints" see to it that they
present it with the safeguards by which God has hedged it about.
True, the accomplishment of His eternal purpose of grace is not left
contingent upon the acts of the creature, nevertheless He who has
ordained the end has also appointed the means by which that end is
reached. God has not promised to conduct any one to Heaven
without the exercise of his faculties and the discharge of his
responsibility. He deals with us throughout as moral agents, and
requires us to heed His warnings and avoid that which would
destroy us (1 Cor. 9:27).
Committing my soul and its eternal interests into the hand of
the Lord by no means releases me of obligation. "He who has fixed
the limits of our life, has also entrusted us with the care of it; has
furnished us with means and supports for its preservation, has also
made us provident of dangers, and that they may not oppress us
unawares has furnished us with cautions and remedies. Thus it is
evident what is our duty". That, my reader, is a quotation not from
the Arminian, John Wesley, but from the Reformer, John Calvin!—
alas that so many who claim to be Calvinists lack his wisdom and
balance of doctrine. The truth of Divine preservation is not designed
as a shelter for either laziness or licentiousness. God’s promises are
made to those who honestly strive against sin and mourn when
tripped up by it, and not to those who take their fill thereof and
delight therein; for He undertakes to keep His saints in holiness and
not in wickedness. If God has turned our feet into that way which
leadeth unto life, we must continue therein, otherwise we shall never
reach our desired destination. Only those who press forward to that
which is before reach the Goal.
Saving faith is far more than an isolated act: it is a spiritual
principle which continues to operate in those to whom it is
communicated. Divine preservation works through Christian
perseverance, for grace is given us not to render our efforts needless,
but to make them effectual. God does not carry His children to glory
in a state of passivity, but works in them both to will and to do of
His good pleasure—to hate and fear sin, to desire and strive after
holiness; to heed His warnings, to shun the things which would
destroy, to keep His commandments. The Christian must continue as
he began, for Christian perseverance is the maintaining of godly
affections and practices. We are indeed "kept by the power of God",
yet "through faith" (1 Pet. 1:5), and therefore so long as the flesh is
left in us and we in the world, we are required to attend unto that
exhortation "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Heb. 3:13), for
the verses which follow solemnly remind us that many of those who
came out of Egypt never entered Canaan!—"they could not enter in
because of unbelief" (v. l9).
"And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the
pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves three days until the pursuers
be returned, and afterward may ye go your way". Observe how this
illustrates and enforces what we have just said above. The spies
were under the immediate care of God, they had trustfully
committed themselves into His hands, and He would certainly bring
them safely back unto Joshua. Nevertheless, they were required to
exercise care and caution, and they did so, for verse 22 shows they
acted in exact accordance with Rahab’s counsels. They might have
argued, We cannot afford to waste three days in the mountain, rather
does it behoove us to make all possible speed to Joshua and make
our report unto him. But that had been only the feverish energy of
the flesh: "he that believeth shall net make haste" (Isa. 28:16)—alas
that that wise old proverb "Slow but sure, is sure to do well" is now
despised. Nor did those spies, under the plea of trusting God,
recklessly disregard the peril of being captured by the pursuers—
that had keen tempting Him, acting presumptuously rather than
believingly. God requires us to conduct ourselves circumspectly, to
exercise good judgment.
"And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this
thine oath, which thou hast made us to sware. Behold, when we
come into this land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread (or
"rope") in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou
shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy
father’s household home unto thee" (vv. 17,18). If the spies must
need take due precautions for their personal safety, equally
indispensable was it that Rahab should act in obedience with their
orders, otherwise they would be released from their promise and the
oath would no longer be binding upon them. Their oath, as pointed
out above, was for the confirmation of the covenant they had entered
into with Rahab, and a covenant is a mutual compact between two
parties, which is rendered null and void if either of them fails to
keep his part of the agreement. Now the Gospel itself is a covenant,
for in it God offers and promises certain blessings upon our
acceptance of His offer and compliance with His terms (Ps. 50:5,
Jer. 50:5) and we are required to be "mindful always of His
covenant" (1 Chron. 16:15) and to "keep His covenant" (Ps. 25:10)
—for a fuller discussion of this see the March and April articles on
"Reconciliation".
The binding of the scarlet cord in her window was for the
purpose of identifications, so that when Israel made their attack
upon Jericho they might know which was her house, and spare it. It
must be borne in mind that when the spies gave her those
instructions they knew not that the Lord was going to work a
miracle, and cause the walls of the city to fall down without any
assault upon them by Israel. That was not revealed unto Joshua until
later (Josh. 6:5), illustrating the fact that God’s will is made known
unto us only a step at a time—He sees the end from the beginning
(Acts 15:18), but He does not permit us to do so (John 13:7). That
cord was the "token" for which she had asked (v. 12), and it enabled
the army of Israel to ascertain which was her house—just as the
sprinkled blood on the door-posts of the Hebrews in Egypt caused
the angel of death to recognize their houses and pass over them,
when He went forth to slay the firstborn (Ex. 12:13); and just as the
144,000 who are exempted from judgment are "sealed in their
foreheads" (Rev. 7:3), their identifying mark being that of obedience
to the Lord (Rev. 14:1-5), for it is obedience which manifestatively
distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil.
"And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of
thy house into the streets, his blood shall be upon his head, and we
will be guiltless; and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his
blood shall be on our head if any hand be laid upon him" (v. 19).
Thus the terms of the covenant or agreement were precisely stated
and carefully explained to her before they parted. Those of Rahab’s
family who were to be preserved from the common destruction must
be inside her house, separated from the wicked; if they forsook that
shelter and mingled with the heathen inhabitants of Jericho, they
would perish with them—as Noah and his family had in the flood,
unless they had separated from the ungodly and taken refuge in the
ark. Typically this teaches the imperative necessity of separation
from the world if we would escape from its impending doom, The
case of Rahab’s family remaining secluded in her house as the
condition of their preservation is parallel with Acts 27, where we
find that though the angel of God assured Paul "there shall be no
loss of life" (v. 21, yet when the sailors were about to abandon it, he
cried, "except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved" (v. 31),
and except Christians maintain separation from this evil world they
cannot escape destruction with it.
"And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of
thine oath which thou hast made us sware" (v. 20). Let those who
proclaim the grand truth of "the eternal security of the saints" fail
not to give due place unto that "if"—the if not of uncertainly from
the Divine side, but of enforcing responsibility from the human. Let
them carefully ponder the "if" in Romans 8:13 and 11:22; 1
Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 3:6, 14. Scripture does
not teach a mechanical security, but one which is obtained through
our use of means and avoidance of dangers. The preservation of
Rahab from destruction was conditioned upon her obedience to the
instructions of God’s messengers and her use of the means they
specified. First, she must mention not their business or betray them
to their enemies: she must be loyal to them and promote their
interests—a figure of love for the brethren. Second, she must place
the scarlet cord in the window so that her house might be
recognized: we must bear the identifying mark of God’s children.
Third, she must abide in her house: we must maintain separation
from the world.
"And she said, According unto your words, so be it": there
was no resentment, no offering of objections. "And she bound the
scarlet line in window" (v. 21), manifesting by her obedience that
she was an elect and regenerate soul. Unless you, my reader, are
walking in obedience to God, you have no scriptural warrant to
conclude you are "eternally secure". The reward of her faith and
obedience is revealed in other passages. First, she "perished not with
them that believed not" (Heb. 11:31). Second, she "dwelt in Israel"
(Josh. 6:25): from being a citizen of heathen Jericho, she was given
place in the congregation of the Lord. Third, she became the
honored wife of a prince in Judah, the mother of Boaz and one of the
grandmothers of David (Matthew 1:5). Fourth, she was one of the
favored ancestresses of the Savior (Matthew 1). Thus did God do for
her exceeding abundantly above all that she-asked or thought:
delivered from awful depths of sin and shame, elevated heights of
honor and dignity.
 Joshua 3:1-6
Standing At The Jordan
The Jordan
The long season of preparation had reached its close, and the
arduous task confronting Israel must now be tackled. The forty years
they had spent in the wilderness requires to be viewed from a
twofold standpoint. First, it was a Divine judgment on the adult
generation which, after being so graciously brought out of Egypt and
so gloriously delivered at the Red Sea, gave way to an evil heart of
unbelief, balking at the prospect of conquering Canaan (Num.
13:28-33) and resolving to "return into Egypt" (Num. 14:1-4)—
whose carcasses fell in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5,10; Hebrews 3:8-
17). Second, it was a training for the younger generation who were
to occupy the land of promise. This has not been sufficiently
recognized. During that forty years many sons and daughters had
been born, and they were given to behold the wonders of the Lord in
a manner and to an extent which no other generation ever has. Not
only was there a visible display of Jehovah’s faithfulness and power
before their eyes in sustaining such a vast number by a daily supply
of food from heaven, but at the close Moses could say "your clothes
are not waxed old upon you and thy shoe is not waxed old upon thy
foot" (Deut. 29:5).
And is not this ever the Lord’s way with His people. He does
not bid them to trust in Him with all their hearts and lean not unto
their own understandings until He has given them clear proof that
He is fully worthy of their confidence. He does not call upon them
to overcome the world, mortify their lusts and resist the devil, until
He has strengthened them with might by His Spirit in the inner man.
He does not exhort them to tread that path of "much tribulation"
which alone conducts to Glory, without first weaning their hearts
from this world, giving a death wound to their love of sin, and
vouchsafing them a ravishing earnest of that glory. How gracious is
the Lord, and how tender are His ways! He does not quench the
smoking flax, but feeds the spark of grace with the oil of His Spirit.
He carries the lambs in His bosom (Isa. 40:11) until they be able to
walk. Only a personal and experimental knowledge of Him with
whom they have to do will sustain the heart of a saint under the
testings and trails to which he must be submitted.
In the same way the Lord deals with and furnishes His
servants. It was thus with Joshua’s predecessor. When Jehovah first
appeared unto him and made known it was His purpose to employ
him in leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, he was fearful, and though
the Lord declared He would stretch forth His hand smiting Egypt
with all His wonders and giving His people favor in the sight of their
oppressors, poor Moses continued to raise objections that Israel
would not believe him nor hearken to his voice. Then the Lord bade
him cast his rod on the ground, and it became a serpent; told him to
take it by the tail, and it became a rod in his hand. Ordered him to
thrust his hand into his bosom, and he drew it forth leprous as snow;
repeating the action and it was made whole (Ex. 4:1-4). Thus
assured Moses went forth on his mission. So it was with the Eleven:
before they entered upon their life work and went forth to "make
disciples of all nations", they spent three years with Christ (Mark
3:14)—witnessing His miracles and being instructed by Him.
We have already seen how such was the case with Joshua.
First, the Lord had spoken to him after the death of Moses, giving
him the most definite and heartening promises for his faith to rest
upon (Josh. 1:1-6). Then his hands had been strengthened by the
ready cooperation of the two and a half tribes whose portion lay on
the eastern side of Jordan, vowing "According as we hearkened unto
Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee" (Josh. 1:12-18).
Next he had sent forth the two spies to reconnoiter the land and they,
having received a most unlooked-for welcome and assistance from
Rahab, had returned and said unto Joshua, "Truly the Lord hath
delivered into our hands all the land, for all the inhabitants of the
country do faint because of us" (Josh. 2:24). "What more could
Israel and their leader want! The Lord had gone before them
preparing their way, causing His "terror" to fall upon the inhabitants
(Josh. 2:9). With what confidence then might Joshua and all the
people go forward into their inheritance! And should it not be the
same with Christians now? "When He putteth forth His sheep He
goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him" (John 10:4). If our
eyes be fixed on Him and our ears respond to His voice there is
nothing to be afraid of.
But we must now turn to the sequel: and what does the
reader suppose is the nature of it? A severe testing of faith?
Doubtless that is what many would term it: personally we would
prefer to say, A glorious opportunity for exercising faith in the living
God. Do not, dear reader, look so much upon painful circumstances
and difficult situations as unpleasant trials of faith which have to be
endured, but rather thankfully regard them as golden occasions for
you to prove afresh the sufficiency of Him who never fails those
who fully trust Him. God gives His people grace not only for the
comfort of their hearts, but to use for Him. He has placed His sure
promises in the Word not merely for us to wonder at, but to turn unto
good account. He grants encouragements along the way and
strengthens us that we may press forward and do further exploits in
His name. He imparts faith unto His people that they may employ it
in a manner honoring to Him. Such it appears to us is, in part, the
relation between Joshua 1 and 2 and what is now to be before us.
Israel was faced with a most formidable obstacle, but in view of
what God had wrought for them, there was no ground for dismay.
Above we have said, Such it appears to us is, in part, the
relation between Joshua 1 and 2 and what is now to be before us.
But there is something else, and if we deliberately disregarded it, we
should be guilty of handling the Word of God deceitfully and
seriously misleading His people. That ‘something else’ is either
blankly repudiated today—by those who turn the grace of God into
lasciviousness in failing to insist that grace reigns through
righteousness (Rom. 5:21), teaching us to deny ungodliness and
worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously and godly
(Titus 2:11, 12); or is ignored by those who studiously omit
everything which would be unpalatable to empty professors, well
knowing that if they are to receive their support, such must be
Bolstered up in their worldliness and carnality. These hirelings harp
continually on God’s grace, His promises, and naught but faith being
required by Him; and woefully fail to lay stress upon God’s
holiness, His precepts, and obedience being indispensably necessary.
Joshua 1 and 2, my reader, contains something more than precious
promises and gracious encouragements.
Joshua 1 and 2 also make prominent the claims of God and
strongly enforces human responsibility. Let us refresh the reader’s
memory. First, the Lord had bidden Joshua "Only be thou strong and
very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the
law which Moses My servant commanded thee. 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" Thus was the leader himself required to render the most
complete subjection unto the revealed will of the Lord, and informed
that success would hinge thereon. Joshua, in turn, "Commanded the
officers of the people" what orders to give unto them. Then he
pressed upon the two and a half tribes their obligations, bidding
them "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded you" (Josh. 1:7-13). It was only in the behalf of a
people whose hearts were right with Him and who walked in the
way of His precepts, that the Lord would show Himself strong. Faith
in Him was to be evidenced by obedience unto His commands; no
other faith would He own.
It is to be carefully noted that Joshua 3, like Joshua 2, opens
with the word "And", which not only shows the three chapters are
closely connected, but also tells us we must carry in our minds what
has previously engaged our attention. Joshua and the people, as they
started forward on their new venture, must be regulated entirely by
the instructions which they had already received. So must we be!
And if we are to make a right application of this memorable incident
unto ourselves, if we are to draw from it the spiritual lessons which
it is designed to teach us, then we need to heed what was before us
in the previous sections. A most formidable obstacle lay in Israel’s
path: the river Jordan barred their entrance into Canaan, and we are
now to behold how that obstacle was surmounted. If we are to make
a personal and practical use of this portion of Scripture, that river
which intercepted Israel’s progress should be regarded as illustrative
of any problem or obstruction which confronts the minister of the
Gospel or the ordinary Christian, and then ascertain from this
passage what he must do if he is to overcome his difficulty and be
enabled to go forward.
"And Joshua rose early in the morning’ (Josh. 3:1). Observe
well that the Holy Spirit has taken due notice of this! Not only so,
but He has recorded the same thing again in Joshua 6:12; 7:16; 8:20!
In his early rising, as in so many other respects, he foreshadowed the
antitypical Joshua, our Savior: see Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42, etc.
Joshua’s "early" rising shows that he was not slothful, a lover of his
own ease, but one whose heart was in his work and who diligently
applied himself unto the same. Therein he has left an example for
each servant of Christ to follow. The minister of the Gospel is to be
no slacker and shirker, but rather "a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed" (2 Tim. 2:15). Whether he rises early or (as this writer)
finds it more expedient to burn the midnight oil, he is in honor and
duty bound to spend at least as many hours in his study each day as
does the farmer in his field, the clerk in his office, or the labored in
the factory. He has no warrant to expect God to use him unless he be
industrious and denies himself.
"And they removed from Shittim and came to Jordan, he and
all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over"
(Josh. 3:1). Moses had conducted Israel as far as Shittim (Num.
25:1), and after his death it was from there that Joshua had sent out
the two spies (Josh. 2:1). They had returned to him with their
favorable report, and now we behold the sequel. In his "rising early"
Joshua gave proof that he did not shirk the difficult task before him,
but was anxious to come to grips with it. The Lord rewarded his
diligence by inclining the people to cooperate with him. They might
have demurred, saying "What is the use of leaving this place where
we have so long been en-camped, and moving forward to Jordan
itself, where there are neither bridges nor boats for us to cross over
it? Instead, they laid hold of the promise "within three days ye shall
pass over this Jordan (Josh. 1:11), and went forward in faith and
obedience. They knew not how the obstacle was to be overcome,
and for the moment that was none of their business. Their
responsibility was to proceed along the path of duty so far as they
were able, and count upon God’s continuing to keep that path open
for them!
"And it came to pass after three days that the officers went
through the host" (v. 2). At first thought it seems strange that such a
multitude should be left encamped there for this length of time ere a
further word was spoken to them, but a little reflection should
indicate the Lord’s design therein, and then show us the important
lesson we should learn there-from. Ponder this incident; visualize
the scene before your mind’s eye. It was not an army of men only,
but a vast congregation of men, women and children, to say nothing
of their baggage and herds of animals, and further advance was
blocked by the river. Whatever the breadth and depth of the Jordan
in recent centuries or today, it is evident that it presented an
impassable obstruction in Joshua’s time—moreover, it was in flood
at that particular season (Josh. 3:15): and yet they were left to gaze
upon it for three days, faced with the fact that they had no means of
their own for crossing it! Why? What was the Lord’s object in this?
Was it not to impress Israel more deeply with a realization of their
own utter helplessness? Was it not to shut them up more completely
unto Himself?
And is not that, very often, the chief design of God’s
providential dealings with us? To bring us to the end of our own
resources, to make us conscious of our own insufficiency, by
bringing us into a situation from which we cannot extricate
ourselves, confronting us with some obstacle which to human wit
and might is insurmountable? By nature we are proud and self-
reliant, ignorant of the fact that the arm of flesh is frail. And even
when faced with difficulties, we seek to solve them by our own
wisdom, or get out of a tight corner by our own efforts. But the Lord
is graciously resolved to humble us, and therefore the difficulties are
increased and the corner becomes tighter, and for a season we are
left to ourselves—as Israel was before the Jordan. It is not until we
have duly weighed the difficulty and then discovered we have
nothing of our own to place in the opposite scale, that we are really
brought to realize our impotency, and turn unto Him who alone can
undertake for us and free us from our dilemma. But such dull
scholars are we that, the lesson must be taught us again and yet
again before we actually put it into practice.
Those three days before that unfordable river was the
necessary preparation for what followed—the background from
which the following miracle might be the more evident to and the
more appreciated by Israel. Man’s extremity furnishes the most
suitable opportunity for God to display His power. And it is not until
man is made painfully aware of his extremity that he turns unto the
Lord and seeks His intervention. That truth is writ large across the
107th Psalm, which forcible illustrates and exemplifies what we
have been seeking to express. "Hungry and thirsty their souls fainted
in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble" (vv. 5,6).
"There was none to help: then they cried unto the Lord in their
trouble, and He saved them" (vv. 12,13). "They draw near unto the
gates of death: then they cry unto the Lord" (vv. 18,19). They "are at
their wits’ end: then they cry unto the Lord" (vv. 27,28). They are
brought into a desperate situation, to the end of their own resources,
and then it is that they—not merely utter a few cold and formal
petitions, but—"cry unto the Lord", and such a cry is ever responded
to by His deliverance.
Ah, my reader, do not close your eyes to the Jordan—the
problem, the difficulty, the obstacle—that confronts you, but face it.
Do not attempt to minimize it, but take its full measure. Continue
contemplating it until you plainly realize your own helplessness to
cope with the same, and then trustfully turn unto Him who is
capable of dealing with it. Suppose you be a minister of the Gospel,
and you yearn for your hearers to be saved is there not an
insuperable obstacle standing in the way of the realization of your
desire? Indeed there is’ the stolid indifference and unresponsiveness
of your hearers. That is the "Jordan" which confronts you the
spiritual insensibility of your congregation—and "Jordan" is the
symbol of death! Do you fully realize that’ that your hearers have no
more spiritual life in them than the waters of that river had? That
you can no more open their hearts to the reception of the Gospel
than Israel could open a path through the Jordan? Are you acting
accordingly? Few ministers, few churches today are! When they
would have a "revival" they hire an outside evangelist and count on
special singing, instead of crying unto the Lord.
"And it came to pass after three days that the officers went
through the host. And they commanded the people, saying, When ye
see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the
Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place and go after
it" (Josh. 3:2,3), For three days the congregation of Israel had been
encamped before that river which barred their entrance into the land
of promise, thus being obliged to take full stock of that formidable
barrier and made fully conscious of their own helplessness. The
Jordan is the symbol of death, and it is not until the saint
appropriates the solemn truth or has learned from painful experience
that death is written upon all his natural powers that he is likely to
make any real spiritual progress or enter practically into his fair
heritage. That was the great lesson which had to be learned by the
father of them that believe, before his longing could be realized and
fruit borne. Because Sarah was barren he thought to obtain the
desired son by Hagar, only to bring trouble upon his household. Not
until he truly recognized the natural impotency of himself and his
wife did he count upon Him who quickeneth the dead’ Romans
4:17-21.
Thus it was too with the chief of the apostles. "For we would
not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in
Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of
death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God
who raiseth the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death (Acts
19:22-41), and doth deliver (from those who then sought his life), in
whom we trust that He will yet deliver us" (2 Cor. 1:8-10). It is
God’s way with His people to so order His providences that they are
"pressed out of measure, above strength", until they are brought to
despair of deliverance by their own efforts. Then it is they discover
that death is stamped upon all their members and powers and are
brought to acknowledge "we have no might . . . neither know we
what to do" (2 Chron. 20:12). Ah, but note they at once added, "but
our eyes are upon Thee"! It was for that very reason Paul and his
companions had "the sentence of death" in themselves—that they
"should not trust in themselves, but in God which raiseth the dead"
By nature we are self-confident and by practice to a
considerable extent self-reliant. But those qualities have no scope or
place in the spiritual life, having to be completely renounced. Just as
we must repudiate our own righteousness before the righteousness
of Christ is imputed to us, so we are required to disown our own
wisdom and strength ere the power of Christ works in us and for us.
"Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34) is Christ’s own unchanging
demand. To "deny himself" is for a man to abandon all trust in
himself, to disclaim any capability of his own, to be emptied of self.
In order thereto God often brings him into situations where he
discovers it is utterly vain to look to himself for relief. Until he has
found out that all attempts to extricate himself are futile, he has not
learned his utter helplessness, and until he does so he will not really
look outside himself unto the Lord. Israel then were made to feel
their powerlessness during the three days they were encamped
before the overflowing Jordan, and that, in order to prepare them to
count upon the Almighty.
But let it is also be duly observed that to "deny himself" is
not only for a man to disown his own righteousness, wisdom and
strength, but also to renounce all self-will and self-pleasing. The
whole of "self" is to be set aside and "the cross" taken up: that is, the
principle of self-sacrifice, is to dominate and regulate him, and that,
in order to "follow Christ" The former are negative—means to an
end’ they are preparatives unto a life of obedience or a practical
owning of the Lordship of Christ. We turn to God "from idols"—the
chief of which is self—that we should "serve the living and true
God" (1 Thess. 1:9) i.e., that we should be subject to Him, governed
by Him. And that is the important truth set forth here. Israel were
now commanded to turn their gaze away from the Jordan and fix
their eyes steadily on "the ark" And of what or of whom does the ark
speak? Of Christ, says the reader. True, yet such an answer is far too
general to be of any elucidation. Of Christ in what relation? Of His
person, His work, or His official character? If of His office, which
particular aspect thereof?
It should be evident to any attentive student that the spiritual
interpretation of our passage—both doctrinally and practically—
turns upon our answers to those questions. The ark is the central
object in this miraculous event, being mentioned by name in
chapters 3 and 4 no less than sixteen times and alluded to as "it "five
times, or a total of twenty-one times, or 7x3, which in the language
of Scripture numerics signifies, a complete manifestation of God.
What, then, was the ark, and for what purpose was it made? The ark
was a coffer or chest, made of shittim wood, overlaid both within
and without with pure gold (Ex. 25:10,11). It was to be a depository
for the two tables of stone (Ex. 25:16), and accordingly, when all its
sacred furniture was made and the tabernacle was set up, we are told
that Moses "took and put the testimony into the ark" (Ex. 40:20),
where it still abode in the days of Solomon (1 Kings 8:9). It is most
essential that this fact be carefully noted, if we are to perceive aright
the spiritual meaning of this holy vessel: the ark was made for the
Law, and not the Law for the ark, as is abundantly clearly from
Deuteronomy 10:1-5.
It was for the above-mentioned reason that the ark was called
"the ark of the testimony" (Ex. 26:33, 34, etc.). The tables of stone
on which the finger of God had written the ten Commandments were
termed "the tables of testimony" (Ex. 31:18), and from their being
deposited in it the ark received its principal designation, and since
the ark was the most important object in the tabernacle, it was called
"the tabernacle of testimony" (Num. 1:51, 53, etc.). The tables of
stone were designated "the testimony", the ark "the ark of the
testimony", and the tabernacle "the tabernacle of testimony" because
they one and all declared what God is and made known the terms on
which He would hold fellowship with His people. The Law was a
revelation of the righteousness of Jehovah, with its demands upon
the faith, love and obedience of His saints. It witnessed immediately
to the Divine holiness, yet by necessary implication to the sinfulness
of Israel. The tabernacle was the place of God’s habitation where
Israel was to meet with Him: not only to receive a knowledge of His
will and hold fellowship with Him (Ex. 25:21,22) but also having a
prominent respect to their sins against which the Law was ever
testifying, and to use the appointed means of their restoration to His
favor and blessing.
It has not been sufficiently recognized by more recent writers
that in that Tabernacle of Testimony not only was witness plainly
borne unto the ineffable holiness and majesty of the Lord, but also to
His gracious condescension and abounding mercy. It testified to the
wondrous provisions He had made whereby transgressors of the
Law could receive pardon and the defiled be cleansed. In its outer
court stood the brazen altar, where sacrifices of atonement were
offered. There too was the laver of water for the washing of the
hands and feet (Ex. 30:18-20). Still more significant and blessed, the
very ark which enshrined the Law was covered with the mercy-seat
(Ex. 25:21)! That mercy-seat formed Jehovah’s throne in Israel, for
it was there between the cherubim that He "dwelt" (Ps. 80:1 etc.),
ruling over His people. Thus the ark and its lid, the mercy-seat,
testified unto His being "a just God and a Savior’!" (Isa. 45:21): the
Law, proclaiming His inexorable justice, the mercy-seat testifying to
the provision of His grace for the transgressions of His people—a
covering of mercy that they might draw near unto Him and live.
We turn now to take particular note of the fact that in Joshua
3:3 etc. the ark is called "the ark of the covenant", the reference
being to that compact into which Jehovah entered with Israel at
Sinai and which they solemnly bound themselves to keep (Ex. 19:1-
6; 24:1-8). By the establishment of the Sinaitic Covenant the relation
between God and Israel was brought into a state of formal
completeness. Under the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 17:7, 8 etc.) the
Lord had pledged Himself to faithfully bestow upon Abraham’s seed
every needful blessing, and now that covenant of promise was
supplemented by the covenant of Law, which bound that seed to
render the dutiful return of obedience which their gracious God
justly required from them. The foundation was thus outwardly laid
for a near and lasting relationship, resulting in a blessed intercourse
between the God of Abraham on the one hand and the dutiful
descendants of Abraham on the other. And it was primarily with the
design of furthering and securing that end that the ratification of the
covenant at Sinai was so immediately followed by instructions for
the making and erection of the tabernacle.
The Ten Commandments were the terms of the covenant
entered into at Sinai (Ex. 34:28): "He declared unto you His
covenant which He commanded you to perform, even ten
commandments" (Deut. 4:13), and it was on the basis of their
compliance therewith that God undertook to deal with Israel and
make good His promises to Abraham. His readiness to show Himself
strong in their behalf was at once evidenced: "and they departed
from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey; and the ark of the
covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to
search out a resting-place for them" (Num. 10:33). But alas, the very
next thing recorded is "the people complained" and "it displeased
the Lord"’ and His chastening hand fell heavily upon them (Num.
11:1). Then we learn of the opposition made against Moses by his
own brother and sister, and the Lord’s smiting Miriam with leprosy
(Num. 12). That is at once followed by an account of the sending
forth of the twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan, the mixed
report which they made upon their return, the unbelief and rebellion
of the people, with their repudiation of Moses as their leader and
determination to return unto Egypt (Num. 13:1; 14:5).
The evil conduct of Israel is summed up by the Psalmist in
those solemn words "They kept not the covenant of God and refused
to walk in His Law (Ps. 78:10). Their breaking of the covenant at
once released the Lord from making good unto that perverse
generation His declarations unto Abraham, and therefore He told
them "your carcasses they shall fall in this wilderness. And your
children shall wander in the wilderness . . . after the number of the
days in which ye searched the land, forty days, each day for a year,
shall ye bear your iniquities, forty years, and ye shall know My
breach of promise" (Num. 14:32-34). They should know to their
lasting misery what had produced that "breach of promise" (compare
the "if" of Exodus 19:5!) and the protracted and woeful
consequences thereof. The promises Jehovah made unto Abraham
and unto Moses would not be fulfilled unto that particular
generation because of their unbelief and disobedience; but unto their
descendants they should be made fully good. As Joshua himself
testified at a later date, "the Lord delivered all their enemies into
their hands. There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord
had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass" (Josh. 21:44,
45).
The forty years’ wandering in the wilderness expired with
the death of Moses, and all whose sins occasioned that punishment
had also died. It was the new and younger generation over which
Joshua was placed, and now a fresh chapter opened in the history of
Israel What has been pointed out above explains not only the
prominent position occupied by the ark in the crossing of Jordan and
in the subsequent events, but why it is there designated "the ark of
the covenant". Israel’s success, or rather the Lord’s showing Himself
strong in their behalf, would turn upon their keeping of the covenant
established at Sinai and their walking in implicit obedience unto
God. Israel’s crossing of the Jordan with their eyes fixed on the ark
signified that they marched into Canaan led by the Law!
What has just been emphasized is of something more than
mere historical importance: it is recorded for the instruction of
God’s people in all generations, and needs to be turned by them into
earnest prayer for Divine enablement. It reveals to us the principal
thing which the Holy One requires from us if He is to undertake for
us and make a way through whatever "Jordan" may confront us. It
makes known the basic principle of God’s governmental dealings
with His people in every age: the exercise of His power on our
behalf is regulated by our submission to Him. God cannot be the
Patron of sin, and therefore He will not show Himself strong in the
behalf of rebellious subjects. As said before, we must deny self and
take up our cross in order to "follow" Christ, and what that signifies
is made clear to us here in Israel’s "following" the ark of the
covenant. "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to
walk even as He walked" (1 John 2:6), and He walked in perfect
subjection to the Law of God!
The Ark
"And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the
ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites
bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet
there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits
by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by
which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore" (Josh.
3:3,4). Keeping in mind the principal things which have already
been before us: that this was a new generation of Israel which was
about to enter into their heritage; that that heritage prefigured the
portion and privileges which should—in this life—be enjoyed by the
Christian; that the ark was an outstanding type of the person of
Christ; that the particular name by which it is here designated
intimates the special character in which Christ is to be viewed and
followed by the believer; that Israel’s crossing of the Jordan and
entrance into Canaan is fraught with the most important practical
instruction for us today; let us proceed.
The ark was the sacred chest in which the two tables of stone
were deposited, and thus it pointed to Christ as our Lawgiver (Ps.
40:8; John 14:15). The ten commandments were the terms of the
covenant which was mutually entered into between Jehovah and
Israel at Sinai (Ex. 34:28), and it was on the basis of their
compliance, or non-compliance with that solemn pact that the Lord
agreed to deal with Israel and make good His promises to Abraham.
Hence the name by which the ark is called throughout Joshua 3 and
4. Thus the ark here prefigured Christ as the believer’s Covenant-
head, the meaning of which, though of the first moment, is alas little
understood today. It is in the Gospel that Christ is tendered unto u:
as such, and it is by our complying with its terms that the soul enters
into a covenant with Him. "Incline your ear, and come unto Me:
Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David" or" the
Beloved" (Isa. 55:3). That is the Gospel offer or proposal, and our
acceptance thereof is a "joining ourselves to the Lord, to serve Him
and to love the name of the Lord" and is a "taking hold of His
covenant" (Isa. 56:6).
That which will best enable us to grasp the basic truth which
we are here concerned with is the marriage contract, for marriage is
a covenant voluntarily, lovingly, and solemnly entered into between
two parties, wherein each gives himself or herself unto the other,
disowning all rivals, pledging unending fidelity, vowing to make the
interests and welfare of the other his or her own. Nothing less than is
what the Lord requires from man. The evangelist calls upon his
hearers to throw down the weapons of their enmity against Him,
forsake all illicit lovers, and unite themselves with those who
declare, "Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual
covenant that shall not be forgotten" (Jer. 1:5). Thus it was in that
wondrous and blessed foreshadowment in Genesis 24, where
Abraham (figure of the Father) sent forth his servant Eliezer (figure
first of the Holy Spirit, yet principally of the evangelist through
whom He works) to seek and woo a wife (emblem of the Church
collectively and of the believer individually) for his son Isaac—
Christ; the whole of which sets before us a most instructive picture
of the preaching of the Gospel, both from the standpoint of God’s
sovereign grace and the enforcing of human responsibility—though,
as usual, the latter is ignored by most Calvinistic writers thereon.
As the figure of the evangelist we may note how Eliezer
received most specific instructions from Abraham concerning his
mission and how that servant obediently complied therewith (Gen.
24:10). Then we observe how Eliezer betook himself unto prayer,
asking the Lord to grant him "good speed" and success on his errand
(v. 12)—an unmistakable plain intimation that Eliezer is not to be
regarded solely as a type of the Holy Spirit. When Abraham’s
servant encountered the object of his quest he presented her with
tokens of his good will (v. 22), and extolled the excellency of his
master (v. 35). Then we behold how she was required to make a
personal decision "Wilt thou go with this man?" (v. 58): she had to
choose for herself, freely and deliberately. Such a decision, personal
and definite, is required from the sinner as the terms of the Gospel
are presented unto him, for they are addressed to him as a moral
agent, testing and enforcing his responsibility. "And she said, I will
go." She was willing and ready to turn her back upon the old life,
and forsake her family to become the wife of Isaac. "And she
became his wife" (v. 67), and never regretted her decision. And that
is the grand type and picture of a soul entering into an everlasting
covenant with the Lord Jesus, the eternal Lover of His people—
made willing in the day of His power.
In full accord with the striking type of Genesis 24 we find
our Lord Himself speaking of the Gospel-order thus: "The kingdom
of heaven is like unto a certain King which made a marriage for His
Son" (Matthew 22:2), upon which Matthew Henry rightly averred.
"The Gospel covenant is a marriage covenant betwixt Christ and the
believer, and it is a marriage of God’s making. This branch of the
similitude is only mentioned, and not prosecuted here"; by which he
meant that the wedding feast and its guests is what is mainly dwelt
upon in the sequel. Concerning the force of the "marriage" figure
itself. Thomas Scott aptly said, "The union of the Son of God with
man by assuming human nature; the endeared relationship into
which He receives His Church and every member of it; the spiritual
honors, riches and blessings to which they are advanced by this
sacred relation; the comforts they receive from His condescending
and faithful love, and from communion with Him; and the reciprocal
duties of their relation to Him are all intimated by the metaphor."
True, yet, with their accustomed partiality and lack of balance, most
preachers have dwelt considerably upon the first four of these
analogies, but have been criminally silent upon the "reciprocal
duties" which that relation involves, and which we are here insisting
upon.
The same lopsidedness is seen again in the explanations
given of Matthew 22:11: "When the King came in to see the guests,
He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment." Thomas
Scott is right in saying, "This denotes that some who are not true
believers appear as willing and welcome guests at the Gospel feast
and intrude into its most sacred ordinances," but it seems to us he
quite missed the point when he added, "It is not material whether we
understand the wedding garment to mean the imputed righteousness
of Christ, or the sanctification of the Spirit; for both are alike
necessary and they always go together." This parable is not treating
so much of the Divine side of things, but rather the testing of human
responsibility and the disclosing of its failures. Verses 3,5 and 6
exhibit man’s obstinacy and enmity, while verse 11 depicts the
exposure of an empty profession. "If the Gospel be the wedding
feast, then the wedding garment is a frame of heart and a course of
life agreeable to the Gospel and our profession of it" (Matthew
Henry). Many take up a profession of the Gospel and claim to be
united to Christ without any newness of heart and life. They lack a
disposition and conduct suited to Christ and His precepts: they are
devoid of habitual and practical holiness. They have no marriage
"certificate"!
Now none can enter into and enjoy the heritage which God
has provided for His people save those who have personally and
experimentally passed from death unto life, who have entered into
definite and solemn covenant with Him, and who cleave unto and
conduct themselves by the commandments of Christ—the anti-
typical Joshua. That is the great and grand truth portrayed here in
Joshua 3 and 4, and it is because it is such a momentous one, and yet
so little apprehended today, that we are laboring it so much in our
comments upon this passage. It is at regeneration that me soul
passes from death unto life, when by a sovereign act of God’s power
—wherein we are entirely passive—we are spiritually quickened
and thereby capacitated to turn unto Him. This miracle of grace is
made manifest by the understanding of its subject being enlightened
to perceive his awful enmity against God, by his conscience being
convicted of his guilty and lost condition, by his affections being
turned against sin so that he now loathes it, by his will being
inclined God-wards; all of which issues in a genuine conversion or
right-about-face—a forsaking of his wicked ways, an abandoning of
his idols, a turning away from the world, and a taking of Christ to be
his absolute Lord, all-sufficient Savior, and everlasting Portion.
Such a conversion—and none other is a saving one is an
entering into covenant with God in Christ, and a being married or
united unto Him. Hence we find the conversion of the Corinthians
described thus: they "first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto
us, by the will of God" (2 Cor. 8:5): that is, they willingly yielded
and gladly dedicated themselves unto the Lord—acknowledging the
just requirements of His proprietorship and authority, and
responding to the claims of His redeeming love as the only suitable
acknowledgment of that debt which can never be repaid; and gave
up themselves unto His servants to be directed by them; which is
ratified in baptism, when we openly give up ourselves to be His
people. Hence, under a slightly varied figure Paul reminded those
who had been thus converted under his preaching, "I have espoused
you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). The apostle had been the instrument in
forming a connection between them and Christ like that of the
marriage union, the obligations of which are devotedness, fidelity,
loving obedience; and unto the preservation and promotion thereof
the apostle labored with a godly jealousy for them.
At regeneration the Spirit vitally unites us to Christ; at
conversion we personally and practically give up ourselves unto
Him. Conversion is when we accept Christ to be our Husband and
Lord, to be cherished and ruled by Him. It is an entering into a
covenant-engagement with Him, for Him to be our only God, and
for us to be His faithful people. That the covenant relationship is a
marriage union is clear from Jeremiah 31:32, Hosea 2:18, 19 (and
cf. Jeremiah 2:2; Ezekiel 16:60); and that is why Israel’s idolatry
was commonly spoken of as (spiritual) adultery—unfaithfulness to
Jehovah, going after other gods. Since conversion be our entering
into covenant with God in Christ, the great business of the Christian
life is to "keep His covenant" (Ps. 25:10): that is, to be regulated at
all times by its terms. Or, since conversion be a marriage union with
Christ, the w, hole aim of the Christian life is to be as a loving and
dutiful wife should unto her husband. All of which is summed up in
that comprehensive word. "As ye have therefore received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6): continue as you
began, be actuated by the same motives and principles now as when
you first surrendered to Him, let your Christian life be a
perpetuation of your conversion, be wholly devoted to Him.
What we have endeavored to set before the reader above as a
definition and description of the true and normal Christian life is that
which is typically portrayed in Joshua 3 and 4. The ark was a figure
of Christ; the "ark of the covenant of the Lord your God" pointed to
Him as our Covenant-head, the One with whom we entered into a
solemn compact and engagement at our conversion, to be henceforth
and for ever only His. Israel’s following of that ark pictured our
keeping of the covenant, our being in practical subjection to Christ
as our Lord and Lawgiver, our being faithful to the marriage
relationship, ever seeking to please and promote the interests of the
eternal Lover of our souls. Just in proportion as we conduct
ourselves thus will Israel’s experiences become ours. As they
submitted unto Joshua’s orders, as they obediently followed the ark
of the covenant, God put forth His mighty power on their behalf,
they entered into a present "rest" (Heb. 4:3), He subdued their
enemies, and a land flowing with milk and honey became their
actual portion. And if such experiences be not those of the writer, or
the reader, it is just because he is failing to conduct himself as Israel
did here.
Having entered so fully into an attempt to explain the
fundamental principles underlying this incident and the main lessons
to be learned from it, there will be the less need to spend much time
on its details. "There shall be a space between you and it about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it" (v. 4). That was
parallel with the solemn prohibition given unto Israel when the Lord
was about to enter into covenant with their fathers, and make known
unto them the terms of that covenant: "the third day the Lord will
come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And
thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed
to yourselves that ye go not up into the mount or touch the bound of
it. Whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death" (Ex.
19:12). The spiritual application of both unto us is set forth in that
word, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and
to be had in reverence of all them that are round about Him" (Ps.
89:7). Or, to express the same in New Testament language, "Let us
have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28, 29).
The natural and local reason why the ark of the covenant
should proceed so far in advance was that it could readily be seen by
all the vast multitude: had there been no space between it and them,
those who followed closely behind it would obscure the view of the
others—only those in the first few ranks had been able to behold it.
But being borne by the priests half a mile in the van, the ark would
be visible to the whole multitude. But typically and spiritually the
lessons inculcated were: First, we should ever bear in mind that by
nature we are sinners, and as such far removed from the Holy One.
Second, that as sinners we are to look off unto Christ as our Sin-
bearer, of which the mercy seat or propitiatory (which formed the lid
of the ark) spoke. As the uplifted serpent on the pole (emblem of
Christ bearing the curse for His people) was visible to all the
congregation, so the ark in the foreground. Third, that as saints we
need to keep our eyes steadfastly fixed upon Him, "looking off unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith" (Heb. 12:2), for it is a life of
faith unto which He has called us, strength for which is to be found
in Him alone.
Fourth, Christ’s leaving His people an example that they
should "follow His steps," for "when He puteth forth His sheep, He
goeth before them and the sheep follow Him" (John 10:4): our duty
is to "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth" (Rev. 14:4). Fifth,
the immeasurable superiority of Christ above His people—"that in
all things He should have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18), He being
the Head we but members of His body. This must ever be borne in
mind by them, for though He be their Kinsman-Redeemer and is not
ashamed to call them "brethren," nevertheless He is their Lord and
their God, and to be owned and worshiped as such—"that all should
honor the Son even as they honor the Father" (John 5:23). Sixth, that
we must conduct ourselves toward the Lord our God with proper
decorum and not with unholy familiarity. Seventh, that He entered
the and-typical Canaan in advance, to take possession of heaven on
our behalf: "whither the Forerunner is for us entered "(Heb. 6:20)—
there is both a present and future, an initial and a perfect occupying
of our heritage.
"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two
thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may
know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way
heretofore" (Josh. 3:4). Having pointed out some of the probable
reasons why the ark was to proceed so far in advance of the people,
we must now turn to consider the meaning of the last clause of this
verse. Personally, we consider the commentators and sermonizers
have quite missed the force of the "for ye have not passed this way
heretofore" when they explain it is signifying "For ye are about to
march over unfamiliar ground." Admittedly the Hebrew, and at first
glance this English rendering, appears to decidedly favor such a
view, yet a careful weighing of this clause in the light of its whole
setting seem to require a different interpretation of it, understanding
it to mean "for ye have not marched in this manner hitherto." Nor is
that by any means a wresting of the text, for though the Hebrew
word "derek" be translated "way" in the vast majority of instances,
yet it is rendered "manner" eight times—as, for example, in Genesis
19:31; Isaiah 10:24, 26).
To give as the reason why the children of Israel should
follow the ark on this occasion as "because ye are about to tread new
and strange ground" seems to possess little or no point, for had not
that been equally true on most of their journeying across the
wilderness! But, it will be asked, to what else is the reference? We
answer something entirely different from what had marked their
marches previously, as the "heretofore" indicates. The immediate
context is concerned with the informing of Israel as to when they
were to advance: "when ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord
your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall
remove from your place and go after it" (v. 3). Hitherto, it was only
when the cloud moved that they did so too (see Exodus 3:21, 22, 49,
38); "whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up,
they journeyed" (Num. 9:21, and cf. 14:14). During the whole of the
preceding forty years Israel had been led by that supernatural "pillar
of cloud," but now and henceforth that cloud was no longer to be
with them. It was a visible token of Jehovah’s presence, especially
granted unto. ‘Moses, and with his death it disappeared.
A different arrangement was now made, a new means for
recognizing God’s will concerning their journeyings was now
revealed unto Israel, another symbol of Jehovah’s presence should
henceforth strike terror into. the hearts of His enemies. The ark of
the covenant now took, in an important sense, a new position.
Formerly, when journeying the ark had been carried in the midst of
the host. It had indeed gone before Israel on one previous occasion
"to search out a resting place for them" (Num. 10:33), yet the very
next verse informs us "and the cloud of the Lord was upon them by
day, when they went out of the camp"; and, as we have seen, the
immediate sequel was the fatal apostasy of that generation. The
cloud had moved above the ark (cf. Leviticus 16:2), where all the
people could see it easily and follow the ark without inconvenience;
but now the cloud was no longer with them—the ark becoming their
visible guide. Another indication of this new arrangement appears in
the ones who bore the ark. A specific command had been given that
the ark should be carried by the sons of Kohath (Num. 3:30, 31;
4:15), but here "the priests" were appointed as its bearers.
Thus, in keeping with this new venture by the new
generation, a different order of procedure was appointed—"ye have
not traveled in this manner before." The first generation of Israel had
been a lamentable and utter failure, but there can never be any
failure with the Lord God, nor in the accomplishment of His eternal
counsels. God always takes care of His own glory and of the full and
final blessing of His people according to His purpose; yea, He never
suffers them to be divorced or pass out of His own hands. In His
wondrous wisdom and amazing grace God has inseparably united
the two, and therefore does He make all things, work together for
the accomplishment of each alike, for He has made His people and
their blessing a constituent part of His glory—"Israel My glory"
(Isa. 46:13). Thus we see how fitting it was that the ark of the
covenant went in advance of the twelve tribes on their entrance into
Canaan, which the Lord had chosen to be the place where He would
make a full display of Himself in the midst of His people. As the
Lord had magnified Himself before Pharaoh and his hosts in Egypt
and at the Red Sea in connection with Israel’s exodus, so now He
would magnify Himself in the sight of the Canaanites as He bared
His arm on behalf of His people.
This is indeed a marvelous and blessed truth that God has
bound up the good of His people with His own manifestative glory,
that at the same time that He furthers the one He promotes the other
also. It is a truth which ought to exercise a powerful influence upon
our hearts and lives, both in strengthening holy confidence and in
preventing unholy conduct. It furnishes us with an invincible plea
when praying for the prosperity of God’s cause on earth or for our
own individual fruitfulness: "grant it, O Lord, for the honor of Thy
great name." It was on that ground Moses, in a sore crisis, presented
his petition (Num. 14:15-17), so Joshua (Josh. 7:9), Hezekiah (2
Kings 19:19), Joel (Joel 2:17). But One far greater than any of those
prayed "Father, the hour is come, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also
may glorify Thee" (John 17:1). And should not each Christian say,
"Father undertake for me, that Thy child may—in his measure—
glorify Thee"! Yet this wondrous truth has a bearing on duty as well
as privilege. Since my good and God’s glory be inseparably united,
how careful I should be in avoiding everything which would bring
reproach upon His name! How diligent in seeking to tread that path
where communion with Him is alone to be had! How zealous in
"doing all things to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves, for
tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Josh. 3:5). The
word "sanctify" is one of the most difficult terms to define that is
used in Scripture: partly because of the great variety of objects to
which it is applied; partly because it has so many different shades of
meaning; partly because doctrinally and experimentally considered
there is both a Divine and a human side to sanctification, and few
find it easy to adjust those two sides in their minds. With their
customary partiality Calvinistic writers and preachers confine
themselves almost entirely to the Church’s sanctification by the
Father (setting her apart from the non-elect by His eternal decree),
by the Son (who cleansed her from her sins and adorned her by His
merits), and by the Holy Spirit (by her regeneration and daily
renewing), and say little or nothing upon the necessity and duty of
the Christian’s sanctifying himself. Whereas Arminian writers and
preachers dwell almost exclusively on the human side of things, as
the believer’s dedication of himself unto God and His service, and
his daily cleansing of himself by the Word: Since the days of the
Puritans few indeed have made a full-orbed, presentation of this
important truth.
The first time the term occurs in Holy Writ is Genesis 2:3,
and, as is invariably the case, this initial mention at once indicates
its essential meaning and content: "And God blessed the seventh day
and sanctified it," which obviously means that He separated it from
the other six days and set it apart for His own particular use—such is
the underlying and root idea in all its subsequent occurrences where
God Himself is the Agent or Actor. The next reference is Exodus
13:2: "Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn: whatsoever openeth the
womb among the children of Israel, of man or beast: it is Mine": that
was something which the Lord required from them, namely, to
dedicate and devote the firstborn entirely unto Him. The third
occurrence is in Exodus 19: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go
unto the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them
wash their clothes. And be ready against the third day, for the third
day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon
mount Sinai" (vv. 10, 11, and see v. 15). There the word "sanctify"
manifestly has reference unto a personal cleansing by the Israelites
themselves, to fit them for the approach of the thrice Holy One.
Now it is quite clear that the injunction which Joshua gave
unto Israel in verse 5 was of precisely the same import as that which
Moses received for the people in Exodus 19. The Lord Was about to
appear on their behalf, and they were required to be in a meet
condition. When God bade Jacob go to Bethel and make there an
altar unto Him, we are told that the patriarch said unto his
household, "Put away the strange gods that are among you and be
clean, and change your garments" (Gen. 35:1, 2)—idols and the
worship of the Lord do not accord. Unto the elders of Bethlehem the
prophet said, "I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify
yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:5). In
each case the reference was first unto the removal of ceremonial
defilement, the putting away of all outward pollution, and then to
bringing their hearts into a suitable frame towards the One with
whom they had to do, for God has never been satisfied with mere
external purification and punctiliousness of formal worship (Isa.
29:13, 14). Sacred duties call for diligent preparation on the part of
those who would discharge them. Holy things are not to be touched
with unholy hands nor approached with hearts filled by the world
(Ps. 26:6; 1 Tim. 2:8).
Christians are bidden to draw near unto God, "having their
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [i.e. all known sin forsaken
and confessed] and their bodies washed with pure water"—their
daily walk regulated and purified by the Word (Heb. 10:22), for we
must not insult Him by carelessness and moral unfitness. In order
thereto we need to give constant heed to that precept, "Let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:l). And be it carefully noted
that "cleanse ourselves" is as much a part of the inspired Word of
God as is "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all
sin," and that that latter statement is qualified by (though scarcely
ever quoted!) "If we walk in the light as He is in the light." The Holy
One requires us to sanctify ourselves both internally and externally,
and if we do not, our worship is unacceptable. "If a man purge
himself from these [the things which "dishonor"] he shall be a vessel
unto honor, sanctified; and meet for the Master’s use, prepared unto
every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). "Every man that hath this hope in
him purifieth himself even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). How? By
mortifying his lusts and cultivating his graces, by daily repentings
and renewings of his consecration.
"Sanctify yourselves," then, has been an imperative
requirement of God upon His people in all generations. The only
difference which the change of covenant has made is that, under the
old, their sanctification of themselves consisted chiefly in a
ceremonial and external purification, while that of the new is
principally a moral and internal one, and where that obtains the
outward life will be adjusted ‘to our Rule. No servant of Christ
declares "all the counsel of God" who fails to press that imperative
requirement of God’s upon His people, and if he be silent thereon he
"withholds" that which is "profitable for them." We must "draw nigh
to God" if we would have Him draw nigh unto us (James 4:8), and,
as that verse goes on to tell the careless and those with unexercised
consciences, in order to draw near unto Him aright we must "cleanse
our hands and purify our hearts"! "Who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place?" which in New
Testament language means, Who shall be received by God as an
acceptable worshipper? The inspired answer is. "He that hath clean
hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully" (Ps. 24:3, 4). Alas that so little heed is now
given to such verses.
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves, for
tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." That was an
enforcing of their moral responsibility. It was a call for them to
cleanse themselves and dedicate themselves unto the Lord their
God. It was a bidding of them to prepare themselves by prayer and
meditation, to recall God’s gracious interventions in the past, to
ponder His ineffable holiness, awful majesty, mighty power and
abundant mercy, and thereby bring their hearts into a fit frame, so
that with faith, reverence and admiration they might behold the great
work which Jehovah was about to do for them. They must be in a
suitable condition in order to witness such a manifestation of His
glory: their hearts must be "perfect toward Him"—sincere and
upright, honest and holy—if He was to "show Himself strong in
their behalf" (2 Chron. 16:9). Have we not here the explanation why
God is not now performing marvels in the churches?—they are too
carnal and worldly! And is not this the reason why a way is not
being made through our personal "jordans"? And why we receive
not wondrous and blessed discoveries of His glory—we are not
"sanctified" in a practical way nor sufficiently separated from the
world.
"And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves, for
tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Observe the
positive and confident language of Joshua: there was no doubt
whatever in his mind that their covenant God would perform a
miracle on their behalf, and therefore he assured them accordingly.
What an example for Christ’s servant to follow! He has no right to
expect that his flock will wax valiant in fight if their shepherd be full
of unbelief and fear. And, too, when urging upon them the duty of
self-sanctification, he should fail not to add the encouragement, "the
Lord will do wonders," for sure it is that the more we shun that
which defiles, and devote ourselves unto God’s service and glory,
the more will He work mightily in us, for us and through us. It is
quite possible that on this occasion Joshua had in mind that word,
"And it came to pass when the ark set forward that Moses said, Rise
up, O Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered" (Num. 10:35), for
certain Joshua was that when. the ark should now advance the
waters of the Jordan would recede.
"And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark
of the covenant and pass over before the people. And they took up
the ark of the covenant and went before the people" (v. 6). Having
directed the people what to do, Joshua now gives instruction unto
the priests. Thereby he acted in strict accord with his own personal
commission ("do according to all that is written in this book of the
Law" (Josh. 1:8)—i.e. the Pentateuch), for in preparation of
Jehovah’s descent upon Sinai Moses had given express charge to the
priests as well as to the people (Ex. 19:22). In the charge here given
to the priests we see how their subjection to the revealed will of God
was put to the proof, how their faith and courage were tested, and
how their reverence for the symbol of the Lord’s presence was to be
manifested. Corresponding unto them today are the ministers of the
Gospel, concerning whom T. Scott well said, "They are especially
required to set before the people an example of obedience, patience,
and unshakable confidence in God, by abiding in their perilous
position or difficult stations which He has assigned them, when
others fear to pass that way; and in so doing they may expect
peculiar support and protection."
The people were commanded to follow the priests as far as
they carried the ark, but no farther, and God’s children today are
responsible to heed and obey His servants (Heb. 13:7, 17) only
while they set forth and honor Him of whom the ark was a figure.
Namely, Christ; yet not simply as a Savior, but in the fullness of His
threefold office: as our Prophet or Teacher (the Law within the ark),
our Priest (the propitiatory upon it), our King and Lord’ ("the ark of
the covenant"). But the minister of the Gospel is required to do more
than faithfully preach Christ, namely live Him: "Be thou an example
of the believers in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith,
in purity’" (1 Tim. 4:12); "In all things showing thyself a pattern of
good works" (Titus 2:7; and cf. 1 Thess. 2:10; 1 Pet. 5:3). The
minister is to set before his people a godly example. Unless he takes
the lead in enduring hardships and facing dangers (not showing
more concern for his own ease and safety), then his exhortations
unto self-denial and courageous action will have no power upon his
hearers.
 Joshua 3:7-17
Crossing The Jordan
The Miracle
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to
magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I
was with Moses so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the
priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come
to the brink of the water of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan
(Josh. 3:7, 8). Before his death it had been revealed to Moses by the
Lord that Joshua should be his successor as the leader of His people,
and unto that office he had been solemnly set apart (Num. 27:18-
23). Moses had also announced unto Israel that Joshua "should cause
them to inherit the Land" (Deut. 1:38), and "the children of Israel
hearkened unto him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Deut.
34:9). After the death of Moses the people had avowed their
willingness to do whatever Joshua commanded them and to go
whither he should send them, and expressed the desire that Divine
assistance would be granted him: "the Lord thy God be with thee, as
He was with Moses" (Josh. 1:16, 17). In the interval the two spies
had reconnoitered Jericho at his orders, the people had followed him
from Shittim to the Jordan (Josh. 3:1), and had remained there three
days. Now the time had come for the Lord to more fully authenticate
His servant.
Joshua had duly discharged his duty and now he was to be
rewarded. He had set before the people a noble example by acting
faith on God’s word, had confidently expressed his assurance that
God would make good His promise (Josh. 1:11, 15), and now the
Lord would honor the one who had honored Him. Joshua had been
faithful in a few things and he should be made ruler over many.
Devotedness unto God never passes unrecognized by Him. The Lord
would now put signal honor upon Joshua in the sight of Israel as He
had done upon Moses at the Red Sea and at Sinai. "The Lord said
unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud that the people
may hear when I speak unto thee, and believe thee for ever" (Ex.
19:9): thus did He honor and authenticate Moses. And here at the
Jordan he magnified Joshua by the authority which He conferred
upon him, and attested him as His appointed leader of Israel. The
result of this is stated in Joshua 4:15, "on that day the Lord
magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they feared [revered
and obeyed] him as they feared Moses, all the days of his [Joshua’s]
life."
But we must be careful lest we overlook something far more
glorious than what has just been pointed out. Surely those words,
"This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel,"
should at once turn our thoughts to One infinitely superior to Joshua:
that what God did here for His servant was a foreshadowment of
what later He did to His Son at this same Jordan. No sooner was our
blessed Lord baptized in that river than, "Lo, the heavens were
opened unto Him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and lighting upon Him: And, lo, a voice from heaven, saying,
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew
3:16, 17). Then was He "made manifest to Israel" (John 1:31). Then
was He authenticated for His great mission. Then did God "begin to
magnify Him." Still more wonderful is the type when we observe at
what part of the Jordan this occurred: "These things were done in
Beth-abara" (John 1:28), which signified "the place of passage"
(John 1:28), so that Christ was attested by the Father at the very
place where Israel passed through the river and where Joshua was
magnified!
Solemn indeed was the contrast. By what took place at the
Jordan Israel knew that Joshua was their Divinely appointed leader
and governor, and therefore they "feared him . . . all the days of his
life" (Josh. 4:15), rendering implicit and undeviating obedience unto
his orders: "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua" (Josh.
24:31). But after the and-typical Joshua had been far more
illustriously magnified at the Jordan. identified as the Son of God
incarnate, and owned by the Father as the One in whom He
delighted, what was Israel’s response? Did they love and worship
Him? Did they fear and obey Him? Very far otherwise: "He came
unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). Their
hearts were alienated and their ears closed against Him. Though He
spake as never man spake, though He went about doing good,
though He wrought miracles of power and mercy, they "despised
and rejected Him," and after a brief season cried "Away with Him,
crucify Him." Marvel, dear Christian reader, that the Lord of glory
endured such humiliation "for us men and our salvation." Wonder
and adore that He so loved us as not only to be willing to be hated of
men but smitten of God that our sins might be put away.
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the
covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of
Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan" (v. 8). What anointed eye can
fail to see here again a shadowing forth of a greater than Joshua!
Next after this mention of God’s beginning to magnify Joshua in the
sight of the people, we find him exercising high authority and giving
orders to the priests; and almost the first public act of Christ’s after
the Father had attested and honored Him at the Jordan is what is
recorded in Matthew 5-7. In that sermon on the mount we behold
our Savior doing the very same thing: exercising high authority, as
He evinced by His frequently repeated "I say unto you," and issuing,
orders to His disciples, who, under the new covenant, correspond to
the priests under the old; and it is very striking to see how the
twofold application of that term and the type appear in that sermon.
As we pointed out in our last, the "priests," when bearing the ark of
the covenant, were figures of the ministers of the Gospel in their
official character, but looked at as those privileged to draw near unto
God. The "priests" were types of all the redeemed of Christ (1 Pet.
2:5, 9).
Now in the opening verses of Matthew 5, it was His servants
whom "Christ taught" (vv. 1, 2, 13-16), and to whom He issued
commandments, for "His disciples" there are to be understood as
"apostles"—as in Matthew 10:1, 2, and 28:16-20. Yet as we continue
reading that wondrous discourse we soon perceive that it cannot be
restricted unto ministers of the Gospel, but is addressed to the whole
company of His people. Therein we learn what is required from the
redeemed by the One who is their Lord, possessed of Divine
authority: namely, entire subjection unto Him, unreserved
conformity to His revealed will. As the priests of Israel must order
their actions by the instructions which they received from Joshua, so
must the ministers of the Gospel take their orders from their Divine
Master, and so also must the whole company of His redeemed be
regulated wholly by the injunctions of the Captain of their salvation.
Nothing less is due unto Him who endured such shame and suffering
on their behalf; nothing else becomes those who owe their all unto
Him who died for them. It is in this way that their gratitude and
devotion is to be manifested: "If ye love Me, keep My
commandments" (John 14:13).
"And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the
covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of
Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan." What a testing of their faith
and obedience was that! The swollen and unfordable river before
them, and they ordered to advance unto the very edge thereof, yea,
to stand still in it! How senseless such a procedure unto carnal
reason! Such too appears the policy and means appointed by God in
the Gospel: "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of
preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). And the
preaching of Christ crucified, my ministerial friends, is entirely a
matter of faith and obedience, for to our natural intellect and
perceptions it appears to be utterly inadequate to produce eternal
fruits. And even when we have preached Christ to the best of our
poor powers, it often seems that our efforts are unavailing, and we
are perhaps sorely tempted to act contrary unto that word, "the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual." Seek grace,
then, to heed the lesson pointed by the above verse: discharge your
responsibility to the utmost extent and trustfully leave the issue with
God, as did the priests.
But there is not only a much-needed message contained in
verse 8 for the discouraged servants of Christ, but there is one too
for the rank and the of God’s people, especially those of them who
may be sorely tried by present circumstances. Their faith and
obedience must be tested—that its reality may appear. Some of the
Lord’s commandments present less difficulty, for they are embodied
in the laws of our land and respected by all decent people. But there
are others of His precepts which are most trying to flesh and blood
and which are scoffed at by the unregenerate. Nevertheless, our
course is clear: there can be no picking and choosing—"whatsoever
He saith unto you, do" (John 2:5). Yes, but when I have sought to
obey to the best of my ability I find circumstances all against me, a
situation beyond my powers to cope with, a "jordan" too deep and
wide for me to pass through. Very well, here is the word exactly
suited to your case: come to "the brink of the water" and then "stand
still in it": proceed to your utmost limits in the path of duty and then
count upon the omnipotent One to undertake for you.
"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither,
and hear the words of the Lord your God" (v. 9). Once more our
minds are carried beyond the type to Antitype, who said unto Israel,
"My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me" (John 7:16), and
again, "the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment
what I should say and what I should speak" (John 12:49). And
therefore the most diligent heed is to be given and the most
unquestioning obedience rendered unto Him. "And Joshua said,
Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He
will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the
Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and
the Amorites, and the Jebusites" (v. 10). That title, "the living God,"
is used in the Scriptures to point a contrast with the inanimate idols
of the heathen (2 Kings 19:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), and doubtless
was employed by Joshua on this occasion for the purpose of
accentuating the impotency and worthlessness of all false gods, who
were utterly incapable of rendering aid, still less of performing
prodigies, for their deluded votaries; a warning also to Israel against
the sin of idolatry to which they ever were so prone. As Joshua
owned Jehovah as "the living God" so also Christ acknowledged the
One who had sent Him as the "living Father" (John 6:57).
 "And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God
is among you" (v. 10). Note carefully the statement which
immediately follows: "and that He will without fail drive out from
before you the Canaanites," etc. We had naturally expected Joshua to
say in this connection, God will open a way for you to pass through
this Jordan, but instead he gives assurance of the conquest of the
"seven nations in the land of Canaan" (Acts 13:19). And why? To
assure Israel that the miracle of the Jordan was a Divine earnest, a
certain guarantee, that the Lord would continue to show Himself
strong in their behalf. And similarly He assures His people today.
"Being confident of this very thing: that He which hath begun a
good work in you, will finish it" (Phil. 1:6). Israel’s supernatural
journey through Jordan was a figure of our regeneration, when we
pass from death unto life, and that experience ensures that the living
God will perfect that which concerneth us" (Ps. 138:8). In a word,
regeneration is an infallible earnest of our ultimate glorification. But
as Israel concurred with God, and were themselves active in driving
out the Canaanites, so we have to mortify our lusts and overcome
the world in order to possess our inheritance.
Yes, replies the reader, but that is much easier said than done.
True, yet, not only is it indispensable that we should do so, but if
due attention be paid to the passage before us and its spiritual
application unto ourselves, valuable instruction will be found herein
as to the secrets of success. Not to anticipate too much what yet
remains to be considered in detail, let us summarize the leading
points so far as they bear upon what was just said above. First, Israel
was required to act with implicit confidence in God: so must we, if
we are to be successful in our warfare, for it is "the good fight of
faith" which we are called upon to wage. Second, Israel must render
the most exact obedience to God’s revealed will: so we can only
prevail over our lusts and possess our possessions by walking in the
path of His precepts. Third, Israel had to fix their eyes upon "the ark
of the covenant": so we are to be subject unto Christ in all things,
and make daily use of His cleansing blood—the propitiatory which
formed the lid of the ark.
 Fourth, "The Lord of all the earth"—God in His unlimited
dominion—was the particular character in which Israel here viewed
God: so we must rely upon His all-mighty power and count upon
Him making us more than conquerors.
"Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth
passeth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve
men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every man a tribe. And it shall
come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear
the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters
of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters
that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap" (vv.
11-13).
In those words Joshua now specifically announced and
described one of the most remarkable of the miracles recorded in
Holy Writ. The priests were to proceed unto the edge of the water
and then stop—that it might be the more evident that the Jordan was
driven back at the presence of the Lord. As Matthew Henry wrote,
"God could have divided the river without the priests, but they could
not without Him. The priests must herein set a good example and
teach the people to do their utmost in the service of God, and trust
Him for help in time of need." Note how the opening’ word of verse
11 emphasized yet again that attention was to be concentrated upon
the ark, which, as we have previously pointed out, was made for the
Law and not the Law for it—typifying. Christ, "made under the
Law" (Gal. 4:4), magnifying and making it honorable (Isa. 42:21).
Remember too that the propitiatory formed the lid of the ark:
it was not only a cover for the sacred coffer, but a shield between the
Law and the people of God. The central thing within it was the Law
(1 Kings 8:9), and between the cherubim on its mercy seat Jehovah
had His throne (Ps. 99:1). That is why all through Joshua 3 and 4 it
is termed "the ark of the covenant," for when Moses went up upon
Sinai the second time we are told that "he wrote upon the tables the
words of the covenant, the ten commandments" (Ex. 34:28). It
should be carefully borne in mind that even under the old covenant
the promise preceded the giving of the Law (Ex. 3:17; 12:25), yet
the fulfillment thereof was not to be without the enforcing of their
accountability. In like manner the ten commandments themselves
were prefaced by "I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee
out of the land of Egypt," manifesting His "goodness" to them and
His "severity" upon their enemies—that was the testimony of His
character who entered into covenant with them.
It is to be duly noted that the particular designation given to
Jehovah in connection with the ark of the covenant in verse 11 is
repeated in verse 13, which at once intimates it is one of special
weight and significance. This title, "the Lord of all the earth," is not
found in the Pentateuch, occurring here in Joshua 3 for the first time,
its force being more or less indicated by what is said in verse 10 and
the nature and time of the miracle then wrought. The reference here
is unto God the Father, and signifies His absolute sovereignty and
universal dominion—the Proprietor and Governor of the earth which
He created, the One whom none can successfully resist. This title
occurs in the Scriptures seven times! Twice in Joshua 3, then in
Psalm 97:5, Micah 4:15, Zechariah 6:5. In Zechariah 4:14, we
behold the three Persons of the Godhead in their covenant
characters: "these are the two Anointed Ones [Christ and the Holy
Spirit] that stand before the Lord of all the earth." But in Isaiah 54:5,
we see the incarnate Son, "the Lord of hosts is His name, and thy
Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth shall He
be called"—a prophetic intimation of the taking down of the "middle
wall of partition," when Jew and Gentile alike should own Him as
their God.
As a reward for Joshua’s past faithfulness and in order to
equip him more thoroughly for the great task before him, the Lord
determined to put signal honor upon His servant so that Israel might
assuredly know that as the mighty God had been with Moses so He
would be with his successor (Josh. 3:7). That at once turns our
thoughts back to Exodus 14: and it is both interesting and instructive
to trace out the many points of contrast and comparison between
what occurred at the Red Sea and here at Jordan. Let us consider
first those respects in which they differed.
 First, the one terminated Israel’s exodus from the house of
bondage, while the other initiated their entrance into the land of
promise. Second, the former miracle was wrought in order that
Israel might escape from the Egyptians, the latter to enable them to
approach and conquer the Canaanites. Third, in connection with that,
the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind (Ex.
14:21); but with reference to this no means whatever were employed
—to demonstrate that He is not tied unto such, but employs or
dispenses with them as He pleases. Fourth, the earlier miracle was
performed at nighttime (Ex. 14:21), the latter in broad daylight.
Fifth, at the Red Sea multitudes were slain, for the Lord "made the
waters to return upon the Egyptians, so that it covered the chariots
and the horsemen: all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after
them, there remained not so much as one of them" (Ex. 14:28);
whereas at the Jordan not a single soul perished. Sixth, the one was
wrought for a people who just previously had been full of unbelief
and murmuring, saying unto Moses: "Because there were no graves
in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?
wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us?" (Ex. 14:11); the other for a
people who were believing and obedient (Josh. 2:24; 3:1).
Seventh, with the sole exception of Caleb and Joshua all the
adults who benefited by the former miracle perished in the
wilderness because of their unbelief, while not a single one of those
who were favored to share in the latter failed to "possess their
possessions." Eighth, at the Red Sea the waters were divided" (Ex.
14:21), but here at the Jordan they were not so—rather they were
made to "stand upon a heap" (Josh. 3:13). Ninth, in the former the
believer’s judicial death unto sin was typed out; in the latter, his
legal oneness with Christ in His resurrection, to be followed by a
practical entrance into his inheritance. Tenth, consequently, whereas
there was no "sanctify yourselves" before the former, such a call was
an imperative requirement for the latter (Josh. 3:5). Eleventh, the
response made by Israel’s enemies to the Lord’s intervention for
Israel at the Red Sea was, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will
divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them" (Ex. 15:9); but
in the latter, "It came to pass when all the people of the Amorites,
which were on the other side of Jordan westward, and all the kings
of the Canaanites . . . heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of
Jordan . . . that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them
any more" (Josh. 5:1). Twelfth, after the working of the former
"Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore" (Ex. 14:31); after
the latter a cairn of twelve stones memorialized the event (Josh.
4:20-24).
It is surely remarkable that there are as many analogies
between the two miracles as dissimilarities. Yet that illustrates a
principle which the attentive observer will find exemplified all
through Scripture, and which the young student is advised to make
careful note of. "Two" is the number of witness—as the Lord sent
forth the apostles in pairs to testify of Him. It was the minimum
number for such under the Law (John 8:17), for if the sworn
testimony of two different men agreed, this was considered
conclusive. Thus two is also the number of comparison and contrast.
Hence it will be found that when there are only two of a kind, such
as the miracles of the Red Sea and the Jordan, there is always a
number of marked resemblances and divergencies between them.
Some may like to work out for themselves the parallels and
oppositions between the Old and New Testaments, Sinai and Sion,
the first and second advents of Christ, the respective careers of
Moses and Joshua, the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, and so on.
The same principle is exemplified where a Greek word occurs but
twice: as "apopnigo" (Luke 8:7, 23), "apokueo" (James 1:15, 18),
"panoplia" (Luke 11:22; Ephesians 6:11). So too when two parables,
miracles, incidents, are placed in juxtaposition.
The following are some of the points of resemblance
between these two. (1) In each case the miracle was connected with
water. (2) Neither was done in a corner or beheld by only a few, but
was witnessed by the whole nation of Israel. (3) Each was preceded
by an act required of God’s servant—Moses, in the stretching forth
of his hand (Ex. 14:21); Joshua, in giving command to the people.
(4) Each was the removal of a formidable barrier in Israel’s path. (5)
Each had the design of authenticating Israel’s leader (Ex. 14:31;
Joshua 4:14). (6) Each presented a severe test unto Israel’s faith and
obedience (Ex. 14:15; Joshua 3:3). (7) In each case they passed over
dry-shod. (8) Both miracles were wrought in silence: neither was
accompanied by shouts of triumph, nor was there any sounding of
the rams’ horns—as, later, in the case of the miraculous fall of
Jericho’s walls (Josh. 6:9, 20). (9) Afterward both the Red Sea and
the waters of the Jordan returned again to their normal state. (10)
Each inaugurated a new period in Israel’s history. (11) In both there
was a prodigious display of Jehovah’s power to the consternation of
His enemies. (12) Both miracles were celebrated by songs of praise.
Some of our readers may think that we made a slip in the last
point: they will recall the songs of Israel in Exodus 15 and ask, But
where is there any song of praise celebrating what occurred at the
Jordan? Separate celebration there is none, but the two miracles are
conjoined and made the special subject of sacred ode, namely in
Psalm 114, to which we would now direct attention. Many of those
who are best qualified to express a considered opinion on the merits
of poetry have freely testified that in this psalm the art of sacred
minstrelsy has reached its climax: that no human mind has ever been
able to equal, much less to excel, the grandeur of its contents. In it
we have most vividly depicted the greatest of inanimate things
rendering obeisance unto their Maker. As one beautifully
summarized it, "The God of Jacob is exalted as having command
over river, sea and mountain, and causing all nature to pay homage
and tribute before His majesty."
Psalm 114 is a remarkable one in several respects. First, it is
written without any preface. It is as though the soul of its author was
so elevated and filled with a sense of the Divine glory that he could
not pause to compose an introduction, but rather burst forth at once
into the midst of his theme, namely, the wondrous works which were
wrought for Israel of old, of which they were the actual eye-
witnesses and beneficiaries. Second, in it the rules of grammar are
ignored, for in verse two we find the possessive pronoun used
without a preceding substantive. The presence of God is concealed
in the first verse, for, as Isaac Watts pointed out, "If God had
appeared before, there could be no wonder when the mountains
should leap and the sea retire—therefore, that these convulsions of
nature may be brought in with due surprise, His name is not
mentioned till afterwards." Third, this psalm was fittingly made a
part of "the Hallelujah" which the Jews of all later generations were
wont to sing at their Passover supper. Fourth, all that is portrayed in
this psalm was typical of the still greater wonders wrought by the
redemptive work of Christ.
That psalm celebrates the marvels performed by Jehovah on
behalf of His people of old, particularly their exodus from Egypt and
His conducting them through the Red Sea and the Jordan. Such
glorious acts of God’s power and grace must never be forgotten, but
owned in gladsome praise. "When Israel went out of Egypt, the
house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah was His
sanctuary, Israel His dominion" (vv. 1 and 2). The Lord delivered
His people from the house of bondage that they might serve Him
and show forth His praises, in the duties of worship and in
obedience to His Law. In order thereto, He set up His "sanctuary
among them—first in the tabernacle, then in the temple, finally in
Christ His incarnate Son—in which He gave special tokens of His
presence. Further, He set up His "dominion" or throne among them,
being Himself their Lord, King and Judge. Observe well how that
here, as everywhere, privilege and duty, Divine favor and human
responsibility, are united. God acted graciously. God maintained the
rights of His righteousness. As His "sanctuary" Israel was separated
unto God as a peculiar people, a nation of priests, holy unto the
Lord. As His "dominion" they were a theocracy, governed directly
by Him. So we have been redeemed that we should "serve Him . . .
in holiness and righteousness . . . all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74,
75). If we enjoy the favors of His "sanctuary" we must also submit
to His "dominion."
"The sea saw, and fled; Jordan was driven back. The
mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs" (vv. 3, 4). In
those words the inspired poet depicts inanimate creation trembling
before its Maker. It was because Jehovah was Israel’s "sanctuary"
and "dominion" that the Red Sea fled before them. Sinai quivered
and the waters of Jordan were effectually dammed. The Almighty
was at the head of His people, and nothing could stand before Him,
or withstand them. The sea saw": it now beheld what it never had
previously, namely, "the pillar of cloud" (Ex. 14:19)—symbol of
Jehovah’s presence; and, unable to endure such a sight, fled to the
right and to the left, opening a clear passage for the Hebrews.
Jordan, too, as the ark of the covenant entered its brim, was driven
back, so that its rapid torrent was stayed, yea, fled uphill. Graphic
figures were those of that invincible operation of Divine grace in the
hearts of God’s elect, when the mighty power of God is so put forth
that turbulent rebels are tamed, fierce lusts subdued, proud
imaginations cast down, and self-sufficient wiseacres are brought to
enter the kingdom of Christ as "little children"!
"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan,
that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams,
ye little hills like lambs?" (vv. 5, 6). That is the language of holy
irony, the Spirit of God pouring contempt upon the unbelieving
thoughts of men who foolishly imagine that the Almighty can be
withstood, yea, thwarted by the creatures of His own hands. "What
ailed thee, O thou sea?": the poet apostrophizes it in the terms of
mockery. Wast thou so terribly afraid? Did thy proud strength then
utterly fail thee? Did thy very heart dry up, so that no resistance
wast left in thee?" Such an interrogation also teaches us that it
behooves us to inquire after the reason of things when we behold the
marvels of nature, and not merely gaze upon them as senseless
spectators. We have here also a foreshadowing and sure prophecy of
the utter impotency of the wicked in the last great day: if the granite
cliffs of Sinai were shaken to their base when Jehovah descended
upon it, what consternation and trembling will seize the stoutest
hearts when they stand before their awful Judge! See verse 7.
Psalm 114 is by no means the only place where we find
celebration made of the miracles witnessed at the Red Sea and
Jordan and the other marvels wrought about the same time. The
prophet Habakkuk also links together those two wonders, and in
language which serves to cast further light upon the Lord’s design
therein—teaching us the importance and necessity of carefully
comparing Scripture with Scripture, if we would obtain a full view
of any event or subject, for each passage makes its own distinct
contribution unto the whole. In Joshua we behold the Lord acting
more in His sovereign grace and covenant faithfulness on behalf of
the seed of Abraham, but Habakkuk informs us He was exercising
righteous indignation against His enemies, who had devoted
themselves unto the most horrible idolatry and unspeakable
immorality. It was in holy wrath against both the Egyptians and the
Canaanites that God put forth His mighty power, when the iniquity
of the Amorites" had come to the "full" (Gen. 15:16). The whole of
Habakkuk 3 is exceedingly graphic and solemn, though we must do
no more here than make a bare quotation of portions of it.
The Holy One is vividly pictured as manifesting Himself in
the whole of that district which lay to the south of Judah, including
Sinai, when "His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of
His praise" (v. 3). "He stood and measured the earth" (v. 6) or
"caused the earth to tremble," as the Jewish Targum renders it, and
as appears to be required by the parallelism of the next clause: "He
beheld [merely "looked upon"!], and drave asunder the nations."
That sixth verse may be regarded as the "text" which is illustrated by
God’s control over the forces of nature. "Was the Lord displeased
against the rivers? was Thine anger against the rivers? [when He
made the lower waters of the Jordan to flee away, and the higher
ones to "stand on a heap"]; was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou
didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation?" (v. 8),
when, as an invincible Conqueror, Thou didst carry all before Thee!
"The mountains [of Sinai] saw Thee and trembled: the overflowing
of the water [Joshua 3:15] passed by: the deep uttered his voice and
lifted up his hands on high" (v. 10)—see Joshua 3:16—as though in
token of submission to and adoration of their Maker. "The sun and
moon stood still in their habitation" (v. 11)—see Joshua 10:12, 13.
"Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh
the heathen in anger" (v. 12).
 Returning to Joshua 3. "Behold the ark of the covenant of the
Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan . . . And it
shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that
bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the
waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the
waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a
heap" (vv. 11, 13). "He who is your covenant God with you, has
both the right and power to command, control, use and dispose of all
nations and all creatures. He is ‘the Lord of all the earth’ and
therefore He needs not you, nor can He be benefited by you:
therefore it is your honor and happiness to have Him in covenant
with you; all the creatures are at your service, when He pleases all
shall be employed for you. When we are praising and worshipping
God as Israel’s God, and ours through Christ, we must remember
that He is the Lord of the whole earth, and reverence and trust in
Him accordingly . . . While we make God’s precepts our rule, His
promises our stay, and His providence our guide, we need not dread
the greatest difficulties we may meet with in the way of duty"
(Matthew Henry).
Here we may see yet another reason—beyond those we have
previously pointed out—why the sacred ark was carried so far in
advance of the people (v. 4), namely, that the whole congregation
might have a better and clearer view of the miracle which God was
about to perform for them. The host of Israel standing so far in the
rear would have a much plainer opportunity of witnessing and
adoring the glorious power of their God.
Lessons from the Crossing
Before mentioning some of the different aspects of Truth
which are illustrated in Joshua 3, let us look at the miracle there
recorded. "And it came to pass, when the people removed from their
tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the
covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come
unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped
in the brim of the water, for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the
time of harvest" (vv. 14, 15). First, observe well the time when this
wonder was wrought. It was in the spring of the year, when the river
was in spate. At that season the snows on Mount Lebanon (near
which Jordan had its rise) melted, when there was an annual
inundation of the valley. God selected a month when conditions
were such as to form the most suitable background for an illustrious
display of His power. He did not defer the crossing of the river until
the end of summer, when it had been at its lowest, but chose the
month when it was at its broadest and deepest, that His hand might
be the more plainly seen. 1 Chronicles 12:15, tells us Jordan
continued to "overflow" in the days of David.
Next, we would take note of a little detail here which brings
out the minute accuracy of Scripture and attests its historical verity,
and that in a most artless manner. Joshua 3:15, tells us it was "the
time of harvest." Now the "barley harvest" came first (Ruth 1:22),
and after an interval of a month or so the "wheat harvest" (Ruth
2:21, 23). Now the Jordan was crossed on the tenth day of the fourth
month (Josh. 4:19), or four days before the Passover, which fell in
with the barley harvest. From Exodus 9:31, we learn that the barley
ripened at that season, for the plague of hail was only a day or two
before the Passover. From that verse we learn that the "flax" crop
ripened at the same time, and, since the climate of Palestine differed
little from that of Egypt, this, no doubt, was the case in Canaan too.
Thus, by a comparison of Joshua 3:13, and 4:19, with Exodus 9:31,
we see that Israel crossed the Jordan when both the barley and the
flax were ripe. What a silent but convincing confirmation does that
furnish of the incidental statement that Rahab hid the spies "with the
stalks of flax" (Josh. 2:6)! This is one out of scores of similar
instances adduced by J.J. Blunt in his remarkable book (out of print)
Undesigned Coincidences to manifest the veracity of the Word.
"That the waters which came down from above stood and
rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside
Zaretan, and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, the
salt sea, failed and were cut off; and the people passed over right
against Jericho" (v. 16). First, the waters were cleft asunder so that
those which came down from above—i.e. from the mountains—
were invincibly dammed, so that the down-flowing torrent was
supernaturally stayed. It was as though an enormous but invisible
sluice had suddenly shut off the stream at its source. Second, the
huge volume which had already descended was made to turn
backward and stand on a heap in a congealed mass—which in our
judgment was more remarkable than what occurred at the Red Sea.
That solid wall of water must have appeared like some mammoth
buttress, yet without any apparent support. Third, the waters which
were already in the Jordan valley rapidly drained away into the Dead
Sea, leaving the whole of the river’s bed dry—"as far downward, it
is likely, as it swelled upward" (Matthew Henry). Most vividly did
R. Gosse depict this prodigy.
"At any time the passage of the river by such a multitude,
with their wives and children, their flocks and herds, and all their
baggage, would have presented formidable difficulties; but now the
channel was filled with a deep and impetuous torrent, which
overflowed its banks and spread widely on either side, probably
extending nearly a mile in width; while in the very sight of the scene
were the Canaanitish hosts, who might be expected to pour out from
their fortress and exterminate the invading multitude before they
could reach the shore. Yet these difficulties were nothing to
Almighty power, and only serve to heighten the effect of the
stupendous miracle about to be wrought. No sooner had the feet of
the priests touched the brim of the overflowing river than the
swollen waters receded from them; and not only the broad lower
valley but the deep bed of the stream was presently emptied of
water, and its pebbly bottom became dry. The waters which had
been in the channel speedily ran off, while those which would
naturally have replaced them from above were miraculously
suspended, and accumulated in a glassy heap, far above the city
Adam . . . nearly the whole channel of the Lower Jordan from a little
below the Lake of Tiberias to the Dead Sea was dry."
"And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord
stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites
passed over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean
over Jordan" (v. 17). What a test of the priests’ faith and obedience
was that!—a much more severe one than that required of them in
verse 8. There they were only bidden to step into the brink of the
water, which at most occasioned but a temporary inconvenience,
though since they had to do so before any miracle was wrought, it
called for unquestioning, submission to the Divine will. But here
they were required to remain stationary in the center of the river bed,
which to sight was a most perilous situation—with the great mass of
the higher waters liable to suddenly rush down and engulf them. But
there they patiently abode, for it must have taken many hours for
such a huge multitude to pass over on foot. God’s servants are not
only called upon to set His people an example of implicit confidence
in and full obedience to Him, but to take the lead when dangers
threaten and acquit themselves courageously and perseveringly. The
Lord fully vindicated the priests’ obedience, holding back the
mighty torrent until after they too crossed to the farther side; thereby
denoting that the same power which divided the waters kept them
suspended.
Consider now some of the lessons taught us here.
(1) We are shown the fundamental things which God requires
from His people. First, they must "sanctify themselves" (v. 5), the
essential elements of which are separation from sin and the world,
entire consecration of ourselves unto God. Thereby we evince that
He has won our hearts. Second, they must obediently follow the ark
of the covenant, ordering their actions by it. In the ark was the
Divine Law—the articles of the covenant. They must, in resolve and
earnest endeavor, be regulated by the will of God in all things, doing
whatsoever He commanded them. Third, they must steadily and
thankfully view the propitiatory which formed the lid of the ark.
Here we behold the blessed balance. The ark spoke of the righteous
demands of God upon us, the mercy-seat of His gracious provisions
for us. Humbly confess your sins to God, and thankfully plead the
cleansing blood of Christ. If we conduct ourselves by those three
basic rules all will be well.
(2) What a glorious God do we serve! He is possessed of all-
mighty power and infinite wisdom. All the powers and elements of
nature are subject to Him and make way for His presence. When He
so pleases He can alter all the properties of those elements and
change the course of nature. Nothing is too hard for that One who
has turned liquid floods into solid walls, who has caused the sun to
stand still (yea, to go backward: 2 Kings 20:11), who has made
flinty rocks to pour out fountains of water, ravens to feed Elijah, iron
to swim, fire not to burn. "He turneth rivers into a wilderness and the
water-springs into dry ground. . . . He turneth the wilderness into a
standing water and dry ground into water-springs. And there He
maketh the hungry to dwell" (Ps. 107:32-35). And if such a God be
for us, who can be against us?
(3) Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. The Lord waits to
be gracious. Often He suffers our circumstances to become critical,
yea, desperate, before He appears on our behalf. Here was Israel
ready to enter Canaan, and there was the Jordan "overflowing his
banks"—a season which to carnal reason seemed the most
unfavorable of all. Ah, but it afforded the Lord a most fitting
occasion to display His sufficiency. "Though that opposition made to
the salvation of God’s people have all imaginable advantage, yet
God can and will conquer it. Let the banks of Jordan be filled to the
brim, filled till they rush over it, it is as easy to Omnipotence to
divide them and dry them up, as if they were never so narrow, never
so shallow: it is all one unto the Lord" (Matthew Henry). Then let
not the Christian reader give way to despair because the conditions
in which he finds himself are altogether beyond his power to
overcome. Your troubles may have already reached the high-water
mark, but when they "overflow" and all appears to be lost, then you
may expect the Lord to show Himself strong in your behalf.
(4) We have here an illustration of the grand truth expressed
in Romans 8:28, "For we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God." Alas, there are times when many a
Christian has unbelievingly said with Jacob "all these things are
against me" (Gen. 42:36), and even though some may not have gone
that far, yet few could plead guiltless to having feared that some
things were against them. Did not the flooded valley appear to be
directly against Israel, working for their ill? Yet, in reality, the very
overflowing of the Jordan was among the all things contributing to
their good, for it furnished an occasion for their God to the more
manifestly display His power for them, so that instead of hindering,
that inundation actually promoted their good—strengthening, their
faith in the Lord. How that should reassure the hard-pressed saint
today! The very thing or things which are inclining you to give way
to despair will yet prove a blessing in disguise, and you will have
reason to acknowledge with David "it is good for me that I have
been afflicted" (Ps. 119:71). The dark dispensations of Divine
providence, the tribulations you experience, are for the trying and
development of your graces.
(5) We have here an exemplification of what is stated in
Genesis 1:6-9, where we are told that on the second day "God made
the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the
firmament from the waters which were above the firmament." By
the latter "waters" we understand the reference to be unto something
other than the ordinary moisture suspended in the atmosphere,
namely, to those "floods" of Genesis 7:11, 12. "By the dividing of
the waters from the waters [at the Jordan] and the making of the dry
land [there] to appear, God would remind them of that which Moses
by Divine revelation had instructed them in concerning the work of
creation. That, by what they now saw, their belief of that which they
there read might be assisted, and they might know that the God
whom they worshipped was the same God that made the world and
that it was the same power which was engaged and employed for
them" (Matthew Henry). Thus this miracle of Joshua 3 serves to
illustrate the verity of Genesis 1:6-9.
(6) We also behold a striking but solemn type of Christ
effecting the work of our redemption. The ark adumbrated Him as
the Covenant-head of His people: borne by the priests, signifying
that His work was wrought in His official character. The Divine
appointment that the ark must go so far in advance of the people
(Josh. 3:4) foreshadowed the blessed but awe-inspiring fact that
Christ was alone in performing the work of redemption: "there is
none to help" (Ps. 22:11) was His plaintive cry. Peter declared that
he was ready to accompany his Master unto death, but He answered,
"whither I go, thou canst not follow Me now" (John 13:36). And
why? Because Christ was about to endure the wrath of God and
experience the awful curse of the Law in the stead of His people.
The "Jordan" was not only an emblem of death, but of judgment
—"dan" meaning "judging" (Gen. 30:6). Observe well that in Joshua
in. 15, we are most significantly told that the river fled back to the
place of Adam, to intimate that Christ bore the judgment of all our
sills, even "original sin"—the condemnation which the first man’s
transgression brought upon us, as well as the additional guilt of all
our own iniquities.
(7) How to act when confronted by difficulty or danger.
Though we dwelt upon this at some length in a previous article, yet
because we deem it the most important practical lesson inculcated,
we make further reference to it now. Perplexing problems, baffling
situations, being faced with formidable obstacles are, from time to
time, the experience of each Christian: how then is he to conduct
himself? Without again enlarging upon the necessity of his taking
full stock of the obstacle and of his own inability to remove it, of his
refusing to lean unto his own understanding or resort to any carnal
expediency, of his being regulated only by the Word of God and
walking "in newness of life," we will stress but one feature, the
central one: his looking trustfully, expectantly, and perseveringly
unto the Lord to make a passage for him through his "Jordan." In a
word, to keep the eye of faith steadfastly fixed on the Anti-typical
Ark, to grasp firmly His promise, "When thou passeth through the
waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow thee . . . for I am the Lord thy God: the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior" or "Deliverer" (Isa. 43:2).
(8) For the Christian there is nothing whatever to fear in
death, is another truth writ large across Joshua 3. Yet the fact
remains that, excepting sin, there is nothing so much dreaded by not
a few of God’s children: with them a horror of sin proceeds from a
spiritual principle, of death from their natural constitution. But death
can no more harm a saint than the Jordan did any of the children of
Israel, and that for the very same reasons. Christ has vanquished
death, as in a figure the ark of the covenant vanquished the Jordan. It
was as that sacred vessel entered the brim that its waters fled before
it, and in consequence all who followed it passed through dry shod.
So it was Christ’s going before His people into death which has
rendered it impotent to hurt them, and therefore they exultantly cry,
"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The
sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law, but thanks be
to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1
Cor. 15:55-57), for He endured the Law’s penalty upon our behalf
and extracted the fatal sting from death. For the believer death is the
portal into the heavenly Canaan.
Activity of the Priesthood
Before we turn to consider the contents of Joshua 4 and
contemplate the memorials that God ordered to mark the Jordan
miracle, we should look more definitely at a prominent detail in
chapter three which did not receive due attention in the preceding
articles, and which supplies an important link between the two
chapters, namely, the prominent part played by the priests in bearing
the ark of the covenant, the "ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the
earth," before which the lower waters of the Jordan fled and the
upper water "stood upon a heap." Therein we behold the nation of
Israel in its primary relations to God. In the books, of Exodus,
Leviticus and Numbers we are shown the establishment of God’s
way with them and the declaration of His will and purpose through
Moses, who was both their Divinely appointed commander and
mediator, while Aaron was their great high priest. That relationship
was reaffirmed in the opening verses of Joshua: "As I was with
Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee"
(Josh. 1:4). Besides that assurance to Joshua personally, as the
successor of Moses, there was the necessary continuation of the high
priest and the Levitical priesthood in Israel’s midst.
The priesthood in their service had charge of the ark and the
order of the tabernacle which was erected at Shiloh (Josh. 18:1),
neither of which Joshua nor his armed men were suffered to touch.
Each of those great functionaries held their respective appointments
directly from the Lord, and the two in their combined action—
whether in the sanctuary of God or in the camp of Israel—executed
the will of Jehovah concerning both His majesty and holiness, which
was thus the glory of His people. The priesthood and the tabernacle
were indispensable as their way of approach unto God as
worshippers, while outwardly the relations of God with Israel, by
the ark of the covenant, were manifested in the sight of all their
enemies. That was equally true during the ministration of Aaron in
the wilderness, or the Levites with Joshua when the waters of Jordan
fled, or while marching around the city of Jericho and its walls fell
down flat. Just as Moses and Aaron were inseparable in their varied
ministrations from the exodus of Egypt and onward, so were the
priest and the captain of Israel’s hosts at the door of the tabernacle in
Shiloh when the land was divided among Israel’s tribes (Josh.
18:10).
Not only were those two distinctive orders and services
established by God at the beginning (adumbrated as early as Exodus
4:14, 15!), but when Aaron died on mount Hor, we are told that
"Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his
son," and this he did "as the Lord commanded in the sight of all the
congregation" (Num. 20:27, 28). In like manner, when the death of
Moses drew nigh on mount Abarim (the "mountain" is ever the
symbol of government), he besought the Lord "to set a man over the
congregation" (Num. 27:16), and the Lord bade him, "Take thee
Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine
hand upon him [the figure of identification] and set him before
Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and give him a
charge in their sight" (vv. 18, 19). The connection, and yet the
contrast between them, was intimated thus: "And he shall stand
before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him, at the
judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his [Joshua’s] word shall they
go out and at his word shall they come in; both he and all the
children of Israel with him" (Num. 27:21).
 What has just been pointed out serves to explain the fact that
in the book which bears his name, Joshua (though the commander-
in-chief of Israel) is seen to be subservient unto Eleazar the priest—
four times the two are mentioned together, and in each instance
Eleazar is given the precedence. This order and those Divine
appointments were the basis of the history of Israel under Joshua
and the anointed priesthood, with "the ark of the covenant of the
Lord your God" which they bore along, for that ark (as was pointed
out in an earlier article) was not only the witness of Joshua’s
presence in the midst of His people, but also the symbol of His
relations with them. God ever takes care of His own glory and yet at
the same time promotes the full blessing of His people according to
His eternal purpose. He never allows those two things to be
separated, or to pass from His own immediate control but works
them out together, for He has made their felicity an integral part of
His glory. How fitting then that the ark of the covenant should be in
advance of the twelve tribes as they went forward into their
inheritance and unto the mount (Zion) of God’s holiness.
But let us pause for a moment and point out the practical
bearing of this upon ourselves. It is indeed a most wonderful and
blessed thing that the great God has inseparably connected His own
manifestative glory and the good of His own people, yet it is one
which should have a moving and melting effect upon our hearts, and
cause us to see diligently to it that our lives are duly ordered and
made suitable thereto. Without entering into details, let us
summarize in two brief statements the obligations which that grand
truth devolve upon us. First, we should ever be on our guard against
separating our present communion with God from the revealed
pathway of His glory. Communion with God can only be had and
maintained while we tread "the way of holiness" (Isa. 35:10), for we
cannot glorify Him unless we walk in obedience to Him. Second,
Christ Himself must be the Object of our eye (Heb. 12:2) and heart
(Song 8:6): upon Him our affections are to be set (Col. 3:1, 2), to
Him we are to live (Phil. 1:21), for it is in Him the glory of God and
the present and eternal blessedness of His people meet.
 In Psalm 78:61, the ark is designated "His glory," and when
(in token of His displeasure with Israel and of the severance of their
communion with Him) God suffered the ark to be captured by the
Philistines, the daughter-in-law of the high priest cried, "The glory is
departed from Israel" (1 Sam. 4:22). But here in Joshua 3 that
"glory" advanced at the head of Israel and opened a way for them
into Canaan. But every eye was to be upon "the ark of the covenant
of the Lord your God," who went before them to find a "resting
place" worthy of Himself, in which to keep His appointed service
and share His delights with His people. Accordingly we find, in the
heyday of Israel’s prosperity, that Solomon prayed at the dedication
of the temple on Mount Zion, "Now therefore arise, O Lord God,
into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength: let Thy
priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints
rejoice in Thy goodness" (2 Chron. 6:41, 42) — which will receive
its final and complete fulfillment when the prayer of Christ in John
17:24, receives its answer.
Now it was "the priests, the Levites" who were appointed to
bear the ark, which, when Israel saw in motion, was their signal for
advance—"then ye shall remove from your place and go after it"
(Josh. 3:3). As the congregation did so, the first thing which they
beheld was the manner in which God gets glory to Himself, namely,
by driving back that which intercepted their way, putting forth His
mighty power on their behalf as "the Lord your God." That which
we are particularly concerned with now is the fact that it was when
"the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of
the water . . . that the waters which came down from above stood
and rose up upon a heap very far from the city of Adam, that is
beside Zaretan; and those that came down toward the sea of the
plain, the salt sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people passed
over right against Jericho" (Josh. 3:15, 16). Thereby the priesthood
are given a distinguished position on this occasion, and are placed in
the forefront in this book because of their consecration and
appointment to the service of the sanctuary. Yet their prominence did
not derogate from the honor of Joshua as the leader of the people,
for he is the one who gave direction unto the priests (Josh. 3:6)!
 That is very remarkable, and should be duly pondered. When
the Lord said unto Joshua, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in
the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was, with Moses,
so I will be with thee," the very next thing was, "And thou shalt
command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant" (Josh. 3:8).
Even when Eleazar, the high priest, comes more distinctively into
the forefront in connection with the assigning of the inheritance of
the tribes, he does not interfere with the place which God had given
Joshua. One of the principal values of these inspired records is the
conjoint action of Eleazar and Joshua when they could act together.
The same feature of the honorable and prominent place accorded the
priesthood, and yet Joshua’s authority over them, is seen again in
chapter six, in connection with the taking of Jericho, for not only did
the ark of the covenant go before all the men of war, but that in turn
was preceded by "seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’
horns," before whose blast the walls fell down; yet it was Joshua
who issued orders to these priests (Josh. 6:6).
We have dwelt the longer upon this prominent feature of the
book of Joshua (about which we shall have more to say, D.V., as we
pass on to the later chapters) not only because it has been largely
ignored by those who have written thereon, but also and chiefly,
because of the deep importance of the same when considered, first,
in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ; and, second, in connection
with His people. It has indeed been widely recognized that Joshua is
one of the outstanding characters of the Old Testament, who
foreshadowed our Savior, and if we are spared to complete this
series we hope to show that he did so in no less than fifty details.
But it has been perceived by very few indeed that Eleazar was
equally a type of Christ, and that the two must be viewed in
conjunction in order to behold the completeness of their joint
adumbrations. That should be apparent at once from their immediate
predecessors, for we need to join together Moses and Aaron in order
to obtain the Divinely designed prefiguration of the One who was
both "The Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus"
(Heb. 3:1). Thus it was also with Joshua and Eleazar.
 That the history of the children of Israel was a typical one
and that it adumbrated the experiences, the provisions made for, and
the salvation of the whole election of grace, is too plain for any
anointed eye to miss. Their oppression by Pharaoh and their
groaning amid the brick kilns of Egypt present an unmistakable
picture of our servitude to Satan and bondage under sin, our
condition by nature as the consequence of our fall in Adam. Their
utter inability to free themselves from the cruel yoke of the
Egyptians forcibly portrayed our own native impotency to better our
condition. The sovereign grace of God in raising up a deliverer in
the person of Moses, was a prophecy in action of the future coming
forth of the Divine Deliverer to emancipate His people. The
provision of the lamb and the efficacy of its blood to provide shelter
from the angel of death on the night of the Passover, yet more
clearly revealed what is now fully proclaimed by the Gospel. While
the overthrow of Pharaoh and his hosts at the Red Sea and Israel’s
sight of the "Egyptians dead upon the seashore" (Ex. 14:30) told of
the completeness of our redemption and the putting away of our sins
from before the face of God.
The subsequent history of Israel in the wilderness, their
testings and trials there, their failures and successes, the gracious
and full provision which the Lord made for them, have rightly been
contemplated as shadowing forth the varied experiences of the saints
as they journey unto their eternal Inheritance. But the typical value
of the second half of Exodus and much of the book of Leviticus has
been far less generally discerned. The delivering of His people from
their enemies was but a means to a far grander end, namely, that
they should be brought into a place of favor and nearness unto God;
and Exodus 25-40 and most of Leviticus make known the provisions
which God has made for the maintenance of their communion with
Him, and this in such a way that the requirements of His ineffable
holiness were duly maintained and the obligations of their moral
agency and their duties as a redeemed people should be fitly
discharged. Their relations with Jehovah were maintained on the one
hand, through the Divinely appointed priesthood; and on the other,
by their obedience to the Divine commandments. Only thereby
could they draw nigh unto the Holy One as acceptable worshippers,
and only thereby could they receive from Him the necessary
instructions for their guidance.
The typical significance of the book of Joshua, while
maintaining and enforcing the truth made known in the foregoing
books, supplements and complements the earlier history. Here it is
Israel, under God, possessing their possessions, brought into that
rest which had been promised their fathers. In regard to this, we
prefer to speak in the language of one whom we consider was better
qualified to treat upon this subject. "The earthly Canaan was neither
designed by God, nor from the first was it understood by His people
to be, the ultimate and proper inheritance which they were to
occupy; things having been spoken and hoped for concerning it
which plainly could not be realized within the bounds of Canaan.
The inheritance was one which could be enjoyed only by those who
had become the children of the resurrection, themselves fully
redeemed in soul and body from all the effects and consequences of
sin—made more glorious and blessed, indeed, than if they had never
sinned, because constituted after the image of the heavenly Adam.
And as the inheritance must correspond with the inheritor, it can
only be man’s original possession restored—the earth redeemed
from the curse which sin brought on it, and, like man himself, be the
fit abode of a Church made like, in all its members, to the Son of
God.
"The occupation of the earthly Canaan by the natural seed of
Abraham was a type, and no more than a type, of this occupation by
a redeemed Church of her destined inheritance of glory; and
consequently everything concerning the entrance of the former on
their temporary possession was ordered so as to represent and
foreshadow the things which belong to the Church’s establishment
in her permanent possession. Hence, between the giving of the
promise, which, though it did not terminate in the land of Canaan,
yet included that, and through it prospectively exhibited the better
inheritance, a series of important events intervened, which are
capable of being fully and properly examined in no other way than
by means of their typical bearing of the things hereafter to be
disclosed respecting that better inheritance.
"If we ask, why did the heirs of promise wander about so
long as pilgrims, and withdraw to a foreign region before they were
allowed to possess the land, and not rather, like a modern colony,
quietly spread, without strife or bloodshed, over its surface, till the
whole was possessed? Or, why were they suffered to fall under the
dominion of a foreign power from whose cruel oppression they
needed to be redeemed, with terrible executions of judgment on the
oppressor, before the possession could be theirs? Or why, before that
event, also, should they have been put under the discipline of law,
having the covenant of Sinai. with its strict requirements and
manifold obligations of service, superadded to the covenant of grace
and promise? Or why, again, should their right to the inheritance
itself have to be vindicated from a race of occupants who had been
allowed for a time to keep possession of it, and whose multiplied
abominations had so polluted it that nothing short of their
extermination could render it a fitting abode for the heirs of
promise? The full and satisfactory answer to all such questions can
only be given by viewing the whole in connection with the better
things of a higher dispensation—as the first part of a plan which was
to have its counterpart and issue in the glories of a redeemed
creation, and for the final results of which the Church needed to be
prepared, by standing in similar relations and passing through like
experiences in regard to an earthly inheritance.
"The whole series of transactions which took place between
the confirmation of the covenant of promise with Jacob, and the
actual possession of the land promised, and especially of course the
things which concerned that greatest of all the transactions, the
revelation of the Law from Sinai is to be regarded as a delineation in
the type, of the way and manner in which the heirs of God are to
obtain the inheritance of the purchased possession. Meanwhile, there
are two important lessons which the Church may clearly gather and
which she ought never to lose sight of: First, that the inheritance,
come when and how it may, is the free gift of God, bestowed by
Him as sovereign Lord and Proprietor on those whom He calls to the
fellowship of His grace. Second, that the hope of the inheritance
must exist as an animating principle in their hearts, influencing all
their procedure. Their spirit and character must be such as become
those who are the expectants as well as heirs of that better country,
which is an heavenly; nor can Christ ever be truly formed in the
heart, until He be formed as ‘the hope of glory’" (P. Fairbairn,
Volume 1 of his The Typology of Scripture, 1865).
 Joshua 4:1-24
The two Memorials
Typical Application
That which is recorded in the book of Joshua fully maintains
the Truth presented in the Pentateuch, yet its typical teaching carries
us considerably beyond what is there set forth. This is to be
expected, especially when we bear in mind (as we must do
continually while pondering its contents) that it was the new
generation of Israel which is here in view. The lesson taught at the
supernatural crossing of the Jordan conducts us farther in the
unfolding of the Gospel than what was signified at the Red Sea.
There, it was the might of God put forth on behalf of His covenant
people in the total destruction of that antagonistic power which had
held them captive so long and had refused to let them go. Here, it
was His vanquishing of that obstacle which barred the way into their
inheritance. When Satan’s captives are freed at the miracle of
regeneration, he does not henceforth ignore them and leave them in
peace: though he cannot prevent their entrance into the "purchased
possession," yet he is ever assailing them in one form or other as he
seeks to keep them from a present enjoyment of the same. What is
required from us in order to thwart those designs of our Enemy, we
are seeking to show in the course of this series of articles.
But it was the Divine side of things, the provisions God
made for Israel’s entrance into and occupation of the land of Canaan
with which we were more concerned in our last. Those provisions
were, first, the appointing and qualifying of Joshua to be the leader
of Israel, the typical captain of their salvation." Second, the ark of
the covenant, which (we repeat) was both the witness of Jehovah’s
presence in Israel’s midst and the symbol of His relations to them.
And third, the priesthood, culminating in their service in "the
tabernacle which was pitched in Shiloh." Thus, as we hope to yet
show, not only are we required to turn unto the epistles of Paul to the
Romans, the Ephesians and the Colossians, in order to find the
antitypical truths of what was spiritually adumbrated of us by Israel
in the book of Joshua, but also to his epistle to the Hebrews. We
know of only one other writer who has called attention to that fact,
in an article written before we were born, and which appeared in a
magazine (The Bible Treasury) under the title of "The Book of
Joshua and the Epistle to the Hebrews," unto which we gladly
acknowledge our indebtedness and of which we made flee use.
We are now to take notice of the Divine command which
Joshua received, to take twelve stones from the bed of the Jordan,
"out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm" (Josh. 4:3),
which were made a "memorial" unto future generations, and in
addition, the setting up of "twelve stones in the midst of Jordan"
(Josh. 5:9). At the Red Sea Israel neither left twelve stones in its
bed, nor took twelve with them unto the other side. Instead, Pharaoh
and his chosen captains, his chariots and his host, God drowned
therein, so that Israel sang "The depths have covered them: they
sank into the bottom as a stone" (Ex. 15:4, 5). "But the children of
Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters
were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the
Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians" (Ex.
14:29, 30), and put the song of redemption into their mouths, saying,
"The Lord hath triumphed gloriously" (Ex. 15:1, 13). At the Red Sea
Jehovah showed Himself strong on the behalf of that people who
had previously found shelter under "the blood of the lamb," and
whom He now brought nigh unto Himself—"unto Thy holy
habitation" (Ex. 15:13, 17).
But at the Jordan a further and grander lesson was taught
Israel, something which went beyond the truth of redemption by
blood and by power, even that of resurrection. Fundamental and
blessed as is the truth taught us by the cross of Christ, there is
something further which is even more vital and glorious, and that is
our Lord’s victory over the grave. When the apostle throws out that
irrefutable challenge, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s
elect?" his triumphant answer is, "It is God that justifieth, who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again" (Rom. 8:33, 34). It is abundantly clear in 1 Corinthians 15
(see especially verses 3 and 4, 14, 17) that the resurrection of Christ
is not only an integral part of the Gospel but its distinctive and
outstanding feature; and those evangelists who go no farther than the
cross are preaching only half of the Gospel. But more, the saints
themselves are greatly the losers if their faith and spiritual
apprehensions stop short at the atoning death of Christ, for
unspeakably precious as it is to recognize our death unto sin in the
death of the Surety, still more blessed is it to perceive our federal
union with Him and our title to the inheritance in His triumph over
death.
At the Jordan the redeemed of God were shown their own
passage through death and resurrection by the figure of the twelve
stones placed in the Jordan and the twelve stones taken out of it. It
was at this point that Israel entered upon a new stage in their history,
yet perpetuating all the essential features which had previously
marked them as the peculiar people of the Lord—as will be seen
when we examine (D.V.) into the new circumcising at Gilgal, the
celebration of the Passover, and the appearing of the Captain of the
Lord’s host with drawn sword (chapter 5). Nevertheless, as said
above, that which characterized the crossing of the Jordan is in sharp
contrast with what took place at the Red Sea. There, instead of the
priests bearing the ark of the covenant being seen, it was Israel’s
enemies which lay there, consumed as stubble by the wrath of the
Lord. On the other hand, no Canaanites were in Jordan, not a single
foe was overthrown there; yet it was sanctified to the Lord and to
Israel by the priests and the ark of the covenant for glory and victory
as truly as were the waters of the Red Sea when they returned and
engulfed the host of Pharaoh in terrible judgment—that glory and
victory quickly appears in the sequel.
As previously pointed out, the river Jordan was not only the
emblem of death, but of judgment also, as the word itself signifies
—"jor," literally, "spread," and "dan" which means "judging" (Gen.
30:6). The use made of this river in New Testament times supplies
clear confirmation, for the Jordan was where the Lord’s forerunner
exercised his ministry, of whom it was foretold "prepare ye the way
of the Lord." And how did he do so? By preparing a people to
receive Him. In what manner? By preaching "Repent ye," i.e., judge
yourselves; and those who did so were (most appropriately) baptized
of him in the Jordan confessing their sins" (Matthew 3:8); and by
that "baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4)
they acknowledged that death was their due, and therefore were they
(symbolically) placed in a watery grave. There too, the Lord Jesus as
the Surety and Sin-bearer of His people identified Himself with
them by being placed beneath its waters, thereby pledging Himself
unto that "baptism" of death (Luke 12:50) wherein He met the needs
of all who truly repent or adjudge themselves worthy of death, when
all "the waves and billows" of God’s wrath (Ps. 42:6) passed over
Him.
The good Shepherd entered the river of judgment on behalf
of His sheep, making for them a new covenant by His atoning death,
delivering thereby from judgment all who follow Him: "this is My
blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission
of sins" (Matthew 26:28) He declared only a few hours before the
crucifixion, when He instituted the memorial of His death. That was
typified by the entrance into Jordan of the ark of the covenant
"borne by the priests" and at once the flow of its waters was stayed,
so that the people who followed it passed over dry-shod, though the
ark itself did not come out of the Jordan until it had secured a
passage for all the people (Josh. 3:17). Profoundly suggestive and
significant are those words For the priests which bare the ark stood
in the midst of Jordan until every thing was finished that the Lord
commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that
Moses commanded Joshua (Josh. 4:10). How that reminds us of
"Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst . . . when Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar He said, It is finished, and He bowed His
head and gave up the spirit" (John 19:28, 30). All that the justice of
God demanded, all that the Law required (" Moses commanded")
had been rendered by the antitypical Joshua.
"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed
over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take ye twelve
men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye
them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the
place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall
carry them over with you, and leave them there in the lodging place
where ye shall lodge this night" (Josh. 4:1-3), i.e., in Gilgal (v. 19).
That those stones were large ones is evident from the fact that they
were to be carried upon the "shoulder." The men who carried them
had been selected beforehand (Josh. 3:13), ready for this task, that
there might be no delay in connection with what lay immediately
before the nation—the encamping of that vast multitude for the
night in a suitable place, namely, at one which was afterwards called
Gilgal, and which some inform us was about mid-way between the
river Jordan and the city of Jericho. In the light of Joshua 4:4, "then
Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children
of Israel," we personally regard that as a foreshadowing of the
antitypical Joshua, who at an early stage of His ministry "called unto
Him the twelve" (Mark 6:7).
"And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the
Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man
of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the
tribes of Israel: That they may be a sign among you, that when your
children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by
these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan
were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord: when it
passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off; and these
stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever"
(vv. 5-7). The two words we have italicized call attention to the
double design which those stones were intended to serve, which will
be more intelligible to the reader when he bears in mind that those
twelve stones "did Joshua pitch in Gilgal" (v. 20). They were not left
flat on the ground but orderly formed into a cairn or monument. The
Hebrew word for "pitch" there, Young’s Concordance defines as "To
cause to stand, raise." Twenty times this verb is rendered "set up" in
the Authorized Version. It is the same word which is used in
connection with the erection of the Tabernacle when it was complete
(Ex. 40:2, etc.). Thus, those large stones were arranged in such a
manner, possibly placed one on top of another monolith-like, so as
to attract the attention and invoke the inquiry of those who should
afterwards behold them.
That monument of stones was designed first as a "sign" unto
Israel. It was a message for their hearts via their eyes rather than
ears. It was an enduring sermon in stone. It spoke of the goodness
and power of God exercised on their behalf at the Jordan. That word
"sign" is a very full one—our Lord’s miracles are termed "signs"
(John 20:30; Acts 2:22). The two wonders which Moses was
empowered to work before his brethren were called "signs" (Ex. 4:1-
9), they authenticated him as their Divinely-appointed leader and
signified that the power of the Almighty was with him. In
Deuteronomy 11:18, and Judges 6:17, "sign" has the force of token
or representation—of Israel’s being regulated by God’s Word, and of
the Lord’s granting success to the commission He had committed to
Gideon. In other passages a "sign" was a portent or pledge of
something concerning the future—1 Samuel 10:1-9; 2 Kings 19:29.
In each of those senses may "sign" be understood in Joshua 4:6. That
cairn of stones was to signify that Israel had not crossed the Jordan
by their own ability, but because of the miracle-working power of
God. It was a representation unto them that they had passed through
the river’s bed dry-shod. More especially, it was an earnest and
pledge of what God would yet do for them.
Second, that monument was designed as a "memorial" that
Israel had passed through the river of death, that they were now
(typically) on resurrection ground, that judgment lay behind them.
Israel upon the Canaan side of Jordan adumbrated that blessed truth
expressed by our Redeemer in John 5:24, where He so definitely
assures His people that each soul who hears His word and believes
on the One who sent Him "hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." The reason
why he shall not "come into condemnation" is because in the person
of his Surety he has already been condemned and suffered the full
judgment of God upon all his sins, and therefore, judicially, as
federally united to Christ, he "is passed from death [that death which
is the wages of sin] unto life"—that "life" which is the award of the
Law, as it was "magnified" by the Savior and "made honorable" (Isa.
42:21). As the ark of the covenant entered the river of death and
judgment the flow of its waters was stopped until the ark had
secured a safe passage for all who followed it; so Christ endured the
unsparing wrath of God that by His atoning death those who were
legally one with Him, and who are made voluntary followers of
Him, shall be delivered from all future judgment.
In addition to the monument erected on the Canaan side of
the river we are told that "Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of
Jordan, in the place where the priests which bare the ark of the
covenant stood; and they are there unto this day" (Josh. 4:9). Thus
there was a double monument to perpetually commemorate Israel’s
passing through the place of judgment: the one in the midst of the
Jordan, the other in their new camping-ground at Gilgal. What
anointed eye can fail to see in them the two signs and memorials
which Christ has instituted to symbolize that, as the result of their
faith in His atoning death, His people have not only passed through
death and judgment, but are now united to a risen Christ and are
"alive unto God"! The meaning of the two ordinances appointed by
Christ dearly confirms this, for each of them speaks of both death
and resurrection. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we were
buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4, 5; and cf. Colossians 2:12).
Christian baptism is designed to symbolize the believer’s union with
Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, as well as being his
personal profession that he is dead to the world and has resolved to
walk in newness of life.
The Lord’s Supper also, while it celebrates our passage with
Christ through death, yet it is with the added blessedness and
triumph of being now on the resurrection side of judgment. Just as
the twelve stones which had been in Jordan were formed into a
single cairn in the camp at Gilgal—type of "the Israel of God" (Gal.
6:16) in its entirety, made into "one body"—was a testimony that the
twelve tribes had passed through the unfordable river; so the Lord’s
supper, partaken of by those who were once lost sinners under
condemnation, is a testimony that they have passed over, and being
on resurrection ground can look forward not to judgment but to the
consummation of their hope and bliss. This is clear from 1
Corinthians 11:26, "For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this
cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come." The Lord’s supper
not only looks back to the cross but forward to Christ’s return in
glory, and therefore is it designated a "feast" (1 Cor. 5:8) and not a
fast, and instead of "bitter herbs" (Ex. 12:8) being eaten, the "wine"
of gladness is drunk.
Practical Application
The very fact that God saw fit to devote two whole chapters
of His Word unto a description of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan is
more than a hint that the narration of that memorable incident
embodies teaching of much importance and value for His people in
succeeding generations. Christians are greatly the losers if they
concentrate their attention chiefly upon the New Testament and
regard the Old Testament as containing little of vital moment for
their souls. If on the one hand the New Testament often illuminates
and explains the Old, yet on the other hand there is not a little in the
New Testament which cannot be properly understood apart from the
Old. In the last two or three articles we sought to indicate the typical
and spiritual significance of Israel’s passage through the river of
death and judgment; on this occasion we propose to point out some
of the practical lessons to be learned from the things there recorded.
We shall not give a complete exposition of chapter 4: but single out
various details for comment, and intimate the many useful truths
inculcated by the memorial erected in Gilgal.
"For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of
Jordan, until everything was finished that the Lord commanded
Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses
commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over" (v. 10).
There are three things here which are worthy of our observation and
admiration. First, the implicit obedience and patient fortitude of the
priests. They were the ones who occupied the place both of honor
and of danger. They were the ones who bore the ark, before whose
presence the waters had "rose up like a heap," held by an invisible
Hand. Advancing to "the midst of Jordan," they remained stationary
for many hours, until all the vast host of Israel had crossed to the far
shore. It was a severe test both of their courage and patience.
Therein an example is left the ministers of the Gospel to continue
steadfast in their duty, to be a model unto their people of
uncompromising fidelity, of undaunted courage, of patient
endurance. Second, we see again how that Joshua closely followed
the orders he had received from Moses, doing nothing without a
Divine command; while the priests, in turn, were required to be
regulated by Joshua’s orders—the ministers of the Gospel are to be
governed solely by Christ.
Third, the deportment of "the people" on this occasion
exemplified that which should ever characterize the rank and file of
the saints in connection with those who minister unto them in
spiritual things. We are told that they "hasted and passed over." That
denoted their thoughtful consideration of the priests, so that they
would not be put to unnecessary delay and strain through their
dilatoriness—the slower their movement, the longer the priests
would have to stand bearing the ark! The practical lesson is that
God’s people should do everything in their power to make the
spiritual lot of God’s servants easier. That can be done by promptly
responding to their instructions, by supporting them through earnest
prayer, and by being thoughtful of their comfort. That is something
which particularly needs to be laid to heart in this day of selfishness
and lack of concern for the comfort of others. It is both solemn and
blessed to note how God took note of this detail, that the Holy Spirit
has specifically recorded this thoughtful "haste" of the people. The
Lord not only marks what we do, but how we do it: as in "his
princes gave willingly" (2 Chron. 35:8), "their nobles put their necks
to the work of the Lord . . . Zabbi earnestly repaired the other piece"
(Neh. 3:5, 20).
 "And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, and
half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of
Israel, as Moses spake unto them: About forty thousand prepared for
war passed over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho"
(vv. 12, 13). Here is a case in point how that one part of Scripture is
dependent upon another for its explanation and interpretation. We
have to go back to Numbers to discover why these particular ones
constituted the fighting force of the nation. Those two and a half
tribes, who were rich in cattle, desired to have for their portion the
fertile lands of Jazer and Gilead, rather than any part of Canaan (vv.
1-5). When Moses demurred, they agreed to build sheepfolds for
their cattle and fenced cities for their little ones, and then they would
go armed before the children of Israel until the remaining tribes had
secured their inheritance (vv. 16, 17). Moses agreed to their
proposal, and they ratified that arrangement; and Moses then gave
command to Eleazar and Joshua to see that their promise was made
good. Here in Joshua 4 we are shown the fulfillment of the same.
Those two and a half tribes were the only ones unencumbered with
their families and flocks, and thus we see how suited they were to be
the fighting force, and how graciously God made all things work
together for good unto His people.
"On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all
Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his
life" (v. 14). Therein we may see how the Lord made good unto
Joshua the word He gave him in Joshua 3:7. "Faithful is He that
calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24). That detail has been
placed upon imperishable record for the encouragement of every
servant of the Lord. Ministers of the Gospel may prosecute their
labors with absolute confidence in the promises of their Master: not
one of them shall fail. He has said of His Word, "it shall not return
unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:11); then he need not
entertain the slightest doubt about the same. He has declared "all
that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me," that they "shall believe
on Me through their [His ministers’] word" (John 6:37; 17:20); then
neither the perversity of the opposition of Satan can prevent it. He
has promised human nature nor His servants, "Lo, I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20), then let
them conduct themselves accordingly. Let them also learn from
Joshua 4:14, and its context that the surest way. for them to gain the
respect and observation of their people is to be diligent in personally
honoring and obeying God, and caring for their welfare.
"And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the
priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of
Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye
up out of Jordan" (vv. 15-17). That is indeed striking: the priests did
not take a step until they were Divinely authorized. There they stood
hour after hour, and there they still remained after the vast concourse
had passed through and reached the other side in safety! Patiently
they waited until leave was given them to move. They did not act on
their own impulse or initiative, but meekly waited God’s time. "The
priests did not quit their station till Joshua, who had commanded
them hitherto, ordered them from thence: nor did he thus order them
till the Lord commanded him: so obedient were all parties to the
Word of God, and so entirely confident of His protection" (Matthew
Henry). It is ours to render unquestioning obedience to God, and
leave the consequences with Him; nor need we have the least fear or
hesitation in so doing—we shall not be the losers, but the gainers.
"Them that honor Me, I will honor" (1 Sam. 2:30) is more certain
than that night shall follow day, as the writer has often proved.
"And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the
covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, and
the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the
waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his
banks, as they did before" (v. 18). No sooner did the priests with the
ark step upon the shore of Canaan than the Jordan resumed its
normal flow, or rather its abnormal condition, for it was then in
flood. That at once accentuated the miracle which had just been
wrought, making it the more apparent that the stopping of its flow
was not from any abnormal natural cause, but that it was the will of
their Creator which had temporarily suspended the laws of nature,
for the display of His glory and the fulfillment of His promise unto
His people. As Israel beheld the upper waters which had been
invisibly dammed and the lower ones that had stood up in a heap
now suddenly acting as formerly, how apparent it would be unto
them that it was the presence and power of their covenant God
which had wrought so gloriously for them!
Bearing in mind the meaning of "Jordan," the spiritual
application of verse 18 is apparent. It was the presence in its midst
of the priests who bore the ark which stayed its course: and it is the
godly example and faithful ministry of God’s servants which, under
the Divine blessing to His people, and through their moral influence
upon others, which hold back His judgments upon the world. They
are the salt of the earth, which prevents the carcass of the
unregenerate mass turning into complete putrefaction. But that "salt"
has steadily diminished during the last two centuries. As the
population of the world has increased, the proportion of the
righteous—despite a widespread "profession"—has decreased, and
therefore sin has abounded more and more; and so too have the
judgments of God. As the entrance of righteous Noah and his family
into the ark was the signal for the flood to commence, as the
removal of just Lot from Sodom was at once followed lay the fire
and brimstone from heaven, so the removal of God’s eminent
servants and saints from the earth (the places of few being filled) has
been followed by the Divine judgments which we have witnessed
and are still witnessing. Dispensationally, Joshua 4:18,
foreshadowed the awful fact that when the Day of grace is
concluded, the world will be completely inundated by the storm of
God’s wrath.
"And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of
the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of
Jericho" (v. 19). There is nothing meaningless or valueless in the
Scriptures. and we are the losers if we ignore or pass hurriedly over
its time marks. The carnal critic would say, what interest is it unto
me which particular day of the month this event occurred; but
different far should be the spirit of the believer. But how is he to
ascertain the significance of this detail? By looking up the marginal
references, and if they do not furnish what he needs, by consulting
his concordance, where he will find that the first reference to "the
tenth day" of the first month (Ex. 12:2, 3) supplies the key. It was
the day when the paschal lamb was selected !—to be slain on the
fourteenth (Ex. 12:6, and see Joshua 5:10). How wonderfully God
times everything for His people! "He so ordered things here that
Israel entered Canaan four days before the annual solemnity of the
Passover, and on the very day when the preparation for it was begun,
for He would have them enter into Canaan graced and sanctified
with that religious feast, and would have them to be reminded of
their deliverance from Egypt that, combining the two together, God
might be glorified as the Alpha and Omega of their blessing"
(Matthew Henry).
"And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did
Joshua pitch [i.e. "erect"] in Gilgal" (v. 20). Probably those large
stones were placed on some eminence where there was none other,
for they were to be "a monument unto the children of Israel forever"
(v. 7). Some surmise, and we think with considerable probability;
that when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to John’s baptism and
he said unto them "Think not to say within yourselves we have
Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matthew 3:9) he pointed
to the very cairn erected by Joshua. Confirmation of this appears to
be furnished by John 1:28, which informs us that he baptized in
"Bethabara beyond Jordan," for "Bethabara" means "the house of
passage." i.e., the place where Israel passed over the river.
"And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your
children shall ask their fathers, in time to come, saying, What
meaneth these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying,
Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God
dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed
over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up
from before us, until we were gone over" (vv. 21-23). Normal
children have inquiring minds and ought not to be snubbed or even
discouraged when they ask their parents questions. Rather should
parents seek to improve their curiosity as an opening for instruction,
directing the same into profitable channels. The very inquisitiveness
of little ones affords their elders an opportunity to make known unto
them the wonderful works of God, that their minds may be informed
and their hearts awed by His perfections. But note well, it is the
father (the "head" of the home) upon whom the main responsibility
devolves, to see to it that his children are taught by him the things of
God (Eph. 6:4). Let him not pass on this task to his wife, still less to
"Sunday-school teachers."
"That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the
Lord that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for
ever" (v. 24). God’s miraculous deliverances of His own people have
a message for all the world, and when He is pleased to sanctify the
same unto the unregenerate, they are deeply impressed thereby
(Dan. 3:29; 6:25-27). The effects produced by the Jordan miracle are
recorded in verse 1, which properly ends chapter iv: "Anal it came to
pass, when all the kings of the Amorites which were on the side of
Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites which were by
the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from
before the children of Israel until we were passed over, that their
heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of
the children of Israel." The Canaanites were completely dispirited
and cowed, realizing their utter incompetence to successfully oppose
a people who had the Almighty for their Friend and Benefactor. But
we must now seek to formulate the various lessons which we should
learn from the memorial erected at Gilgal to mark the miraculous
passage of the Jordan.
First, the wonderful works of God are worthy of treasuring in
our memories, and He requires that pains be taken by us to see that
they are so. It should be carefully noted that Joshua, even in the
midst of a most exacting business, was not permitted to neglect the
promotion of the Lord’s honor. While superintending the passage
through the river’s bed of that vast concourse of people, with all
their baggage (tents, etc.) and cattle, God bade him see to it that he
took a man from each tribe and bid them select the twelve stones
which were to be carried to Gilgal (Josh. 4:2, 3). Nor did he demur
or ask for a more convenient season.
Second, God’s ordering of this memorial is a solemn
reminder of how prone our hearts are to forget His past
interpositions on our behalf. Of Israel we are told they "forgat His
works and His wonders that He showed them "; and again, that "they
soon forgat His works" (Ps. 78:11; 106: 13). Alas, is not the same
true of us? Even of the apostles Christ asked, "Do ye not yet
understand, neither remember the five loaves ye took up?" (Matthew
16:9).
Third, because of our proneness to forget, suitable means are
to be used in assisting us. We are to make conscience of the fact that
God has bidden us to "remember all the way which the Lord thy
God led thee" (Deut. 8:2), and that precept should be turned into
earnest prayer that we may not be negligent therein. We should
frequently call to mind our previous experiences of God’s
faithfulness and tender care of us. This will strengthen the spirit of
thanksgiving and cause us to praise God anew. It will deepen our
confidence in Him to count upon Him in present emergencies and
trust Him for future deliverances. The more we do so, the less shall
we fear the experience of death, assured that God will undertake for
us as we are called upon to pass through the valley of the shadows,
as certainly as He conducted Israel safely through the Jordan (see 2
Corinthians 1:10)!
Fourth, not only God’s past deliverances of us are to be
treasured up in our memories, but also His mercies unto His people
in times gone by. Faith is to look back to what the arm of the Lord
hath done "in the ancient days, in the generations of old," and say,
"Art not Thou He which hath dried the sea . . . that made the depths
of the sea, a way for the ransomed to pass over." And what will be
the consequence of such exercise of believing memories? This:
"Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with
singing unto Zion" (Isa. 51:9-11). Why has God recorded the
deliverance of Noah from the flood and of Lot from Sodom but to
assure us that "the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of
temptation" (2 Pet. 2:5-9). Not only is "what was written aforetime
written for our learning and comfort" (Rom. 15:4), but what God did
aforetime is to teach us what He can and will now do for His own. "I
remembered Thy judgments of old, O Lord, and have comforted
myself" (Ps. 119:52).
Fifth, the monument erected at Gilgal teaches us that we
should take thought of and seek to make provision for the rising
generation. That cairn of stones was erected with the express desire
of evoking inquiry from those who should later behold it. God
would have the wonders of His power and mercy preserved for
posterity. There was to be a permanent witness of what God had
wrought for His people; that no impotency or weakness of theirs
prevented them reaching the shores of Canaan. It was meant as a
sure pledge that God would continue to show Himself strong in
Israel’s behalf and would overthrow those then in occupation of the
land. Thus, we rejoice when readers of this magazine purchase the
bound volumes with this design before them. At least one is now
thankfully reading those volumes which his mother (now in heaven)
purchased from us twenty years ago, when he was unconverted. We
cherish the hope that the bound volumes will be read by many long
after we are called Home.
Sixth, in the nature or character of the two monuments which
Joshua was instructed to set up, we see how different are the
thoughts and ways of the Lord from those of men. No costly shrine,
with useless ornamentations and affected splendor, was to mark the
event, but only that which, though impressive, was simple and plain.
"Never did triumphant column or arch, with all the magnificence of
architecture, form so proper a monument of some celebrated victory
as the twelve rude stones from Jordan’s channel recorded the
miraculous passage of Israel into Canaan under the conduct of the
ark of the Lord." Equally true is this of the two signs and memorials
which God has appointed for this dispensation. When divested of all
priestly and parsonic trappings, how plain and simple, yet how
significant and impressive, are the ordinances of baptism and the
Lord’s supper. The same principle was exemplified by Christ in the
choice of His ambassadors—for the most part unlettered fishermen.
Seventh, that monument teaches us that we should recognize
and own the corporate unity of God’s people. It was comprised of
twelve stones, taken up by one man from out of each tribe (Josh.
4:2) and erected in Gilgal. That is the more noticeable since two and
a half of the tribes had received their inheritance on the eastward
side of the Jordan. Yet this cairn on the western shore must have in it
not nine or ten, but twelve stones, to signify the oneness of Israel.
We behold the same thing again in 1 Kings 18: when, centuries later,
the division between the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel
obtained, and Elijah "took twelve stones according to the number of
the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying,
Israel shall be thy name, and built with them an altar on Mount
Carmel" (vv. 31, 32), resting by faith on God’s Word when what was
visible to sight clashed with the same. They were all the elect of God
and brethren. So we should view God’s children, separated as they
now are by party partitions and denominational walls, as members
of the same Family, and sharing, a common interest. Let our hearts
embrace and our prayers include the entire household of faith.
 Joshua 5:1-15
Symbols of Committal
Circumcision
That which is to engage our attention on this occasion, as in
the article following, is still concerned with what was preparatory to
the real task awaiting Israel, and is found in what, strictly speaking,
belongs unto the introductory portion of Joshua, rather than to the
body of the book, where Israel’s conquest and occupation of Canaan
is the distinctive subject. Yet it is in these opening chapters that the
Holy Spirit has (in typical form) revealed the fundamental secrets of
success in the Christian warfare and their present enjoyment of the
heritage which Christ has procured for them. It is therefore all the
more needful for us to proceed slowly and seek to thoroughly
assimilate these initial truths if we are to obtain the richest benefit
from them. The first thing absolutely indispensable to Israel’s
possession of Canaan was their crossing of the Jordan. That, as we
have shown, was a figure of the Christian passing through death and
judgment in the person of his Surety and then his entrance into
"life." It is only one who is on resurrection ground that is qualified
to overcome the foes which would prevent him possessing his
possessions. Equally essential is it for the Christian to experience in
a spiritual and practical way that which marked Israel’s history at
Gilgal.
"At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp
knives, and circumcise the children of Israel the second time" (Josh.
5:2). With those words chapter 5 ought to begin, for verse 1 in our
Bibles obviously concludes the preceding one. Here in verses 2-9
the Holy Spirit has recorded what took place in Gilgal, namely, the
circumcising of Israel. The narration of that important event is
introduced by informing us when it occurred—a detail which must
not be overlooked when seeking the spiritual application unto
ourselves. "At that time," i.e., first when the Lord their God had so
signally shown Himself strong in their behalf by performing a
miracle of mercy for them. Second, when they had just passed
through the river which spake of death and judgment. Third, as soon
as they had set foot within the borders of their promised inheritance.
Fourth, four days before the Passover, as a necessary pre-requisite
and qualification for them to participate in that feast. Fifth, ere they
began the real task of possessing their possessions—by vanquishing
those who would seek to prevent their enjoyment of the same. We
shall ponder first the literal or historical meaning of this for the
natural Israel, and then its application unto and significance as it
respects the spiritual Israel, the Church of Christ.
The "circumcise the children of Israel the second time"
requires a word of explanation. It should be apparent at once that the
reference is not unto a repetition of a painful operation upon those
who had previously been circumcised, but rather in contrast from a
general circumcising of Israel on an earlier occasion. In the light of
Joshua 24:14, Ezekiel 20:7, 8 and 23:3 it is clear that during their
lengthy sojourn in Egypt the children of Israel departed grievously
from the revelation which God had made unto their fathers, and the
statutes (Gen. 26:5) He had given them; and judging from the case
of Moses’ own son (Ex. 4:24, 25), there is little doubt that the
ordinance of circumcision had been generally, if not universally,
neglected and omitted by them. The words "God remembered His
covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Ex. 2:24, and
6:5) imply that Israel had forgotten it. The express prohibition that
none should partake of the Passover, save those who were
circumcised (Ex. 12:48, 49), and the added statement. "Thus did all
the children of Israel: as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so
did they," denotes that circumcision had at last been administered—
probably at the beginning of the "thick darkness which was upon all
Egypt" for the "three days" (Ex. 10:21) that preceded the Passover
night.
Verses 4 to 7 (of Joshua 5) tell us what it was that required
such a wholesale circumcising of the male Israelites—adults as well
as children—on this occasion: "Now all the people that came out
were circumcised, but all the people that were born in the wilderness
by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not
circumcised (v. 5), which in view of Genesis 17:9-11, was a startling
omission. There has been considerable conjecture as to why Israel
had failed to administer this essential rite for so many years. Thos.
Scott says, "The reason for this omission is not so manifest." John
Gill, "because of their frequent journeying, and the inconvenience of
performing it being always uncertain when they pitched their tents
how long they should remain and when they should remove . . . it
was not safe to administer it." But the most popular explanation is
that of sinful neglect. Yet even though that were the case with the
great majority, would not the pious among them have complied? If
rank disobedience was the cause, why is there no record of Moses
rebuking them for such a grave sin? And why had not Joshua
insisted upon it while they tarried in the plains of Moab, instead of
waiting till the Jordan was crossed.
Matthew Henry came very much nearer the true explanation,
though he states it rather vaguely and with some measure of
uncertainty. The real reason, we submit, was what occurred at
Kadesh-barnea. It was there the murmuring and unbelief of Israel
reached its awful and fatal climax. when they hearkened to the evil
report of the ten spies and refused to go forward into the land of
Canaan, saying "Let us make us a captain, and let us return to
Egypt"; and when Joshua and Caleb expostulated with them "all the
congregation bade stone them with stones" (Num. 14:1-10). It was
then that Jehovah swore in His wrath that they should not enter into
His rest (Ps. 95:11). It was then that He declared "But as for you,
your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness. And your children
shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your
whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. All the
number of the days in which ye searched the land, forty days, each
day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities forty years, and ye shall
know My breach of promise" (Num. 14:32-34)—their apostasy and
breaking of the covenant releasing Him from His engagement to
bring them into Canaan. There is the key to Joshua 5:5!
When Israel, after repeated provocations, at length
consummated their rebellion by despising the promised land and
refused to advance beyond Kadesh-barnea, God swore that only two
of that generation should enter it, the remainder being condemned to
perish in the wilderness. Thus for thirty-eight years (Deut. 2:14)
Israel was in a state of apostasy, and during that time their children
bore the reproach of the same by being denied the "token" or "sign
of the covenant" (Gen. 17:11)—wrongly termed by men "the seal of
the covenant," for circumcision never "sealed" anything to anyone
saving only to Abraham (Rom. 4:11). While the awful sentence of
Numbers 14:32-34, lasted, Israel was a rejected people, and
therefore their children were not entitled to bear the mark of
covenant-relationship to God. But for the sake of their children, He
did not withdraw every token of mercy from that generation, but
provided sustenance and guidance throughout their journeys: the
daily supply of manna, the pillar of cloud and fire, the erection of
the tabernacle, etc., were so many intimations that God’s favor
would yet return unto Israel, though He had cast off their fathers.
The miraculous passage of the Jordan gave clear proof that
Israel was once more restored unto the Divine favor, that Jehovah
had resumed His covenant relationship with them, that in emerging
from the river of death, judgment was behind them; that His
sentence upon their fathers had been completed. That miracle
showed unmistakably that Jehovah now owned Israel as His people,
and therefore were they fit subjects again to receive the sign of the
covenant upon their bodies. Circumcision was the token of the
Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 17:11). That ordinance was the mark by
which the natural seed of Abraham was distinguished from all other
nations as a people in covenant with Jehovah, and which bound
them by a special obligation to obey Him. It was the sign of the
promissory part of the covenant which secured to Abraham’s seed
the land of promise (Gen. 17:8). Thus it was fitting that this second
generation should now be circumcised. Moreover, the restoration of
circumcision was to be accompanied by a revival of other
institutions which had lapsed in the wilderness—such as the
Passover feast, for which circumcision was a prerequisite. Upon
Israel’s entrance into Canaan they came under a stricter discipline
than hitherto (Deut. 6:1; 12:1, 8).
 "At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp
knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."
At the very time when Israel had entered that land whose inhabitants
their unbelieving fathers had reported to be "strong" and "the cities
are walled, and very great," yea. "all the people we saw in it are men
of a great stature" (Num. 13:28, 32). What a testing of Joshua’s faith
was this: that all the males of Israel should now, for several days, be
thoroughly incapacitated for fighting (Gen. 34:25)! But God
intended it should be made manifest that the camp of Israel was
governed by Himself, and not by any worldly policy. "What general
ever opened a campaign in an enemy’s country in the manner that
Joshua did? On such occasions, all attention paid to the exercises of
religion is too generally considered as a needless waste of time. Yet
if indeed the help of God be the best security for success, and if His
anger is more to be feared than the sword of any enemy, it will be
found true policy to begin every expedition with repentance of sin,
and attendance on the solemn worship of the Lord, and with using
every method of securing His protection, though to a carnal eye it
may appear unfavorable to success" (T. Scott).
"And Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the
children of Israel" (v. 3). Severe as was this testing of his faith to
thus handicap his fighting forces, yet counting upon the Lord’s
protection, his confidence in Him triumphed over it. We need hardly
say that such a vast undertaking was not performed by him in
person, but is attributed unto Joshua because the operation was
carried out under his order and observation—just as we read that
"Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John. Though Jesus
Himself baptized not, but His disciples" (John 4:1, 2). Not only was
this command of God’s a severe test of Joshua’s faith, but of the
people’s too: their submission would evidence whether they owned
the verity of that Divine promise (Num. 14:7, 8) which their fathers
had disbelieved. Moreover, their submitting unto circumcision was
designed as a test of their obedience, for their conquest of Canaan
was conditioned upon their punctilious compliance with all that God
had commanded through Moses (Josh. 1:8). Their willing
compliance was a fulfillment of the promise which they had made
unto Joshua, in Joshua 1:17, 18, and afforded a further
demonstration that the? were the best of all the generations of Israel
—in answer to the prayer of Moses (Ps. 90:13-17).
"And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all
the people, that they abode in their places in the camp till they were
whole. And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away
the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place
is called Gilgal [or "rolling "] unto this day" (vv. 8, 9). The
commentators are strangely "at sea" concerning the significance of
that expression "the reproach of Egypt," most of them regarding it as
a reference to the stigma incurred by Israel when they were the
slaves of the Egyptians. But surely that reproach was for ever rolled
away when Jehovah delivered His people from Egypt by a high arm,
brought them safely through the Red Sea and there destroyed
Pharaoh and his hosts. No, rather is it an allusion to Egypt’s taunt of
Exodus 32:12. During the thirty-eight years when Israel was rejected
by God there appeared ground for Egypt’s sneer that they would
perish in the wilderness; but all occasion for such a reproach had
now been removed by the Lord’s return unto Israel, and by restoring
the token of the covenant He gave intimation that He had resumed
His mighty works on their behalf, that they were His people and He
their God.
But we must turn now and consider the application of this
unto ourselves, for like all the ceremonial rites and institutions of the
Old Testament times, circumcision is, anti-typically, a real and
substantial thing unto New Testament saints. Stating it first in a brief
sentence, circumcision respected the mortification of sin, the putting
off of the filth of the flesh. But that statement calls for explanation
and amplification, for the great majority of Christians have very low
and defective thoughts on this subject—inherited as they have been
from the errors of Rome. Far too many of God’s children today
suppose that "mortification" signifies a dying to some specific acts
of sin, the overcoming of this or that particular corruption. But that
is a serious mistake. Watching against, offering stern resistance unto,
and obtaining the victory over some particular acts of sin, falls far
short of real mortification. That is evident from the fact that none of
that is beyond what persons in a state of nature may do, and not a
few have actually done. Men and women whose hearts know
nothing whatever of the power of Divine grace have, nevertheless,
succeeded in gaining the mastery over an unruly temper, and of
denying their craving for strong drink.
Again, let it be granted that, as the result of a course of strict
self-discipline, a Christian has overcome some besetting sin; or,
putting it on a higher ground, that by Divine enablement in answer
to prayer, he has become dead to some particular lust; nevertheless,
the evil nature, the root, the filthy fountain from which such foul
streams proceed, the whole body of sin, still remains within! No,
Christian mortification consists of something much better,
something far greater and grander than anything poor Papists are
acquainted with. To be mortified unto sin is a higher and holier
mystery than to be delivered from any mere acts of sin. It consists of
having union and communion with Christ in His death unto sin
(Rom. 6:10, 11). It is the effect and fruit of Christ’s death for us, and
of Christ’s death in us by the vower of the Holy Spirit, whereby we
live upon and enjoy fellowship with Him in His death, and are made
partakers of "the power of His resurrection." As faith is exercised
upon Him as our Head, we experience the virtue and efficacy of His
death and resurrection in our hearts and lives.
That which was shadowed forth by circumcision, namely the
putting off of the filth of the flesh, all believers find the substance of
in Christ, and the same is made good in their souls—in measure
here, but perfectly, so at death. In order to obtain a complete view of
the Christian’s circumcision, we need to consider it federally and
judicially, then spiritually and experimentally, and then practically
and manifestatively. First, then, all believers are legally circumcised
in Christ. That which circumcision prefigured was the removal of
the pollution of sin, and that was accomplished for believers
judicially in the death of their Head. Circumcision symbolized the
entire mortification of sin, and that is the effect and fruit of Christ’s
death for His people. "Ye are complete in Him [Christ], which is the
Head of all principality and power. In whom ye are circumcised with
the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the
sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Col. 2:10, 11). There
we have the blessed fact stated, that in Christ their federal Head His
redeemed are already, truly legally circumcised. It is said to be
"without hands to distinguish it from the physical circumcision of
the type, and to show that it is the result of no attainment of ours.
Colossians 2:11, is a statement which is addressed to our faith, for it
refers to something outside of our actual experience, to something
which we have in Christ.
The apostle was moved by the Holy Spirit to employ quite a
variety of terms to express the same fact. In Romans 6:2, he said of
all believers "we died unto sin." In 1 Corinthians 6:9, "but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus." In Galatians 2:20, he declared—as the representative of
all saints—"I am crucified with Christ." Here in Colossians 2:11, he
affirms, "In whom also ye are circumcised," which signifies that in
the sight of God’s Law and justice the total pollution and defilement
of sin (as well as its guilt and criminality) has been for ever
removed. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions" (Isa.
44:22). "Thou art all fair My love, there is no spot in thee" (Song
4:7). "And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of
His flesh, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in
His sight" (Col. 1:21, 22). These scriptures bear witness that Christ
and the Church are federally and legally one: that God the Father
accepts them and views them in the Beloved as both righteous and
holy; that He now sees them as without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing; that He pronounces them eternally cleansed and blessed.
The faith of many of God’s people apprehends the blessed
fact that the guilt and condemnation of their actual transgressions
was perfectly atoned for by Christ, but the faith of very few
apprehends that their evil nature itself and all their corruptions have
been made a legal end of by the sacrifice of Christ. They recognize
by faith that God views them as cleansed from the curse of the Law,
that there is "no condemnation" resting upon them; but they fail to
perceive that the justice of God regards them as purged from the
very presence and defilement of sin in their natures, that there is no
filth within them. Yet the latter is just as true of them as is the
former. Their "old man was crucified with Christ" (Rom. 6:6). They
were circumcised in Christ, which is described as a "putting off the
body. of the sins of the flesh." Indwelling sin is called a "body"
because it consists of various parts and members, and that "body of
sin" has been "put off," yea, "destroyed" or "annulled" as the word
used in Romans 6:6 signifies. Not only so, but the holiness of Christ
has been imputed or placed to the account of their souls, so that God
Himself declares, "the King’s daughter is all glorious within" (Ps.
45:13), and not merely "without"—as covered with the robe of
Christ’s righteousness.
We say again that Colossians 2:11, is a Divine declaration (as
is Song of Solomon 4:7, and Psalm 45:13, quoted above) which is
addressed to faith. and is not a description of Christian experience;
though in proportion as faith really appropriates it, we experience
the comfort and joy of it. Alas that some of our readers are likely to
refuse that comfort and joy through suspicion and fear that a belief
of the same might lead to carelessness and low views of sin. When
God bids His children to "reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin" (Rom. 6:11)—which means exactly the same as
"Reckon ye also yourselves to be circumcised indeed in Christ, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh"—He certainly is not
bidding them do anything which has a dangerous tendency. He
exhorts them to so regard themselves because they have good and
solid ground for doing so. They had a representative being and
existence in their Head when He suffered and died to remove both
the guilt and the defilement of their sins. Unless we were one with
Christ in His death, there could be no pardon or cleansing for us.
The saints then are to regard their state before God to be what
Christ’s is: delivered from sin’s dominion, accepted in the Father’s
unclouded favor.
In our last we pointed out that the circumcising of all the
male Israelites at Gilgal was a type of the circumcision of the
Church. First, that all believers were legally circumcised in Christ:
that at the cross the "body [or totality] of the sins of the flesh" was
put off, completely and forever removed from the sight of God’s law
and justice; for such is the blessed, meaning and teaching of
Colossians 2:11. God’s elect had a federal being, a representative
existence in their Head, so that when He died unto sin, they died
unto sin; and it is both the duty and privilege of faith to appropriate
that truth, and rest upon that fact. Therein we have revealed the
Gospel method of mortifying sin—in blessed contrast from the
fleshly devices of the Papists. It must flow from our union and
communion with the Lord Jesus in His death, and faith’s receiving
of the virtue and efficacy of it. The fountain of all true and spiritual
mortification was opened at the Cross and God is very jealous of the
honor of the person and work of His beloved Son, and every
departure from Him and it, every attempt of the carnal mind to
devise some other remedy for any of the wounds which sin has
inflicted upon and within us, is doomed to certain failure. Christ
alone must be looked to for deliverance, not only from the guilt of
sin but from its power and pollution; yes, and from its presence too.
But it must now be pointed out that as Christ is the federal
Head of His people, so also is He their vital or life-giving Head. As
the natural head of the physical body influences all its members,
imparting life and motion to them (for when one side of the brain
becomes paralyzed, one whole side of the body does too), so Christ
imparts life unto and influences the members of His mystical body,
the Church. This He does by sending down His Spirit into their
hearts, who communicates to them what Christ did and purchased
for them. Thereby they are circumcised spiritually and
experimentally. That brings us to the second branch of our subject.
"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that
circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is
one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart; in the spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:28,
29). There is much of deep importance in those two verses yet they
are little understood today, especially by Dispensationalists and
writers on "Prophecy"; but it would be outside our present scope to
give an exposition of them, or even show the apostle’s line of
argument in that passage; rather we must confine ourselves to that in
them which bears directly upon our present theme.
"Circumcision is that of the heart: in the spirit, and not in the
flesh." There we are plainly taught that real "circumcision," the
circumcision which God most approves, is an internal one. Even that
is little understood by our moderns, and has no real place in their
teaching. We wonder how many of our own readers have any
definite and clear-cut conception of what is meant by spiritual
"circumcision." Very few, we fear. All the more need then for us to
take up this subject here, instead of seeing how swiftly we can get
through the book of Joshua by merely offering generalizations upon
its contents. It should be apparent to all who have read the Scriptures
with any degree of attention and care that He who "desires Truth in
the inward parts" (Ps. 51:6) required very much more from Israel
even in Old Testament times than obedience to the outward
ordinance of circumcision. The call "Circumcise therefore the
foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked" (Deut. 10:16) is
too plain for misunderstanding. It is quite clear from Leviticus 26:41
and the last clause of Jeremiah 9:26 that the Lord punished Israel
because they were "uncircumcised in heart." The same fault Stephen
charged upon the Jews of his day (Acts 7:51).
"Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the
foreskins of your heart" (Jer. 4:4) was His just demand. John Gill
acknowledged that "men are exhorted to this" (alas that so many of
his admirers refuse to do so), though he rightly added "yet elsewhere
He promises to do this for them." God has ever required reality and
not simply outward profession, inward and moral purity and not
merely external and ceremonial. "O Jerusalem, wash thine heart
from wickedness" (Jer. 4:14). This spiritual circumcision, or
cleansing of the heart, is the negative side of regeneration, or as the
older writers more aptly expressed it "the privative" side. Strictly
speaking there is no English word which accurately defines it, but
"privative" is the nearest—that which results in a privation through
the absence of something, the withholding or taking of it away. This
is one aspect or part of "the great change" which takes place in a
person when he is made the subject of a miracle of grace. Since we
recently dealt with that in considerable detail, there is the less need
to be lengthy on this occasion; but as spiritual circumcision is
included in the general term "regeneration," we must not altogether
ignore it.
As we emphasized in our articles upon "The Great Change,"
far too many writers when treating of regeneration confine their
attention unto but a single aspect of the same—the communication
of a new life or "nature." But that contemplates only one angle of it
even from the positive side. There is a negative or privative side too.
There is travail and pain in connection with a birth. Perhaps the
reader will find it easier to grasp what we are saying and the better
understand our terms when we remind him that justification has two
parts to it: a privative and a positive—something removed and
something bestowed. The cancellation or removal of the guilt and
penalty of all sins is the privative side of justification, for remission
(forgiveness) means "sending away." The imputation of the
meritorious obedience of Christ to the account of the believing
sinner is the positive side, for "justify" signifies to declare a person
(not merely innocent, but) righteous. The two things are brought
together in that lovely type in Zechariah 3:4, "Behold I have caused
thine iniquity to pass from thee"—that is the privative side; "and I
will clothe thee with change of raiment" (the "best robe" of Luke 15)
is the positive.
Now at regeneration something is removed, as well as
something imparted: "I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36:26). Though
that be metaphorical language, yet is the figure easily understood.
The affections are divorced from evil and united to that which is
good. By the miracle of grace, God takes away the love of sin and
implants a love of holiness. And how is fallen man’s radical and
inveterate love of sin removed from him? By the Holy Spirit’s
illumination, revealing to him the exceeding sinfulness of sin; by
His convicting him of the enormity and heinousness of sin, striking
his conscience with terror and horror at having waged war against
the Almighty; by bringing him to realize that it was his sins which
caused the Lord of glory to bleed and die. Then it is that the love of
sin receives its death-wound in his soul. Then it is he is "pricked in
his heart" and cries out in anguish and despair "what shall I do?"
(Acts 2:37). Which is only another way of saying, Then it is that his
soul is spiritually and experimentally circumcised; when so far as
his love of it is concerned, he puts off "the body of the sins of the
flesh" (Col. 2:11).
The work of the Holy Spirit within the saint is many-sided,
but its grand design and accomplishment is to make good unto him
what Christ did for him: or to state it in other words, the Spirit
imparts to the soul an actual acquaintance and effects with it a
spiritual experience of what he has in Christ federally and legally.
Christ died unto sin, for He was "made sin [judicially] for us," and
His death was the penal death of our sin. Consequently, when the
Holy Spirit is given to us He first works death in our hearts: that is,
He both slays our self-righteousness, and gives a death-wound to sin
in our affections. As the apostle tells us when relating one aspect of
his own conversion, "when the commandment came, sin revived,
and I died" (Rom. 7:9). That is, when those words "thou shalt not
covet," thou shalt not even lust after or desire any unlawful object,
was applied in Divine power to his soul, the awful nature and extent
of his sin became a living reality in his conscience, and he died to all
good opinions of himself. By the spiritual slaying of our self-
righteousness and making us loathe sin, the soul is experimentally
"made conformable unto Christ’s death" (Phil. 3:10).
"The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart
of thy seed [which is to be taken generally as "all" and "the world"
in the New Testament] to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart"
(Deut. 30:6). There we have the two principal aspects of
regeneration or the miracle of grace brought together: the privative
side, the circumcising of the heart, when it is made willing to part
with its cherished sins, when its affections are severed from all evil.
That is in order to the positive side, namely, the heart’s being
brought to love the Lord with all its faculties and strength. That love
to God, John Gill rightly pointed out is "the duty of every man," and
thus of the unregenerate: so, contrary to his followers, Gill not only
taught "duty faith," but "duty love"! Nevertheless, none performs
this duty until God Himself circumcises the heart. Then it is that the
soul of the elect is transformed from a natural man into "a new
creature" (Gal. 6:15). That moral change of "putting off the old man
with his deeds" (Col. 3:9) was prefigured by the fact that literal
circumcision was required to be performed on the "eighth day" (Lev.
12:3)—the numeral which always signifies a new beginning, and
thus of "the new creature."
There is yet another aspect of this subject which calls for
careful attention, namely, that circumcision of the Christian which is
practical and manifestative. What Christ accomplished for His
people, His Spirit effects within them, and they are required to make
the same apparent in their daily lives and actions. Our federal and
legal circumcision in Christ was in order to our vital and
experimental circumcision, for by His meritorious work on their
behalf the Lord Jesus procured the gift and grace of the Spirit unto
His people (Gal. 3:13, 14). Our inward circumcision by the
operations of the Spirit unto His people was in order to the better
qualifying us for the discharge of our responsibility and the
glorifying of our God. While at regeneration the Spirit gives a death-
wound unto sin in the affection of its favored subject, and while at
the same time He implants in his heart an imperishable love of and
longing for holiness, yet He does not then remove from him the evil
principle—"the flesh" remains in his soul unto the end of his earthly
pilgrimage. Consequently, there is now a ceaseless conflict within
him (Gal. 5:17), and therefore he is henceforth called upon to fight
the good fight of faith": to swim against the stream of his
corruptions, deny self, mortify his members which are upon the
earth.
The foes against which the Christian is called to wage
conflict are mighty and powerful. That evil trinity, the flesh, the
world, and the Devil, are relentlessly determined to destroy him.
How then is he to successfully engage them in mortal contest? A
great variety of answers have been returned to that question, all sort
of rules and regulations prescribed; but most of them proceeded
from "physicians of no value." It is too generally overlooked that
this is "the fight of faith." The Devil can only be successfully
resisted as we remain "steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:9). "This is the
victory, that over-cometh the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4). And
there can be no victory over indwelling sin except by the actings of
faith. And faith, my reader, always has to do with Christ: He is its
grand Object (Heb. 12:2), its Sustainer (Phil. 1:21), its Strengthener
(Phil. 4:13). That is according to the appointment of the Father, who
has determined that His people should be beholden to His beloved
Son for everything, that they may ascribe their all unto Him, that
they may place the crown of honor and glory upon His Head. Christ
is the alone Savior not only from the guilt and pollution of sin, but
likewise from its power and ragings within us.
In this matter of practical circumcision, our mortifying of
sin, man’s thoughts and ways are as far below God’s as in
everything else—as far as the earth is below the heavens. Man
supposes he must do this in order to obtain that, avoid this in order
to enjoy that, abstain from evil so as to enter into good. But he
knows not where to obtain strength for the doing! Contrastively,
God’s way is to furnish that which equips for the performance of
duty: to bestow freely, that gratitude will respond gladly; to lavish
love upon us, that we cannot but love Him in return; to make known
what He has made Christ to be unto us, and then bids us walk
worthily of such a Savior. He first makes us "light in the Lord," and
then bids us "walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). He first makes us
saints, then bids us act "as becometh saints" (Eph. 5:3). He makes us
holy, then calls us "to be in behavior as becometh holiness" (Titus
2:3).
Immediately after Christians are bidden to likewise reckon
ye also to have died indeed unto sin, but live unto God in Christ our
Lord, they are exhorted "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal
body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof" (Rom. 6:11, 12).
Though they have died unto sin legally, sin is far from being dead
within them. Though they are no longer "in the flesh" (Rom. 8:9) so
far as their standing before God is concerned, yet "the flesh" is still
in them. Though Christ has put away the whole of the guilt and
pollution of their sins, He has not yet fully delivered them from its
power—that they might prove the sufficiency of His grace, the
marvels of His forbearance, and the reality of His keeping power;
and that there might be opportunity for the trial, exercise, and
development of their graces. But though the evil principle (or
"nature") be not eradicated, the Christian is exhorted "Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body." In that "therefore" we have an
example of the apostle’s evangelical method when urging Christians
to perform their duty: not in order to obtain some further blessing,
but because of what they already have in Christ.
That "therefore" looks back generally over the whole
preceding section (from Joshua 5:1), but has a more particular
reference to Joshua 6:10, 11. The "Let not therefore sin reign" is far
more than an appeal for us to exercise our wills: it is a call for faith
to make one’s own all that standing and state which is ours by virtue
of our legal and vital union with Christ. Faith is urged to apprehend
and appropriate our sinlessness in Christ by our death and
resurrection in Him. That is the only right way of approach unto
gaining the victory over sin in our daily lives. God will set no
premium upon unbelief, but He will honor faith. Faith is called upon
to recognize and reckon that sin was vanquished by Christ, and
therefore it has no right to lord it over us. We are to refuse obedience
to its desires and behests. We are to yield no subserviency unto the
dethroned adversary of Christ, but strive constantly against every
effort it makes to gain the ascendancy over us. And in order unto
strength for such striving, we are to draw motives and
encouragement from the love of Christ, who suffered and died for
us. Strength to resist sin comes from faith’s eyeing Christ and love’s
drawing from Him incentives to mortify that which slew Him.
It is "the love of Christ" which is ever to constrain the
Christian in all things. But I must first be assured of His love for me,
before my affections will flow out to Him in grateful submission and
service. Any service which issues from fear or is prompted by
reward, is either legal or mercenary, and unacceptable to Him.
Without a realization of pardoning mercy in the soul, we can gain no
victory over indwelling sin. In Christ we are not only dead to sin
legally, but victors over it. As faith beholds sin perfectly conquered
by Christ judicially, it seeks to have fellowship with Him therein in a
practical way. To repudiate long cherished sins, relinquish beloved
idols, is a cutting and painful experience to nature, and therefore is it
designated a circumcision and mortifying of our members; yea, so
distressing is such work, our Lord likened it unto plucking out a
right eye and cutting off a right hand (Matthew 5:29, 30). Yet such is
not only a needful and profitable duty, but it becomes a desirable
and longed-for one by those who truly love the Lord. The more their
minds be spiritually occupied with Christ’s love, the more are their
affections drawn forth unto Him, and the more are their hearts
brought to hate sin; and the more we hate sin, the more are we dying
to it in our affections!
In our last, we pointed out the importance of observing the
opening words of verse 2 when seeking the spiritual and practical
application unto ourselves of what God required from Israel at
Gilgal. "At that time": as soon as they had passed through that river
which spoke of death and judgment they were required to be
circumcised. Likewise it is immediately after the Christian is
assured of his union with Christ in death and resurrection that he is
enjoined "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." It is by
faith’s realization of that union we draw motives to resist sin’s
solicitations and derive strength against it. And as stated in our last
we cannot serve God trustfully and joyously unless we are assured
we are forever beyond condemnation (Rom. 8:1), so it must now be
added, there can be no progress in the Christian life unless we heed
Romans 6:12. That is amplified in the next verse’ "Neither yield ye
your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but (1)
yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and
(2) your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
Because you have been "made alive," put away all the trappings of
death, put off the old man, mortify the lusts of the flesh. Give up
yourselves to God without any reserve.
Yet we repeat, obedience unto Romans 6:12, 13, is possible
only as we maintain the assurance of our perfect standing in Christ
(v. 11), drawing motives and strength therefrom for practical
holiness, and by constantly seeking help from Christ by drawing
upon His fullness (John 1:16). That is ever the evangelical order,
"Be ye kindly affectioned one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you" (Eph.
4:32). "Set your affection on things above, and not on things on the
earth." Why? "For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in
God . . . mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth"
(Col. 3:1-5). "Put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy communications out of your mouth; lie not one to another."
Why? "Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col.
3:8, 9). "Behold! what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us that we should be called the sons of God . . . when He shall
appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." And
what is the effect of faith’s appropriation thereof? This, "And every
one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself [not merely ought to
do] even as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3).
But, says the Christian reader, notwithstanding my best
efforts to keep my heart occupied with Christ and my faith fixed
steadfastly on Him, sin daily gets the better of me. And what is the
effect upon you? Are you pleased thereby? No, the very reverse; you
are cut to the quick. That too is an integral part of practical
"circumcision." Not only is every denying of self, every striving
against sin, an element of mortification or practical circumcision,
but equally so is all godly sorrow, all evangelical repentance, all
contrite confession of sin. Blessed are they that "mourn" over their
backslidings and falls, for it evidences they belong to those "whose
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter"
(Rom. 2:29)—real and effectual, in contrast from the formal and
ceremonial.
The Passover
It is most blessed to observe how Israel conducted
themselves upon their first entrance into the promised land, for
therein is manifested not the workings of nature but the fruits of
Divine grace. After God had wrought so signally for them at the
Jordan, they did not rush ahead and seek to immediately possess
their inheritance. The miraculous dividing of its waters so that they
passed through dry-shod, must have greatly disspirited the
Canaanites and thus have prepared the way for an easy triumph for
the invaders. It had been natural, yea, what all military men would
call "good policy" for Israel to have made the most of this terror by
striking a heavy blow at once, pressing on with might and main
before the enemy could recover himself, and so carry all before them
in one swift campaign. But God’s people follow not the ways nor
employ the devices of the world. They are a "peculiar people":
distinct and separate from the unregenerate, acting, not by carnal
wisdom and expediency, but regulated by spiritual considerations.
"He that believeth shall not make haste" (Isa. 28:16) is one of the
principles by which they are required to act, for "the race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong" (Eccl. 9:11).
Instead of immediately assaulting Jericho, the children of
Israel pitched their tents at Gilgal and tarried there for a season.
Exemplary restraint was that, and one which we do well to take to
heart in this feverish age of mad speed. This tarrying in the camp at
Gilgal was the more noteworthy when we bear in mind the very
lengthy interval which had elapsed since their exodus from Egypt,
during which they were prevented from reaching their goal and
realizing their eager expectation. Yet there was something far more
praiseworthy than self-discipline which marked their conduct on this
occasion: they had the glory of God before them. They eyed His
authority, had respect for His institutions, and acted in faith and
obedience to His appointments. That should ever be what marks
God’s people, collectively or singly. It is neither the first business of
the Church to "win the world for Christ" nor of the individual
Christian to seek the salvation of his relatives and companions:
rather is it to "show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out
of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9) by our entire
subjection to His Word. God has nowhere promised to use those
who make not conscience of obeying Him in all things.
The appointments of God and not the attaining of their own
desires were given the pre-eminence. First, Joshua had, in
submission to the Lord’s requirement, circumcised all those male
Israelites who had been born in the wilderness. We have previously
shown that the non-observing of that rite during those thirty-eight
years was due to no sinful neglect, but was owing to the apostasy of
their fathers at Kadesh-barnea, in consequence of which Jehovah
declared "ye shall know My breach of promise" (Num. 14:32-34),
and therefore were their children denied the token or "sign of the
covenant" (Gen. 17:11). But the miraculous passage of the Jordan
demonstrated that Israel was once more restored to the Divine favor,
that He had resumed His covenant relationship with them that in
emerging from the river of death judgment was behind them; and
therefore it was fitting that this second generation should now be
given that mark winch distinguished them from all other nations as
bound by special obligation to serve their God. It was also observed
how that the Lord’s commanding Joshua to then circumcise the
people presented a real test to his faith and obedience, severely
handicapping for a few days his fighting forces; but counting upon
God’s protection, he confided in Him and triumphed over the trial.
Second, we are told, "And the children of Israel encamped in
Gilgal and kept the Passover" (v. 10). Appropriately did Matthew
Henry point out, "We may well imagine that the people of Canaan
were astonished and that, when they observed the motions of the
enemy they could not but think them very strange. When soldiers
take the field, they are apt to think themselves excused from
religious ceremonies (they have not time or thought to attend to
them), yet Joshua opens the campaign with one act of devotion after
another. What was afterwards said to another Joshua might truly be
said to this: ‘Hear now, O Joshua, thou and thy fellows that sit
before thee are men wondered at’ (Zech. 3:8); and yet indeed he
took the right method." And, my reader, if we be actuated and
regulated by a concern to the glory of God worldlings will wonder at
us. It cannot be otherwise, for the natural man acts only from a spirit
of self-love and self-will, and his end is self-pleasing and self-
advancement. Thus, if he beholds any denying self, subordinating
their interests to the honoring of God, he marvels at such conduct.
Unless, then, we be "wondered at," yea, sneered at and regarded as
crazy, it is because we have "left our first love" and become
conformed to this world.
Israel’s keeping of the Passover was, like the circumcising of
the people, an act of obedience unto the Lord: in fact the one could
not be without the other, for it had been expressly laid down that "no
uncircumcised person shall eat thereof" (Ex. 12:48). For that very
reason this ordinance had not been observed while the Nation lay
under the wrath of God. They had kept it on the first anniversary of
the event which it commemorated (Num. 9:5), but not during the
next thirty-eight years. God had said "I hate, I despise your feast
days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye
offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept
them" (Amos 5:21, 22)— language which not only applied to the
prophet’s own day but also bad special reference to their sojourn in
the wilderness as verse 25 evinces. But now the Lord had resumed
His covenant relations with Israel and they had attended to the
matter of circumcision; it was in order, yea, requisite, for them to do
so. They had been strictly enjoined "Ye shall observe this thing for
an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And it shall come to
pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you,
according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service." (Ex.
12:24, 25).
In previous articles we have noted that this particular
generation under Joshua was not only vastly better than the one
which preceded but also far more spiritual than any that followed it.
This was exemplified in the willingness of their adults to be
circumcised without any demur. It appears again in what is now
before us. The Lord had particularly said unto Moses almost a year
after their leaving Egypt, "Let the children of Israel also keep the
Passover at his appointed season" (Num. 9:5), as though to intimate,
otherwise His command in Exodus 12:24, had not been complied
with. But on this occasion no mention is made of God’s reminding
them of their duty. We are told "the children of Israel kept the
Passover" (v. 10). And that is not all which is stated: "on the
fourteenth day of the month," which is something more than a mere
narration of a historical fact—it tells us that they kept the Passover
"at his appointed season." Nor is that all: it is added "at even," which
was as the Lord required. How the Spirit delights to notice and
record the details of obedience! The Israelites did not tamper with
this Divine ordinance and change it to a morning observance to suit
their own convenience, as a compromising Christendom has done
with "the Lord’s supper." Unless we conform strictly to the letter of
the Divine precept, it is not "obedience" but "will worship."
Israel’s act of keeping the Passover was not only one of
obedience but also of commemoration. "And this day shall be unto
you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord
throughout your generations. . . . And it shall come to pass when
your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who
passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He
smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses It is a night to be
much observed unto the Lord" (Ex. 12:14, 26, 27, 42). This feast,
then, was appointed to celebrate the great goodness of the Lord unto
His people and their deliverance both from death and from the house
of bondage. It was designed to keep before their minds the blessed
provision He had made for them in the night of their deepest need, a
provision all sufficient. It was to express anew their gratitude unto
God for His distinguishing favor: the original "sacrifice" was
expiatory, but the memorial of it was eucharistic. It was intended to
signalize those perfections of God which had been exemplified on
that never-to-be-forgotten night.
The Passover had demonstrated in unmistakable manner the
sovereignty of God, when He had "put a difference between the
Egyptians and Israel" (Ex. 11:7), that is, between the reprobate and
His own elect—no lamb was provided for the former! It had
manifested the grace of God. By nature the children of Israel were
no better than the Egyptians, nor in conduct, as is clear from Ezekiel
20:7, 8; 23:3. It was out of His mere good pleasure and unmerited
favor that the Lord exempted Israel from the destroyer (Ex. 12:23).
It displayed the righteousness of God, which announced that He
"will by no means clear the guilty" (Ex. 34:7). They were flagrant
sinners and "the wages of sin is death": death must do and did its
work in their households too when the sacrificial lamb was slain. It
revealed the amazing mercy of God in providing that substitute. It
placated the wrath of God: He said to the avenging angel concerning
Israel’s firstborn "deliver him from going down to the pit: I have
found a ransom" (Job 33:24), illustrating that basic principle
"without shedding of blood is no remission." It testified the
faithfulness of God: "When I see the blood I will pass over you,"
and He did. It made known His love, which had chosen Israel to be
His favored people (Deut. 10:15).
Again, the Passover was not only commemorative, but
anticipative: it memorialized what was past and also foreshadowed
what was to come. The institution and ritual of the Passover
furnished one of the most striking representations of the person and
work of Christ to be met with anywhere in the Old Testament. That
it was a type thereof is clear from 1 Corinthians 5:7. "Christ our
Passover is sacrificed for us." Here then is our authority for
regarding the contents of Exodus 12 as shadowing forth the cross-
work of the Savior, and it is this which invests that chapter with such
deep interest. The Passover was the first of those annual "feasts"
which God appointed unto Israel, for it sets forth the grand truth of
redemption, which is the foundation blessing of believers, the
fountain from which all others flow; and the Passover was kept upon
Israel’s entrance into Canaan to signify that their possession of the
Inheritance, no less than their deliverance from Egypt, was owing to
the merits of the blood of the Lamb. Christ Himself observed it,
saying to His apostles "With desire have I desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15). In the light of these
facts it becomes us to give our best attention to the teaching of
Scripture thereon.
Observe first, the occasion of its institution. It was at the
close of God’s judgments upon Egypt. He had declared, "About
midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that
sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant
that is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall
be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was
none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the
children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or
beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference
between the Egyptians and Israel" (Ex. 11:4-7). Note carefully the
exact wording of verse 5: it was not "all the firstborn of the land of
Egypt shall die," but "all the firstborn in the land of Egypt," and that
necessarily included Israel’s equally with Egypt’s. Yet in verse 7 the
Lord said, He would "put a difference between the Egyptians and
Israel" so that the latter should be wholly exempt from judgment.
That is what infidels would term "a flat contradiction," but the
Christian knows there is none in the Word of Truth. What, then, is
the explanation?
Each of those Divine declarations was literally
accomplished: all the firstborn in the land of Egypt died,
nevertheless the firstborn of Israel were delivered from the angel of
death. But how could that be? Surely both could not take place! Yet
they did, and therein we have a blessed illustration of the contents of
the Gospel. It was the question of sin which was here raised and
dealt with by God, consequently both parties were equally involved
in His righteous judgment. The Israelites were not only sinners by
nature, but practice; not only sins of infirmity, but high-handed sins
of idolatry (Lev. 17:7; Josh. 24:14). Divine holiness can never
ignore sin no matter where it be found: when the angels sinned God
"spared them not" (2 Pet. 2:4). Justice must be satisfied; sin must
pay its wages. A reprieve is out of the question. Then must guilty
Israel perish? It would seem so. Human wisdom could devise no
way of escape. But Divine wisdom did, and without compromising
righteousness. How? By means of a substitute: sentence of death
was executed on an innocent victim, because guilt had been legally
transferred unto it. A lamb was provided for Israel, and it died in
their stead.
Observe next, the nature of this transaction: "it is the Lord’s
Passover (Ex. 12:11). Those words bring before us a fundamental
aspect of Truth which is much neglected in evangelical preaching.
Gospellers have much to say upon what Christ’s death accomplished
for those who believe on Him, but far less upon what it effected
God-wards. Yet that is clearly brought out in the first direct mention
of the "lamb" in Scripture: "God will provide Himself a lamb for a
burnt offering" (Gen. 22:8). It was not simply that God would
provide a lamb," but that He would provide Himself one! The
antitypical Lamb was appointed and supplied to glorify God, to
vindicate His throne, magnify His law, satisfy His justice and
holiness. The life and death of Christ brought infinite glory to God
though not a sinner had been saved thereby. The two leading aspects
of Christ’s atonement—God-ward and us-ward—were shadowed
again in the ritual for the day of atonement: "Aaron shall cast lots
upon the two goats: one lot for the Lord, and the other for the
scapegoat" (Lev. 16:7, 8)—Israel’s substitute, which bore away their
sins into a place uninhabited. Christ must first be "the Lord’s
Passover," accepted by Him, before He could be "our Passover" (1
Cor. 5:7)—received by us.
Consider now the substance of God’s gracious provision for
Israel, namely, "the lamb." Though we cannot dwell upon details, we
will furnish a broad outline for the benefit of young preachers. How
well fitted was a lamb to be an emblem of the Savior is at once
apparent: so gentle and innocent, so mild and harmless, neither
hurting others, nor seeming to have the capacity to resent an injury;
useful in life (its fleece), valuable for food when killed. (1) The
Passover lamb was taken "out from the sheep" (Ex. 12:5). "I will
raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren." (Deut. 18:18).
Christ, according to His humanity, was made of the seed of David."
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He
also Himself likewise took part of the same" (Heb. 2:14). (2) It was
taken from the flock (not on the first, but) "the tenth day of the
month" (v. 3). The Son of God did not become incarnate as soon as
sin entered the world, but when "the fullness of time was come"
(Gal. 4:4), after forty centuries of human history had passed: after
man had been fully tested (10 is the number of his responsibility)
and his probation (which 40 signifies) was completed—10 x 10 x
40.
(3) "Your lamb shall be without blemish" (Ex. 12:5, and cf.
Leviticus 22:21, 22). Nothing but a perfect sacrifice could satisfy an
infinitely perfect God. One who had any sin in him could not make
atonement for sinners. But where was such a one to be found?
Nowhere among the fallen sons of men. That lamb "without
blemish" pointed to the immaculate purity of Christ (Heb. 7:26, 27;
1 Peter 1:19). (4) "A male of the first year" (v. 5): it was not to be
too young or too old, but was to die in the fullness of its strength. So
Christ died neither in childhood nor in old age. but in the prime of
manhood—He was cut off "in the midst of His days" (Ps. 101:24).
(5) "And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the month"
(v. 6). For four days the lamb, separated unto sacrifice, was kept
tethered, apart from all others, during which time it could be fully
inspected to perceive its flawlessness. Anti-typically that may be
taken two ways: on the principle of "a day for a year" (Num. 14:34;
Ezekiel 4:6)—before His public ministry began (which lasted
between three and four years) the Father bore testimony to the
perfection of the Lamb (Matthew 3:17); taking it literally, during His
last four days Christ was under the closest scrutiny of men, and even
His judge confessed "I find no fault in Him."
(6) The lamb must be slain: "The whole congregation of
Israel shall kill it in the evening" (v. 6). That is very striking. It was
not Moses and Aaron, or the Levites, who slew it, but the entire
people as represented by the heads of every household. Nor was it
only the chief priests and elders who were responsible for the
slaying of Christ, for when Pilate decided the issue as to whether
Barabbas or Christ should be released, he did so on the popular vote
of the common people, who all cried "crucify Him" (Mark 15:6-15).
In like manner it was the sins of each believer individually (Gal.
2:20) and of the Church corporeally (Eph. 5:25) which necessitated
the death of Christ. It is also very remarkable to observe that though
many thousands of lambs were slain that night, it was said "Israel
shall kill it," not "them"! "There was only one before God’s mind—
the Lamb of Calvary" (Urquhart). (7) Its blood must be applied:
"Thou shall take the blood and sprinkle it on the two side-posts," etc.
(v. 7). Mental assent to the Gospel without a personal receiving of
Christ avails not to deliver from judgment: there must be an
appropriation of Christ, "faith in His blood" (Rom. 3:25). A Savior
accepted, not a Savior provided, actually saves.
(8) The sprinkled blood gave security. "When He seeth the
blood . . . the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the
destroyer to come in" (v. 23). And why? Because death had already
done its work there! God’s eye was not on the house or its inmates,
but on the atoning blood. (9) "And the blood shall be to you for a
token" (v. 13), i.e., "a token for good (Ps. 86:17). It was to assure
their hearts, as the "token" given to Rahab (Josh. 2:12) was a
guarantee of her preservation. God would have the hearts of His
people in perfect peace, even while hearing the cries of the stricken
Egyptians. No harm should befall them, and no fear distress while
they rested on His sure promise! It is most important for the believer
to distinguish between the foundation of his security and the basis of
his peace: that which provided safe refuge from judgment was the
slain lamb and its sprinkled blood; that which afforded a sure stay
for the heart was the Word of One who cannot lie. (10) "Ye shall eat
the flesh in that night" (v. 8). This was God’s gracious provision for
those within the house. Eating speaks of fellowship. It is Christ as
the Food of His people, feeding by faith upon Him for strength and
sustenance of soul.
(11) It must be "roast with fire" (v. 8). "Fire" here, as
throughout, speaks of the wrath of a sin-hating God. The "roasting"
of the lamb was a solemn figure of Christ suffering what was due to
His people when He passed under and endured the awful wrath of
God as He was "made a curse" (Gal. 3:13). It is that which explains
the deeper meaning of His cry "I thirst": it was the effect of agony of
soul as He endured the fierce heat of God’s wrath. "Not sodden
[boiled] at all with water" tells us nothing was allowed to hinder the
direct action of "fire" on the Sin-bearer: God "spared not His own
Son" (Rom. 8:32). (12) "With bitter herbs" (v. 8) or remorse of
conscience. The Christian cannot have "fellowship with His
sufferings" without remembering it was his sins which made them
needful. (13) "And thus shall ye eat it: with loins girded . . . and staff
in your hand" (v. 11). Fellowship with Christ can only be had as we
maintain our pilgrim character. (14) "Not a bone of it shall be
broken" (v. 46 and see John 19:33-36).
All the leading features of redemption were more or less
shadowed forth by the Passover, and therein God would keep those
things in the minds and before the eyes of Israel by their annual
memorial of the same. But not only did the Passover furnish a vivid
portrayal of the Gospel, it was also a means for Israel’s good, a
gracious provision for their bodily needs. Before another day
dawned they were to leave Egypt and start out for the promised land,
and by feeding on the lamb strength was supplied for the journey
which lay before them. Thus it is with the Christian: he must feed on
Christ in order for strength as he passes through this wilderness, for
the world supplies no nourishment for the soul. So it was at Gilgal
(Josh. 5:10): as the Passover had been the prelude to Israel’s
deliverance from Egypt and the commencement of their wilderness
history, so it was made introductory to their new experience in
Canaan: it was a blessed reminder that while they walked according
to the Divine precepts, they might count upon God’s mighty power.
As their feeding on the lamb in Egypt supplied energy for their
wilderness journey, equally needful was its strength for the warfare
in which they were about to engage.
"And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow
after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn in the
selfsame day" (Josh. 5:11). Once more we would observe how the
Holy Spirit delights to take notice of and place on record the details
of the saints’ obedience. It had been expressly commanded that the
Pascal lamb must be eaten with "unleavened bread" (Ex. 12:8), and
strict compliance was here made with that order. They did not say, as
long as it is bread, what else matters? but subjected their wills to
God’s. Throughout the Scriptures "leaven" is emblematical of
corruption and evil, and therefore it had been a horrible incongruity
and most unsuited to use leavened bread at a feast wherein the
immaculate purity of Christ was set forth in the lamb "without
blemish." The least tampering with the Divine ordinances alters their
significance, mars their beauty, and is an act of presumption on
man’s part. If they be not kept in the letter of them, they certainly
are not in their spirit, for true love seeks to please its object in all
things.
"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at
even ye shall cat unleavened bread, until the first and twentieth day
of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in
your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that
soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel" (Ex. 12:19).
Thus, when it is said in Joshua 5:10, that when the children of Israel
encamped in Gilgal they "kept the Passover" we are to understand
that for a whole week they observed the same. As Matthew Henry
pointed out, "They kept the Passover in the plains of Jericho as it
were in defiance of the Canaanites that were round about them and
enraged against them, and yet could not give them any disturbance.
Thus God gave them an early instance of the performance of that
promise, that when they went up to keep the feasts, their land should
be taken under the special protection of Divine Providence: Exodus
34:24, ‘Neither shall any man desire the land.’ He now ‘prepared a
fable before them in the presence of their enemies’ (Ps. 23:5)."
"And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow
after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the self-
same day" (v. 11). A supply of food was already to hand when they
entered Canaan: probably in granaries abandoned by its inhabitants
as they took refuge in the walled city of Jericho. The Lord is no
Egyptian taskmaster, requiring His people to make bricks without
supplying them with straw. Now that "the feast of unleavened bread
unto the Lord" was to be eaten seven days (Lev. 23:6), an abundant
quantity of grain was available for them. It is blessed to observe that
before they used any of it for their own comfort, it was made into
unleavened cakes in their worship of Jehovah. Thus did they act on
the basis of that essential precept, "Honor the Lord with thy
substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase" (Prov. 3:9).
And as the Lord Jesus has taught us, "seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). He is to be given the
pre-eminence by us in all things, and accordingly as we honor Him,
so will He honor us.
This supply of corn upon Israel’s first entrance into Canaan
was an earnest of that promise which God had made through Moses:
"It shall be when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the
land which He sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to
Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities which thou buildest not,
and houses full of good things, which thou filledst not, and wells
digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which
thou plantedst not" (Deut. 6:10, 11), the complete fulfillment
whereof is recorded in Joshua 24:13. Typically, the "old corn of the
land," equally with the manna, spoke of Christ (John 12:24), yet in a
very different character. The manna—"a small round thing" (Ex.
16:14), which lay on the ground and was Israel’s wilderness food—
was an emblem of Christ in His humiliation; but the old corn of
Canaan pointed to Christ in His exaltation. The Christian needs to
meditate and act faith on Christ not only as he is presented to us in
all His moral perfections in the four Gospels, but also upon His
official glories as they are set forth in the Epistles, particularly does
he need to be occupied with Him as portrayed in Hebrews as our
great High Priest and Intercessor.
In the earlier articles of this series we laid considerable
emphasis on the fact that the spiritual value and the practical use
which we should make of the book of Joshua is, that we should see
unfolded therein the principles by which the Christian is to enter into
a present possession and enjoyment of his inheritance, and the
secrets of successfully fighting the good fight of faith and the
spiritual warfare to which he is called. We sought to make plain
what are some of those basic principles and essential secrets as they
are illustrated and exemplified by the historical incidents recorded in
the first four chapters of this book, and before turning from the first
two sections of chapter 5: let us stress the truth that two more of
them are here intimated as foreshadowed in the circumcising of the
Israelites and their keeping of the Passover The Christian must be
diligent in mortifying his lusts if he would walk in newness of life,
and equally necessary is it that he feed daily on Christ—considered
both as the sacrificial Lamb and as the great High Priest—in order to
obtain strength to overcome the flesh, the world and the Devil.
Practically, the corn of Canaan is a portion of our Inheritance which
faith is to now appropriate.
"And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten
of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna
any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that
year" (v. 12). "To show that it did not come by chance, or by
common providence as snow or hail does, but by the special
designation of Divine wisdom and goodness; for as it came just
when they needed it, so it continued as long as they had occasion for
it, and no longer" (Matthew Henry). The practical lesson which we
are to draw therefrom is, that we are not to expect extraordinary
supplies when they can be had in an ordinary way: God works no
unnecessary miracles. It is blessed to remember that the Lord had
not discontinued the manna when the people despised it (Num.
11:6), nor even when He severed His covenant-relation with that evil
generation; but had mercifully continued to give it for the sake of
their children, who had now grown up and entered Canaan. Here
ends the first main Division of the book: Joshua 1:1-9 is the
Introduction; Joshua 1:10 to 5:12, concerns the passage of the
Jordan; Joshua 5:13 to chapter 12: the conquest of Canaan.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he
lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man over against him
with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him and
said to Him, Art Thou for us, or for our adversaries?" (v. 12).
Though this verse begins a new section of the book yet it opens with
the word "And"—not simply to preserve the continuity of the
narrative, but especially to link this incident with what immediately
precedes. God has promised to honor those who honor Him, and
Joshua had done so in the circumcising of the people and in the strict
observance of the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread; and
now the Lord bestows a signal favor upon His servant. How much
we lose by failing to render unto our God that full and implicit
obedience which is His due! "He that hath My commandments and
keepeth them. he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be
loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to
him" (John 14:21) declares the Savior. That is exactly what He was
here doing unto obedient Joshua! It is of His spiritual manifestations
to the soul we deprive ourselves by disobedience.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he
lifted up his eyes and looked." Probably he was here engaged in
reconnoitering the walled city with a view to determining his best
plan of campaign against it, for as Israel’s leader that was his
obvious duty; nor would the firm expectation that the Lord should
show Himself strong on behalf of His people discharge him from the
performing of it. Even when we are fully assured that God is for us
and will undertake for us, it is required that we act as rational
creatures, use all proper means and precautions, and put forth our
best efforts. To refuse doing so on the pretext of relying wholly on
God to do all for us is not faith but presumption. Though Christ was
about to supply a miraculous draught of fishes, yet He bade Peter
"Launch out into the deep and let down your nets" (Luke 5:4). True,
we must not lean unto our own understanding nor rely on our own
strength, vet both the one and the other are to be exercised by us. It
was, then, while Joshua was in the path of duty discharging his
responsibility, that the Lord met with him! Only while similarly
engaged are we warranted in expecting His help.
"And it came to pass, that when Joshua was by Jericho, that
he lifted up his eyes and looked." The doubling of the verb seems to
intimate a twofold significance about Joshua’s action—a natural and
a spiritual: that after viewing the enemy’s citadel, he supplicated the
Lord. The usage of the verbs confirms this. The "lifted up" his eyes
in a natural way, taking a comprehensive survey of things, occurs in
Genesis 13:10, 14; while it is found in a spiritual sense in "unto
Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul" (Ps. 25:1); for "looked" see
Genesis 8:13 and Exodus 2:25. "And behold, a Man over against
him, with His sword drawn in His hand." This represented a real test
to Joshua’s valor. God had bidden him "Be strong and of a good
courage" (Josh. 1:6), and now he is put to the proof. There is nothing
whatever here to intimate that Joshua beheld this Man in a vision,
but rather that He appeared before him objectively and tangibly.
Even though He had a "drawn sword in His hand," Israel’s leader
did not panic and flee, but boldly advanced "unto Him." We should
harbor no fear while in the path of duty, but count upon the Divine
promise "The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that
fear Him, and delivereth them."
On the other hand Joshua did not rashly draw his own sword
and engage this Man in conflict. Instead, he inquired, "Art Thou for
us, or for our adversaries?" which challenge intimates Joshua
recognized that this Stranger was no Israelite. A moment later he
was to discover this Person was more than "a Man." Previously the
Lord had spoken unto Joshua (Josh. 1:1; 3:7; 4:1, 15), but had made
no visible manifestation of Himself unto His servant until now.
Observe well how God suits the revelation of Himself unto His
saints according to their circumstances and needs: to Abraham in his
tent He appeared as a Traveler (Gen. 18:1, 2, 13), to Moses at the
backside of the desert in a bush (Ex. 3:1, 2), to Joshua at the
beginning of his campaign as "a Man of war" (cf. Exodus 15:3). In
the celebrating of the Passover Christ had been prefigured as the
Lamb, slain (v. 11); here in verse 13, with drawn sword in hand, He
appeared as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Rev. 5:5). It was one of
the pre-incarnate appearings of the Son of God in human form,
which brings before us a most blessed yet profoundly-mysterious
subject, concerning which the reader will probably welcome a few
details.
In respect to Their Godhead, each of the three Divine
Persons is equally invisible: the Triune God is seen alone in Christ.
The invisibility of the Divine Being to mortal eyes is clearly taught
in Old and New Testament alike. "There shall no man see Me, and
live" (Ex. 33:20), "no man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18),
"dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto: whom no
man hath seen nor can see" (1 Tim. 6:16). That raises the question,
How are we to understand those passages in the Old Testament
where it is said "Jacob called the place Peniel [the face of God]: for I
have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Gen. 32:20),
"and they saw the God of Israel" (Ex. 24:10). In many passages it
was not only that God was seen in vision or symbol, but corporately
and actually. As, for example, by Moses: "If there be a prophet
among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision
and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so,
who is faithful in all Mine house. With him will I speak mouth to
mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude
["form" or "likeness"] of the Lord shall he behold" (Num. 12:6-8).
Those are what infidels term "contradictions."
The New Testament makes it known that another Person of
the same essence as the Father has had for His office the making
known of God unto His people: "the only begotten Son, which is in
the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18), "he
that hath seen Me," said Christ, "hath seen the Father" (John 14:9),
"Who is the Image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15 and cf. Hebrews
1:3). The intimate communion between the two Persons appears in
Exodus 23:20, 21: "Behold I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee
in thy way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Beware of Him and obey Him, provoke Him not; for He will not
pardon your transgressions: for My name is in Him." Observe how
such language is used there by one Person about another Person as
precludes our identifying Him as a single Person; yet both are
certainly Divine. Thus, we must not exclude Jehovah the Father
wholly from these communications to the Old Testament saints and
attribute all the messages unto the Son immediately. We are to admit
the presence of the first Person per se (by Himself), as well as the
second: two Persons with Divine attributes, employing the name of
Jehovah in common, the one the Sender, the other the Sent—the
latter communicating directly with men.
In each instance the theophanic manifestation was made by
God the Son, sometimes in the form of an angel, at others in the
form of man. It is the same person, whether called "the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," "the God of Israel" or "the Angel of the
covenant." Those mysterious appearances were so many intimations
that the Son even then personated the character of the Mediator,
under which He would yet reveal Himself openly. It was God the
Son who thus appeared to Hagar (Gen. 16:7), Abraham (Gen. 18:1),
Jacob (Gen. 32:24-30), Israel (Judg. 2:1), Gideon (Judg. 6:12-18),
Manoah (Judg. 13:21). In Malachi 3:1, "the Messenger" or "Angel
of the covenant" is called "The Lord of His temple." Those
theophanies not only disclosed a personal distinction in the
Godhead, but show the pre-existence and Deity of our Redeemer.
That the Jehovah who manifested Himself again and again unto
Israel in the wilderness was none other than the Mediator, is
unequivocally established by 1 Corinthians 10: "for they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. . . .
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents" (vv. 4, 9). See also Hebrews 11:26.
The appearing of the Son of God to men in human form—
sometimes in vision (Ezek. 1:26; Daniel 10:5, 6), sometimes in
prophecy (Ps. 89:17; Daniel 7:13), sometimes tangibly (Gen. 32:24;
Joshua 5:13)—were so many anticipations of the Word becoming
flesh, and were in order to acquaint the Church with the Person of
her Head by providing a blessed intercourse between them. They
were endearing manifestations of Christ to His saints (and to none
other!) of His love, that "His delights [even then] were with the sons
of men" (Prov. 8:31). It is most blessed to observe how many and
varied ways the Lord Jesus took to display His personal love unto
His people by vision and open revelation, by type and tangible
similitude, in the early ages of the world, until the time that He
became incarnate and tabernacled among men. They were all
designed to prepare the minds of His people for His becoming the
Son of man and furnishing the supreme proof of His love for them in
New Testament times. He graciously adopted such methods to
indicate how much He longed for the fullness of time when He
should put away their sins and bring in an everlasting righteousness
for them.
"And He said, Nay, but as Captain of the host of the Lord am
I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship
and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant?" (v. 14).
Joshua now discovered it was far more than "a Man" who stood
before him, and therefore did he prostrate himself before Him and
humbly sought His will. Had this Visitor been only an angel, he had
rebuked Joshua for worshipping him (Rev. 19:10; 22:8, 9); but this
Person accepted it, thereby evincing His Deity! This faithful servant
of His now had a special visit from his Lord to inaugurate the great
enterprise on which he was about to engage, namely, the putting of
the inhabitants of Canaan to the sword. It was the sign and token
that complete victory should be Israel’s, a guarantee that success
should be granted their warfare. This "Man over against him, with
drawn sword in His hand" had come as no idle Spectator of the
conflict, but to command and direct every movement of their battles.
"As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come": at the head of
the angelic hierarchy stands the Angel of the Lord, "the Captain of
our salvation" (Heb. 2:10).
"And the Captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose
thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is
holy. And Joshua did so" (v. 13). Here was further proof that the One
speaking to Joshua was infinitely above the highest celestial
creature, for the arch-angel’s presence had not rendered the very
ground whereon he stood sacred. It was in fact none other than the
august Person before whom the seraphim veil their faces and cry,
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts" (Isa. 6:3 and cf., John 12:41).
It will be noted that the token of reverence required from Joshua was
identical with that demanded of Moses by "the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5, 6).
That order for the removing of his shoes not only linked together the
two incidents, but supplied a further assurance of God’s promise to
His servant "as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Josh. 1:5). What an encouragement for
faith was that! Who could stand before the Captain of the Lord’s
host? What was there for Israel to fear under such a Leader! Note
how the Spirit again registers Joshua’s obedience to the command to
remove his shoes: "And Joshua did so." Nothing is too small for
God’s notice. Our every act is recorded by Him—how solemn! how
blessed!
 Joshua 6:1-27
Victory at Jericho
A Closed City
We have now arrived at what is perhaps the most interesting
and instructive incident recorded in this book, namely, the fall of
Jericho, which appears to have been the principal stronghold of the
Canaanites. Up to this point everything had been more or less
preliminary and preparatory: now the real task before them must be
faced and tackled: the Canaanites must be dispossessed if Israel
were to occupy their goodly heritage. They had already received
very great encouragement in connection with the Jordan, where the
Lord had so signally undertaken for them by the might of His power.
Having attended to the important duty of circumcision and having
kept the feast of the Passover, they were now fitted and furnished to
go forward. What a parable was that of the beginning of the
Christian life! Having been made the subject of the miracle of
regeneration, plucked as a brand from the burning, the sinner saved
by Divine grace now enters upon a new life—one as radically
different in character as Israel’s after they left the wilderness behind.
Having obediently submitted to the ordinance of baptism and fed on
the antitypical Lamb, the believer is not to settle upon his oars, but is
called upon to engage in spiritual warfare and glorify God as "a
soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3), serving under His banner and
doing exploits, overcoming his foes and entering into a present
possession of his inheritance.
Jericho was a frontier town and key city. It was a powerful
fortress barring Israel’s ingress. Its capture was indispensable before
any progress could be made by Israel in conquering and occupying
the land of Canaan. It was the enemy’s leading fastness, which
doubtless they considered to be quite impregnable, and the
destruction of it would not only be a great encouragement unto
Israel, but must still further dismay the remaining Canaanites. In its
overthrow we perceive how different are the ways of God from
man’s, and with what ease He accomplishes His purposes. Here we
behold how futile are the efforts of those who oppose Him, and how
worthless the refuges in which they vainly seek shelter. In this
memorable episode we are taught how the people of God are to act
if they would have Him show Himself strong in their behalf: how
that carnal scheming and worldly methods are given no place; but
instead, faith, obedience, courage, patience, must be exercised, if
they would obtain the victory over their foes. In what is here to be
before us we see not Israel acting on the defensive, seeking to
protect themselves from the attacks of others, but rather, under
Divine orders, taking the initiative and assuming the offensive,
which tells us there is an active side to the Christian warfare as well
as a passive one—something which is too often forgotten by many
of us.
We must not lose sight of the close connection between what
is now to be before us and that which engaged our attention in the
preceding article. There we beheld Joshua alone by Jericho, verse
apparently reconnoitering that fortress and noting its formidable
strength—compare our remarks on chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, where
Israel was required to take full stock of the flooded river which
barred their entrance into Canaan. While so engaged, Israel’s leader
was suddenly confronted with a mysterious Personage "with His
sword drawn in His hand" who, upon being asked, "Art thou for us,
or for our adversaries?" replied, "Nay, but as Captain of the host of
the Lord am I now come" (v. 14). Just as Jehovah had appeared to
Moses at the burning bush before he entered upon his great task of
leading the children of Israel out of the house of bondage and Moses
received assurance that God had "come down to deliver them out of
the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land, unto a
land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8), so Joshua was then
given promise that an all-sufficient Leader would take charge of
Israel’s host and conduct them to complete victory. That we should
link together Exodus 3:1-10, and Joshua 5:13-15, is intimated by the
fact that on each occasion the appearing of the Lord was marked by
the command, "loose thy shoe."
As stated in our last article, the second main division of the
book of Joshua commences at chapter 5, verse 13 (that section
which has for its theme The Conquest of the Land), and therefore it
behooves us to pay extra close attention to its opening verses. The
incident described therein is not only introductory to what follows in
the next six chapters, but it furnishes the key to their right
interpretation. The appearing of the Angel of the Lord unto Moses at
the burning bush had a deeper design than the strengthening of his
heart, being a symbolical representation of the people of God then in
"the iron furnace" (Deut. 4:20), the "furnace of affliction" (Isa.
48:10), and that the Lord Himself was present with them in it: "in all
their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved
them" (Isa. 63:9, and cf. Matthew 25:36; Acts 9:11). But in Joshua
verse 13-15, the Lord is viewed as no longer suffering in and with
His people, but stands forth as their Captain, to command and lead
them in battle. It was plain intimation that this was not Israel’s
quarrel, in which they should seek Divine assistance; but Jehovah’s
own quarrel, and Israel was but a division of His "host." The wars of
Israel are expressly called "the wars of the Lord" (Num. 21:54).
Israel’s destruction of the Canaanites was no private vengeance, but
Divine, because their iniquities were now "come to the full" (Gen.
15:26; Lev. 18:25-28).
Far more was involved here than appears on the surface, and
it is only by carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture that we
can discover what was really taking place behind the scenes. The
dispossession of the Canaanites from their native land should cause
us no uneasiness, for it was no unrighteous act on Israel’s part:
rather were they made the instrument of God’s holy judgment upon
those who had persisted so long in their abominations that naught
remained but their extermination. We need to look above the human
side of things here, and contemplate them in the light of that
expression, "the wars of the Lord," for that is what they were. It was
more than human forces which were involved on both sides, namely,
Divine and infernal. Jehovah Himself was now waging war upon
Satan and his hosts. The Canaanites were devoted to idolatry and
necromancy, using divination, being enchanters, witches, charmers,
consulters with familiar spirits; and as Moses had announced,
"because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them
out before thee" (Deut. 18:9-14)! As the apostle also informs us, "the
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not
to God" (1 Cor. 10:20). God, then, was here waging war upon the
powers of darkness, and, as was evident at the Red Sea, none could
withstand Him.
The subject is admittedly mysterious, yet sufficient light is
cast upon it by the Word of God to enable us to perceive something
of its real character. When man apostatized from God, he became
the captive of the Devil; and when Christ came here to effect the
redemption of His enslaved people, He had first to conquer their
Captor. The Gospels make it clear that Christ’s conflict was far more
than one with men who hated Him, namely, against the Prince of this
world—it was Satan who "entered into Judas" and moved him to
perform his dastardly work. The "strong man armed" kept his
palace, and his goods were in peace. But when "a Stronger than he
came upon him," He overcame him and took from him all his armor
in which he trusted, and "divideth his spoils" (Luke 11:21, 22, and
cf. Isaiah 53:12); "that through death He might destroy him that had
the power of death" (Heb. 2:14); "having spoiled principalities and
powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in
Himself" Col. 2:14). Likewise His soldiers are bidden to "Put on the
whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the Devil"; the reason given being, "For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the
heavenlies" (Eph. 6:10, 11)! How little is this realized!
"Now Jericho was straitly shut up, because of the children of
Israel: none went out, and none came in" (Josh. 6:1). This at once
arrests our attention. They were not willing to issue forth and fight
against Israel in the open. The fear of the Lord was upon them. What
Jehovah wrought for His obedient people at the Jordan had struck
terror into their souls. They were made to realize that One was with
them who could not be withstood. "And it came to pass, when all the
kings of the Amorites which were on the side of Jordan westward,
and all the kings of the Canaanites which were by the sea, heard that
the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children
of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither
was there spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel"
(v. 1). Consequently, their hope now lay in the height and strength of
the walls of Jericho. There they sheltered, yet in a spirit of
uneasiness. When there is an ungrieved Spirit in the midst of God’s
people, not only are they made the subjects of His quickening,
fructifying and comforting influences, but those that are without are
awed by His power! It is the absence of His restraint which explains
the present lawlessness of society.
"Now Jericho was straitly shut up." The attentive reader will
observe that the margin has it, "did shut up and was shut up." It is an
expressive emphasis in the Hebrew like "dying thou shalt die" (Gen.
2:17) and "in blessing I will bless thee" (Gen. 22:17). All the
passages of ingress and egress were closed: the heavy gates barred,
the inhabitants shut in by the massive walls. But what could such
measures avail them? What are bolts and bars unto Him who can
make the iron gate of a city "open of his own accord" (Acts 12:10),
and cause "all the doors" of a prison to be opened when He pleases
(Acts 16:26)? Verily, "except the Lord keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain (Ps. 127:1). How little is that apprehended by this
materialistic generation, who give little or no thought at all unto the
agency of God in human affairs! What a rude awakening awaits
them at the moment of death, and in the Day to come, when it shall
be made to appear before an assembled universe that any other
refuge than Christ Himself in which sinners sought shelter, stood
them in no better stead in the hour of trial than Jericho did the
Canaanites!
Jericho was one of those well-secured cities of Canaan of
which it is said, "The cities were walled and very great" (Num.
13:28) and which to the carnal spies appeared utterly unassailable
(Deut. 1:28). It was therefore a challenge to faith—just as was
Jordan. God did not work that first miracle before Israel’s faith was
put to the proof, but afterward. The priests bearing the ark were
required, at the Divine command, "When ye are come to the brink of
the water of Jordan ye shall stand still in Jordan" (Josh. 3:8), and it
was not until they had complied with that order that the Lord
wrought so wondrously for them: "And as they that bare the ark
were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark
were dipped in the brink of the water . . . that the water which came
down from above stood and rose up in a heap" (vv. 15 and 16). So it
was at Jericho. The Captain of the Lord’s host had declared He
would undertake for Israel, yet here was this citadel barred against
them! Its gates were not opened by Divine hand, nor was its king
panic-stricken so that he surrendered to them. No; "Jericho was
straitly shut up." That was what confronted outward sight! So it is in
our experiences today. "According unto your faith be it unto you": it
is in response to that, God works.
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine
hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor"
(Josh. 6:2). Very blessed is that. The Lord graciously made free with
His servant, and before the campaign opened assured him of the
complete success of the same. But let us not fail to call to mind that
which had immediately preceded this favor, for there is an
inseparable moral connection between them, which it behooves us to
note. Joshua himself, the priests, and the whole nation had exercised
an exemplary obedience to the Divine will and had manifested a real
concern for the Divine glory—in circumcising the men and in
celebrating the Passover feast. It is ever God’s way to make free
with us when everything is right between Him and our souls. Thus
we have illustrated and exemplified here yet another effect that
always follows when there is an ungrieved Spirit in the midst of a
company of saints. Not only does He awe those who are without, but
Divine communications are freely vouchsafed unto those who are
within! That ought to be a normal and regular experience, and not an
occasional and extraordinary one. As the Lord Jesus declared, "He
that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth
Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will
love him and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:21).
 Above, we have said that this confronting of Jericho "straitly
shut up" was a challenge to faith, and that God acts "according to"
our faith. But faith must ever have a foundation to rest upon, and
here one was afforded the same. That word "See, I have given unto
thine hand Jericho," was instructive and emphatic. "See" was a
definite call to view things with the eye of the spirit rather than that
of the body: contemplate this obstacle by faith and not by carnal
reason. Just as at the Red Sea the word was, "Stand still, and see the
salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today . . . the Lord
shall fight for you" (Ex. 14:13, 14). Yet they saw not that "salvation"
or deliverance outwardly until they had, in faith and obedience,
complied with the Divine order, "speak unto the children of Israel
that they go forward" (v. 15). They were required to "see" God’s
promised deliverance by faith before it was accomplished unto
outward sight! It was the same thing here: "See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho." Have you, my reader, thus "seen" that blessed
One of whom previously you had only "heard" (Job 42:5)? Have
you thus "seen Him who is invisible" (Heb. 11:27)? Have you thus
"seen your final and complete victory over sin and death? Have you
thus seen that place which your Redeemer has gone to prepare for
you? That is what faith is: "the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1)!
Instructions for Conquest
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine
hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor"
(Josh. 6:2).
That gracious declaration was not only a challenge unto the
exercise of faith, and an evidence of God’s bounty, but it was also
designed to subdue all the workings of self-sufficiency. The proud
flesh remains in all God’s people, and the best of them are prone to
take unto themselves that credit and praise which belong alone unto
God. But that "See [take note of, keep steadily in mind, that] I have
given into thine hand Jericho" was meant to exclude all boasting. It
was not only a word to encourage and animate, but also one to
humble, signifying that the success of this venture must be ascribed
unto the Lord Himself, apart from whom "we can do nothing" (John
15:5). Victory over our enemies must never be ascribed to our own
prowess: rather are we to aver, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, for Thy truth’s sake"
(Ps. 115:1). Jericho was Israel’s by Divine donation, and therefore
its capture was to be attributed wholly unto the God of all grace.
"What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst
receive, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (1
Cor. 4:7). What need there is for that truth to be pressed today upon
a boastful and vainglorious Christendom!
When the people of Lystra saw the healing of the cripple,
they sought to render Divine homage unto Barnabas and Paul,
which, when they beheld, "rent their clothes and ran in among the
people crying and saying, Sirs why do ye this thing? we also are
men of like passions with you" (Acts 14:14, 15). O for more of that
self-effacing spirit. How dishonoring it is unto God to have so many
professing Christians eulogizing worms of the dust and using such
expressions as "He is a great man," "a remarkable preacher," "a
wonderful Bible teacher." What glory doth the Lord get therefrom?
None. No wonder the unction of the Spirit is now so generally
withheld! Moreover, nothing is so apt to destroy a preacher’s
usefulness as to puff him up with flattery; certainly nothing is so
insulting to the Spirit and more calculated to cause Him to withdraw
His blessing than such idolatrous man-worship. How much better to
say, "Such a preacher is highly favored of the Lord in being so gifted
by Him." "The pastor was much helped by God in his sermon this
morning." "Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), and therefore
it behooves us to thankfully acknowledge the Giver and freely
render unto Him undivided praise for every blessing which He
vouchsafes us through His servants, whether it comes in an oral or
written form.
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine
hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor."
Taking that verse as a whole, we may perceive the Lord’s concern
for His own honor. He is very jealous of the same, saying "My glory
will I not give unto another" (Isa. 42:8). Let us not forget that Herod
was eaten up of worms "because he gave not glory to God" (Acts
12:23)! It was to prevent Israel’s committing this sin the Lord here
made this affirmation unto their leader. It was in order that His
people might freely own, "He hath done marvelous things: His right
hand and His holy arm hath gotten Him the victory" (Ps. 80:1). How
often the Scriptures record such statements as these: "today the Lord
hath wrought salvation [deliverance] in Israel" (1 Sam. 11:14); "So
the Lord saved Israel that day" (1 Sam 14:23); "The Lord wrought a
great salvation for Israel" (1 Sam. 19:5); "The Lord wrought a great
victory that day" (2 Sam. 23:10); "By him [Naaman] the Lord had
given deliverance unto Syria" (2 Kings 5:1). Alas, how little is such
language now heard! David had been taught this God-honoring and
self-abasing truth, as is shown by his words "Blessed he the Lord my
strength, who teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight" (Ps.
144:1). Such should be the acknowledgment made by us in
connection with our spiritual warfare and every success granted us
in the Christian life.
"And ye shall compass the city: all ye men of war, and go
round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven
priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and
the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the
priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that
when they have made a long blast with the rams’ horns, when ye
hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great
shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people
shall ascend up every man straight before him" (vv. 3-5). In view of
the preceding verse, that may strike some of our readers as a very
strange requirement. If the Lord had definitely given Jericho into the
hands of Joshua, why were such elaborate preparations as these
necessary for its overthrow? Let those who feel the force of any
such difficulty weigh attentively what we are about to say. In reality,
those verses exemplify and illustrate a principle which it is most
important for us to apprehend. That principle may be stated thus: the
disclosure of God’s gracious purpose and the absolute certainty of
its accomplishment in no wise renders needless the discharge of our
responsibilities. God’s assuring us of the sureness of the end does
not set aside the indispensability of the use of means. Thus, here
again, as everywhere, we see preserved the balance of Truth.
So far from the Divine promises being designed to promote
inactivity on our part, they are given as a spur unto the same, to
assure us that if our efforts square with the Divine Rule, they will
not be in vain. The gracious declaration that God had given Jericho
into the hand of Israel did not discharge them from the performance
of their duty, but was to assure them of certain success in the same.
That principle operates throughout in the accomplishment of the
Divine purpose. The truth of election is not revealed in order to
license a spirit of fatalism, but to rejoice our hearts by the
knowledge that the whole of Adam’s race is not doomed to
destruction. Nor are the elect mechanically delivered from
destruction apart from any action of theirs, for though they be
"chosen to salvation," yet it is "through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the Truth" (2 Thess. 2:13)—unless the Truth be
embraced by them no salvation would be theirs, for "he that
believeth not shall be damned." Likewise the revealed truth that
Christ will yet "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied" (Isa.
53), that "all that the Father giveth Him shall come to Him" (John
6:37), does not render needless the preaching of the Gospel to every
creature, for that preaching is the very means which God has
appointed and which the Holy Spirit makes effectual in drawing
unto Christ those for whom He died. We must not divide what God
has joined together.
It is the sundering of those things which God has connected
—wherein He has made the one dependent upon another—which
has wrought so much evil and caused so many useless divisions
among His people. For example, in the twin truths of Divine
preservation and Christian perseverance. Our assurance of
glorification in no wise sets aside the need for care and caution, self-
denial and striving against sin on our part. There is a narrow way to
be trodden if Life is to be reached (Matthew 7:14), a race to be run if
the prize is to be secured (Heb. 12:1; Philippians 3:14). We are
indeed "kept by the power of God,’ yet "through faith" (1 Pet. 1:5)
and not irrespective of its exercise; and faith eyes and makes use of
the Divine precepts equally with the Divine promises, and heeds
God’s admonitions and warnings as well as appropriates His
comforts and encouragements. God has nowhere declared that He
will preserve the reckless and presumptuous. He preserves in faith
and holiness, and not in carnality and worldliness. Christ has
guaranteed, the eternal security of a certain company, but He was
careful to first describe the marks of those who belong to it: "My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and
they shall never perish" (John 10:27, 28), but no such assurance is
given unto any who disregard His voice and follow a course of self-
will and self-pleasing. God’s promise of Heaven to the believer is
far from signifying that he will not have to fight his way there.
The appointed means must never be separated from the
appointed end. Strength for the body is obtained through the mouth,
and health is not maintained without observing the rules of hygiene.
Crops will not be produced unless the ground be prepared and sown.
Yet in connection with spiritual matters we need to be particularly
careful that we employ only those methods and use none but those
means which God has appointed. "If a man also strive for masteries,
yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully" (2 Tim. 2:5). For us
to determine the methods and select those means which appeal most
to us when engaged in the service of God is presumptuous, a species
of self-will, laying us open to the charge of "Who hath required this
at your hand?" (Isa. 1:12); and for us to ask God’s blessing upon the
same is only seeking to make Him of our mind. Let us not forget the
solemn warning Pointed by the death of Uzzah, when the Lord God
made a breach in Israel because they "sought Him not after the due
order" (1 Chron. 15:13). We must keep closely to God’s "due order"
if we are to have His approbation. That was one of the outstanding
lessons here taught Joshua. He was not left free to follow his own
devices, but must adhere strictly to the plan God gave him,
following out His instructions to the very letter if Jericho was to fall
before Israel.
 How passing strange those instructions must have appeared!
How utterly inadequate such means for such an enterprise! How
futile would such a procedure seem unto carnal reason! "No trenches
were to be opened. no batteries erected, no battering-rams drawn up,
nor any military preparations made" (Matthew Henry). Who ever
heard of a mighty fortress being completely demolished in response
to a company of people walking around it? Ah, God’s ways are not
only very different from man’s, but they are designed to stain his
pride and secure the glory unto Himself. The leader and lawgiver of
Israel was preserved in a frail ark of bulrushes. The mighty giant of
the Philistines was overcome by a sling and a stone. The prophet
Elijah was sustained by a widow’s handful of meal. The forerunner
of Christ dwelt in the wilderness, had his raiment of camel’s hair and
a leathern girdle, and fed upon locusts and wild honey. The Savior
Himself was born in a stable and laid in a manger. The ones whom
He selected to be His ambassadors were for the most part unlettered
fishermen. What striking illustrations are these that "that which is
highly, esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God"
(Luke 16:15)! Yet how needful it is to keep this principle before us!
Had Joshua called a council of war and consulted with the
heads of the tribes as to what they deemed the best policy to adopt,
what conflicting advice he had most probably received, what various
methods of assault had been advocated. One would have reasoned
that the only way to subdue Jericho was by the starving out of its
inhabitants through a protracted siege Another would have
counseled the use of ladders to scale its walls by men heavily mailed
and armed. A third would have argued that heavy battering-rams
would be more effective and less costly in lives to the attackers.
While a fourth would have suggested a surprise attack by secretly
tunneling under the walls. Each would have leaned unto his own
understanding, and deemed his plan the best. But Joshua conferred
not with flesh and blood, but received his commission direct from
the Lord, and therein he has left an example for all His servants to
follow. The minister of the Gospel is responsible to Christ: he is His
servant, called and commissioned by Him, and from Him alone must
he take his orders. He has no authority except what Christ has given
him, and he needs no more. Joshua did not refer the instructions he
had received from God to the judgment of the priests and elders and
ask their opinion on the same, but instead acted promptly upon
them, counting upon the Divine blessing, however his fellows might
regard them.
"When the Lord effects HIS purposes by such means and
instruments as we deem adequate, our views are apt to terminate
upon them, and to overlook Him ‘who worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will.’ To obviate this propensity, the Lord
sometimes deviates from the common track and works by methods
or instruments which in themselves appear not at all suited to
produce the intended effect; nay, sometimes have no real connection
with it (Num. 20:6-9; Ezekiel 37:1-10; John 9:4-7). But it is our duty
to use only those means which the Lord appoints or allows, to
submit to His will, and depend upon His blessing; and with patient
waiting and self-denying diligence, to expect the event: and we shall
thus succeed as far as is conducive to our real good. He takes
peculiar pleasure in leading men’s attention to His own truths and
ordinances, in exercising their faith and patience, in inuring them to
submit their understandings implicitly to His teaching and their wills
to His authority, and in securing to Himself their praises and
thankful acknowledgements. In promoting true religion, especially,
He works by means and instruments which the proud, the learned,
and the wealthy of this world generally despise. The doctrine of a
crucified Savior, God manifested in the flesh, as the only foundation
of a sinner’s hope of acceptance, and the only source of sanctifying
grace; preached by ministers, frequently, of obscure birth and
moderate abilities, and destitute of the advantages of eminent
learning or eloquence; sometimes even homely in their appearance
and address" (Thomas Scott).
Looking more closely now at the instructions which Joshua
received from the Lord on this occasion, we see that once more "the
ark" was given the place of honor, being made central in the order of
the procession. First were to proceed the "men of war," then came
the ark with seven priests in front of it with "trumpets of rams’
horns," and behind it came all the body of the people. The ark was
the recognized symbol of Jehovah’s presence, and its being carried
before the congregation was to intimate the victory was from Him.
Very much indeed turns upon our realization of the Divine presence
—both as a restraint upon the flesh, and a stimulant to the spirit.
When assured that the Lord is not only for us but with us, fear gives
place to holy confidence. Deeply important is it for the servant of
Christ not only to adhere strictly to the terms of His commission, but
also to rest upon His blessed promise, "Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end" (Matthew 28:19, 20). Equally necessary for the
rank and the of God’s people to lay hold of that word, "I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee." Joshua had received personal
assurance of this by the appearing to him of the "Captain of the
Lord’s host" (Josh. 5:13-15), and by the prominence accorded the
ark: the whole congregation were given a visible reminder of the
same fact. All were to move with their eyes fixed upon the Captain
of their salvation, for none could stand before Him.
But the ark was also the repository of the tables of stone, on
which were inscribed the ten commandments. It therefore denoted
that Israel now marched as subject to the Divine Law, for only as
they acted in obedience to its terms could success be expected. As
was pointed out in our articles on the crossing of the Jordan, Israel
marched into Canaan led by the Law: so here we are shown their
conquest of the land depended upon their compliance with its
requirements. But more: the presence of the ark here intimated that
the Law was the minister of vengeance to the Canaanites: their cup
of iniquity was now full and they must suffer the due reward of the
same. Here the Law was "the minister of death" as the sequel
demonstrated: see verse 21.
Seven Days of March
In our last we considered the instructions which Joshua
received from the Lord concerning Jericho; now we are to observe
how the same were carried out. "And Joshua the son of Nun called
the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and
let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of
the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the
city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord"
(Josh. 6:6, 7). It is therefore quite evident from these verses that
Joshua understood God’s promise "I have given into thine hand
Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor" (v. 2) as
meaning that, if His directions were faithfully and exactly executed,
but only in that case, would the city be supernaturally overthrown.
That promise was to assure Joshua that the Canaanites would be
unable to successfully defend their city, and that the Lord would
make it manifest that He had delivered it up to Israel; nevertheless
they must act in full subjection to His revealed will.
This incident of the capture of Jericho is one which should
be carefully pondered and taken to heart by all the people of God
today, especially so by His servants, for if it be so it will supply a
grand tonic to faith, and effectually counteract that spirit of gloom
which now so widely obtains. Alas, the majority of professing
Christians are far more occupied with what are called "the signs of
the times" than they are with the One in whose hand all "times and
seasons" are (Acts 1:7). They are walking by sight, rather than by
faith; engaged with the things seen, rather than with those which are
unseen. The consequence is that many of them are cast down and
dispirited over present conditions, and only too often the preacher is
apt to regard the situation as hopeless. But that is to be of the same
temper as the unbelieving spies, who said "We be not able to go up
against the people: for they are stronger than we" (Num. 13:31),
magnifying the difficulties which confronted them and yielding to a
spirit of defeatism.
If the minister of the Gospel be occupied with the smallness
of his congregation, and their unresponsiveness to his preaching; if
he dwell unduly upon the lack of interest on the part of the young
people, and listens to the prophets of gloom, who ever give the
darkest possible interpretation to things, then he may well be
dejected. But if his thoughts be formed by and his own soul fed
upon the Word of God, then he will discover that there is no cause
whatever for dismay. Scripture nowhere teaches that God is seeking
to convert the world, rather does it declare that He is visiting the
Gentiles "to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14).
When giving instructions to His servants, Christ bade them "take no
anxious thought," for He would have their hearts at rest, trusting, in
the living God to supply their every need; and also said "Fear not
little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the
kingdom" (Luke 12:22, 32). He ever sought to strengthen their
confidence in the invincibility of God’s purpose, declaring "all that
the Father giveth Me, shall come unto Me" (John 6:37).
Instead of perplexing his mind with useless speculations
about the ten toes of Daniel’s colossus, the business of the minister
of the Gospel is to faithfully carry out the commission which he has
received from his Master (Matthew 38:19, 20). Instead of wasting
time upon the newspapers and listening in to the wireless in order to
ascertain the latest threats of the Kremlin or menaces of the Vatican,
let him give more earnest heed to that injunction "Study to show
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Instead
of being so absorbed with the activities of Satan’s emissaries, let
him mix faith with that heartening assurance of the Most High, "For
as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth
not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall
My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return
unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall
prosper whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:10, 11).
The Word of God is not outdated: "heaven and earth shall
pass away but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).
Then preach that Word in its purity, in its fullness, with implicit
confidence in its sufficiency. The Gospel of Christ is not obsolete,
but is still "the power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth" (Rom. 1:16). Then proclaim it, realizing that the curse of
God rests on all who preach any other (Gal. 1:8). Do you reply, I
have, in my poor way, sought to preach the Gospel as faithfully and
earnestly as I know how: but so far as I can see, it has been fruitless,
and I am thoroughly discouraged. Then take heed, we beg you, to
the incident which is here before us. Get down on your knees right
now and beg God to bless this article unto you. Fervently implore
Him to open your heart to receive the same. Ponder afresh those
words "by faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were
compassed about seven days" (Heb. 11:30). Surely then "all things
are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23)!
It requires no forced or fanciful effort of ours to show that
Israel’s conquest of Jericho adumbrated the victories won by the
Gospel, when it is faithfully preached and the blessing of God
attends the same. As was pointed out in our last, Jericho was one of
the leading strongholds of the enemy: "the cities are walled and very
great" (Num. 13:28). Probably Jericho was the most powerfully
fortified of any of them, and as such it presented a formidable
obstacle unto Joshua and his fellows. Nevertheless, it fell before
them in response to the punctual observance of the orders which
they had received from the Lord. It was in manifest reference to this
that the apostle declared, "For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds"
(1 Cor. 10:4). How blessedly and unmistakably was that
demonstrated under his own ministry! How gloriously was the same
made evident in the days of Luther! How frequently has the same
truth been made to appear in various parts of the earth since then.
And you, my brethren in the ministry, have the same glorious
Gospel to preach, and the same mighty God to look unto to bless
your labors!
Do you reply, But I am no Joshua, no Paul, no Luther? Then
we remind you of the apostle’s self-abasing and God-honoring
words to those who were glorying in the flesh. "Who then is Paul,
and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the
Lord gave to every man. I have planted, Apollos watered, but God
gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing,
neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase" (1 Cor.
3:5-7). The men whom God has most used throughout the ages were
those who rated themselves as nobodies! But you say, I feel so weak
and ill-equipped—God grant that such is your sincere language, for
if the contrary were the case, if you deemed yourself an able and
well-qualified man, you are no servant of Christ’s. Listen again to
Paul, who with all his gifts and graces contemplated the tasks before
him in this spirit and attitude’ "who is sufficient for these things?" (2
Cor. 2:16.)
Writing to those same saints and looking back to the days of
his evangelistic labors among them, the apostle declared "I came to
you not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you
the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among
you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in
weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (1 Cor. 2:13). Self-
diffidence is no disqualification for Christ’s service. It was not Paul
that was "great," but rather that the weapons he used when engaging
the forces of evil were "mighty through God"! And what were those
"weapons"? Prayer, "the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God" (Eph. 6:17), and faith in the One who had commissioned him.
Note that we put prayer first. Does not the example of the supreme
Preacher (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12, 13) require us to do so? Did not the
Twelve declare, "We will give ourselves continually to [1] prayer
and [2] to the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4)? Then do thou the
same. Concerning faith, we refer the reader again to Hebrews 11:30.
Now fellow preachers, the same three "weapons" are available to us,
and we need no others for the glorifying of Christ and the execution
of His commission.
Note well, ye preachers, our last sentence. We did not say
that no other weapons are needed in order for you to be eminently
"successful" in your work, or that your use of the same will ensure
prompt "visible results." That must not be made your chief concern
nor immediate end: and if you make it such, a jealous God is most
likely to blow upon rather than bless your efforts. Your paramount
care and principal design must be the glorifying of God (1 Cor.
10:31): to make known His excellency, to enforce His just claims
upon the creatures of His hands, to bid men throw down the
weapons of their warfare against Him, and be reconciled to Him. If
you be a real servant of God’s He has sent you forth to magnify
Christ: the salvation of sinners is but secondary and subordinate
thereto. God would have a universal testimony borne unto the
matchless worth of the person and work of Christ—the Gospel is a
"witness" (Matthew 24:14) to His perfections. God would have
proclaimed far and wide the amazing fact that His own beloved Son
"became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil.
2:8), being wholly devoted unto the will of His Father.
It is of first importance that we should be quite clear upon
the nature of the Gospel: it is "the Gospel of God . . . concerning His
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 1:1, 3). In the Gospel is made
known the Savior’s personal dignities: that He is the Lord of glory,
the Prince of life, the King of kings, the Creator and Upholder of the
universe. In the Gospel is revealed His amazing condescension and
humiliation: how that in obedience to the Father’s word He
voluntarily and gladly, took upon Him the form of a servant and was
made in the likeness of sin’s flesh, tabernacling for a season in this
scene. In the Gospel is exhibited His holy and unique life:
performing the work which the Father had given Him to do. In the
Gospel is displayed His official glories, as Prophet, Priest and
Potentate. In it is told forth His grace unto sinners: dying the just for
the unjust. In it is declared how that He magnified the Divine Law
and made it honorable, superlatively glorifying the Father thereby.
In it we are informed how that God rewarded His incarnate Son by
raising Him from the dead, and seating Him at His own right hand
on high. Our business, fellow preachers, is to proclaim that Gospel
in its purity and fullness, that God may be glorified, and His Son
magnified.
Our commission is crystal clear. It is no other than this:
"Speak unto them, and tell them: whether they will hear, or whether
they will forbear" (Ezek. 3:11). Our business is to declare "all the
counsel of God" and keep back nothing that is profitable unto souls
(Acts 20:20, 27). Our marching orders are the same as Jonah’s (Jon.
3:2) and of Deuteronomy 4:2: "Preach unto it [the city] the
preaching that I bid thee." "Ye shall not add unto the Word which I
command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it." Only by so
doing will God be glorified and our souls cleared from the awful
charge of infidelity. But if we do so—and only by Divine grace,
earnestly and constantly sought, can we—we may safely leave
"results" with the Lord of the harvest. Nay more, we may rest in full
confidence on the promise "them that honor Me, I will honor" (1
Sam. 2:30). But it must be left with Him as to when and how He
"honors." In the Day to come He will say "Well done, good and
faithful servant." Even now "we are unto God a sweet savor of
Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish" (2 Cor. 2:15)!
But let us now take a more definite look at the instructions
given to Israel’s priests in Joshua 6:6. Observe carefully a significant
omission therein, which silently but decidedly confirms what has
been said above. Joshua did not announce to them the promise
which he had received from the Lord in verses 2 and 5, but simply
gave them their marching orders, without any assurance that success
would certainly attend their efforts! In this, as in almost all things,
Joshua was a type of Christ, who, although receiving promise from
His Father (in the everlasting covenant) of the sure success of His
undertaking (cf. Isaiah 53:10-12), yet when commissioning His
servants, gave them specific commandments but said not a word
about their labors being fruitful!—see Matthew 28, 29, 30; Mark
16:15, 16; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23; Acts 1:7, 8. So here: the
priests were told what to do, and that was all. Unquestioning and
unreserved obedience to their orders was what was required from
them: nothing more, nothing less. They were, first, to "take up the
ark of the covenant"; second, to "bear seven trumpets of rams’
horns"; and third, to go "before the ark of the Lord." Let us now
point out the typical significance of the same.
The ark of the covenant was the symbol of the Lord’s
presence with them, as their "Leader and Commander" (Isa. 55:4).
In like manner, Christ has assured His servants "Lo! I am with you
always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). That is to
be realized by faith, and not by sense. The minister of the Gospel is
to go forward to the fight in the blessed consciousness that he is not
alone: he is to act with full assurance that the Captain of his
salvation is with him. What a difference it will make if he steadily
bear the same in mind! Let him act accordingly. Let the known
presence of Christ serve both as a bridle upon the flesh, and as a
spur to his zeal. The priests "bearing the trumpets" at once identifies
them as adumbrating ministers of the Gospel sounding forth their
imperative message. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and show My people their transgressions" (Isa. 58:1). "I set
watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet"
(Jer. 6:17). "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My
holy mountain" (Joel 2:10). The apostle made use of this figure
when he said "If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall
prepare himself to the battle" (1 Cor. 14:8).
The sounding of the trumpets by the priests on this occasion
had a twofold design: to strike terror into the hearts of the
Canaanites: to inspire with courage and confidence the people of
God. And that is the twofold work of Christ’s servants. First, to
solemnly declare the revealed wrath of God against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men (Rom. 1:18): to announce His war
against those who continue in sin: to boldly declare "he that
believeth not shall be damned." Thus did the supreme Gospeler:
Matthew 11:23, 24; John 3:18, 36! Second, to strengthen the hearts
of God’s people: "And if ye go to war in your land against the
enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the
trumpets, and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God,
and ye shall be saved from your enemies" (Num. 10:9). "And it shall
be when ye are come nigh to the battle, that the priest shall approach
and speak unto the people, and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel,
ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your
hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified
because of them; for the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to
fight for you against your enemies, to save you" (Deut. 20:2, 4).
Thus is the preacher to encourage the saints in their conflict with the
flesh, the world, and the devil.
"And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said unto
them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear
seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord. And he
said unto the people, Pass on and compass the city, and let him that
is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord" (Josh. 6:6, 7). Lack of
space prevented the completion of our remarks upon these two
verses in our last. There we dwelt at length upon the former one, and
sought to show that Israel’s priests, on this occasion, shadowed forth
the ministers of the Gospel, and how that the appointed (spiritual)
weapons of their "warfare are made mighty through God to the
pulling down of strongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4). Care needs to be taken
against carnalizing that expression and interpreting it in a manner
unwarranted by the Analogy of Faith. It is not the Gospel converting
people en masse (in a body)—"Glasgow for Christ," "Chicago for
Christ," as Arminian slogans express it—but the delivering of
individual souls from that powerful "refuge of lies" in which the
natural man is entrenched. The meaning of 2 Corinthians 10:4, is
explained in the next verse:
"Casting down imaginations [or "reasongings"] and every
high thing that exalteth itself against God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).
The heart of the natural man is stoutly opposed to God, being filled
with enmity against Him. It is fortified by the love of sin against
every appeal unto holiness. The unregenerate are so inured and
hardened by habit and practice that the Holy Spirit declares "Can the
Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? then may ye also
do good, that are accustomed to do evil’ (Jer. 13:23). Their wills are
enslaved, so that they "will not come to Christ" (John 5:40). They
are steeled against both the terrors of the Law and the attractions of
the Gospel. Furthermore they are the captives of the devil (Luke
11:21; 2 Timothy 2:26), and are unable to emancipate themselves.
Naught but a miracle of grace can free them, and the means used by
the Spirit in accomplishing that miracle is the preached Word,
effectually applied to the heart by His power. Then is the proud rebel
humbled into the dust before God, delivered from the dominion of
sin and Satan, transformed into a loving and loyal subject of Christ.
 In the seventh verse of Joshua 6, instructions were given to
the people. On this occasion they were to accompany the priests!
When crossing the Jordan the priests went "before the people" (Josh.
3:6), and stood alone "in the midst of Jordan" until "all the people
had passed over" (Josh. 4:20). There they foreshadowed our great
High Priest, who "by Himself" opened a way through death for His
people (see Chapter Six). But here the priests typified the servants of
Christ, as engaged on their evangelistic labors. Consequently the
hosts of Israel must now accompany them. What a word is that for
the rank and the of the people of God today! Only too often has the
minister of the Gospel to go forth alone. He does not receive that
moral and spiritual support to which he is entitled, and which he so
much needs. No wonder so many faithful preachers are discouraged
when the prayer-meetings are so thinly attended, and when so few
are holding up their hands at the throne of grace! O that it may
please God to use this paragraph in stirring up professing Christians
to be more definite and fervent in praying for all godly ministers.
Only a preacher knows what difference it makes to have the
assurance that the hearts of his people are with him!
"And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the
people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’
horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and
the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them" (v. 8). Observe,
first, how precise is the time-mark here of the priests’ action: they
did not move forward until the people had taken their allotted
position according to the instructions they had received from their
leader. There was to be conjoint action: the priests accompanied by
the people—exemplifying what we have said in the above
paragraph. Second, since there is nothing meaningless or
superfluous in Holy Writ, note how the Spirit has again emphasized
the rude nature of the priests’ "trumpets." No less than five times in
this chapter are we told that those employed on this occasion were
made of "rams’ horns"—a cruder or meaner material could scarcely
be imagined. They were in designed and striking contrast with the
"trumpets of silver" which were normally used in the camp of Israel
(Num. 10:1-10). It was God pouring contempt on the means used—
those which were despicable in the eyes of men—that Israel’s pride
might be stained and Himself glorified, for His strength is ever made
perfect through weakness.
Bearing in mind that Israel’s priests here foreshadowed the
true servants of Christ, their using trumpets of rams’ horns is deeply
significant, albeit, very distasteful to that pride of heart which
glories in the flesh. It not only emphasized the feebleness of the
means used by God in accomplishing His purpose of grace, namely,
that it hath pleased Him "by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21), but also indicated the type of men
God deigns to employ as His mouthpieces. When our Lord chose the
men who were to be His apostles and ambassadors, He selected not
those who occupied eminent stations in the world, nor those who
had passed through the schools of learning, but unlettered fishermen
and a despised tax-gatherer—that was the antitype of "the rams’
horns" in contrast with "the trumpets of silver"—men of lowly
origin, despised by those who are great and wise in their own eyes!
To effect the mightiest of all works, God employs what is to the
mind of the natural man the most inadequate means, in order that
His wisdom and power may be the more apparent. The Gospel does
not depend for its success on human wisdom—a fact lost sight of by
the churches today.
That same flesh-withering truth is dearly expressed in 1
Corinthians 1:26-31, though few have perceived it. The immediate
design of the apostle in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 was to show that the
great and grand change wrought in the hearts of believers is not to
be ascribed to any wisdom or power possessed by the preacher (who
is hut a channel through which God condescends to work), but is to
be attributed wholly to the Divine grace in making his message
effectual. The Corinthians were glorying in human instruments,
setting up one against another (see Joshua 1:12), and the apostle
shows how utterly baseless and foolish was such glorying. He
pointed out that it was not the learning of Paul nor the eloquence of
Apollos which could convert a soul, but that God must, from
beginning to end, accomplish the same. This he demonstrates by
describing the type of instruments which He makes to be vehicles of
blessing unto sinners. "For ye see your calling, brethren [i.e. ye
perceive from your own calling out of darkness into God’s
marvelous light], that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble"—"are employed" (by God) is a far better
and more pertinent supplement than "are called."
"But God hath chosen [for His servants] the foolish things of
the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and
base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen; and things which are not [nonentities, nobodies] to bring to
naught the things that are." Thus, verses 26-28 are to be connected
with the whole context, and not simply with verses 24, 25. In them
we behold again "the trumpets of rams’ horns"—God employing
instruments which appear utterly inadequate to carnal reason. That
interpretation is clearly confirmed by "that no flesh should glory in
His presence," for the Corinthians were not glorying in themselves,
but in their ministers (Josh. 1:12; 3:4)! It is clinched by the next
words: "But of Him [and not by Paul, or Apollos, or any worm of
the earth] are ye in Christ Jesus" (v. 30). Thus, Paul was showing
that it was not through learned philosophers nor highly trained
rabbins that the Corinthians had heard the Gospel of their salvation,
but rather through those whom both the one and the other regarded
with contempt. If further corroboration be needed, verse 31 supplies
it!
God is jealous of His honor and will not share it with
another. It pleases Him, as a general rule, to select for His
instruments those who have no glittering accomplishments: rather,
plain, simple, homely men. It is not silver-tongued orators through
whom He most shows forth His praises, but by those who have
nothing more, naturally, to commend them unto their hearers than
that which resembles the "rams’ horns"! His most eminent servants
have not been those of royal blood, noble birth, or high station, but
taken from the lower walks of life. Luther, the principal agent used
by God in the mighty Reformation, was the son of a miner. Bunyan
was but a tinker, yet his book Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated
into more languages, had a much wider circulation, and been used in
blessing to a far greater number of souls, than all the writings put
together of the learned Owen and Goodwin! Spurgeon had neither
university nor college training, nor was he a graduate of any
seminary! Though after God’s call to the ministry, each of them
studied hard and long to improve himself! In proportion as the
churches have made an idol of education and theological learning in
their ministers, has their spirituality waned: that is a fact, however
unpalatable it may be.
There is a third thing in verse 8 which claims our notice,
namely, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’
horns "passed on before the Lord." This is generally understood to
mean that they preceded the ark, but that can scarcely be its
significance, unless we are ready to conclude there is needless
tautology here, for the same verse ends by declaring "and the ark of
the covenant of the Lord followed them." What then is imported by
they "passed on before the Lord"? It is very much more than a bare
historical detail, which has no relation unto us today—alas that so
few search for the present application to themselves of all in the
Bible. There is that here which the servants of Christ need to
observe and take to heart: something of vital importance and
blessedness. That brief statement reveals to us the inward condition
of the priests. It expressed their attitude unto Jehovah, and the Spirit
of Truth delighted to record the same. Man looketh on the outward
appearance but God looketh on the heart; and the hearts of Israel’s
priests were engaged with Him, and they comported themselves
accordingly. By carefully comparing Scripture with Scripture we
may ascertain the meaning of this clause.
In Genesis 5:24, we are told that "Enoch walked with God."
In 1 Samuel 2:21, that "the child Samuel grew before the Lord." In
Deuteronomy 13:4, that Israel were bidden to "walk after the Lord
their God." While in’ Colossians 2:6, Christians are exhorted "As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him."
In those four prepositions we have an outline of the whole privilege
and duty of the saint in his relation to God. To "walk with God" is
only possible unto one who has been reconciled to Him, for "Can
two walk together except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:2). Thus it is
expressive of holy communion with God. To go or walk "before the
Lord" is to conduct ourselves in the realization that all our actions
are being scrutinized by Him: "For the ways of man are before the
eyes of the Lord, and He pondereth all his goings" (Prov. 5:21).
Thus it is expressive of holy fear. To walk "after the Lord" is to live
in complete subjection to His revealed will: "And the king stood in
his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the
Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His
statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul" (2 Chron. 34:31).
There it is expressive of unreserved obedience. To "walk in Christ"
is expressive of union, like a branch in the vine, and signifies to live
by His enablement, strengthened by Him, "rooted and built up in
Him" as Colossians 2:27, explains it.
But the one passage which more expressly explains these
words of the priests passing on "before the Lord" is Genesis 17:1,
when He said unto Abraham "I am the Almighty God: walk before
Me, and be thou upright." That was said, first, by way of rebuke,
right after his impatient and carnal conduct with Hagar. Second, that
was said for his instruction and encouragement: to show him that
there was no occasion for taking matters into his own hands. The
Lord now made known Himself to Abraham as "The Almighty"—El
Shaddai—the fully competent One, able to supply all his need,
without the patriarch resorting to any fleshly devices. In view of
which Abraham was bidden to "walk before Me and be thou
upright": that is, count upon My infinite resources. Thus, when it is
said that Israel’s priests "passed on before the Lord," the meaning is
that they acted in complete dependence upon God’s all-sufficiency,
confidently counting upon His undertaking for them. In the light of
Proverbs 5:21, it signifies too that they moved forward in God’s fear,
conscious that His eye was upon them, and therefore they dared not
depart from the orders which He had given them.
Let every preacher who reads this article endeavor to
recognize that this too has been recorded for his learning, his
guidance, his encouragement. Let him seek to realize, first, that he is
beneath the all-seeing eye of his Master: that his actions are "before
the eyes of the Lord, and He pondereth all his ways." Let him bear
that in mind while he is out of the pulpit: that the One to whom he
must yet render an account of his stewardship takes note whether he
is an idler and slacker, or one who faithfully devotes his time to
prayer and study, and not only to "sermon preparation." And,
second, let him view by faith the all-sufficiency of the One before
whom he walks, refusing to depart from His instructions,
confidently counting upon Him fulfilling His purpose by and
through him. Let him constantly call to mind that He is none other
than "the Almighty," the self-sufficient Jehovah. No other provider,
no other protector is needed. It was because Abraham forgot that that
he stooped to fleshly devices; and when we forget it, we are very apt
to depart from His rule and resort to carnal methods. It is distrust of
God which lies behind the fleshly and worldly devices now so
commonly employed in the churches.
"And the armed men went before the priests that blew with
the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going
on, and blowing with the trumpets" (v. 9). Here our attention is
directed away from the priests unto the remainder of the children of
Israel, and they are divided into two companies—those who went
before, and those who followed behind the ark of the covenant. The
ones taking the lead consisted of the fighting force, who were to
advance when the walls of Jericho fell down and slay those within
the city This arrangement originated not in the mind of Joshua, for at
no point was he required to lean unto his own understanding. The
Lord had previously given orders through Moses that the fighting
men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad should "go armed before the
Lord to war . . . until He had driven out His enemies from before
Him" (Num. 32:20, 21). It was in obedience thereto that Joshua here
acted. As the margin more correctly renders, it was the "gathering
host" of Israel who made up the rearward. In that twofold division
we may find a hint that only a few of the Lord’s people are
possessed of a courageous spirit and prepared to show a bold front
to the enemy.
"And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall
not shout, nor make your voice to be heard, neither shall any word
proceed out of your mouth until the day I bid you shout; then shall
ye shout" (Josh. 6:10). Here is the third item in the instructions
which Joshua gave to "the people." First, they had been bidden to
"compass the city"; and second, the armed men among them to "pass
on before the ark of the Lord" (v. 7); now they are enjoined to
maintain strict silence as the long procession wended its way around
Jericho. Very precisely and emphatically was this order worded: its
threefold prohibition reminding us of the repeated interdiction of
Proverbs 4:14, 15, "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not
in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass
away." There is no excuse for ignorance of the Divine will: the
things which God forbids us doing are as plainly stated in His Word
as those which He requires of us.
No explanation was given the people, but simply the bare
command: sufficient for them that so God required. Pondering it in
the light of Scripture, several reasons for it and significations of it
may be suggested. First and more generally, this injunction for the
people to preserve complete silence constituted a test of their
obedience—made the more real by their not being told why such an
imposition was necessary. For the mouths of such a vast multitude to
be sealed during the entire march around the city was no small test
of their subjection unto the revealed will of Jehovah. Second and
more specifically, such decorous silence well became them on this
occasion. Why so? Because God was in their midst, and He is
"greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be had in
reverence of all them that are about Him" (Ps. 89:7)—a verse which
many preachers today need to press upon their congregations,
among whom much irreverence obtains in the house of prayer. If the
seraphim veil their faces before the Lord, how reverent should be
our worship!
The "ark of the covenant" was the symbol of the Lord’s
presence, and its being in Israel’s midst on this occasion required
that they conduct themselves with the utmost propriety. God was
about to speak loudly to the Canaanites in judgment, and it was
therefore fitting that every human voice should be stilled. There is "a
time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7). When
Pharaoh and his hosts were pursuing the children of Israel, and they
were confronted by the Red Sea, they were told, "The Lord shall
fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Ex. 14:14). The case
was a parallel one here: Jehovah was about to lay bare His mighty
arm and show Himself strong on behalf of His people, and it was
meet that they should be still before Him, in reverent expectation of
the event. It was a case of "hold thy peace at the presence of the
Lord God, for the day of the Lord [when He acts in an extraordinary
manner] is at hand" (Zeph. 1:7); "Be silent, O all flesh, before the
Lord; for He is raised up out of His holy habitation" (Zech. 2:13).
The profound silence observed by Israel’s hosts added impressively
to the gravity and solemnity of their procession.
Again; Israel’s being forbidden to open their mouths on this
occasion supplied another illustration and exemplification of the
difference which marks the ways of God from man’s. We are aware
that some are likely to regard that statement as a trite platitude, yet
they are probably the very ones who most need to be reminded of it
here, for they are the least affected and influenced by it. God’s work
is to be done in His appointed way: but instead of that, much of what
now pretends to be "His work" is being done in the world’s way.
God works silently, whether it be in creation, providence, or grace.
Vegetation makes no noise in the process of its growth. God’s
government, both of individuals and nations, is wrought secretly.
The miracle of regeneration is not perceptible to our senses, though
its effects and fruits soon become apparent. So it is in His dealings
with our souls’ the Lord is not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor
in the fire, but in the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11, 12). We too
should go about our appointed tasks in the same calmness’ "a meek
and quiet spirit" is of "great price" in His sight (1 Pet. 3:4).
Third, the silence required of "the people" on this occasion
supplied another important line in the typical picture furnished by
this incident—though one which certainly will not appeal to many in
present-day Christendom. Israel’s capture of Jericho unmistakably
pre-figured the victories achieved, under God, by the Gospel. The
priests blowing with the trumpets of rams’ horns pictured the
servants of God preaching His Word. The forbidding of "the people"
to open their mouths signified that the rank and the of Christians are
to have no part in the oral proclamation of the Truth—they are
neither qualified for nor called to the ministration of the Word.
Nowhere in the Epistles is there a single exhortation for the saints as
such to engage in public evangelism, nor even to do "personal work"
and seek to be "soul winners." Rather are they required to "witness
for Christ" by their daily conduct in business and in the home. They
are to "show forth" God’s praises, rather than tell them forth. They
are to let their light shine. The testimony of the life is far more
effectual than glib utterances of the lips. Actions speak louder than
words.
How vastly different was the typical scene presented here in
Joshua 6 from that which is now beheld in the so-called
"evangelism" of our day! Here everything was orderly, decorous and
reverent. "The people" in the rear’ "the ark of the covenant"—
symbol of the Lord’s presence—in the midst: the "seven priests"
blowing with their trumpets: the "armed men in front. The absolute
silence of all the hosts of Israel—so utterly different from the war
cries to which they were accustomed—must have deeply impressed
the citizens of Jericho. But not only is there the marked absence of
that dignified silence, gravity, solemnity, and reverence, which befits
all gatherings that are professedly engaged in Divine worship, but
modern "evangelism" is characterized by that which is noisy, vulgar,
and carnally exciting. How different the self-advertised
"evangelists" of this decadent age from the supreme Evangelist, who
"suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew Him," and
who said to the cleansed leper "See thou say nothing to any man"
(Mark 1:34, 42)!
"So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it
once" (v. 11). And what follows? Therefore its walls at once fell
down? No; "and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp."
Then they had all their trouble for nothing! No indeed. But nothing
happened: they were no forwarder, but just where they were
previously! That is estimating things by sight, and is an erroneous
conclusion. Much had happened. That which is of supreme
importance had been accomplished. God had been honored and
glorified! How so? By the implicit obedience of Joshua, of the
priests, of the congregation of Israel. O that both ministers and
laymen were more thoroughly convinced that nothing honors God so
much as our obedience. "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam.
15:22)—the most lavish offering is unacceptable to God unless it be
made by one whose will is subject to His. Attending meetings,
contributing generously to His cause, busying ourselves in what is
wrongly termed ‘Christian service," is worthless—yea, a species of
hypocrisy—if we be not walking in the path of the Divine precepts.
Unless what has just been said be laid to heart by both the
public servants of God and private Christians, the most important
lessons of this incident will be missed. As was pointed out in our
last, the preacher who most honors Christ is not the one who
produces the largest "visible results," but he who sticks the closest to
His commission and preaches the Word most faithfully. So with the
saints. The Christian housewife who discharges her God-given
duties in the home and the domestic in the kitchen who
conscientiously performs her menial tasks are as pleasing and
glorifying to Christ as the most self-denying missionary in the
foreign field. What is the one outstanding excellence in the Savior’s
life and work which the Holy Spirit has emphasized more than any
other? Is it not that His meat and drink was to do the will of Him
that sent Him (John 4:34)! That there was no limit in His subjection
to the Father’s authority, that He "became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8)! Say not that nothing was
accomplished by Israel here, but admire their God-honoring
obedience, and seek to emulate them.
"And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took
up the ark of the Lord" (v. 12). Nothing escapes the all-seeing eye of
the One with whom we have to do. In human estimation this may
appear a very trivial detail, nevertheless it is one which the Holy
Spirit delighted to notice and place upon imperishable record. Why
so? Because it marked the diligence, fidelity and zeal of those
servants of the Lord. Why so? Because they also inculcated yet
another lesson which ministers of the Gospel need to heed. They are
expressly bidden to study and show themselves "approved unto God,
workmen who needeth not to be ashamed" (2 Tim. 2:15). Slackness
and slothfulness ill become those who claim to be the ambassadors
of Him who rose up "a great while before day" (Mark 1:35) and
"early in the morning He came again into the temple" to teach the
people (John 8:2). That searching question of His, "what do ye more
than others?" (Matthew 5:47), is capable of many legitimate
applications—not least to the preacher. Does he spend fewer or more
hours per day in his study than do those who work for their daily
bread!
"And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns
before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the
trumpets; and the armed men went before them, but the rearward
came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on and blowing with
the trumpets" (v. 13). The Hebrew word for "trumpet" (shophar) has
its first occurrence in Exodus 19:16, 19, where its loud blast was
used to awe the nation at Sinai: highly significant is the fact that it is
mentioned just fourteen times here in Joshua 6:7-22, or the number
of perfect witness. The word for "rams’ horns" (yobel) is the one
used throughout Leviticus 25, where twenty times it is rendered
"jubilee," so that as an alternative to "trumpets of rams’ horns" it
would be equally permissible to say "trumpets of jubilee." In the
year of jubilee all slaves were released and given their freedom, and
all alienated estates were restored to their original owners. In view
of the oft-repeated "ye shall return every man unto his possession"
(Lev. 25:11, 13, 27, 28) and "the land of your possession" (v. 27) we
perceive the significance and appropriateness of the sounding of
"trumpets of jubilee" as Israel now began to possess their
inheritance.
 In that double meaning and purpose of the priests’ "trumpets
of rams’ horns" we have clearly intimated the nature of that twofold
work to which God has appointed His servants. Those trumpets had
a mission and a ministry both unto the Canaanites and to Israel: the
one were to be awed and affrighted, the other to be cheered and
comforted. By faithfully preaching the holiness of God, the demands
of His Law, the sinfulness of sin, and the reality of its awful wages,
the minister of the Gospel is to strike terror into the hearts of the
ungodly (2 Cor. 5:10), urging them to "flee from the wrath to come."
Unto those who give evidence that they have forsaken their wicked
ways and believed the Gospel, it is his privilege and duty to
strengthen their faith and gladden their hearts by announcing to
them the liberty which they have in Christ and the nature of that
glorious inheritance which He purchased for them. In other words,
to proclaim the grand jubilee tidings, so that assurance and joy may
be the present portion of the redeemed. It is in the Epistles that the
blessed contents of the Gospel are most fully unfolded to the saints.
"And the second day they compassed the city once, and
returned into the camp" (v. 14). A careful reading of the context
shows that while Divine assurance had been made unto Joshua
himself that the Lord had given Jericho into his hand, yet he made
no mention of this when giving orders to either the priests, the
people, or the armed men: all were to act in what the world terms
"blind obedience"—without any promise of reward. It is also to be
duly noted that while Joshua had been informed by God how many
days and times the enemy’s stronghold must be encircled before its
walls should supernaturally collapse (vv. 3-5), he kept this
knowledge to himself, leaving all under him in ignorance of how
long this strange method of procedure was to be continued. The
absence of such information made an additional demand upon the
faith and obedience of Israel on this occasion. After making one
complete circuit of the city, the holy ark of Jehovah being carried
aloft in their midst, and all the host had returned to their camp
without any tangible result, it is much to their credit that they
repeated the whole performance a second time. Yet still there was
not the slightest sign of God’s appearing on their behalf!
 How striking then are the closing words of verse 14: "so they
did six days"! After a second and third encompassing of Jericho,
without any apparent success, little wonder had the people
complained and said, What is the use of prolonging this business?
Admire then their persistency. How different was this generation
from their forefathers in the wilderness, who so quickly became
discouraged and murmured against their leader!—and never
possessed their heritage! In contrast, their sons vowed unto Joshua,
"All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou
sendest us we will go" (Josh. 1:16), and faithfully did they keep their
word. This too has been recorded for our instruction and for our
encouragement. Was there not a time, fellow-minister, when Christ
made Himself known and you asked "Lord, what wouldest Thou
have me do?" Did He not in His condescending grace answer "Son,
go work today in My vineyard"? When you received His call to
devote the whole of your time and talents to His service, did you not
promise to spend and be spent in the same? Then be not weary in
well doing, for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not.
However impetuous be our spirit, the Lord is never in a
hurry, and we are required to wait His leisure. Every dispensation of
God has its prefixed period: as the mercy itself, equally so the
timing of the mercy, is wholly in God’s hand. "The vision is yet for
an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it
tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry ‘ (Hab.
2:3). It is not at our beck and call: we can neither hasten nor retard
the Almighty. "He that believeth shall not make haste" (Isa. 28:16),
but continue steadfast in the performance of duty. We must neither
fail through discouragement, nor adopt means of our own in order to
speed the issue. Two things are required of us: adhering strictly to
the directions which God has given us, trustfully and hopefully
waiting His blessing on the same. Patience must have her perfect
work. Thus it was with Israel here. They fainted not because the
walls of Jericho fell not the first or second, nor even the fifth or sixth
day; nor did they take matters into their own hands and resort to
another method. Rather did they "Wait on the Lord, and keep His
way" (Ps. 37:34).
 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Ps. 37:7) was
the grand lesson inculcated by this incident. Confide in the Lord’s
goodness, count upon His power, submit fully to His authority, or
there will be no waiting for Him. Israel must have implicit trust in
the One who had given them their instructions through Joshua. And
so must we. We are to wait in obedience as servants, and in
expectation as believers. A desirous expectation concerning the
future must be subordinated to a meek submission to God’s will in
the present. "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt
thee to inhabit the land" (Ps. 37:34). It is failure to "wait on the
Lord"—through giving way to the feverish flesh—which causes us
to depart from "His way"! Those who are in too great a hurry to
acquire things take "short cuts" which God has not appointed; but
such who act in unholy haste are sure to repent at leisure. But if we
patiently tarry for God’s time, then we shall confine ourselves to
those means which He has assigned. Let preacher and layman alike
lay hold of that promise, "they shall not be ashamed [or
"confounded"] that wait for Me" (Isa. 49:23).
"And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early
about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same
manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven
times" (v. 15). What a demand upon their faith, obedience, and
patience was this! After their apparently fruitless effort of marching
around Jericho once a day for no less than six days, now they were
required not only to do the same on the seventh day, but to then
repeat the performance no less than seven times more! And note
well those words "after the same manner." There was to be no
change of procedure: seeming failure did not warrant them in
adopting other measures: they must adhere strictly to the Divine
directions unto the end. What a needful lesson is there pointed for
us! Not only was their testing protracted, but it became increasingly
severe. Once a day for six days had been unavailing; and six times
more on the seventh day passed without any Divine intervention; yet
still they persevered! What cause for shame that we become
discouraged so easily and faint so quickly!
 A brief word needs to be said about the repeated occurrence
of the number seven here: the seven priests, the seven trumpets, the
seven days, and the seven encirclements of Jericho on the seventh
day cannot be without some design and significance. The best
comment we have seen thereon is John Owen’s: "The compassing of
the city once every day for six days, and the entrance into it on the
seventh, had respect unto the work of the creation. For God was now
entering into His rest with respect unto. His worship, in a new way
of settlement and solemnity, such as He had not erected or made use
of from the beginning of the world. Hence He frequently calls it ‘His
rest’ (Ps. 95:11; 132:8, 14; Hebrews 3:11; 4:3, 11). And it was a type
of the new creation, with the rest of Christ thereon, and of believers
in Him. Therefore would God give here a resemblance of the first
work of the labor of the six days, and the reward they received on
the seventh."
The Obedience of Faith
"And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose up
about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same
manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven
times" (Josh. 6:15). Israel was now put to a more exacting test than
hitherto: once a day they had marched around Jericho for six
consecutive days, but on the seventh they must do so no less than
seven times. That illustrates a principle in the ways of God. In His
dealings with His people the Lord develops their graces by
submitting them to a variety of trials, which are harder and harder to
bear. Was it not thus with "the father of all them that believe" (Rom.
4:11)? First, Abraham was called upon to leave his native land, and
go forth not knowing whither. Then, after receiving promise from
God of a son, his wife for many years remained barren. Finally,
when the son was given and grown, the patriarch was bidden to offer
him for a burnt offering. Do not expect your path to become easier,
but rather that trials will be more severe. Why so? That the
sufficiency of God’s grace may be known.
Seek to visualize the course followed by Israel on this
occasion: project yourself in spirit among them: remember they
were "men of like passions with you. For six days they had
apparently made fools of themselves before the eyes of the
Canaanites, and they did so unmurmuringly. Six times more they
repeated the process, yet without any Divine intervention or the
slightest outward sign of success! The powerful walls of Jericho
stood as firm as ever! What was the use of making still another
journey around them when twelve had produced no tangible results?
But they made no demur, nor declined such a seemingly senseless
waste of time and energy. Instead, they carried out their orders. That
is the most remarkable example of united obedience recorded in the
Scriptures—emphasized here by the Spirit’s telling us twice in this
verse that "they compassed the city seven times." Admire then the
grace of God which wrought so gloriously in and through them. He
it was who subdued their corruptions and made them willing in the
day of His power. Though trials increase in severity, so increased
grace is given to bear them!
Here, as ever in Scripture, we should discern a blessed
conjunction of the Divine and the human, and the latter concurring
with the former. God wrought secretly by imparting to them the
inclination and the impulse; they exercising the same by obedient
action. Though a much more severe test was made of them on this
seventh day, it is expressly recorded that "they rose early about the
dawning of the day." That is the spirit in which to approach our tasks
and perform our duties: with earnestness and enthusiasm, and not
reluctantly and tardily. The more unpleasant the task, the sooner
should it be tackled and disposed of. The harder be the duty, the
more energetically should it be discharged. "Whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might" (Eccl. 9:10). This is not the time
for the Christian to take his ease: he must "labor" before he enters
into his rest (Heb. 4:11). He is not called to picnic, but to "fight the
good fight of faith," and that implies strong opposition, and calls for
the putting forth of all that is within us, if victory is to be ours.
"And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests
blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout, for the
Lord hath given you the city" (v. 16). Note well when that promise
was made to Israel. Not until they had fully discharged their duty,
not until their obedience and patience had been severely tested, only
after they had completed twelve circuits of the city, were they
assured that God would deliver it into their hands. Does not that fact
suggest that we make too much of the promises, or rather too little
of the precepts to which they are attached? There has been a
deplorable lack of balance at this point on the part of many
preachers and writers. Comforting passages have been taken from
their setting, and promises severed from the conditions by which
they are qualified. The consoling of saints rather than the honoring
of God is too often the aim of the pulpit. The manifestation of "good
works" (Matthew 5:16) and the bearing of "much fruit" in our lives
(John 15:8) are what most glorifies the Father.
"And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests
blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout."
Previously they had been enjoined to preserve strict silence (v. 10).
They were not to shout at their own caprice or pleasure, but only as
and when their leader bade them—they must be completely
subservient to his orders. Now the time had come for them to give
one loud concerted shout. Why so? To indicate the victory was sure.
But this latter command was a harder one than the former. The
injunction to maintain a decorous silence was but a test of their
morale; but this order for them to give a grand and general shout
made a very real demand upon their faith and obedience, for it was
to be made while the fortress still stood intact before them! Easy
enough to shout after the victory; but this was to be given in assured
anticipation of the same. It was faith’s shout of conquest. It had been
prophetically announced by Balaam, when he was moved to say of
Israel, "the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is
among them" (Num. 23:21).
"And the city shall be accursed devoted ["devoted"—margin]
even it and all that are therein to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot
shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid
the messengers that we sent" (v. 17). This brings before us the dark
side of the picture with the sole exception of Rahab and her family
all within Jericho were doomed. They were accursed, being idolaters
and flagrantly wicked. As such they were "devoted to the Lord," that
is, set apart unto destruction, to the praise of the glory of His justice.
"The Lord hath made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked
for the day of evil" (Prov. 16:4). True, God hath made a difference
between them according to His purpose of election, yet, whether this
one was "chosen to salvation" (2 Thess. 2:13) or that one was
"before of old ordained to this condemnation" (Jude 1:4), both alike
were created for the Divine glory. In the former, God makes
manifest the riches of His mercy; in the latter, He displays the purity
of His holiness and the verity of His righteousness. God’s burning
hatred against sin and His power to execute vengeance on all
accursed to Him were solemnly demonstrated here at Jericho.
"And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed
thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed when ye take of the
accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it.
But all the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are
consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the
Lord" (vv. 18, 19). Their being forbidden to enrich themselves by
any of the spoils of war was a further testing of Israel’s obedience.
Thereby they were taught not to set their hearts upon worldly
wealth, nor heap up an abundance of it for themselves. As Matthew
Henry pointed out, God had promised them a land flowing with milk
and honey, not a land abounding with silver and gold, for He would
have them live comfortably in it that they might serve Him
cheerfully, but not covet either to trade with distant countries, or to
hoard for after time." There was a special reason for this prohibition
being laid upon Israel here (for we do not find it repeated
subsequently) namely, that Jericho was the first fruits of Canaan, and
therefore it was most fitting that it should be entirely devoted unto
the Lord, and its treasures consecrated unto Him.
It is to be duly noted that Joshua was not acting on his own
initiative nor was he prompted by his own understanding when he
proscribed the possessions of the Canaanites, for Moses had given
express orders, "The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with
fire: thou shalt not desire the silver and gold that is on them, nor take
it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to
the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine
house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it; but thou shalt utterly detest
it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it" (Deut. 7:25, 26). There we see
once again how Joshua was in all things, like his Antitype, regulated
by Divine Law. Let us also point out how that this prohibition
supplied yet another line in the typical picture which the capture of
Jericho presents to us: when success attends the efforts of Christ’s
servants, they must be particularly on their guard against taking any
credit unto themselves: all the glory must be ascribed to God alone!
"So the people shouted when the priests blew with the
trumpets. And it came to pass when the people heard the sound of
the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the walls
of Jericho fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city,
every man straight before him, and they took the city" (v. 20). Here
was the grand reward of Israel’s courage, obedience and patience.
Looking at it from one viewpoint, it must be said that the walls of
Jericho fell down by the alone act of God, for no human hand or
power contributed to it in the least. Yet from another viewpoint, the
miracle may be justly attributed unto Israel: "By faith the walls of
Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days"
(Heb. 11:30). From yet another angle it is equally permissible and
correct to say that Jericho fell in response to their implicit
obedience. Nor is there the slightest inconsistency in those three
statements: far from being contradictory, they are complementary if
preserved in the above order. Though He certainly is not restricted
thereto, yet God is pleased, generally, to work in response to the
faith and obedience of His people.
It is a very serious mistake to suppose that faith is restricted
to a resting upon God’s promises: it is equally to be exercised in
complying with His precepts. Trusting God is only one part of
faith’s work. It is far too little recognized that conforming to God’s
revealed will is also required of faith. Faith always has to do with
God: He is its Object and His Word is its Rule and Regulator. It was
by faith that Noah and his family were delivered from the flood, yet
it was because he took to heart the warning God gave him, and
being moved with fear complied with His directions and "prepared
an ark to the saving of his house" (Heb. 11:7). It was by faith that
Abraham received the land of Canaan for an inheritance, yet in order
thereto, when. he was called to leave his home he "obeyed and went
out not knowing whither he went" (Heb. 11:8). The man after God’s
own heart did something more than confide in Him: "I have believed
Thy commandments" (Ps. 119:66) he declared. The Divine
commandments, equally with the Divine promises, were the objects
of his faith. Are they of your faith, my reader?
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were
compassed about seven days" (Heb. 11:30). For the benefit of the
many young preachers who take this magazine we propose to
sermonize that verse, and at the same time summarize what has been
before us in Joshua 6. Let us consider the daring of their faith. When
Israel crossed the Jordan, they, as it were, burned all their bridges
and boats behind them. It was not only the "armed men," but the
whole congregation which was involved. Flight was impossible, and
there was no fortress in which to shelter, nor even houses to which
they could retire. They were now in the enemy’s territory,
completely exposed to him. To advance unto Jericho and to march
quietly around its walls (within which were "men of valor"—verse l)
seemed a perilous undertaking, for what was to hinder the
Canaanites from shooting at them, or casting down rocks upon
them? It was truly an adventure of faith, and it is adventuresome
faith which God delights to honor. Unbelief is hesitant and timorous,
but daring faith is confident and courageous. "The wicked flee when
no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion" (Prov. 28:1).
O to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.
There are three degrees of faith. There is a faith which
reposes on the truth of the Gospel, when the weary and heavy-laden
sinner comes to Christ and rests his soul upon His atoning sacrifice.
There is a faith which reckons, counting upon the veracity and
fidelity of God to fulfill His promises and undertake for us (Rom.
4:21; 2 Timothy 1:12). There is also a faith which risks, which dares
something for the Lord. That kind of faith was exemplified by
Moses when he ventured to confront the king of Egypt, and make
known to him Jehovah’s demands. This daring faith was manifested
by David, when with naught but a sling and some pebbles he went
forth and engaged the mighty Goliath. It was demonstrated by
Elijah, when single-handed he contested with the hosts of Jezebel’s
false prophets on Mount Carmel. We see it again in Daniel, when he
dared to be cast into the den of lions rather than comply with the
idolatrous edict of Babylon’s king; and when his three fellows
refused to be intimidated by the fiery furnace. We behold it again
and again in the ministry and journeys of the apostle Paul, who
shrank not from perils of every conceivable kind, that he might
preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
In the sequel to each of the above cases, we behold how God
honored those trusting and brave hearts. God may indeed severely
try, but in the end it will be seen that He never confounds or puts to
shame those whose eyes are fixed steadfastly upon Himself, seeking
His glory. It is venturesome faith which He ever delights to reward.
When those who carried the man sick of the palsy were unable to get
near Christ because of the press, and therefore broke through the
roof and lowered the sufferer, so far from charging them with
impudence or presumption "when Jesus saw their faith" He owned
the same by healing the sick man (Mark 2:5). When Peter essayed to
walk unto Him upon the sea, Christ rebuked him not for his
rashness, but because his faith wavered. Luther would not be
deterred by his friends from going to Worms, saying he would do so
though every the on its houses were a devil. George Muller feared
not to count upon God to feed and clothe his two thousand orphans,
refusing to make an appeal (direct or indirect) for funds. How such
examples shame the churches today! How few are prepared to risk
anything in the Lord’s service!
Consider next the obedience of Israel’s faith—here the most
prominent feature of all. Joshua himself, the priests, the armed men,
the body of the people, carried out all their directions to the letter.
The method prescribed and the means appointed not only appeared
to be utterly inadequate to reason, but senseless; nevertheless they
were strictly complied with. To do nothing more than walk around
the powerful walls of Jericho and for the priests to blow upon their
trumpets of rams’ horns, seemed a childish and ridiculous
performance, yet that was what they had been bidden to do.
Unquestioning submission to God’s revealed will, an exact carrying
out of His instructions. employing none other than those means
which He has assigned, is what God requires from us, both in the
performance of our daily duties and in that which pertains more
especially to His worship and service. We are forbidden to lean unto
our own understandings or resort unto our own devices. God has
plainly declared His mind unto us in the Holy Scriptures, and they
are to be the alone Rule and Regulator of all our actions. Implicit
obedience unto the Lord is absolutely essential if we are to have His
blessing upon our efforts.
Reader, the Divine commandments and precepts often appear
strange unto fleshly wisdom. How absurd did God’s order appear to
the great Naaman when he was bidden to bathe his leprous body in
the Jordan; yet there was no healing for him until he complied with
the same. How contrary was it to all human ideas for God to send
His prophet to be fed for many months by a widow who had naught
but a handful of meal and a little oil; yet under Him, it proved amply
sufficient. What a testing of Simon’s submission when Christ told
him to let down the nets for a draught: they had toiled all night and
taken nothing, yet said the apostle "nevertheless at Thy word I will
let down the net" (Luke 5:5). How unreasonable it must have
seemed to the Twelve when Christ bade them tell the vast multitude
to sit down and only five loaves and two little fishes were in sight!
And how unreasonable does it now appear unto the majority of
preachers and members to heed the call to cast away all the fleshly
and worldly devices which have been brought into the churches,
substituting fasting and prayer, and counting upon God to bless the
preaching of His own Word.
"The obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:26). Weigh well those
words. Too often has it been affirmed that obedience is an effect or
fruit of faith. Obedience is an essential element of faith: the one can
no more be separated from the other than can the light and heat of
the sun. Where there is no true obedience, there is no real faith God-
wards. The Gospel requires obedience as truly as it does reliance, for
it bids the rebel sinner throw down the weapons of his warfare
against God, to repent of his wickedness, and to surrender to the
Lordship and yoke of Christ. In 2 Peter 2:21, the Gospel is
designated "the Holy Commandment," and in 2 Thessalonians 1:8,
we are told that Christ will yet take vengeance upon them "that obey
not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" which goes on to give the
solemn answer to that searching question "What shall the end be of
them that obey not the Gospel of God?" (1 Pet. 4:17), namely, they
"shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord." The Gospel does far more than issue an invitation to
"receive Christ as a personal Savior" or offer pardon to all who do
so; it first makes known the holy requirements of God for us to
forsake our evil ways and submit ourselves to the just claims of
Christ.
Christ "became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9): not simply those who trust in Him. In
like manner, the Holy Spirit is by God "given to them that obey
Him" (Acts 5:22). As we began, so must we continue, and be able to
say with David "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have
believed Thy commandments" (Ps. 119:66). The commandments
neither sway the conscience nor incline the affections until they be
received as from God. "As the promises are not believed with a
lively faith unless they draw off the heart from carnal vanities to
seek that happiness which they offer to us; so the precepts are not
believed rightly unless we be fully resolved to acquiesce in them as
the only rule to guide us in the obtaining of that happiness, and to
adhere to them, and to do them" (Manton). To "believe God’s
commandments" is to hear His voice in them, to submit to His
authority, to have our hearts and actions governed by His revealed
will in them. If we heed not God concerning our present duties, we
do but deceive ourselves when we imagine we are trusting Him with
respect to future privileges. We must consent to the commandments
as good and blessed in themselves, and love them as issuing from
our Father.
The Discipline of Faith
"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were
compassed about seven days" (Heb. 11:30). In our last we
contemplated the daring and obedience of Israel’s faith on this
memorable occasion, and now we turn to observe the discipline of it.
We have reference to Joshua 6:10, where we learn that the people
were commanded, "Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your
voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the
day I bid you shout." That injunction constituted a very real test of
their morale. For all that host of Israel to preserve strict silence as
they journeyed around Jericho’s walls was a severe restraint upon
their natural inclinations—the more so that no explanation for the
same was furnished them. There are times when to preserve silence
is far harder than for us to express, what is on our minds. The tongue
is an unruly member, yet God requires us to control the exercise of
it, and there are occasions when to be mute is a manifestation of
grace which is honoring to Him. Such was the case when fire from
the Lord devoured the presumptuous sons of Aaron, and their father
"held his peace" (Lev. 10:3), and when David was sorely chastised
by God and he was dumb, and opened not his mouth" (Ps. 39:9)!
How often are the sinews of faith cut by the injudicious and
unfriendly criticisms of those who pose as our Christian friends,
who so far from encouraging us to adhere strictly to our Rule, would
have us conform to this world! How often is the servant of Christ
hindered by the God-dishonoring counsels and carnal suggestions of
church members when he seeks to employ none but spiritual
weapons! How much mischief is wrought by those who are
perpetually talking about the difficulties confronting us! The soldiers
of Christ must be trained: faith must be disciplined: each one in the
ranks of the Lord’s hosts must learn there is "a time to keep silent
and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:7). The children of Israel must
neither make any sally upon this garrison of the Canaanites, nor
employ the customary war-cries of assailants, but, instead, preserve
a solemn silence as in sacred procession they encompassed the city.
That might have conveyed the impression that they were lacking in
spirit and zeal, thereby rendering them increasingly despicable in the
sight of their enemies, yet that was the manner in which they were
required to conduct themselves. God delights to make use of
contemptible instruments and means, that the glory may be His
alone.
We turn next to consider the patience of their faith, which
was conspicuously evidenced here. The walls of Jericho did not fall
down the first day nor the sixth that Israel marched around them, but
only "after they had been compassed about seven days." Nor did
they fall the first time they were encompassed on the seventh day,
but not until after seven circuits had been made on that day. No less
than thirteen journeys around them were completed before the
power of God was displayed. Why so? To test their patience as well
as their courage and obedience. They must be kept waiting on the
Lord. "As promised deliverances must be expected in God’s way so
they must be expected in God’s time" (Matthew Henry). Israel were
required to carry out the orders they had received, to persevere in the
performance of duty, and leave the issue with the Lord. The race is
not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to those who are
steadfast and persistent. "It is good [though we may not think so at
the time] that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the
salvation [deliverance] of the Lord" (Lam. 3:26).
Observe how one Scripture throws light upon another:
Hebrews 11:30, does not tell us that Israel encompassed Jericho
seven times on the seventh day, nor does Joshua 6 inform us that
they did so "by faith." As pointed out previously, neither the priests
nor the people received any assurance from Joshua that success
would attend their efforts: they are seen there simply complying
strictly and patiently with the instructions they had been given. But
in Hebrews 11 the Holy Spirit discloses to us that they acted in faith.
But how could that be, seeing they had no promise to rest upon? We
wonder if that question presents any difficulty to the reader. We hope
not, for it is a mistake to suppose there can be no faith in God unless
we have some definite word from Him to warrant it. So far as
Scripture acquaints us, when Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac
upon the altar, he received no promise that he would be restored to
him again; nevertheless, it was "by faith" he offered Isaac
"accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead"
(Heb. 11:19). David had no promise that he would slay Goliath, yet
he had full confidence that God would enable him to do so. Daniel
had no guarantee of deliverance from the lions, yet he "believed in
his God" for protection from them (Josh. 6:23).
Faith has to do with a known God, with One who is a living
reality to the soul, with One who can be counted upon to undertake
for us. It is God in His revealed character, as made known to us in
His Word, God in Christ in covenant relation to us, who is the
Object of faith. True, a definite promise makes it easier to act faith,
yet is not the Promiser greater than the promises, as the Giver is to
all His gifts! And when we are unable to locate a promise which
precisely meets our particular case, that should not deter us from
having implicit confidence in God Himself. When David was guilty
of the terrible sins of adultery and murder, there was no sacrifice
under the law available for such crimes, but he had recourse to the
known mercy of God (Ps. 51:1)—the infinite mercy of an infinite
God; nor was he confounded. So with Israel before Jericho. They
had for years been supernaturally fed in the wilderness, and
unfailingly guided by the pillar of cloud and fire. They had
witnessed the miracle-working power of Jehovah acting on their
behalf in opening a way for them through the Jordan. And now they
confidently counted upon His showing Himself strong in their behalf
in overthrowing this mighty citadel.
Yes, it was "by faith," in the daring and obedience of faith,
they acted, trusting God to work for them. But He was pleased to put
their faith to a severe proof: they were required to exercise "the
patience of hope" (1 Thess. 1:3), to persevere in the course God had
appointed, expecting Him to honor the same. Yea, to repeat their
performance again and again, and still without the least sign of their
efforts being rewarded. Why so? To make it the more evident that
the conquest of Canaan was of the Lord and not of them. Each
fruitless journey around the city made it increasingly apparent that
their enemies were to be overcome not by their power but by God’s.
What a lesson is there here for each of us. "My soul, wait thou only
upon God, for my expectation is from Him" (Ps. 62:5). "Therefore
will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you . . . blessed are
they that wait for Him" (Isa. 30:18). But is it not at that very point
most of us fail the worst? How easily we become discouraged if our
efforts do not meet with prompt success, or if our prayers be not
speedily answered! How impatient is the flesh!
"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the
will of God, ye might receive the promise" (Heb. 10:36). Indeed we
have, for each of us is very prone to say of the Lord, as his mother
said of Sisera, "Why is His chariot so long in coming, why tarry the
wheels of His chariot" (Judg. 5:28). Speaking to His disciples, the
Lord Jesus declared, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint"
(Luke 18:1). How much we need to take that word to heart! How
often have we "fainted" when victory was almost in sight! We
become discouraged when our "Jericho" does not fall the first or
second time it is encompassed. Most of us find it much harder to
wait than to believe, yet we prove by painful experience that our
fretful impatience accomplishes no good nor speeds the desired
event a single moment. Let us be more definite and earnest in
begging the Holy Spirit to work this grace of patience in us, and to
be "watching thereunto with all perseverance" (Eph. 6:18), assured
that "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Consider for a moment the assurance of their faith—a
striking proof of which was given by them in what is recorded in
Joshua 6:20. There we are told, "So the people shouted when the
priests blew with the trumpets, and it came to pass, when the people
heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great
shout, that the wall fell down flat." Twice over in that verse does the
Holy Spirit record that which was so honoring to the Lord. During
all their circuits of the city, they had been bidden to maintain a
complete silence, but when their obedience and patience had been
fully tested, they were ordered to "shout," for said their leader "the
Lord hath given you the city" (v. 26). But mark it well, that shout
must be made while the powerful walls still stood intact! It was
therefore a shout of faith, of confidence in God, of full assurance
that He would appear in their behalf and recompense their "patient
continuance in well doing." That shout signified their strong
persuasion that victory was certain. That is what assurance consists
of: an unshakable belief that God will make good His Word, a
steadfast reliance that He will reward those that seek Him diligently
(Heb. 11:6).
That concerted and loud shout of Israel before the actual
event was one of confident expectation. By such assurance God is
greatly glorified. Though Abraham was about a hundred years old
and his wife’s womb dead, when he received promise of a son he
was "fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able also
to perform" (Rom. 4:21). When the son of the woman of Shunem
died, so strong was her faith that, though none had previously been
restored to life, she confidently expected her son to be revived (2
Kings 4)—her actions in verse 21 and her words in verse 23 evince
the same. Of our Lord’s mother it is said, "Blessed is she which
believed that there shall be a performance of those things which
were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45). To the distressed mariners
Paul said, "Be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even
as it was told me" (Acts 27:25). What examples are these of the
heart’s full reliance upon God while outward appearances were quite
unpromising! When Moffatt, the missionary who had labored for
years among the Bechuanas without seeing a single seal to his
ministry, received a letter from friends in England who wished to
make him a present, asking him to specify what it should be, he
answered, "A communion set"! Months after, when it arrived, more
than a dozen converted natives sat down with him to remember the
Lord’s death. Say not "How wonderful" but "How deplorable I do
not trust Him more fully."
Take note of the renunciation of their faith. Israel’s being
forbidden to seize the spoils of war, and being told that the silver
and gold must be "consecrated unto the Lord" (vv. 18, 19), teaches
us that real faith takes no credit unto its subject, but ascribes all the
honor of its performances unto the Giver. Faith precludes all
boasting and self-congratulation (Eph. 2:8, 9). Faith belongs to those
who are "poor in spirit." So far from promoting Laodicean self-
esteem, it humbles us unto the dust, causing us to look away from
self unto God. It is a self-emptying grace, moving us to stretch forth
the beggar’s hand. Consequently, it takes no praise to itself, but
gives the whole unto its Bestower. Its language is "Not unto us, O
Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, for
Thy truth’s sake" (Ps. 115:1). Blessedly was this exemplified by
Abraham. When the Lord gave him the victory over Chedorlaomer,
and the king of Sodom invited him to take the spoils unto himself,
Abraham answered, "I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, that I
will not take from a thread to a shoe-latchet . . . lest thou shouldest
say, I have made Abraham rich" (Gen. 14:22, 23)!
Finally, behold the triumph of faith. "And it came to pass,
when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the
people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they
took the city" (v. 20). Nothing can stand before faith: the most
formidable obstacles give way to it. "All things are possible to him
that believeth" (Mark 9:23) as the whole of Hebrew 11 clearly
shows. The language of an expectant faith is, "Through God we
shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies" (Ps.
50:12), because faith looks away from self, with all its infirmities
and limitations, unto the Almighty. "This is the victory that
overcometh the world: our faith" (1 John 5:4): when it is in exercise,
the world can neither enthrall nor intimidate, for it elevates the heart
above the creature. Israel’s capture of Jericho is recorded for the
encouragement of the saints of all generations, and our lengthy
consideration of the same will have been in vain unless it has put
new life into us as it has demonstrated afresh the invincibility of
God’s purpose, the sufficiency of His power, and His readiness to
put it forth on the behalf of those who render implicit obedience to
His revealed will and count upon His rewarding the same.
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man
and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge
of the sword" (v. 21). For several centuries the long-suffering of God
had waited because "the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full"
(Gen. 15:16). Forty years previously, in the first year of the Exodus,
the Lord had solemnly threatened them, bringing the sword of Israel
to the borders of Canaan, and then withdrawing His hand for a time,
giving them a further respite. But the period of waiting was now
over. That united shout from Israel was the sign that the Lord would
tarry no longer, that the day of His wrath was come. All the guilty
inhabitants of Jericho were made a solemn and awful sacrifice to the
Divine justice. "The Canaanites were ripe for destruction, and the
Lord was pleased, instead of destroying them by a pestilence, a
famine, an earthquake, a devastating fire from heaven, to employ the
Israelites as the executioners of His vengeance, both for their
warning and instruction, and for that of all who read these records.
Had an angel been commissioned to slay them (as one did
Sennacherib’s army: 2 Kings 19:35), who would have charged Him
with iniquity or cruelty? In all public calamities infants are involved
and tens of thousands die with great agony every year.
"Now either God is not the agent in these calamities, which
opinion—though often implied in man’s reasonings on these
subjects—is not far from atheism; or they must consist with the most
perfect justice and goodness. What injustice then could there be in
ordering the destruction of a guilty race by the sword of His people?
Or what injustice can be charged on them while executing His
express commission, as ratified by undeniable miracles? It is evident
that the hand of God would be far more noticed in these uncommon
events than if He had destroyed His enemies by the ordinary course
of second causes. The malignity of sin, with the indignation of Goal
against sinners, and His power and determination to inflict condign
punishment on them, would be far more conspicuous and
impressive. In short, every man who by reading the account of these
awful judgments, in any age or place, has been led to a deeper sense
of the evil of sin, and warned to repent and seek mercy from the
Lord, will to eternal ages glorify the Divine wisdom and goodness,
in the very dispensations which embolden the blasphemies of the
impenitent and unbelieving" (Thomas Scott). "Behold therefore the
goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22): the latter is as truly a
Divine perfection as is the former.
In verses 22-25 we see how the promise given to Rahab in
Joshua 2:14, 19, was made good: "By faith the harlot Rahab
perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the
spies with peace" (Heb. 11:31). Therein we behold the mercy of God
unto those who really turn to and believe in Him. The inhabitants of
Canaan had heard of Jehovah’s drying up the waters of the Red Sea,
and of Israel’s destroying of Sihon and Og, but Rahab alone
believed "that the Lord hath given you the land" (Josh. 2:9, 10). She
evidenced her faith by receiving the two spies with good will, and
sheltering those servants of God from their foes at the hazard of her
own life (illustrating the principle that faith ever requires self-
denial), and by a strict compliance with their instructions. The
blessed consequence and sequel was that she "perished not with
them that believed not." The preservation of her house, which was
"upon the town wall" (Josh. 2:15), was as manifest a miracle as was
the falling down of all other parts of it, and typified the eternal
security of those who trust in the Lord.
Let us now briefly epitomize some of the many important
lessons inculcated and illustrated by the contents of Joshua 6:1.
Closed doors and high walls are no insuperable obstacle when God
be for us and with us: Acts 12:10 (v. 1). 2. Faith is to behold that
which is invisible to sight and reason: John 8:56; Hebrews 11:1 (v.
2). 3. Divine promises do not render needless the discharge of
responsibility (v. 3). 4. God pours contempt on human pride by
appointing means which are contemptible in the eyes of the world
(v. 4). 5. Encouragements (v. 5) are not to be bandied about
promiscuously, but given to the diligent and faithful (v. 16). 6. The
"ark," in which was the Law and the "trumpets of jubilee" which
announced the Gospel, tells, of the preacher’s twofold work (v. 6). 7.
The rank and the of God’s people are required to support and
hearten His ministers (v. 7). 8. The Lord’s presence with them
(Matthew 28:20) is what is to animate and regulate His ministers (v.
7). 9. The position of honor is reserved for the ark and the priests:
Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13 (v. 9). 10. Muffle not
the Gospel trumpet and let it give forth no uncertain sound: 1
Corinthians 14:8 (v. 9). 11. We must be "swift to hear, slow to
speak": James 1:19; 1 Peter 3:15 (v. 10). 12. All murmuring against
God and unwarrantable criticisms of His servants must be
suppressed (v. 10).
13. God takes note of and appreciates thoroughness, the
completing of each task assigned (v. 11). 14. Punctuality, diligence,
whole-heartedness, must ever characterize the servant of Christ (v.
12). 15. Though no visible results appear, the priests must blow their
trumpets "continually" (v. 13). 16. Patience and perseverance are
called for in the discharge of all our God-given duties (v. 14). 17.
The more trying and difficult the task, the more earnestly should we
set ourselves to it (v. 15). 18. When success is delayed, our efforts
are to be increased and not diminished (v. 15). 19. We must not be
discouraged over the lack of early success, but let patience have her
perfect work (v. 15). 20. God’s promise is to be faithfully relied
upon during the time when there is no indication of its fulfillment (v.
16). 21. Though saints as such have no commission to speak in
public, yet their mouths are to utter the Lord’s praise (v. 16). 22. It is
implicit confidence in Himself which the Lord ever delights to
honor—"when" (v. 16). 23. The whole world lieth in the Wicked
One and is under the wrath of God (v. 17). 24. We bring trouble
upon ourselves when we set our affection on earthly things (v. 18).
25. God never confounds those who trust and obey Him (v. 18). 26.
The most unlikely means are used by God in the doing of great
things (v. 20). 27. Eternal destruction is the portion of all out of
Christ (v. 21), eternal security of those who trust Him (vv. 22, 23).
28. Build not again the things you have destroyed or renounced:
Galatians 2:18 (v. 26; cf. Psalm 85:8).
 Joshua 7:1-26
Sin, Defeat, Judgment
Humiliation at Ai
The seventh chapter of Joshua presents to us a drastically
different scene from those which have engaged our attention in the
previous chapters, yea, so startling is the contrast that we are
reminded of that old adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction." Up to
this point everything had gone smoothly and blessedly for Israel, but
now their progress is suddenly halted. Hitherto we have witnessed
them, under God, going from strength to strength and glory to glory.
Strict obedience to the Divine commands had marked their every
movement; here, the very reverse obtained. They had duly attended
to the essential matter of circumcision and had kept the appointed
Passover feast. On His part, the Lord had wrought wondrously for
them, bringing them through the Jordan dry-shod and overthrowing
the principal fortress of the enemy without a blow having to be
struck by Israel. But a startling contrast now confronts us:
immediately following the memorable victory at the formidable
Jericho, Israel suffer humiliating defeat at the much weaker town of
Ai. A member of the tribe of Judah had committed a grievous crime,
and the whole nation suffer in consequence. As there was a serpent
in Eden and a Judas among the apostles, so there was an Achan in
the midst of an obedient Israel.
A series of sad failures are set before us in the passage we
are about to consider. The whole nation is thus depicted, "The hearts
of the people melted and became as water" (Josh. 7:5). That
dejection of God’s people was occasioned by the cowardice shown
by three thousand of their armed men, who had "fled before the men
of Ai," thirty-six of them being slain as the enemy chased them (v.
5). That had been preceded by the remiss conduct of Joshua himself,
who, instead of seeking counsel from the Lord, had acted upon the
carnal advice of his spies (v. 4). The men whom Joshua had sent out
to reconnoiter Ai so far forgot their place that, upon their return,
instead of making a simple report, they presumed to inform their
commander-in-chief of the policy which they deemed it best for
Israel to follow on this occasion (v. 3). But before all this, the anger
of the Lord had been kindled against Israel by the sin of Achan at
Jericho (v. 1). That was what explained all which followed: the
cause of which they were the consequences. One decayed apple will
soon infect a whole box of sound ones; or, to change the figure for a
more Scriptural one," A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (1
Cor. 5:6).
In the light of history there is nothing at all unusual in the
sad failures mentioned above, for poor human nature is "as unstable
as water" (Gen. 49:4). Yet in view of the fact that this generation
was far and away the best which Israel ever had, and that Jehovah
Himself was their Captain (Josh. 5:15) in the conquest of Canaan, it
does seem strange that such a deplorable lapse now occurred. How
are we to account for the Divine permission, yea, fore-ordination of
the same? From the general teaching of Scripture, may we not say
that the Lord suffered this grievous defection for such reasons as
these? First, to teach all succeeding generations of His people that
they are never in greater danger of yielding to the pride of their
hearts than when the Lord’s power has been most signally displayed
on their behalf. Second, to exemplify the basic truth that, if we are to
enjoy a continuation of God’s governmental blessing, we must
remain steadfast in our subjection to His holy will. Third, to set
before His saints a lasting warning that the Holy One is jealous of
His glory, and will not condone sin in His own people. Fourth, to
emphasize that nothing can be concealed from Him: that the most
secret actions of an individual fall beneath His observation (Prov.
15:3).
How ominous is the initial "But" of Joshua 7:1—the first
chapter of our book opening thus: sad intimater of what follows, and
well suited to point the contrast with the closing verse of chapter 6.
There we read, "So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was
noised throughout all the country"; now we are told, "But the
children of Israel committed a trespass . . . for Achan . . . took of the
accursed thing, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the
children of Israel." The contrast is a double one: the Lord was with
Joshua, but here His anger was kindled against Israel. The
consequence of the former was that Joshua’s fame was proclaimed
abroad; the sequel of the latter is that he was humiliated and lies on
his face before the ark (Josh. 7:5). How often are the brightest
prospects dimmed and the most promising projects hindered by sin!
It was so with king Saul, and later with Solomon. Thus with Israel’s
progress in the conquest of Canaan: victory at Jericho gives place to
defeat before Ai. How this shows us that a time of success is when
we most need to be on our guard, and "rejoice with trembling" (Ps.
2:11). The moon never suffers an eclipse except at a time when it is
at the full! Grace is needed by us to use the grace God gives us and
to save us from turning His blessings into curses.
Here, then, is another most important practical lesson for us
to lay to heart in connection with the possessing of our possessions
and the present enjoyment of our spiritual heritage. When God has
vouchsafed light from His Word and opened up to us some passage,
beware lest we become conceited and attribute the same to our own
perspicuity. When victory is granted over some lust or deliverance
from a powerful temptation, boast not, but rather endeavor to
become more watchful. When God gives the pastor souls for his hire
and prospers his labors, humbling grace must be diligently sought
that he may not cherish the spirit of Nebuchadnezzar and say, "Is not
this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by
the might of my power!" (Dan. 4:30). Remember that solemn
warning, "But Jeshurun [Israel] waxed fat and wicked: thou art
waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness: then
he forsook God" (Deut. 32:15). We need to be much on our guard
and fight against the Laodicean self-sufficiency and self-glorying of
this evil day. Unless we be kept "little in our own sight" (1 Sam.
15:17) and "poor in spirit," the overthrow of some Jericho in our
experience will be followed by an ignominious defeat before an Ai!
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the
son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing." This
awful trespass was committed within the very environs of Jericho,
immediately after God had miraculously caused its walls to fall
down flat. In connection with the destruction and sacking of that
city, specific instructions had been given to Israel that they must
neither spare any lives nor take any of the spoils unto themselves
(Josh. 6:17-19). The spiritual lesson for us therein is that "the good
fight of faith" in which the Christian is called to engage consists of a
mortifying of the flesh, the denying of self, and the renouncing of
this world in our affections. It was far more than a bare theft of
which Achan was guilty, namely, the heinous act of sacrilege, a
taking of that which was "consecrated to the Lord"! It is to be
carefully noted that the Holy Spirit has furnished us with the
genealogy of the offender, and since there is nothing meaningless or
unimportant in the Word of Truth, it behooves us to attend to this
detail. Achan was the immediate descendant of "Zerah," and he was
the son of Judah’s whoredom (Gen. 38:15-30). What a solemn
example of the sins of the fathers being visited upon the children I
Significant indeed is the name of this disturber of the
nation’s peace and prosperity, for Achan means "Trouble." It is both
solemn and striking to note how the Holy Spirit has phrased His
allusion to Achan’s sin: He does not say "one of," but rather "the
children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing." God
regarded them as a unit, and hence what one individual is considered
the sin of the nation. This is borne out by what follows, for the
whole congregation was affected thereby; "and the anger of the Lord
was kindled against [not simply "Achan" but] the children of Israel."
We have a parallel in the local church of the New Testament:
"whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it (1 Cor.
12:26), an example of which is furnished in Joshua 5:17, of the same
epistle. Israel had been plainly warned that if any one of them took
of the accursed thing, they would "make the camp of Israel a curse,
and trouble it" (Josh. 6:18), yet that solemn warning deterred not the
selfish and rebellious Achan. Until the walls of Jericho fell, all kept
strictly, to rank, but upon their fall they went "every man straight
before him (Josh. 6:20). Thus the moment discipline was relaxed
this reprobate cared only for himself.
 "And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside
Beth-aven on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying,
Go up and view the country" (v. 4). Joshua did not rest on his oars,
but proceeded to the task which lay before him, sending out scouts
to examine the next place to be captured. After such a notable
victory, he did not deem himself entitled to sit down and take things
easy, or give himself to feasting; but believed in the policy of
striking while the iron is hot. The best time to hoist sail is when the
wind is blowing, so that advantage may be taken of the same. Thus
it is spiritually. When favored with a breeze from Heaven (John 3:8),
it is a propitious season for religious enterprise. Yet observe that the
zeal of Joshua was tempered with prudence: he did not rush blindly
ahead, but wisely took a preview of what was next to be done. It is
the feverish energy of the flesh which impels professing Christians
to act hurriedly and rashly, instead of "sitting down first and
"consulting" whether they be sufficiently equipped for the task
which they assay (Luke 14:31). There is a happy mean between
recklessness and a caution which degenerates into apathy.
Ai was a place of sacred memories, for in Genesis 12:8, we
are told of Abraham that he removed "unto a mountain on the east of
Bethel and pitched his tent [emblem of being a "stranger and
pilgrim" there], having Bethel on the west and Hai [same as "Ai" in
Joshua 7] on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord [symbol
of his being a worshipper] and called upon the name of the Lord."
But now this territory was occupied by the wicked and marked out
for destruction. It was because of their abominable idolatry and
immorality that the Lord used Israel as His instrument of judgment
upon the Canaanites (Lev. 18:24, 25; Deuteronomy 18:10-l2).
Evidence of this is found in the names mentioned in Joshua 7:2, for
"Beth-aven" signifies "House of vanity" or "iniquity." Incidentally
we may note an example of the minute accuracy of Scripture in the
topographical reference there: "Go up and view the country," said
Joshua, while the Holy Spirit informs us in Genesis 12:8, that
Abraham "removed unto a mountain on the east of Bethel"—which
means "The House of God." Ah, my reader, there are no
"contradictions" in Holy Writ, but, instead, the most perfect
harmony ‘throughout; but only the reverent and diligent student
perceives that.
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing, for Achan . . . took of the accursed thing, and the
anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And Joshua sent men
from Jericho to Ai . . . saying, Go up and view the country. The two
verses are linked together, and thereby a solemn lesson is pointed. It
is evident that Joshua was ignorant of the perfidy of Achan, and
therefore was quite unaware that the anger of Jehovah was kindled
against Israel. It is a very serious thing to provoke the Lord, and
thereby forfeit His providential smile. Yet how few of the "churches"
today are conscious that the anger of the Lord is kindled against
them! Kindled against them for the self-same reason that it was here
against Israel, namely, for having trafficked in "the accursed thing."
Dispensationalists may deny it, and say that occurred under the
Dispensation of Law, but there is no parallel in this "Dispensation of
Grace." Therein they betray their crass ignorance, and, it is much to
be feared, their unregeneracy—hearts which know not the Holy
One. The case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5; Revelation 2:14-16
and 20-23) and a quenched Spirit in our midst clearly give the lie to
their assertions.
"And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned
unto Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go out, but let
about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all
the people to, labor thither, for they are but few (v. 3). In carrying
out Joshua orders those men acted commendably, but in taking it
upon them to advise their general, their conduct was most
reprehensible. It was nothing but downright impudence for those
subordinates to tell Joshua what he should do. Had he asked for their
suggestions it had been a different matter, but to proffer them
unsought was a piece of impertinence. It appeared to be the
language of kindness, prompted by consideration of others—to save
the great bulk of the nation from a needless waste of energy. Yet,
plausible as were their words, it was carnal counsel they gave: as
much so as Peter’s "Pity Thyself, Lord," which seemed to emanate
from deep solicitude for Him, when in reality it issued from Satan
(Matthew 16:22, 23). The same answer which, the Redeemer
returned unto the apostle was due these spies: "thou savorest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men." They were leaning
on the arm of flesh, filled with a sense of self-sufficiency.
These men who returned from their reconnoitering were
inflated with pride. Their language was that of presumption,
engendered by previous success. They began to entertain the idea
that they belonged to a great nation, and none could stand before
them. They contemptuously regarded Ai as an easy prey, as their
"for they are few" indicated. What need for the whole of the army to
journey thither: a small company of our men will suffice. There was
no dependency upon the One who had wrought wonders for them.
Instead, they felt that a couple of battalions could do wonders, and
that there was no need for Israel to put forth all their strength. Alas,
how like unto them God’s servants and people often are today. When
the Lord is pleased to exercise His power in the saving of souls,
preaching appears to be an easy matter, and the minister is tempted
to spend less time and labor in the preparation of his sermons. And
when God grants a saint victory over some powerful lust, he is apt to
feel there is less need to pray so earnestly. But such a spirit is
disastrous. Only as we continue sensible of our weakness shall we
seek strength from Above. Take warning from this incident and
strive against pride and presumption, especially when God has
granted some success.
"Let not all the people go up: but let about two or three
thousand go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to labor
thither, for they are few" (v. 3). How different was that conceited
boast from me language or the first spies: "Truly the Lord hath
delivered into our hands all the land" (Josh. 2:24)! Let not victory
lead to negligence. We have no right to count upon the Lord’s doing
all for us unless we make full use of the means that He has
appointed. All of Israel were required to assemble at Jericho: none
was left behind in his tent, none suffered to remain at a distance as a
mere spectator. It might appear to them as a needless waste of "man-
power," but God required it; and gave success to their obedience.
There was the precedent for them to follow. But the dictate of carnal
wisdom intervened. Ai appeared to be an inconsiderable place and
no great force required to reduce it. Self-confidence promised an
easy conquest, so the greater part of the army might be spared.
Instead of regarding it as a blessed privilege for the whole nation to
behold the Lord showing Himself strong in their behalf, these men
said, "make not all the people to labor thither" or to be a
"weariness," as the word is eight times rendered elsewhere—just as
at the close of the Old Testament a degenerate Israel said of God’s
worship "what a weariness is it!" (Mal. 1:13).
"So there went up thither of the people about three thousand
men" (v. 4).
Very solemn indeed is that, for it shows us what the most
honored of God’s servants are when left to themselves. We say riot
"the most eminent," for that savors far too much of the flesh; but
rather the "most favored." Whatever privileges we have enjoyed, or
nearness to God has been granted us, we are still entirely dependent
upon Him for a continuance of preserving grace. If that be withheld
from any one of us for a single hour, we shall miserably fail and sin.
The upholding Spirit was now withdrawn from Joshua for a season
(why so, will be pointed out later), and therefore he acted as a
natural man would and followed the carnal policy advanced by his
underlings. Instead of rebuking their pride with "Let not him that
girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off" (1
Kings 20:11), he adopted their fleshly policy, This was the more
lamentable and excuseless because express instructions had been
given him, "he shall stand before Eleazer the priest, who shall ask
counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at His
word shall they go out and at his word shall they come in" (Num.
27:18-21).
Alas, the evil leaven of Achan’s trespass was at work
"leavening the whole lump," secretly yet surely defiling all his
fellows. Failing to ask counsel of the Lord, Joshua was now
deprived of spiritual perception, and so discerned not the carnality
and evil of the plan set before him. He should have realized at once
that it was at direct variance with the Divine pattern given him at
Jericho. There everything was done in complete obedience to the
revealed will of God, in full dependence upon Him, and yet without
the slightest neglect of means or human instrumentality—the entire
congregation took their assigned places and parts. But here there
was no inquiring of God’s mind, no reliance on His intervention, and
a small part only of the "armed men" were deemed sufficient to
perform the work of the whole. Thus the greater part would be idle
and the congregation itself deprived of the grand privilege of
witnessing the mighty works of their God. When Jericho fell, the
whole nation saw by whose Hand its powerful walls were
demolished, and could give Him the glory. Thus, the plan adopted
now by Joshua was a breaking in upon the Divine design.
How solemnly does that point the injunction "Cease ye from
man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be
accounted of?" (Isa. 2:22). What a warning is there here for the
pastor to give no heed to the carnal advice of his church officers, and
to say with David "My soul, wait thou only upon God" (Ps. 62:5).
Emulate the apostle who "conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal.
1:16). It matters nothing what others think and say of you so long as
you have the Divine approbation. No matter how plausible may be
the suggestions proffered, take orders from none save your Master.
At the beginning of the campaign Joshua had given commandment
that the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manassah should
"remain in the land" and not enter into possession of their
inheritance on the other side of Jordan "until the Lord have given
your brethren rest" (Josh. 1:12-15), thereby insisting that the whole
of the twelve tribes should present a united front before the enemy
until victory was complete. But the plan now followed introduced
disunity. It is the following of fleshly methods which generally
brings divisions among the people of God. Later, the Lord said to
Joshua "Take all the people of war with thee" (Josh. 8:1). He had to
return to the Divine plan before there could be any success!
The sad failure of Israel before Ai is one which calls for the
most careful and prayerful study. Not only because it points, in a
general way, a warning which needs to be taken to heart by all of
God’s people, especially so by His servants, but more particularly
because of the book in which it is recorded and the grand truth
which is there illustrated. As we proceed from chapter to chapter it
needs to be definitely borne in mind that the theme of Joshua is
Israel’s entry into and conquest of Canaan, and that this typified the
Christian’s occupation by faith of his heavenly heritage. In the
earlier articles of this series we emphasized that fact considerably,
frequently pointing out the principles which must regulate the saints
if they are to actually "possess their possessions" (Obad. 17) in this
life. Alas that so few of them do enjoy their inheritance—because of
their failure to act by the same. We need not now enumerate and
describe these principles suffice it to say that they are all summed up
in, unremitting submission to the revealed will of God. While Israel
followed that course, all went well for them; but as soon as they
departed therefrom, disastrous was the consequence. And that is
written for our learning (Rom. 15:4). O that a teachable spirit may
be granted both writer and reader.
"The upright shall have good things in possession" (Prov.
28:10). The upright are they who walk with their eyes fixed on God,
in subjection to His authority, and in dependence on His grace.
While they maintain that character they have the "good things"
purchased by Christ not merely in promise and prospect, but in
present "possession," enjoying real and blessed foretastes of their
eternal portion. But when self-will and self-pleasing obtrude, they
are made to eat the bitter fruits of their folly. And hence it is that in
the book we are now studying we are shown, both in the crossing of
the Jordan and the capture of Jericho, the blessed effects of Israel’s
obedience unto the Lord; and on the other hand, we have faithfully
set before us—in the shameful defeat at Ai—the evil results which
inevitably followed Israel’s disobedience. In the one we are taught
some of the secrets of success, or the things which must be attended
to by us if we are to have the mighty power of God working in our
behalf; while in the other is made known what are the certain
precursors of the Lord’s displeasure and of our being overcome by
our enemies. The one is as necessary for our instruction as is the
other.
It would be stating the same thing in a slightly different form
and from another angle if we said, The principal subject developed
in the book of Joshua is a showing unto God’s people how their
enemies are to be conquered, for Israel had to vanquish and
dispossess the Canaanites before they could occupy their land. In
like manner the Christian must overcome the Devil, the world, and
the flesh before he can experimentally enjoy his heavenly heritage.
Israel’s warfare against the seven nations of the land was a figure of
the believer’s conflict with his spiritual foes. The grand lesson which
is set before us in the type is that our foes can be subdued by none
but the Lord, and that He will fight for us only so long as we are in
complete subjection to Him and maintain entire dependence upon
Him. "For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which
I command you to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all
His ways, and to cleave unto Him. Then will the Lord drive out all
these nations from before thee" (Deut. 11:22, 23). Blessedly was that
exemplified at Jericho; but the converse was demonstrated at Ai: the
former is chronicled for our encouragement; the latter is narrated as
a solemn warning for us to take to heart.
The first thing for us to heed—as we observe that the defeat
of Ai followed immediately after the victory at Jericho—is the
startling fact that the people of God are never in greater danger of
giving place to pride and presumption than when God has signally
blessed and prospered them. Never does a believer need to act more
warily and in full dependence upon the Lord than when his graces
are in lively exercise and his heart in an exhilarated frame. Unless he
does so, self-confidence will creep in, and more reliance will be
placed upon inherent grace than upon the One from whose fullness
we need to be continually receiving grace for grace. No matter how
strong be our faith, joyful our heart, energetic our grace, we must
still look up for fresh supplies and renewings in the inner man, for
without such our graces will no longer act, no, not for a single hour.
Only as we remain in the place of conscious weakness are we really
strong. Only as the empty hand of a beggar continues to be
extended, shall we receive "the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ"
(Phil. 1:19). Alas, how often do we give the Lord occasion to
complain, "I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou sadist [by
thy self-sufficient attitude] I will not hear" (Jer. 22:21).
The hidden cause of Israel’s defeat at Ai was the sin of
Achan, who had secretly committed a grievous trespass against the
Lord (Josh. 7:1), and as the sequel shows, it is a very solemn and
serious matter to provoke Him. In this case His displeasure was
evinced by his leaving Israel to act in their own wisdom and
strength, and that could issue in naught but disaster. Here we have
illustrated the important truth that so long as there be an ungrieved
Spirit in the midst of an assembly, He directs its counsels and moves
its officers and members to work in a wise and becoming manner;
but when He is slighted, then His gracious operations are suspended,
and they are left to act in the energy of the flesh—to the dishonor of
the Lord, and to their own undoing and sorrow. Thus it was here.
Out of the hidden root of Achan’s offense grew the more obvious
causes of the Ai defeat. Pride and presumption were at work. Ai was
regarded with contempt, as an easy prey (v. 3); but to their own
overthrow. Learn from this, my reader, that it is a fatal mistake to
underestimate the strength of our enemies! It is only as we truly
realize that our spiritual foes are too powerful for us to vanquish that
we shall really seek help and strength from the Lord.
Alas, Joshua accepted the counsel of those who belittled Ai:
"So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men"
(Josh. 7:4). And what was the inevitable outcome of such carnal
self-confidence? This: "they fled before the men of Ai." What a
spectacle! Behold attentively the consequence of leaving the place
of humble dependency! Mark well what happens when we follow
our own devices. Left to themselves, the courage of these men of
war wholly deserted them. It is only as we take unto us "the whole
armor of God" that we are "able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all to stand" (Eph. 6:13). If instead we lean upon the
arm of flesh, it is certain to fail us. Sad it is to see those three
thousand Israelites panic-stricken before the heathen, especially as
the record of the same follows right after the final statement of
chapter 6: "So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was noised
throughout all the country." How the ignominious defeat of his
soldiers would reflect upon the name and fame of Israel’s
commander! Sadder still is it to know that our sinful failures not
only injure ourselves and those people of God with whom we are
connected, but that they also bring dishonor upon our Redeemer.
Should not the realization of that make us work out our salvation
"with fear and trembling"?
"And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men,
for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and
smote them in the going down" (v. 5). How forcibly does this
incident illustrate what was repeatedly pointed out in the earlier
articles. Israel’s success in conquering Canaan depended entirely
upon the Lord’s showing Himself strong in their behalf, and that
turned upon their unqualified obedience to Him. As Matthew Henry
rightly pointed out, the check which they here received "served to let
them know they were still upon their good behavior." Success was to
come from God and not their own valor, yet that success was
bestowed only so long as they adhered to the pattern which He had
given them. One essential feature in that pattern was that the unity of
Israel must be preserved—a united front was to be presented to the
enemy; consequently "all the men of war" and "all the people" of
Israel were bidden to march against Jericho (Josh. 6:3, 5). But in
connection with Ai the spies counseled Joshua, quite otherwise:
make not all to labor thither" (Josh. 7:3). He acceded: "there went up
thither about three thousand"; and now we see them in flight, some
of them slain, and the remainder chased to "Shebarim," which most
significantly means "breaches"!
Next we are shown the effects which this disgrace had upon
the congregation. When they learned of the retreat and heard that
some of their brethren had been slain, "the hearts of the people
melted and became as water." And well they might. Had not Joshua
previously assured the nation, "Hereby ye shall know that the living
God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from
before you the Canaanites" (Josh. 3:10)? Now that He was no longer
leading them to victory, but suffering them to be overcome by their
foes, they had reason to be thoroughly dejected. As Matthew Henry
well remarked, "True Israelites tremble when God is angry." Here
again we may note yet another striking contrast. When Jehovah had
put forth His mighty power on Israel’s behalf in the drying up of the
Jordan, we are told that "all the kings of Canaan," when they heard
of it, "their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more"
(v. 1). But here the hearts of Israel melted and became as water
(Josh. 7:5)! Nevertheless, even then, God was working in mercy
unto Israel. By that painful and humiliating providence He was
about to bring to light the hidden things of darkness, give His people
an opportunity to dissociate themselves from the trespass of Achan
and punish the culprit.
"And Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his
face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders
of Israel, and put dust upon their heads" (v. 6). It is to be duly noted
that nothing is here said of Joshua berating the soldiers for their
cowardice, or of his expostulating with the people for their faint-
heartedness. He did not prate about "the fortunes of war" and tell
them there was no need to be dismayed, nor did he make any effort
to raise their spirits. Rather did he realize the exceeding gravity of
the situation and refuse to say "Peace, peace" when he knew that
something was radically wrong. The "elders"—the responsible heads
of the nation—also recognized that the defeat was owing to the
Lord’s being provoked, and they too abased themselves before Him.
The rending of their clothes was a symbol of perturbation and
lamentation (Gen. 37:24; 2 Samuel 1:11), the putting of dust on their
heads betokened distress and grief (1 Sam. 4:12; Job 2:12). How
very different was their conduct from the foolish and fatal
"optimism" that is now so rife, and which is nothing else than a
declining to face realities, a refusing to recognize the fact that the
Lord is displeased and is withholding His blessing.
When things go seriously wrong, either with the individual
Christian or with the local church, diligent and solemn examination
is called for. When the providential frown of God be upon us, and
we ignore the same or "seek to make the best of a bad job," we are
only inviting still heavier chastisements. We are bidden to "hear the
rod" (Mic. 6:9, and not to disregard or steel our hearts against it; and
the first thing required of us in order to ascertain its message is to
humble ourselves before the One who wields it, for "the meek will
He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way" (Ps.
25:9). When God afflicts us we ought to afflict ourselves. "The day
of the Lord [any season when He displays His displeasure and acts
in judgment] is great and terrible, and who can abide it? Wherefore
also now saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all you heart, and
with fasting and with weeping . . . for He is merciful and gracious"
(Joel 2:12, 13). For thirty years past that is what God has been
saying—by His providences—to the whole of Christendom, and
particularly to our nation. But alas, it has to be said of us, as of Israel
of old, "Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved . . . they
have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder
than rock" (Jer. 5:3).
"And Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his
face before the ark of the Lord." It is to be carefully observed that
not only did he now humbly take his place in the dust, but he did so
before that sacred coffer which was the symbol of the Lord’s throne
and presence in Israel. Most suitably was that posture and position
selected, for the holy ark had been grievously slighted! Both in the
crossing of the Jordan and the march around Jericho, the ark had, by
Divine orders, been accorded the place of honor, as it was borne
aloft by the priests, signifying unto Israel thereby that victory for
them depended upon their covenant God being duly magnified and
counted upon. His glory shone forth unmistakably as, by His
almighty power, He had made a way for Himself and His people. It
was Joshua’s sad failure in not giving the ark its proper place, which
was the immediate cause of Israel’s humiliation at Ai. Not only had
Israel’s unity been broken by his heeding the boastful suggestion of
the spies, but the guidance and help of the ark was dispensed with,
and thereby Jehovah had been affronted! It was, we believe, in the
conscious realization of this, that Joshua now lay on his face before
it.
Once before, and only once, had Israel suffered defeat at the
hands of the heathen, and it is by comparing the two together, that
fuller light is obtained upon the incident now before us. Both that
reverse in the wilderness and this one in the land issued from the
same cause: the pride of self-confidence. The earlier defeat occurred
just after the crisis at Kadeh-barnea, when the nation succumbed to
unbelief, refusing to follow the counsel of Caleb and Joshua, and
listening to the God-dishonoring report of the ten spies. After
hearing the Divine sentence that all of them should perish in the
wilderness, mourning and confessing their sin, they went to the
opposite extreme, and in blatant self-sufficiency declared "We will
go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised." Moses at once
rebuked them: "Wherefore do ye now transgress the commandment
of the Lord; but it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the Lord is not
among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies. But they
presumed to go up to the hill-top; nevertheless the ark’ of the
covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
Then the Amalekites came down . . . and smote them" (Num. 14:44-
45). Thus history repeated itself: in their mad assurance, the three
thousand went to Ai without the ark and suffered defeat.
"And Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his
face before the ark of the Lord." That act and attitude of his not only
expressed an humbling of himself beneath the mighty hand of God,
an unsparing self-judgment for his failure, but it also betokened a
spirit of hope. Does the reader ask, How so? Because that which
formed the lid of the ark was the "mercy-seat," where forgiveness
could be obtained on the ground of propitiation. Nor do we regard it
as a straining of the verse to introduce this idea here: rather does it
appear to us to be required by the Spirit’s having informed us that
Joshua continued thus "until the eventide." Very blessed indeed is
that if it be remembered that the God of Israel had appointed, "thou
shalt offer upon the altar two lambs of the first year, day by day
continually: the one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the
other lamb thou shalt offer at even" (Ex. 29:38, 39). Then does not
Joshua’s remaining before the ark until the time of the evening
sacrifice confirm the thought that he did so in the expectation of
receiving an answer of peace," of obtaining mercy through the
Lamb! Let the reader compare 1 Kings 18:36; Ezra 9:4, 5; Daniel
9:21!
Ere passing from this verse its central figure needs to be
contemplated from yet another angle. Does not Joshua’s "falling to
the earth upon his face" foreshadow once more the Divine Savior!
When we remember that the root cause of the Ai calamity, which
Joshua was here lamenting, was the trespass of Achan in "the
accursed thing," must we not recognize in Joshua’s humiliation
thereat a striking and solemn prefiguration of the Redeemer’s
anguish in Gethsemane? When entering upon the climax of His
sufferings and the Surety of His people was about to be "made a
curse" for them before God, we are told that He "fell on His face,
and prayed" (Matthew 26:39). And the very next thing which Joshua
here did was to pray (v. 7). If it be objected that Joshua was
acknowledging his own sad failure, we answer, That only brings out
more pointedly the type, for in Gethsemane the Holy One is seen as
the Sin-bearer, the iniquities of His people being laid upon Him. Yet
in all things He has the pre-eminence: very different indeed was His
prayer in the Garden from that of Joshua’s on this occasion, for the
types instruct us not only by comparison but also by way of contrast
—as in Israel’s eating of the manna, and later dying; not so with
those who eat the Bread of Life (John 6:49, 50).
"And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at
all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the
Amorites to destroy us?" (v. 7). Here begins one of the prayers of the
Old Testament, which, like those contained in the New, vary
considerably both in tenor and tone. It is therefore well for us to
inquire, What is prayer? That question may be answered in many
ways, according as it be considered from various angles. Thus,
prayer is a communing with God, an adoring of Him. Prayer is
offering praise to Him, a thanking Him for all His mercies. Prayer is
also the making known of our needs unto God, and a looking to Him
for the supply of the same. Likewise it is an acknowledging of our
sins before Him, and seeking His forgiveness and restoration.
Further, it is a taking on our spirits the burdens of others and making
intercession on their behalf. But here in Joshua 7 we have something
quite different from any of those aspects of prayer which, though an
humbling one, is nevertheless one which all saints at some time or
other in their lives need to avail themselves of. On this occasion we
behold Joshua overwhelmed, heavily burdened, deeply perturbed,
and we hear him pouring out his heart before God without restraint.
It is our privilege and duty to do so in similar seasons, though
endeavoring to avoid his faults. It will bring relief to an oppressed
spirit!
There was no eloquent phrasing, no pleading of the Divine
promises, no expressing of any definite petition in Joshua’s prayer;
but instead an unstudied and spontaneous unburdening of himself
before the Lord. If it be examined in a critical and carping spirit, it
will be easy to detect its faults and condemn it for its incoherency
and inconsistency. But whatever defects this prayer possessed, it
must not be overlooked that it obtained a hearing from God! It will
therefore be well for each of us to ponder Joshua 7:7-9, in the light
of the title of Psalm 102: "A prayer of the afflicted when he is
overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord." Upon
these words an exceptionally favored and honored servant of God
wrote: "You and I may be in various cases of affliction: we may at
times be overwhelmed with the same: it will be well with us if we
act as the Psalmist here doth. I never in the whole of my life got any
good by carrying my affliction, or speaking when overwhelmed with
sorrow to anyone else; no, let it be with a saint of ever so great a
degree in the school of Christ. When I have poured out my
complaint before the Lord, I have. Blessed be His name for it."
A Penitent Leader’s Prayer
In our last we contemplated Joshua, after Israel’s humiliating
defeat at Ai, on his face before the ark of the Lord. There he lay,
with rent garments and dust upon his head, in a posture of self-
judgment and abasement. Not until the hour of the evening sacrifice
did he open his mouth to God, and then he might have said, "I
poured out my complaint before Him, I showed Him my trouble"
(Ps. 142:2). Those words present to us an aspect of prayer all too
little dwelt upon by preachers and writers. It is wrong to think that
we should approach God only when our hearts are composed and in
a spiritual frame. It is our privilege to come to the throne of grace
for "mercy" and to sob out our griefs when deeply distressed. David
tells us he did so "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me" (Ps.
142:3). It is for our relief that we tell out our woes to One who is
"touched with the feeling of our infirmities." When none other can
enter into our case or assuage our grief, we should present ourselves
before the Divine footstool as objects of compassion, remembering
that "the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy" (James 5:11), and
therefore He will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking
flax.
"When it lies in his line of duty for an expositor to comment
upon a recorded instance of an outpouring of heart by a troubled
soul, his task is neither an easy nor a pleasant one; for not a little
scum rises to the surface when the spirit reaches boiling point. The
Hebrew word for "complaint" in Psalm 142:2, does not mean fault-
finding, but signifies, rather, that which causes pain and anguish, as
in Job 7:13, and 9:27. We may indeed complain to God and
unburden ourselves before Him, yet we ought never to complain of
Him or murmur at any of His dealings. But where shall we find one
clothed with flesh and blood who is guiltless in this respect? Where
indeed! Only in Him who, amid "strong crying and tears," said,
"Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done." If one of our
"complaints" be examined in a captious spirit it will not be difficult
for another to find in it expressions which are inadvisable. Let us not
then scrutinize this prayer of Joshua’s in a pharisaic spirit, but rather
let us approach it with that word before us, "He that is without sin
among you, let him first cast a stone" (John 8:7). On the other hand,
we must not gloss over the faults nor deliberately condone what is
reprehensible in it.
 Not a little of human infirmity was discovered by Joshua’s
language on this occasion, and though that be easily accounted for,
yet it must not be rendered an excuse for justifying our failures. As
is so often the case with us, especially when deeply perturbed, there
was a strange mingling of the flesh and the spirit seen in the prayer
which is now to engage our attention. While some of its expressions
cannot be approved, yet it should be borne in mind that Joshua was
not here murmuring against any direct dealing of the Lord with
himself, but was venting his sore distress over what had just befallen
his nation, and, was deeply grieved at the reproach which the same
must bring upon the name of the Lord. While those considerations
might modify his fault, yet they by no means absolve him. The truth
is that Joshua too was a sinner saved by sovereign and amazing
grace, and that fact was made to appear clearly in this incident. Let
us then admire once more the impartiality and fidelity of the sacred
historians in narrating this blemish in Joshua’s conduct, and behold
therein another proof of the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures,
which painted each character in the colors of truth and reality,
concealing not the defects of its greatest heroes.
The temporary breakdown of Joshua in heeding the
presumptuous counsel of the spies, instead of seeking guidance from
the Lord through the high priest (Num. 27:21), and in slighting the
ark instead of according it the place of honor, was now further
betrayed by his mouth and the hard thoughts which he entertained
against God. "And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast
Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been
content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!" (Josh. 7:7). In this
failure of so honored a character as Joshua let both writer and reader
see his own deep need of walking humbly before God and clinging
to Him in conscious weakness. An object lesson is here set before us
of how quickly faith fails its possessor when it be not sustained by
its Author and Giver. The trouble was that Joshua’s heart was no
longer occupied with the plain and sure promises he had received
from God. And why? Because he was walking by sight, viewing
things with the eyes of carnal reason. He rashly concluded from the
setback at Ai that it was the harbinger of total defeat. Unbelief is
unable to see things in their proper perspective and proportions:
thirty-six men and not the whole of the three thousand had been
slain!
It was not without good reason that the apostle was moved
by the Spirit to say to those who were partakers of the heavenly
calling, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief" (Heb. 3:13). There is a very real danger of our
doing so, and we need to be ever on our guard against it, walking
circumspectly. Even the faith of. him who is designated "the father
of all them that believe" (Rom. 4:11) failed, for when there arose a
famine in the land, instead of trusting God to supply all his need (as
Elijah did), he "went down into Egypt to sojourn there" (Gen.
12:10). That breakdown in Abraham’s faith was due to the same
cause as that of Joshua’s! He was out of communion with God. First,
he had left Bethel ("the house of God"), where he had built an altar
to the Lord, and then he journeyed "toward the south" (Gen. 12:8),
i.e. Egyptwards. And thus, as we have seen with Joshua, instead of
inquiring of the Lord, he had hastily adopted the carnal policy of his
underlings. Disaster followed, and now a spirit of unbelief possessed
him. Learn, then, dear reader, that faith will only be preserved in a
healthy condition as we maintain close communion with God
through those means of grace which He has appointed.
"Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast Thou at all brought this
people over Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to
destroy us?" Very sad indeed is it to hear Joshua now using the very
language which had been employed forty years previously by that
generation of Israel whose carcasses fell in the wilderness. Of them
it is recorded that they "murmured in their tents and said, Because
the Lord hated us He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt,
to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us"; the
explanation of such despondency being, as Moses charged them, "in
this thing ye did not believe the Lord" (Deut. 1:27, 32). And now
Joshua is guilty of expressing the same unbelief. This is the more
lamentable since he (together with Caleb) had rebuked the
skepticism of the congregation, saying, "Rebel not ye against the
Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us
their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear
them not" (Num. 14:9) — that was the language of confidence in
God. But as faith in Him will make the weak and timid strong and
courageous, so will unbelief fill the stoutest heart with terror.
Observe how inconsistent and incoherent is the language of
unbelief. Joshua acknowledged that it was the Lord who had brought
Israel over Jordan, and then asked if He had done so only for them
to be destroyed at the hands of the heathen. It is ever thus. Though
the wise of this world look upon the children of faith as a company
of credulous simpletons, yet really "the shoe is on the other foot."
Nothing is so reasonable as to believe the Bible, for it is the Word of
Him who cannot lie. But none so imposed upon and irrational as
those who reject a revelation from heaven that is attested by "many
infallible proofs": to scorn what is authenticated by unimpeachable
evidence is a mark of madness and not intelligence. And when a
child of God gives way to unbelief his spiritual understanding
becomes deranged, and the conclusions he then draws are faulty and
absurd. Behold another example of this in the case of David, when
he "said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul
(1 Sam. 27:1). How could he possibly do so, when God Himself had
assured him of the throne? He, too, had failed to ask counsel of the
Lord, and now that he talks with his own deceitful heart he utters the
language of a fool.
What need is there for the Christian to cry, "Lord, I believe,
help Thou mine unbelief." And if that prayer be sincere, so far from
his excusing unbelief, he will mourn over it; so far from regarding it
as an innocent infirmity for which he is to be more sympathized
with than blamed, he will strive against its evil workings. We have
no patience with those who well-nigh exalt the carnal fears and
doubts of God’s people into spiritual graces and evidences of
humility and "deep experience." Any teaching which makes light of
the distrust of God, or which causes His children to pity themselves
for their failures and falls, is to be condemned and shunned. To call
into question the Divine promises is to make God a liar, and that is a
heinous offense by whomsoever committed. As faith honors God, so
does unbelief dishonor Him. Faith is said to glorify God (Rom.
4:20), and therefore unbelief is a failing to render to Him the glory
which is His due. Unbelief in His people is the sin against which
God has most proclaimed His displeasure. Moses and Aaron were
excluded from Canaan because of their unbelief (Num. 20:12). The
father of John the Baptist was stricken dumb for not believing what
God had revealed (Luke 1:20). Christ chided His disciples for
nothing so much as He did for their unbelief (Matthew 8:26; Luke
24:25). "Lord, increase our faith" must be our daily request.
"Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other
side Jordan! "Surely this cannot be the language of one who was on
his face before the ark of the Lord! Ah, my reader, no fictitious
history had contained such an unthinkable anomaly as that.
Nevertheless it is true to life, as many a saint discovers by sad
experience. Just previously "the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame
was noised throughout all the coast (Josh. 6:27); here disgracing
himself, by complaining of the Lord’s dealings with Israel. Then in
the posture of self-abasement, and now uttering the language of self-
will. For how many of God’s own people do those words of Jacob’s
concerning Reuben apply: "Unstable as water" (Gen. 49:2). Humbly
seeking for light from the Word, and puffed up with conceit when it
be granted. Praying for more patience, and fretful when the Divine
providences are working it in us (James 1:2). Intrepidly contending,
single-handed, against eight hundred and fifty false prophets (1
Kings 18), and immediately after fleeing in terror from the threats of
a woman (1 Kings 19:2, 3). Ephraim was not the only one like "a
cake not turned" (Hosea 7:8)—baked on one side, dough on the
other. Oh, what a compound of inconsistencies and contradictions is
the Christian as the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit
against the flesh! Oh, the long-suffering of the Lord!
The best of God’s children (if there be any best!) are
frequently affected with fits of unbelief and chillings of love. Today
they find themselves earnestly proposing and resolving to do those
things which are good, but tomorrow they may discover their zeal
has somewhat abated, so uncertain and inconstant are their
affections. Now hopeful, anon despondent; now singing God’s
praises, anon their harps upon the willows; now walking obediently
in the path of the Divine precepts, anon straying off into bypath
meadow. None differ so much from them as they often differ from
themselves! Nay, in the very graces for which they are eminent, how
have they failed! Moses was the meekest man upon the earth, yet in
what a froward passion was he when he struck the rock twice and
"spake unadvisedly with his lips"! Peter was the most zealous and
courageous of the apostles, yet he yielded to sinful fear in the
presence of a maid. Some will glorify God in one condition, but
dishonor Him in another. They may conduct themselves becomingly
while God keeps them low, and then become fretful against Him
when they are exalted. On the contrary, others who tread softly in a
time of prosperity are filled with murmuring when the cold winds of
adversity smite them.
"Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other
side Jordan!" Alas, what is man? What is a saint when left to
himself? What will not his inbred corruptions produce unless Divine
grace suppress them! How the, evil leaven was working! How
horribly Joshua himself was affected by Achan’s sin! Yet that in no
wise excused his own unseemly language, JOSHUA was here taking
direct issue with the Most High, openly quarrelling with His
dispensations, complaining at His providential dealings. And has the
writer and the reader, even after becoming a Christian, never been
guilty of the same black offense? Ah, have we not cause to hang our
heads in shame? And should not the remembrance of past risings up
of a rebellious spirit cause us to beg God to subdue our iniquities
and bring our will into fuller subjection to His? Instead of marveling
at the sad language of Joshua, see in it a portrayal of our own
wayward hearts and our deep need of crying "Hold Thou me up"
(Ps. 119:117).
"Would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other
side Jordan! "Most assuredly that was not the utterance of "a sound
mind," least of all as now issuing from one who had recently passed
through such an experience as Joshua’s: he had just witnessed a
whole generation of his nation discontented with the wilderness,
repeatedly lusting after the fleshpots of Egypt. It was the height of
folly to express such a wish. Moreover, it was not at all a matter of
"contentment": they had left the wilderness at the command of God,
and not because they were dissatisfied with it. Mark well the sad
process which preceded that frenzy. First, a severance of
communion with God, then giving way to an evil heart of unbelief,
then quarrelling with God’s providential dealings, and now bereft of
spiritual sanity, for surely it was nothing less to prefer the wilderness
to Canaan! But is it not ever thus when fellowship with the Lord is
broken and unbelief actuates us? The barren wilderness is a figure of
this perishing world, and when a Christian is out of touch with
Christ and a spirit of distrust possesses him he is infatuated with the
things of earth and, unless Divine grace restores him to his senses,
becomes more attached to them than the things which are above.
"O Lord, what shall I say!" It seems to us that these words
mark a return to sanity. The wild outburst of the preceding verse is
checked. It is almost as though he now felt ashamed of his rash
utterances as he began to realize to whom he was speaking. Yet he is
still quite disturbed and scarcely knows how to express himself. "O
Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their
enemies!" (v. 8). Israel was beloved of him, yet he could think of
nothing to say on their behalf which excused their cowardly defeat.
Nevertheless he should have known how to answer his question. The
Lord does not act capriciously, nor does He "afflict willingly nor
grieve the children of men" (Lam. 3:33), but only as they give Him
occasion; and therefore Joshua ought to have humbly begged the
Lord to make known to him the reason for His afflicting judgment.
Should he not have asked, "O Lord: why doth Thine anger burn
against Thy people? wherein have we provoked Thee?" When they
were defeated in battle by the Philistines, the elders of Israel
inquired, "Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today?" (1 Sam. 4:3).
When there was a famine in the land for three years, "David inquired
of the Lord" (2 Sam. 21:1), and He at once made known the cause of
the same.
What has just been pointed out presents a lesson which we
do well to heed. As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked; but [rather] that the wicked turn from his way
and live" (Ezek. 32:11). Much less has the Lord any pleasure in
smiting His own people. Yet He must maintain His own honor, and
deal with them according to His holiness as well as His grace. And
they must "hear the rod" if they would profit from it and "be
partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:10, 11). Closing our eyes to the
providential signs God gives us of His displeasure will not improve
matters; nor will wringing our hands in despair when things go
wrong get us anywhere. While on the one hand God has said, "My
son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord," yet on the other
He bids us nor faint when thou art rebuked by Him" (Heb. 12:5).
What then should we do and say? Humble ourselves beneath His
mighty hand and pray "give me to understand wherein I have
erred . . . show me wherefore Thou contendest with me" (Job 6:24;
10:2) that I may put right what is wrong, and once more have Thy
smile upon me. Such an inquiry, if it be sincere and humble, will not
be in vain.
"O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs
before their enemies! "Let us apply those words to ourselves. What
should be the believer’s reaction to the sad state which the religious
world is now in? As he beholds the awful declension of the outward
cause of Christ on earth, and realizes that the Spirit has been
quenched, what ought he to do and say? First, solemnly examine
himself and his ways, and seek to ascertain how far his own sins
have contributed to the present absence of the Lord’s blessing from
the churches. During "the desolations of Jerusalem" Daniel sought
the Lord, and he tells us "I made my confession and said . . . we
have sinned and committed iniquity" (Josh. 9:2-5, etc.). Let each of
us do likewise. Second, we should be deeply affected by the present
situation and mourn before God because of the reproach which
prevailing conditions in Christendom cast upon His name: see Psalm
119:53, 136; Jeremiah 9:1. Third, we should turn the exhortation of
Revelation 3:2, into earnest prayer, and beg the Lord to "strengthen
the things which remain that are ready to die," and revive His work
in the midst of the years. Fourth, we should plead before Him the
promise "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of
the Lord shall lift up a standard against him" (Isa. 59:19). "Who can
tell if God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce
anger that we perish not?" (Jon. 3:9).
"For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall
hear, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the
earth: and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?" (v. 9). Here the
supplicant becomes more intelligible, for the first half of this verse
is to be regarded as a plea, being tantamount to asking the Lord to
remember that Israel were the sheep of His pasture, and therefore to
spare them from falling a prey to the wolves. Then Joshua pointed
out the danger Israel were now in, thereby taking the place of
weakness; next, he looked to the love and pity of the Lord: Israel’s
name, which is dear to Thee, will be blotted out if the heathen
completely destroy them—which was an indirect appeal to the
promises God had made to the fathers (Gen. 15:18, etc.). Finally, he
points out the reproach which would be cast upon God were the
Canaanites to triumph completely. Thus when we penetrate beneath
the surface agitations of Joshua, we see that at heart it was concern
for the Divine glory which had prompted this prayer! He could not
endure a prospect which reflected upon the fidelity and power of
their covenant God. Herein he foreshadowed the antitypical Joshua.
He, too, when in deep trouble of soul, had asked "What shall I say?
Father, save Me from this hour?" No, rather, "Father glorify Thy
name" (John 12:27, 28)! Let that be our plea, and it will prove a
prevailing one.
Divine Inquisition
Joshua 7 presents to our notice that which is very different
from what is found in the preceding chapters. It opens with the
ominous word "But," which solemnly prepares for what follows.
First, the heinous sin of Achan, which, though the nation knew it not
at that time, caused the Lord to burn in "the fierceness of his anger"
against Israel (v. 26). The evil effects of Achan’s offense and the
consequences of Jehovah’s displeasure soon appeared. The spies
whom Joshua sent out to reconnoiter Ai were left to the exercise of
their carnal reason. The result was that when making their report
they presumptuously took it upon them to advise their leader how to
act. Regarding Ai as an easy prey, they intimated there was no need
for the whole nation of Israel to journey thither, that a single
battalion of their men would suffice. Thereby they suggested a
departure from the pattern which the Lord had given His people both
at the Jordan and at Jericho, and introduced disunity. Instead of
seeking counsel from the Lord, Joshua adopted their foolish plan.
The ark of the covenant was left behind in the camp, and three
thousand only were sent against Ai. The outcome was disastrous. A
spirit of cowardice possessed them, and they fled from the
Canaanites, thirty-six of them being slain.
The whole congregation was thoroughly dismayed: "the
hearts of the people melted, and became as water." Quite unaware of
the root cause of Israel’s ignominious setback, Joshua and the elders
of the nation rent their clothes, put dust upon their heads, and fell to
the earth on their faces before the slighted ark of the Lord. There
they remained "until the eventide," when the second of the daily
sacrifices was presented. At that hour Joshua addressed himself unto
the Lord, pouring out his distressed heart before Him. In view of the
circumstances, it is not to be wondered at that the infirmities of this
honored servant of the Lord were made manifest on this occasion.
As is usually the case with us at such times, there was a strange
mingling of the flesh and spirit, in the supplication of Joshua. While
some of his utterances are not to be condoned, still less echoed, yet
it should be borne in mind that he was not complaining at any of the
Lord’s dealings with him personally, but was deeply perturbed at
what had befallen God’s people. Though his opening expressions
were unseemly, his closing ones evidenced that his heart beat true to
Jehovah and that it was the honor of His name which so greatly
concerned him. We shall now consider the response which his prayer
met with from God.
 "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest
thou thus upon thy face?" (Josh. 7:10). Before considering those
somewhat puzzling words, let it be attentively observed that God did
not refuse His servant a hearing, even though considerably infirmity
had marred it. Blessed be His name, "He knoweth our frame, He
remembereth that we are dust" (Ps. 103:14), and in His tender mercy
"A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not
quench" (Matthew 12:20). Joshua had exclaimed, "O Lord, what
shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For
the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear, and shall
environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt
Thou do unto Thy great name?" (v. 9). In those words he had
virtually confessed his own failure. used the language of godly
sorrow, and had evinced a deep concern for the glory of God. Well
for us if such elements be present in our lispings before the throne of
grace. The holy but gracious One never repulses those in whom such
a spirit is found. On the ground of the evening sacrifice (the slain
lamb!) Jehovah met with this soul who manifested a "broken and
contrite heart" (Ps. 51:17). How that should encourage failing yet
penitent believers today!
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest
thou thus upon thy face?" Care needs to be taken in the interpreting
of this verse. If it be detached from its context we are almost certain
to err and jump to a wrong conclusion, regarding it as an expression
of the Lord’s displeasure. But if due attention be paid unto its
opening "And," and note carefully both what precedes and what
immediately follows, we should have no difficulty in arriving at its
general tenor. It is not God’s way to condemn those who take their
place in the dust before Him: rather is His controversy with them
who refuse to do so. Nevertheless, though He pardons, He does not
gloss over our faults: see Psalm 85:8; John 5:14. As the prayer of
Joshua had been a mixed one, so with the Divine response. God did
not turn a deaf ear to it, nor did He ignore His servant’s petulance,
but gently reproved him. It was both a mild rebuke and a word of
instruction. "Wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?" Why so
distressed and dejected? There is other work for thee to do. But
before performing it, he must be directed by his Master. Up to now
Joshua was in complete ignorance of Achan’s offense—the root
cause of the disaster.
"Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My
covenant which I commanded them: for they have taken of the
accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they
have put it even among their own stuff" (v. 11). That too needs to be
pondered, first, in the light of its setting. As we do so, it will be seen
that an important and blessed practical truth receives
exemplification: "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him"
(Ps. 25:10). If we really seek God’s honor and glory, we shall not be
left long in ignorance of the best way to recognize and promote it.
So it was here: the Lord now informed Joshua what it was which lay
behind Israel’s defeat at Ai. In like manner, if our seeking unto Him
be sincere and earnest—whether it be an individual or an assembly
—God will soon reveal to us what it is that has been withholding
His blessing upon our efforts. "Israel hath sinned"’ there has been no
failure on My part. I have not changed, but am just as willing and
ready as ever to undertake for My people; but they have choked the
channel of blessing. Thus it ever is. We speak of God’s hiding
Himself, when in fact we have departed from Him. It is always man
that does the turning away, thereby depriving himself of the Divine
strength, protection and prosperity.
In the above words of Jehovah unto Joshua it is most
noticeable how He set forth and stressed the enormity of Achan’s
crime: one detail being added to another until no less than six items
are specified in the terrible indictment. First, the general charge is
made "Israel hath sinned," followed by the fearful accusation "they
have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them,"
which greatly aggravated their sin. Observe that the charge is
preferred against the whole nation, and not simply against a single
individual’ "Israel," "they," for in the sight of God they were a
corporate and federal unit: as the local church of this Christian era is
a moral unit before Christ: see 1 Corinthians 12:20, 26; 5:6. This
feature received additional emphasis in the reference to "the
Covenant," for that had been made with and solemnly entered into
by the whole congregation (Ex. 24). Next we behold how the Divine
Law was brought to the fore: "They have taken of the accursed
thing," which was a definite violation of the explicit prohibition of
Deuteronomy 13:17—"there shall cleave naught of the cursed thing
to thine hand." Yet more: "and have also stolen," thereby adding
considerably to the heinousness of the offense, for it was a direct
breach of the eighth commandment in the Decalogue.
"And have also stolen" emphasized another reprehensible
feature of the crime—it had been committed surreptitiously and with
previous design. It was not that Achan had been suddenly overcome
by an unexpected temptation, but that he acted with deliberation,
stealthily and secretly, his deceitful and wicked heart persuading him
that he would thereby escape the cognizance of the Most High.
Horrible impiety is it when we entertain the idea that we can impose
upon Omniscience. The more secret our wickedness be, the more
does it evince the heart’s depravity and industry therein, planning
and scheming how to bring the sin to pass with the least danger and
shame to ourselves. It was thus with David when he plotted the
death of Uriah (2 Sam. 11:14, 15). So too had Ananias and Sapphira
arranged in private to impose a fraud upon the Holy Spirit (Acts
5:27). How we should pray to be preserved from secret sins! They
are particularly heinous because of the premeditation and
dissimulation which is used in their commission. "And dissembled
also," which made his case that much blacker. When Israel met with
shameful defeat at Ai, and the whole nation was plunged into grief,
Achan played the part of a hypocrite, pretending to be innocent of
causing the same—instead of confessing his iniquity. Finally, "And
they have put it even among their own stuff," instead of bringing it
into the "treasury of the Lord" (Josh. 6:19).
"Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their
enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they
were accursed; neither will I be with you any more, except ye
destroy the accursed thing from among you (v. 12). Weigh
attentively that statement my reader, for it casts a flood of light upon
the reason why the visible cause of Christ is in its present
lamentable condition. What took place at Ai has been and is being
duplicated in thousands of churches and assemblies the world over.
Instead of enjoying the Lord’s blessing, His frown is upon them;
instead of overcoming the Enemy, they are humiliated before him.
How many a minister of the Gospel has to the best of his ability
faithfully preached the Word, yet to no effect, unless it be to
considerably reduce the size of his congregation! How many a one
fearing that he was a "misfit," has resigned his charge and has
accepted a call to another part of the Lord’s vineyard, only to
discover after a short time there that conditions are just as
heartbreaking as those in his previous sphere! A spirit of deadness
rests upon his church: the prayer meeting is cold, and thinly
attended, preaching is burdensome. His most earnest appeals seem
to hit the wall and return upon him. The power of the Spirit is
markedly absent: souls are not converted, nor even convicted.
The above verses makes known one of "the ways of the
Lord" or one of the principles which regulate His governmental
dealings in time. When a company who profess to be in covenant
relationship with Him violate its terms and flagrantly transgress His
commandments, then His blessing is withheld from them. No matter
how zealous and active they may be, God prospers not their efforts.
They may go out as of yore against the foe, but the Lord fights not
for them. They are left to themselves, and soon their nakedness and
shame is made manifest. God will not be trifled with. To the church
in Pergamos the Son of God declared "I have a few things against
thee," and after specifying what they were, added, "Repent, or else I
will come on thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword
of My mouth (Rev. 2:14-16). Likewise did He threaten the church in
Thyatira, "I will kill thy children with death, and all the churches
shall know that I am He who searcheth the reins and hearts, and I
will give unto every one of you according to your works" (Rev.
2:23).
Alas that the majority of the churches today know nothing of
that solemn fact. Alas that they have received so little instruction
upon the holiness which must obtain in the assembly if the presence
of Christ is to be enjoyed there. Alas that "the accursed thing" has
not only been suffered a place, but "they have put it even among
their own stuff." Alas that they know not the Holy One has a
controversy with them over this very thing. Alas that they are
ignorant of the fact that their spiritual poverty and powerlessness,
their being humiliated before the world, is due to the Divine
judgment upon their sins. Alas that they are completely unaware of
the Divine sentence "neither will I be with you any more, except ye
destroy the accursed thing from among you." Paul had to rebuke the
Corinthian assembly because they tolerated moral evil in their midst,
and bade them "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a
new lump" (1 Cor. 5:17). "Except ye destroy" was the enforcing of
Israel’s responsibility.
How unmistakably the defeat at Ai and God’s solemn words
to Joshua make it evident that such a promise as that given in
Deuteronomy 20 was not an absolute one. There God had given
instruction, "And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle,
that the priests shall approach and speak unto the people, and shall
say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle
against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not
tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For the Lord your
God is He that goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies,
to save you" (vv. 2-4). Neither in those words, nor in anything
preceding or following, was there any proviso. It has the appearance
of an absolute promise, without any qualification. Taken by itself, it
was so; but taken in conjunction with other passages in
Deuteronomy, it was not so—as the event at Ai, and the later
experiences of Israel demonstrated. Scripture needs always to be
compared with Scripture in order to arrive at the full meaning of any
single verse. If we are too lazy to do the necessary searching in
order to locate other qualifying or amplifying passages, then the
fault is entirely our own if we be left in ignorance of the
signification of any statement of Holy Writ. The whole book of
Deuteronomy needs to be read through if we are to rightly
understand such a passage as the one in the twentieth chapter.
 Our purpose in calling attention to Deuteronomy 20:2-4, in
connection with our study of Joshua 7, is to show how easy it is to
wrest God’s Word, and to utter a warning and protest against the
careless and dishonest manner in which it is now so often handled.
Such passages as Deuteronomy 6:16-18 and 11:8, 9, require to be
kept steadily in mind when reading Joshua and the books which
follow, for they supply the key to much that is recorded in them.
And in connection with the promise in Deuteronomy 20:2-4,
particularly do we need to set side by side with it such statements as
"For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I
command you to do this day, to love the Lord your God, to walk in
all His ways, to cleave unto Him, Then will the Lord drive out all
these nations from before you" (Josh. 11:22, 23) and "It shall come
to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice of the Lord your
God, to observe to do all His commandments which I command thee
this day . . . that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all
nations of the earth" (Josh. 28:1); but if they obeyed not, His curse
would certainly fall upon them (Josh. 28:15). It is handling God’s
Word deceitfully to stress its promises and ignore their qualifying
conditions: to quote John 8:32, and omit verse 31, to cite John
10:28, and be silent upon verse 27. Hebrews 3:6, 14, are just as
necessary for us as Joshua 8:10-12. God has indeed promised to
show Himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are perfect
towards Him; but nowhere has He declared that He will fight for the
self-willed and disobedient.
"Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against
tomorrow for thus saith the Lord God of Israel. There is an accursed
thing in the midst of thee, O Israel. Thou canst not stand before thine
enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you" (v.
13). This was the sequel to the "wherefore liest thou thus upon thy
face?" (v. 10); this was the duty concerning which the Lord was now
instructing His servant. It was not simply "Arise! "but "Up"—bestir
thyself now unto the duty which I enjoin thee. "Sanctify the people":
this was ever the order when the nation was about to witness some
outstandingly solemn or glorious transaction. Thus it was
immediately before God gave the Law at Sinai (Ex. 19:10). Thus it
was following the murmuring at Taberah, when the Lord "came
down" and talked with Moses (Num. 11:18). Thus it was on the eve
of Jehovah’s wondrous intervention for them at the Jordan (Josh.
3:5). In each case the call was for the people to be sanctified, that is,
for them to be formally and reverently assembled before the Lord.
Joshua was also to bid them sanctify yourselves against tomorrow,"
which signified, duly prepare yourselves for the solemn and
searching ordeal which the Lord has appointed: spare no pains in
seeing to it that you are in a meet condition for the approach of the
Holy One.
Continuing the Lord’s response to Joshua’s prayer
subsequent to the humiliating repulse at Ai. After informing him that
Israel had sinned grievously, and therefore His blessing had been
withheld from their efforts, the Lord bade His servant, "Up, sanctify
the people" (v. 13). Before we consider the immediate and historical
application of those words, let us observe how they supplied yet
another line to the typical picture of the Savior which is set forth in
this book. As we have passed from chapter to chapter the readers’
attention has been directed to quite a number of things in which
Joshua foreshadowed the Lord Jesus. A further detail now appears in
this injunction for him to sanctify the people, for it prefigured Christ
as the Sanctifier of His Church: "Wherefore Jesus also, that He
might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the
gate" (Heb. 13:12). And what was the moral condition of His people
when He did so? Precisely the same as Israel’s was here: defiled
under the curse of the Law, "the fierceness of God’s anger" being
upon them (Josh. 7:26 and cf. Ephesians 2:3). To deliver them
therefrom, the antitypical Joshua suffered the full penalty of their
sins, and set them apart unto God in all the acceptableness of His
meritorious sacrifice. Mark also the time when this occurred: as it
was immediately following upon Joshua’s "falling to the earth upon
his face" (Josh. 7:6) that he was bidden to "sanctify the people," so it
was a few hours after His prostration on the ground in Gethsemane
that Christ sanctified His people at the cross!
Turning from the spiritual and mystical signification of the
order Joshua received to its literal and historical meaning, we
understand by God’s "sanctify the people" that he was to formally
and reverently convene the nation in orderly array before the Lord.
That injunction was probably the exact equivalent of one received
by Israel’s prophet at a later date, "Sanctify a fast, call a solemn
assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the
elders, gather the children" (Joel 2:15, 16), for it is clear from what
follows here that all Israel were required to take their place before
the Divine tribunal. "Sanctify the people, and say unto them,
Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, for thus saith the Lord God of
Israel. There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel, thou
canst not stand before thine enemies until ye put away the accursed
thing from among you" (Josh. 7:13). It is striking and interesting to
note how that the Lord here repeated what He had just said in the
previous verse, both in charging them with their being an accursed
thing in Israel’s midst and that because of it they could not stand
before their enemies. Such reiteration not only evinced how heinous
was their crime in the eyes of the Holy One, but also gave point unto
the call for the people to "sanctify yourselves"—not "for the
morrow" but against it. They were to duly anticipate in their
consciences the Divine inquisition which would then be held, when
the guilty would be unerringly identified and severely punished.
Thus, "Sanctify yourselves" was tantamount unto "Prepare to meet
thy God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12).
"Sanctify the people, and say unto them sanctify yourselves
against tomorrow." The same demand had been made at Sinai, and
what is recorded of it casts light upon the import of it here: they
were to wash their bodies and clothes, and abstain from their wives"
(Ex. 19:14, 15). Thus, "sanctify" here has the force of purify: "For if
the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh" (Heb. 9:13 and cf.
2 Timothy 2:21). Under the law "sanctification" or "separation and
consecration to the Lord, was secured by a process of cleansing. By
a comparison with Joel 2:15, 16, and its context (vv. 13, 17) it is
clear that, in addition to ceremonial purification, Israel were here
enjoined to cleanse themselves morally. "Sanctify yourselves" would
therefore imply and include a solemn call to self-examination,
humiliation, and supplication; and that in turn would necessitate a
separating of their minds from all other cares and concerns, that they
might give themselves undistractedly and earnestly unto those
solemn duties. Such acts of devotion can only be suitably performed
as the thoughts and affections are detached from the daily business
and worries of this world. As they had been required to sanctify
themselves before they received the Law, so now they were ordered
to do so when about to witness a most fearful enforcing of its
penalty.
Possibly some will be inclined to ask, Since a single
individual only had committed this offense, or at most with the
connivance of his family (Josh. 7:21), what reason or propriety was
there in calling upon all the people to employ themselves in solemn
self-examination? How could those who knew they were innocent of
perpetrating a serious crime, sincerely engage in such a task? Those
who are truly jealous of the glory of God and who are painfully
conscious of the fact that "in many things we all offend:’ (James 3:2)
will have no difficulty in meeting such an objection. The name of
the Lord had been grievously sullied by the enemy’s triumph at Ai,
and His saints could not but bitterly mourn over it. Furthermore, the
whole nation had been put to shame when their soldiers had fled
before the Canaanites; yea, the nation was vet in imminent danger
while exposed to "the fierceness of God’s anger" (v. 26), and
therefore it was most fitting that there should be an humbling of the
entire congregation before the Lord—as the example of Joshua and
their elders (v. 6) had intimated. Moreover, as Matthew Henry
pointed out, "The sins of others may be improved by us, as
furtherances of our sanctification, as the scandal of the incestuous
Corinthian occasioned a blessed reformation in the church: 2
Corinthians 7:11." Every time a saint is overtaken in a fault, it
should give point unto his fellows of that warning "let him that
thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12).
Ere passing on, one other question needs to be noticed: if the
"sanctify the people" unto Joshua foreshadowed Christ’s
sanctification of His Church, then what was spiritually connoted by
his bidding the people "sanctify yourselves"? There was a double
sanctification: one by Joshua and one by themselves! That two-
foldness of Truth appears again and again in connection with God’s
people. As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ they are saved (Acts
16:31), yet they are bidden to work out their own salvation (Phil.
2:12) and cf. (1 Tim. 4:16). They are new creatures in Christ, yet
exhorted to put on the new man (Eph. 4:24). They are now clean,
and yet need to have their feet washed. They are complete in Christ
(Col. 2:10), yet are bidden to grow in grace and add to their faith
virtue, and to virtue knowledge, etc. (2 Pet. 1:5). Every believer has
been "perfected forever" (Heb. 10:14), yet confesses that he is not
already perfect (Phil. 3:11). The one refers to what they are in
Christ, the other to what they are in themselves. Unless the Christian
reader learns to draw that distinction, much in the epistles will seem
almost a meaningless jumble; if not a series of contradictions. There
is a tremendous difference between how the believer appears in the
sight of God, and how he looks in his own eyes and those of his
fellows. He stands before God in the infinite value of Christ’s
righteousness, while in his actual experience he is warring against
the world, the flesh and the devil, and is often worsted by them.
"Sanctification" is still more complex, for a threefold
distinction is necessary in order to bring into view its leading
features, namely, our federal, personal, and practical holiness. By
our fall in Adam we lost not only the favor of God but the purity of
our nature, and therefore we need to be both reconciled to Him and
sanctified in our inner man. The former is secured by the work of
Christ; the latter is effected by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The
former is judicial; the latter is vital. Christ is the covenant Head of
His people, and since He is the Holy One, all in Him are
representatively holy. He is their holiness as truly as He is their
righteousness: "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). He is "made unto them" sanctification in
precisely the same way as God "made Him to be sin for us" (2 Cor.
5:21), namely, by legal reckoning, by imputation. But that is not all:
believers are not only sanctified federally and legally, but personally
and vitally in themselves. In consequence of their covenant union
with Christ, the Holy Spirit is sent to quicken them into newness of
life, to indwell them. to abide with them forever. This is their
"sanctification of the Spirit" (2 Thess. 2:13).
The fruit of the believer’s sanctification in Christ and of the
Spirit’s indwelling are, in various ways and degrees, made manifest
in their daily lives, which is what we term practical sanctification. A
principle of holiness is imparted at regeneration, and the workings
and effects of the same soon appear in the conduct. Sanctification of
the Spirit produces a real and radical change in its favored subject,
and so transforms his behavior "as becometh the Gospel of Christ."
That which has been wrought within every believer is manifested
without, by an obedient walk in the paths of holiness as marked out
in the Word. Thereby evidence is given that they have been created
"by God in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24). It is on the
basis of their federal and vital oneness with Christ that exhortations
unto practical holiness are addressed to them: "he that saith he
abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk even as He walked"
(1 John 2:6). And it is by virtue of the Spirit’s sanctification that
such exhortations are exactly suited to the new nature He has
wrought in them: "Let it not be once named among you as becometh
saints" (Eph. 5:3). Those whom the Spirit has made "saints" (i.e.
"sanctified ones") are to conduct themselves as such (Rom. 16:2).
The nation of Israel had been set apart unto the Lord, and that call,
"sanctify yourselves," was the equivalent of saying, Act accordingly.
To us the word is, "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1;
and cf. 1 Peter 1:15).
"Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, for thus saith the
Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee,
O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take
away the accursed thing frown among you." "The Lord did not point
out the criminal immediately, but He left the matter in ambiguity for
some time, and at last brought it to light gradually: that both
magistrates and people might learn to do their duty, and to keep a
vigilant eye over one another; and that the delay and process might
make the transaction more solemn, and excite the more careful self-
examination and sanctification of themselves by every method
appointed under the law" (T. Scott). Similarly did the Savior say
unto His apostles, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is
a devil?" (John 6:70). Later He informed them that one of them
would betray Him, though still without actually naming the one who
would be guilty of such horrible perfidy; which resulted in each of
the eleven asking: "Lord is it I?" Such ought to be the first concern
of each of us, once it becomes evident that the light of God’s
countenance is no longer shining upon the company of saints with
whom we are in fellowship: bowing before a heart-searching God
and asking, Am I responsible for the withdrawal of Thy favor?
Where such a spirit obtains among the members it will not belong
ere the One who is jealous of the honor of His house makes known
the cause of His displeasure.
"In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to
your tribes: and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall
come according to the families thereof; and the family which the
Lord shall take come by households; and the household which the
Lord shall take shall come man by man" (v. 13). First, the opening
words of this verse teach us that once an evil be known there must
be no delay in dealing with it—true alike whether it respects an
assembly or where only a single individual be concerned. The honor
of God and our own welfare alike demand prompt action when any
"accursed thing" be involved. To procrastinate in such a case is like
playing with fire. Delay in such a matter is a sure sign our hearts are
not right with God. By all means investigate thoroughly and make
sure that God has been publicly slighted, and then be not tardy in
dealing with the offender. Next, we should note the Lord’s insistence
upon what Joshua had previously disregarded, namely, the unity of
Israel. In heeding the counsel of the spies and detaching three
thousand from the body of the nation (v. 3), he acted contrary to the
pattern God gave him in the crossing of Jordan and taking of
Jericho. "Israel hath sinned," God declared, and now He required
that the whole of the tribes should share in the shame of Achan’s
offense—as later He gave orders "Take all the people of war"
against Ai (Josh. 8:1).
"In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to
your tribes, and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall
come according to the families thereof." The culprit had not been
named, and before he was identified there must be a searching
investigation. Very solemn indeed was the procedure followed. Most
probably the whole congregation was assembled before the
tabernacle. The word "brought" is the one generally used in
connection with offering of the sacrifices (Lev. 1:2, 10)—"bring,"
therefore, has the force here of the people being presented for the
Lord’s inspection. Doubtless it was the "princes" or heads of each
tribe which came, respectively, before Joshua and Eleazar. Three
times over in this verse we have the expression "which the Lord
shall take." We naturally inquire, what is signified thereby? In what
way or by what process did He do so? If Scripture be compared with
Scripture it seems clear that the Lord here distinguished between the
innocent and the guilty by means of the Urim and Thummim in the
high priest’s breastplate. When Joshua was first set apart unto his
office, orders were given that "he shall stand before Eleazar the
priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment [decision or
verdict] of the Urim before the Lord" (Num. 27:21). Under certain
circumstances the will of God was made known via the Urim and
Thummim, and evidently Eleazar "asked counsel" for Joshua by
them on this occasion.
Of Saul it is said that "when he inquired of the Lord, the
Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by
prophet" (1 Sam. 28:6)— proof of His having abandoned the
apostate king. Thence we gather that by means of the Urim and
Thummim, prophetic guidance was at certain times obtained from
God. This is further borne out by Ezra 2:63, when Nehemiah
forbade the rejected children of the priests eating of the most holy
things, he added "till there stand up a priest with Urim and
Thummim"—through which the Divine mind will again be revealed.
From these passages the late Dr. Bullinger drew the following
deductions: "The Urim and Thummim were probably two precious
stones, which were drawn out as a lot to give Jehovah’s judgment.
‘The lot is cast into the lap [Hebrew "bosom"] but the whole
judgment thereof is of the Lord’ (Prov. 16:33)—bosom is here put
for the clothing or covering over it: of Exodus 4:6, 7; Ruth 4:16 . . .
Thus, those two placed in the ‘bag’ and one drawn out would give
the judicial decision which would be ‘of the Lord.’ Hence, the
breastplate itself was known as ‘the breastplate of judgment’ (Ex.
28:15), because by that Jehovah’s judgment was obtained when it
was needed. Hence, when the land was divided ‘by lot’ (Num.
26:55) Eleazar the high priest must be present. (Num. 34:17; Joshua
17:14)."
Both words are in the plural number, though (as is often the
case in the Hebrew) probably it is what is known as the plural of
majesty"—used for the purpose of emphasizing the importance of a
thing or the dignity of an object. It is likely that the "Urim" was a
single stone or object and the "Thummim" another, though we
cannot be certain. The English equivalent for those words is "light"
or "lights" and "perfections"; in the Septuagint they are rendered by
"delosis" and "aletheim," meaning "manifestation and truth." As the
high priest thrust his hand into the bag of his breastplate (note
"doubled" in Exodus 27:16), possibly the bringing forth of the
"Urim" indicated the Lord’s yes and the "Thummim" His no, or
vice-versa. In the instance we are now considering, most likely the
appearing of the Urim signified the bringing to light of the guilty;
whereas the issuing of the Thummim announced the "perfection" or
sincerity of the innocent. Thus, as the head or heads of each tribe
stood before Eleazar he would draw out the Thummim until the turn
of Judah arrived, as indicated by the Urim. The same process was
followed after the guilty tribe had been identified: the heads of its
leading "families" standing before the Lord’s representative, and
when the particular family was identified, the same with its
"households," until the culprit himself stood unmasked before all.
"And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing
shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath
transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought
folly in Israel" (v. 15). Solemn indeed was the transaction which we
have endeavored to picture above, fearful the trial of all who took
part in it. A threefold reason may be suggested for the leisurely
nature of this inquisition. First, it manifested the calmness and
thoroughness of the Judge of all the earth: He is ever a God of order,
departing not therefrom when sitting in judgment. Second, the
terribleness of their ordeal would impress upon Israel the reality of
the holy covenant which God had made with them, and demonstrate
before they again the majesty of the Divine Law—seen in arresting
the waters of Jordan, overthrowing the walls of Jericho, and now
equally so in taking vengeance on the transgressor. Third, in
affording the guilty one further space for repentance: but alas, his
heart was hardened and he refused to come forward and own that he
was the cause of the whole trouble. The dreadful sentence that he
should be "burnt with fire" does not necessarily signify he was to be
roasted alive—Joshua 7:25 seems to clearly show otherwise. If it be
asked, Why burn them and their possessions if they were already
dead from stoning? To express still more vividly the Divine
detestation, and that nothing whatever of the accursed thing should
remain.
Judgment
"So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel
by their tribes" (Josh. 7:16). Here we behold his willingness and
readiness in obeying the command he had received (v. 14). However
painful the task, there was no delay. In Joshua 3:1, we saw God’s
servant rising early to engage in a pleasant duty; here, there was
equal alacrity when a distressing one was to be performed. Though a
sore trial to flesh and blood, yet Joshua’s heart was in this work; for
he yearned to have the Lord’s honor vindicated, and for the nation to
be restored to His favor. Therein we have a further adumbration of
the antitypical Joshua, of whom we read that after announcing
"behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners," at once added "Rise, let us be going" (Matthew
26:45, 46). Yet here, as everywhere, the Savior had the pre-
eminence. There was no "rising early in the morning," for there was
no retiring to rest for Him that night! Through all the hours of
darkness He was hounded from pillar to post: from Gethsemane to
appear before Annas, then sent from him to Caiaphas, from him to
Pilate, from him to Herod, from him back to Pilate, from him to the
cross: all the while on foot, His body a mass of bleeding wounds,
without His eyes closing in slumber! Nevertheless, He advanced
unto those who thirsted for His blood (John 18:4), ready to be led as
a lamb to the slaughter.
"So Joshua rose up early, in the morning, and brought Israel
by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken." This must have
come as a most painful shock to that tribe as a whole, as well as to
Joshua himself. Wondrous things had been foretold of Judah. It was
to be the royal and ruling tribe (Gen. 49:10). The Lord had laid
honor on it by supernaturally endowing one of its men for special
skilled work in connection with the furnishing of the tabernacle (Ex.
31:3-5). Of it sprang the illustrious Caleb (Num. 13:8). Judah was
the tribe which took the lead when the nation was on march across
the wilderness (Num. 10:14). His was to be the largest portion of
Canaan (Deut. 34:2). And here their name was disgraced! Nor was
this the first time, as a reference to Genesis 38:2, 15 and 16 will
show—Achan being a direct descendant of the Zarah or Zerah of
Genesis 38:30, in Joshua 7:18. "This was an allay to their dignity
and might serve as a check to their pride. Many there were who
were its glories, but here was one that was its reproach. Let not the
best families think it strange if there be those found in them and
descended from them that prove their grief and shame. Since Judah
was to have the largest lot in Canaan, the more inexcusable is one of
that tribe if, not content to wait for his own share, he break in upon
God’s property" (Matthew Henry).
Achan remained obdurate even now that it was made known
that the guilty one belonged to the tribe of Judah. As he had not
confessed his offense when Israel was repulsed at Ai and the hearts
of the people melted and became as water (v. 5), so now he
maintained silence, yea, continued doing so when his own "family"
was singled out (v. 17) and when his particular "household" was
identified (v. 18), But in a few more moments he was to receive
proof of that Divine declaration "Be sure your sin will find you out"
(Num. 32:29). He was also on the point of learning "he that covereth
his sins shall not prosper" (Prov. 28:13). To "cover sin" is a keeping
of it within our own bosom, a refusing to bring it out into the light
by a frank confession of the same unto God. Pride restrains many
therefrom: they have such a high esteem of themselves that even
though guilty they are too self-opinionated to own their sins. With
others, unbelief is what hinders: they who have no faith to be
assured that God will cover repented sins, vainly attempt to do so
themselves even while remaining impenitent. Fear and shame are
what cause the majority to hide their sins. Sin is such a hideous
monster that they will not own it as theirs. But whatever be the
cause, they "shall not prosper."
"And he brought the family of Judah: and he took the family
of the Zarhites, and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by
man; and Zabdi was taken; he brought his household man by man:
and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of
the tribe of Judah was taken" (vv. 17, 18). It should be borne in mind
that all of the innocent were under a cloud of suspicion until the
culprit himself was definitely recognized. Moreover, it was
expedient for the benefit of future generations that no stigma should
rest upon the guiltless. "The tribe, family, parentage of the offender
were specified with exactness, that the infamy might not rest on the
reputation of any other of the same name" (T. Scott). Achan "was
taken" means that he was now identified by the "Urim," singled out
by the unerring judgment given through the high priest. It was now
made manifest before the whole congregation that the Divine justice
had seized him. When the secret sins of men are brought to light
God should be owned in it, and the perpetrator should acknowledge
with the brethren of Joseph: "God hath found out the iniquity of thy
servants"
(Gen. 44:16). "For there is nothing covered that shall not be
revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known" (Luke 12:2).
"And Joshua said unto Achan, My son give, I pray thee,
glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto Him, and
tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me" (v. 19). Here
again we must look beyond Joshua unto the One spoken of in Acts
17:31, "Because He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the
world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained." God
Himself will judge, yet not immediately, but mediately through
Christ. So here Achan was bidden to give glory to the Lord God, but
Joshua at once added, "tell me what thou hast done, hide it not from
me"! The expression "my son" was not here a term of tenderness or
kindness (as it usually is with us), but a form of address used by one
of eminence or authority unto an inferior, as Saul termed David "my
son" (1 Sam. 24:16) and Joab designated Ahimaaz, the son of
Zadok, "my son" (2 Sam. 18:22); conversely, a superior was owned
as "father" (2 Kings 5:13; 6:21). Nevertheless, it is striking to note
how mildly Joshua addressed Achan: "This is an example to all not
to insult over those who are in misery, though they have brought
themselves into it by their own wickedness, but to treat even
offenders with the spirit of meekness, not knowing what ourselves
should have been and done if God had put us into the hands of our
own counsels" (Matthew Henry).
"And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give I pray thee,
glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him." Very
striking and blessed is that’ the honor of Jehovah was what was
uppermost in His servant’s heart and mind—as it ever was with the
anti-typical Joshua (John 8:50; 12:23). But how could Achan’s
confession give glory to God? In many ways. It testified to the
Divine omniscience in detecting and exposing his profane and
stealthy conduct, picking him out from that vast multitude as the
guilty one. It acknowledged God’s holiness in abhorring his
wickedness, thereby setting to his seal that "He is of purer eyes than
to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). It
witnessed to His justice, that God was righteous in being so
displeased with him. It owned His veracity that "the soul that sinneth
it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). What is the glory of God but the sum of
His perfections? It is by those perfections that He is made known to
us both in the written and personal Word. And therefore to glorify
Him is for us to recognize, acknowledge and be suitably affected by
the Divine attributes; as conversely we are guilty of slighting Him
when denying, either in word or act, His perfections. When we
trample upon His Law we repudiate His authority. When we defy
Him, we disdain His power. When we think to conceal sin from
Him, we disown His omniscience.
"My son, give, I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel,
and make confession unto Him." It is all too little realized by any of
us that this is one of the ways appointed by God in which we glorify
Him. In connection with the confessing of sin we are too apt to
confine our thoughts unto the clearing of our conscience and being
restored to fellowship. In other words, we are too much wrapped up
in ourselves and too little occupied with the excellencies of the One
we approach. A truly contrite soul will eye the dominion of God,
acknowledging His right to rule over us and our duty to live in entire
subjection to Him, and will bemoan his insubordination. He will eye
God’s righteousness and own that "His law is holy, and the
commandment holy and just and good" (Rom. 7:12), and therefore
that he is without excuse in breaking it. He will eye His long
suffering, which has granted him space to repent, instead of cutting
him off in the commission of sin. He will eye the abundant mercy of
God, which has opened a way. for his pardon without compromising
His holiness, laying hold of the promise: "If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Failure to confess sin is not only to
deprive ourselves of comfort, but is to withhold from God that
which is His due.
Acceptable confession is very much more than an exercise of
our lips unless it issues from groanings within, our words are
worthless and ineffectual. And there will be no inward groaning
until we realize the sinfulness of our sins and are duly affected
thereby. We shall never confess sin with a true sense of its infinite
evil until we consider its contrariety to the nature and will of God,
and perceive how it reflects dishonor upon the Divine perfection,
particularly as it is a contempt of His authority and a direct
opposition to His purity. Nor shall we ever confess our sins with
brokenness of heart and confusion of face, until we are sensible of
the vile ingratitude of them, as they are committed by those who are
under the strongest obligations to the contrary. There will be no
confession of sin with self-abhorrence until we recognize that it is
aggravated by the light and privileges, the goodness and mercy, the
exhortations and warnings, against which we have transgressed, for
they greatly heighten our iniquities (Ezra 9:10-15). To affect our
minds and consciences with the heinousness of sin, so as to be kept
humble and filled with self-abasement, we need to meditate
frequently upon what it cost Christ to make atonement for the same.
The sincerity and fervor of our confession evince the depth of our
hatred of sin.
"And Joshua said unto Achan . . . tell me now what thou hast
done, hide it not from me." That "now" was a word of reproof and
reproach because the offender had remained silent so long. Achan
had delayed until it was impossible any longer to conceal his guilt—
his confession being wrung from him by the preceding process. The
earlier confession be made, the more God is honored, and the sooner
will peace be restored to the conscience; but, better late than never.
It is the fool who procrastinates; the apostate who defiantly refuses
to do so. Fearfully solemn is that warning: "Give glory to the Lord
your God before He cause darkness and before your feet stumble
upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light. He turn it into
the shadow of death and make it gross darkness" (Jer. 13:16). Note
that to "make confession" and "hide it not" are equivalent terms, and
that not to confess is tantamount to a denial (John 1:20). Joshua’s
"tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me" makes
known unto us what confession of sin is to consist of, namely, a
frank and full acknowledgment of the offense, without any attempt
at concealment or self-extenuation, however humiliating it may be.
By so doing we bear witness that God’s prohibition was a righteous
one and that His punishment (or chastisement) is just.
 "And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned
against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done" (v.
20), which was no more a proof of his genuine contrition than was
King Saul’s acknowledgment, "I have sinned and transgressed the
commandment of the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:24), or the remorseful
avowal of Judas, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood" (Matthew 27:4). In what follows we are shown that
confession of sin must be in detail. "When I saw among the spoils a
goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and
a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and
took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of thy
tent, and the silver under it" (v. 21). The temptation entered through
the eye, and that excited the concupiscence of his corrupt heart: as
the prophet said in a different connection, "mine eye affecteth my
heart" (Lam. 3:51). How needful it is that we emulate the holy
example of Job, who declared: "I have made a covenant with mine
eyes" (Job 31:1). How earnestly should we cry unto God daily "Turn
away mine eyes from beholding vanity: quicken Thou me in Thy
way" (Ps. 119:37) — make me to view things as Thou dost, and to
esteem or disesteem them according to the teaching of Thy Word.
Had Achan regarded those objects with the eyes of faith, he had
looked upon them as "accursed things," for so had God pronounced
them!
"I saw . . . then I coveted them." Having viewed them with
the eyes of unbelief, he lusted after them. What a solemn warning
for each of us to heed! Covetousness has in it a far greater degree of
malignity and is more highly provoking to God than is commonly
thought. Colossians 3:5, declares that covetousness "is idolatry," for
it is a bestowing upon the creature that respect and love which is due
alone unto the Creator. When we mortify not our inordinate desire,
we cherish a viper within our own bosom, for it gnaws at the very
roots of contentment and gratitude (Heb. 13:5). When our desire
exceeds the present portion God has allotted us, we are no longer
satisfied with the same and are unable to enjoy and give thanks for
it. "I coveted . . . them, I took them": thus he followed precisely the
same order as did Eve (Gen. 3:6, and cf. James 1:14, 15). "And
behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of the tent." There we
behold both the "deceitfulness of sin" and the anxiety it brings. "No
sooner had he got possession of his plunder than it became his
burden! . . . so differently do the objects of temptation appear at a
distance to what they do when apprehended and when the
infatuation ceases" (T. Scott). They who yield to a spirit of
covetousness "pierce themselves through with many sorrows" (1
Tim. 6:8-10).
"So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent." The
members of the congregation were as desirous and zealous to have
Jehovah’s honor vindicated as was their leader. "And behold it was
hid in his tent and the silver under it. And they took them out of the
midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua and unto all the
children of Israel" (vv. 22, 25). This was done in order that
conclusive evidence of Achan’s guilt should be laid before the eyes
of the whole nation, and thereby was brought to light the hidden
things of darkness. By that procedure a solemn warning was given
the people (and us) of the utter futility of any attempt to conceal
anything from the eyes of Him which are "in every place, beholding
the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:4). "And poured it out before the
Lord" (v. 23): that is, either at the feet of His representative, the high
priest, or more probably immediately before the ark of the covenant.
The accursed things were not poured out "unto the Lord" for His
acceptance, but before Him for His destruction—they were never
brought into His treasury for use in His service, but totally
destroyed, as the sequel shows.
"And Joshua and all Israel took Achan, the son of Zerah, and
the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons and
his daughters, and his oxen and asses and his sheep, and all that he
had, and they brought them into the valley of Achor" (v. 24). Here
was unity of action. The whole nation was required to dissociate
itself from the trespass and take part in punishing the culprit. For
any not to concur therein would be to condone the sin—just as when
any church members refuse to take part in a similar action. Achan
and all pertaining to him were taken outside the camp—compare
"take away from among yourselves" (1 Cor. 5:2)! Note how what
followed gave force to, and shows an additional reason for, the
"sanctify ourselves" of verse 13. For those who are themselves
erring creatures to sit in judgment upon one of their fellows calls for
unsparing self-judgment. Ere a church is in a meet condition to
enforce a holy discipline it is required that its officers and members
humble themselves before God and clear their own consciences, by
confessing every known sin and pleading the cleansing blood of
Christ. Only then can they act in godly fear and trembling. Only
then will "he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone
no longer prevent them performing a necessary but painful duty.
"And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall
trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and
burned them with fire. after they had stoned them with stones" (v.
25). "By this severity against Achan the honor of Joshua’s
government—now in the infancy of it—was maintained; and Israel,
at their entrance upon the promised Canaan, were minded at their
peril, the provisos, and limitations of the grant by which they held
it" (Matthew Henry). It is worthy of note that at the opening of the
tabernacle worship we behold an instance of the severity of Divine
judgment upon the two sons of Aaron (Lev. 10:1, 2), so here upon
their entry into Canaan, and similarly at the dawn of Christianity in
connection with the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) we have
examples of the same thing: designed no doubt to increase godly
fear, promote dutiful circumspection, and prevent general
wickedness. Such solemn demonstrations before the eyes of the
people would render it the less easy for them to forget that their God
was "a consuming fire" unto those who provoked Him
"The severity of the punishment must be estimated by the
relation of Achan’s crime to the whole plan of the conquest of
Canaan. If the destruction of Canaan was indeed the execution of
Divine vengeance, it must be kept entirely clear of all human
motives, lest men should say that Jehovah had given His people
license to deal with the Canaanites as seemed best for themselves.
The punishment of Saul, (1 Sam. 15:21-23) and the repeated
statement in Esther 9:10, 15, 16 (notwithstanding the king’s
permission in Esther 8:11), ‘but on the spoil laid they not their hand"
are illustrations of the same principle" (Ellicott). In addition, it is to
be borne in mind that Achan deliberately transgressed the plain
commandment of Deuteronomy 13:17, that he acted in contempt of
the awful curse which Joshua had just previously denounced (Josh.
6:17-19), that he defied Jehovah at a time when His presence was so
conspicuously manifest among His people, that his crime was not
only one of theft but sacrilege (converting to his own use what was
devoted to the Lord), and that his offense resulted in the people of
God being put to shame in the sight of the heathen.
Our remaining space permits us to do no more than briefly
point out that the above incident shadows forth most of the principal
features of the Last Assize. (1) It is then there will be a full and final
display of God’s perfections and the Divine glory will shine forth
conspicuously. (2) As "all Israel" here, so all mankind there, will
stand before the antitypical Joshua. (3) As the tribe of Judah was
marked off from the others, so will the goats then be separated from
the sheep. (4) The hidden things of darkness shall then be brought to
light. (5) As the innocent were cleared before the guilt were charged,
so the righteous will be vindicated before the unrighteous are
condemned. (6) As Achan made no attempt to deny his guilt or
demur at his punishment, so the damned will concur with the justice
of their sentence. (7) As all Israel united in the stoning of Achan’s
family, so the saints "will judge the world" (1 Cor. 16:2). (8) As the
guilty were "burned with fire" after their death, so everlasting fire
will be the portion of the lost. (9) As there was a permanent
"memorial" unto the grace of God (Josh. 4:9), so unto His holiness
(Josh. 7:26): the redeemed will for ever exemplify God’s love, the
reprobate His wrath.
Lack of space prevented our adding a word at the close of
our last on the concluding verse of Joshua 7, so to it we now turn.
"And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So
the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Wherefore the
name of that place was called the valley of Achor [Trouble], unto
this day." Three things are to be noted: the memorial to solemnly
remind Israel of Achan’s sin, the Lord’s reconciliation, and the name
given to the place of execution and appeasement. As the twelve
stones taken out of Jordan were permanently pitched in Gilgal (Josh.
4:20-23) to perpetuate the memory of the miracle which the Lord
had so graciously wrought there, so a great heap of stones was raised
to mark the spot where the vengeance of the Holy One fell upon the
one who had so grievously offended Him. That heap of stones was
designed to serve as a terrible warning, against the crime of
sacrilege, to rebuke those who imagine themselves secure in secret
sins, and to furnish a witness of what an awful thing it is to be a
troubler of God’s people.
There is an instructive emphasis in the "so the Lord turned
from the fierceness of His anger," teaching us that the assemblies of
His people must exercise a strict and holy discipline (for the honor
of His name) if they are to escape His governmental judgments and
chastenings. Cast into its positive form that statement would read,
when Israel had put away "the accursed thing" and dealt faithfully
with the disturber of their peace, they were restored again to God’s
favor. Two further references are made in the Scriptures to this
place, and very significant and blessed they are. Unto backsliding
Israel the Lord declared His purpose to recover and restore her,
saying, "I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of
Achor for a door of hope" (Hosea 2:15): our putting away of the
offensive thing—by repentance and reformation—affords ground for
hoping that God will renew His favors unto us. "And Sharon shall be
a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor [where things are put right
with God] a place for the herds to lie down in, for My people that
have sought Me" (Isa. 65:10) — a promise which should be
spiritualized and pleaded by each wayward but contrite saint.
 Joshua 8:1-35
The Conquest of Ai
Encouragement and Direction
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou
dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to
Ai: see! I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people,
and his city, and his land" (Josh. 8:1). In the preceding verse we are
told "the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger," and while
there can be little or no doubt that Joshua would—after the matter of
Achan had been dealt with—infer the same, yet he had not been
given any token from Him that such was the case; but now he
received from God a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a
word of promise for faith to lay hold of. "When we have faithfully
put away sin, that accursed thing which separates between our God,
then, and not till then, we may expect to hear from God for our
comfort; and God’s directing us how to go on in our Christian walk
and warfare is a good evidence of His being reconciled to us
(Matthew Henry): that is, fellowship with Him is now restored. Note
well that commentator’s "and not till then": no purveyors of "smooth
things" were the faithful and practical Puritans, nor did they
entertain their hearers and readers with matters of no spiritual profit.
The Lord’s word "arise" intimates that, following the stoning
of Achan and his family, Joshua again took his place on his face, or
at least on his knees, before the Lord, seeking consolation and
counsel from Him. Israel’s progress in their conquest and occupation
of Canaan had been rudely interrupted, and though the hindering
cause had been put away, yet Joshua dare not attempt any further
advance until His Master gave fresh indication of His will. This
teaches us that, after a sin has been unsparingly judged by us—be it
the case of an individual Christian, or that of an assembly—there
must be a humble and definite waiting upon God for guidance as to
what He would have us do next. His "fear not, neither be thou
dismayed" shows that the offense of Achan and its disastrous
consequences had been a sore and unexpected blow to Joshua,
making him almost ready to faint. "Corruptions within the church
weaken the hands and dampen the spirits of her guides and helpers,
more than opposition from without; treacherous Israelites are to be
dreaded more than malicious Canaanites" (Matthew Henry).
That word, "fear not, neither be thou dismayed," was
designed not only for Joshua personally, but for the whole of the
congregation. Israel had failed lamentably at their first assault upon
Ai, had been deeply humiliated, and in consequence "the hearts of
the people melted and became as water" (Josh. 7:5), and though they
had obeyed the Divine command of Joshua 7:15 in utterly
destroying the culprit and all that he had, yet they were in real need
of an intimation that they had been restored to God’s favor, and
could count upon His leading them again to victory. Equally
requisite is it that the penitent and humbled Christian should lay
hold of this or some similar reassuring word. When iniquities have
prevailed against him (Ps. 65:3) and the enemy has humiliated him,
he is prone to be "swallowed up with over-much sorrow" (2 Cor.
2:7) and suffer Satan to keep him in the slough of despond, which is
not only needless and foolish, but dishonoring to God if he has
sincerely and contritely forsaken his sins, then he should confidently
reckon upon God’s mercy (Prov. 28:13) and appropriate His promise
"He is faithful and just [to Christ’s atoning sacrifice] to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
The word of comfort or reassurance was followed by one of
instruction: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to
Ai." Therein Joshua and the people under him received definite
directions from the Lord what they must next do. Joshua was now to
turn from the throne of grace and make for the field of battle, as the
believer has to leave the place of secret prayer and go forth to
conflict in the world. Linking the two words together, the Lord was
bidding His servant not to be dismayed by the previous repulse at
Ai, but to be strong and courageous. In like manner, He calls upon
the restored backslider to renew the contest with his enemies. If at
first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Quit not the fight because you
have been worsted, nor even if you were wounded. Though you
were blamable for the failure, having confessed the same to God,
resume the struggle. That is a part of what is included in
perseverance in grace" or "the final perseverance of the saints."
"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise"
(Micah 7:8). In its application to us individually the "take all the
people of war with thee" means, See to it that all your powers and
graces are exerted in a concerted effort.
"See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his
people, and his city, and his land," That was spoken from the Divine
purpose: it was not "I will," but "I have given." It was God "calling
those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17), as
when He told the aged patriarch with barren wife, "I have made thee
a father of many nations." And as that word to Abraham was
addressed unto his faith, so was this one here to Joshua. "See, I have
given into thy hand the king of Ai" signified, Regard it as an
accomplished fact, behold the victory with the eye of your spirit as
one already achieved. It is thus that the soldiers of Christ are to
wage their spiritual warfare fully persuaded of the happy outcome.
As the beloved, yet often hard-pressed, apostle expressed it. "I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth
the air" (1 Cor. 9:26) — having no doubt whatever of reaching the
goal, nor of vanquishing his enemy. It is "the good fight of faith" to
which we are called, but if we be regulated by our reason or feelings
it soon becomes a fight of unbelief. This "see" (by faith) of Joshua
8:1, was similar to that of Exodus 14:13 and Joshua 6:2.
Ere passing on to the next verse let it be pointed out that the
one we have just been pondering contains a timely message for the
pastor, especially if he be discouraged and disheartened by the
absence of any apparent success or fruit for his labors. First, he
should search himself before God and test both his message and
method by the Word, to see if he has in any way grieved the Holy
Spirit and thereby prevented His blessing upon his ministry. Should
such prove to be the case, his sin must be unsparingly judged and
abandoned. If after diligent self-examination no hindering cause is
revealed, then let him take these words of the Lord as spoken
immediately to himself: "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed"—it is
fear which causes dejection and dismay! Then let him say, "What
time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Ps. 61:3), or better, "I will
trust and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2). "Take all the people of war with
thee": earnestly solicit the prayerful cooperation of the saints, and,
whether you have that or no, be sure to take unto thee "all the armor
of God." Further, eye by faith such promises as Isaiah 55:11;
Matthew 28:20, for only thus will your fears be quietened.
"And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto
Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof
shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the
city behind it" (Josh. 8:2). No mercy was to be shown the enemy, no
truce made with him, but all the inhabitants were to be "utterly
destroyed" as in the former instance (Josh. 7:21). This teaches us
that the Christian must adopt an uncompromising attitude toward
every form of evil, even abstaining from the very appearance of it (1
Thess. 5:22). On this occasion Divine permission was given Israel to
appropriate the spoil and the cattle unto themselves. The cattle upon
a thousand hills are the Lord’s (Ps. 50:10), and He disposes of them
as He pleases. In connection with Jericho Israel were forbidden to
take anything unto themselves, the whole being "consecrated unto
the Lord" (Josh. 7:18), thereby intimating that He has a special claim
upon "the first-fruits" (Ex. 23:19; Proverbs 3:9), for that initial
restriction was not again enforced. The grant here made may be
regarded as a gracious reward for their obedience in Joshua 7:25,
thereby exhibiting the folly of covetous Achan—we never lose by
waiting God’s time, and only bring trouble upon ourselves if we
attempt to anticipate it.
The method by which Ai was to be taken was quite different
from the one used against the first stronghold of the Canaanites,
which shows us, among other things, that God does not work
uniformly. Thomas Scott pointed out that "Jericho had been taken by
a miracle . . . in order to teach the people to depend on God, and
give Him the glory of all their successes. But they seemed to have
inferred that they might despise their enemies and indulge
themselves. They were therefore, in the next instance, instructed that
diligence, self-denial and the exercise of all their powers, both of
body and mind, were required in order to secure success." While
fully agreeing with those remarks, yet they do not, we think, fully
explain the case. Though God be absolute sovereign, so that He ever
acts freely, yet His ways with men are not capricious, but generally
accord with their own behavior. Because of their rash conduct in the
first attack on Ai, Israel had missed God’s best, and must now be
content with His second best, is how we prefer to express it. The
root cause of their failure was the flagrant offense of Achan, but
more immediately it was due to the conceit of the spies and the folly
of Joshua in acceding to their carnal suggestion.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against
Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and sent
them away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye
shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far
from the city, but be ye all ready" (vv. 3, 4). To how much trouble
had Israel now put themselves in order to overthrow Ai! Ah, my
reader, it requires no little pains in order to return to the path of
blessing once we have departed from the same! In various ways God
makes us feel the folly of leaning unto our own understanding or
acting in self-will, and shows us something of what we bring upon
ourselves by missing His best. Observe too how precisely the Lord
corrected Israel’s failures, making them reverse their former policy.
When the spies returned from the reconnoitering of Ai, they said
unto Joshua, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three
thousand men go up and smite Ai." That was in direct variance with
the pattern which God gave to Israel in Joshua 6:3, and to which He
now required them to return—"take all the people of war with thee"
(Josh. 8:1). The closing words of the spies "for they be few" in
Joshua 7:3 showed they regarded Ai with contempt, as an easy prey,
and the proposal that a single battalion of their fighting men would
suffice was manifestly the language of conceit.
The Lord countered their pride by appointing a much more
humbling method for capturing Ai than the one used in the
overthrow of Jericho. There, Israel’s army had marched openly
around the walls of that fortress; here, where a smaller and weaker
city was involved, the humiliating strategy of a secret ambush was
assigned in order for an attack from the rear. In the latter case,
Joshua had failed to spread before the Lord the suggestion of the
spies and seek counsel of Him, and disastrous was the consequence.
The result was that he had to spend many hours "on his face" before
the ark ere an explanation of Israel’s repulse was vouchsafed him;
and later, he had to bow again before the Lord ere instructions were
given for the new plan of campaign (Josh. 8:1). The servant of God
must not follow his own devices, but rather act according to the
Word of his Master, for only then is he justified in counting upon
His blessing. It is blessed to observe that however humbling the
means which God now required to be used, both Joshua and those
under him complied with the instructions God gave them. Having
received an answer of peace from the Lord and an intimation of His
will for them, they acted promptly in carrying out of the same.
"So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against
Ai." That was not only an act of obedience, but, we doubt not,
should also be regarded as one of faith—in response to Jehovah’s
"See! I have given into thy hand the King of Ai." Should any one be
disposed to ask, "But since the Lord had made such an
announcement, why was it necessary for Joshua and the whole of his
army to go to so much trouble?" he would betray his ignorance both
of God’s sovereignty and of man’s accountability. God’s
predestination of the end does not render needless our use of means:
rather does the former include the latter, and is realized by the same.
When the Lord informed Hezekiah through one of His prophets that
He would "add unto his days fifteen years" (Isa. 38:5), that certainly
did not imply that the king might henceforth dispense with food,
drink and sleep; any more than God’s assurance to Paul that there
should be "no loss of life" of the ship’s contingent rendered it the
less imperative to abstain from recklessness and to use means for
their preservation (Acts 27:22-24, 31). God’s gracious assurances
unto His people are not designed to promote indolence, but instead
to stimulate and to encourage diligence, knowing that "our labor is
not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
While it be true that unless God gives the victory no efforts
of ours can possibly achieve it nevertheless it is our bounden duty to
make every effort. Though the fall of Ai was certain, yet Israel were
called upon to discharge their responsibility. God’s promises to us
are not given to induce slothfulness, but to be a spur unto obedience
to His precepts. Faith is no substitute for diligent and zealous work,
but is to act as the director of the same. Hope is not to absolve us
from the discharge of our obligations, but is to inspire unto the
performing of the same. It is because victory is sure in the end that
the soldiers of Christ are called upon to fight: that assurance is to be
their incentive, from which they are to draw their energy. The
genuine exercise of faith has a powerful influence both upon the
Christian’s efforts to mortify the old man and to vivify the new. This
is clear from Romans 6:11, and what follows: we must by the
reckoning of faith account ourselves legally one with the Lord Jesus
Christ in His death and resurrection before we can expect any
success in subduing our lusts or developing our graces (Josh. 5:13).
Faith is indeed the victory "that overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4),
yet as the previous verse clearly shows, it is a faith which is
operative in the keeping of God’s commandments.
Thus, while Israel were called upon to exercise faith in the
Divine assurance of success, yet they were also required to adhere
strictly to the strategy which God appointed. Very definite were the
orders Joshua gave unto the thirty thousand men who were to fall
upon the city from the rear: "Ye shall lie in wait against the city,
behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready"
(Josh. 5:4): they were told where to go, what to do, and how to
comport themselves. Equally explicit are the instructions of the
Christian in connection with the waging of his spiritual warfare, and
the measure of his success will very largely be determined by how
closely he sticks to them. Thus, after bidding believers "Be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of His might" (which can only be by the
exercise of faith upon Him), the apostle bade them "Put on the
whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the Devil" (Eph. 6:10, 11), which plainly imports that unless they
heeded his injunction they would fall before the enemy’s artifices.
This is the more noticeable, because after enforcing his exhortation
by informing us of the formidable forces which are under Satan’s
control (Josh. 5:12), he repeats, "Wherefore take unto you the whole
armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having overcome all [margin] to stand" (Josh. 5:13). God has
provided the armor, but we have to "take unto us and "put on" the
same; and not merely a part of it, but "the whole."
In our last we pointed out that in Joshua 8:1, the Lord gave
unto His servant a word of cheer, a word of instruction, and a word
of promise. His "fear not, neither be thou dismayed" was to
graciously reassure Joshua’s heart after the dishonorable repulse
Israel had met with upon their first assault on Ai—the reasons for
their defeat having been shown. In its wider application, it was a
message of comfort to the whole nation, after their elders had duly
humbled themselves before the Lord, that they must not be unduly
cast down nor suffer Satan to induce them to give way to a spirit of
despair. The word of instruction was an intimation of the Divine will
of what was now required from Joshua and those under his
command: "take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to
Ai." Therein their presumptuous conduct in Joshua 7:3 was
denounced, and an order was given for them to return to the Divine
pattern which they had received in Joshua 6:3. The word of promise
was addressed unto their faith: "See! I have given into thy hand the
king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land." That was
spoken from the standpoint of the certainty of the Divine counsels,
and faith was to receive it without question.
The word of instruction received amplification in the second
verse: Ai and its inhabitants were to be utterly destroyed. In this
instance Israel were given permission to take the cattle as a spoil
unto themselves. Finally, the strategy to be followed was made
known: an "ambush" was to be laid for the city from its rear. Next
we are told, "So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up
against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men of valor, and
sent them away by night" (Josh. 8:3). That is to be regarded as an act
not only of obedience but of faith too, or rather as "the obedience of
faith" (Rom. 1:5, margin). It is a great mistake to suppose that faith
in God renders needless our discharge of duty or the use of all
lawful means: instead, it is to energize unto the one and to look unto
God for His blessing upon the other. Confidence in God does not
produce passivity, nor will the diligence which it evokes issue in
self-confidence. True faith ever produces good works, yet those
works are performed in a spirit of dependence upon the Lord. It is
written: "The way of man is not in himself" (Jer. 10:23), but it is
written again: "This is the way, walk ye in it" (Isa. 30:21). Thus does
Scripture always guard Scripture!
"And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in
wait against the city behind the city: go not very far from the city,
but be ye all ready" (Josh. 8:4). Though victory was Divinely
guaranteed, that did not preclude the discharge of their
responsibilities. Faith in God was to operate in the performing of
His commandments. Accordingly, Joshua issued very definite orders
to those thirty thousand of his soldiers, telling them where to go and
how to conduct themselves. As we said at the close of our last
article, equally explicit are the instructions given to the Christian in
connection with his spiritual warfare, and the measure of his success
therein will very largely be determined by how closely he adheres to
the same. It is to be noted that the force which was to lie in wait
behind the city was "sent away by night" (v. 3), and thus its
members were deprived of their rest, calling for self-denial on their
part. That is the first and chief task appointed the believer: as Israel
had to overcome and dispossess the Canaanites ere they could enter
into their inheritance, so we have to get the victory over the flesh,
the world and the Devil before there can be any present possessing
of our possessions and enjoyment of the same. Before Christ can be
followed, self has to be "denied," and the cross (self-sacrifice)
accepted as the regulating principle of our lives (Matthew 16:24).
That to which we have just called attention receives
confirmation in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul says, first,
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but only one
receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain," likening the
Christian life unto the running of a race—which calls for rigorous
training, vigorous exertion, and patient endurance. Then he informs
them what is required, and is essential, in order to succeed therein’
"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things": that is, he puts a bridle upon his appetites, is abstemious in
the use of comforts, and exercises a strict self-control at every point.
Next, the apostle made mention of his own life, which exemplified
what he had just said, and which sets before us an example to
follow: "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly"—I myself practice
such self-discipline as being absolutely necessary in order to ensure
success. I conduct myself in such a manner and order my life in such
a way that the outcome is not left in any doubt. I run within the lines
marked out—keeping to the prescribed path of duty; pressing on till
the goal is reached, exerting myself to the utmost unto the end.
Then, slightly varying his figure, and coming closer to what
Joshua 8 has in view, the apostle added: "So fight I, not as one that
beateth the air"—I conduct myself, and so observe the rules of the
contest, that there can be no uncertainty that I shall be "more than
conqueror through Him that loved us." Paul daily denied himself,
mortified his lusts, and consequently he knew that the crown of life
was thereby ensured. He did not waste his energies or spend his
strength for naught. All his efforts were directed to the grand
purpose of subjugating the desires of the flesh and bringing all his
members into subjection to God. Alas, how many professing
Christians today are wasting their energies upon tasks which God
has never assigned them! Then in verse 27 he frankly stated the
awful alternative: if I fail to make my body the servant of my soul,
by yielding its members unto God (Rom. 6:19) and fighting against
the lusts of the flesh and temptations of Satan, then eternal disgrace
will be my portion. Finally, let it be carefully noted that the apostle
continues his exhortation to self-denial and caution in the tenth
chapter (as its opening word indicates) from the case of Israel, who
doubtless felt as they stood on the other side of the Red Sea, that all
danger was past and their entrance into Canaan was certain; yet,
because of yielding to evil lusts, they were destroyed in the
wilderness (vv. 1-15).
Thus we see how that the principles which were to regulate
Joshua and his men were the same as those which are to govern
Christians in connection with their spiritual warfare. "The two
Testaments, like our two eyes, mutually enlighten and assist each
other" (A. Searle). They were to proceed with the utmost confidence
in God, yet with entire submission to Him. They were to act faith in
His sure promise, and at the same time render implicit obedience to
His precept. They were to go forward fully assured that Jehovah had
given Ai into their hands, nevertheless they must adhere strictly to
the strategy He had specified. So, though told "the God of peace
shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" (Rom. 16:20), we are
definitely bidden to resist him steadfast in the faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Our
confidence is "that He which hath begun a good work in us will
finish it" (Phil. 1:6) nevertheless, in the very next chapter we are
exhorted "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (v.
12). Mighty foes and powerful forces are arrayed in the fight, but the
ultimate issue is not in doubt: "forasmuch as ye know that your labor
is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
Unto the thirty thousand who were to lie in ambush behind
the city Joshua had said, "go not very far from the city, but be ye all
ready"—awake, alert, prepared promptly to make the most of any
favorable opportunity which should be presented to them. Such must
be the demeanor and spirit of the soldiers of Jesus Christ: "be sober,
be vigilant" precedes the call to resist our adversary "steadfast in the
faith" (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). Then Joshua added, "And I, and all the people
that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to
pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee
before them" (v. 5). How different was this policy from their boldly
walking around the walls of Jericho! How humiliating, to proud
flesh to have to turn their backs upon the Canaanites! Surely it is
obvious from such a course of procedure that Israel had missed
God’s best! True, the enemy was routed and utterly destroyed, and
his city reduced to ashes, yet the method which the Lord here called
upon Israel to adopt made it but too plain that they only entered into
His second best for them.
"For they will come out after us till we have drawn them
from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first:
therefore we will flee before them" (v. 6). Those words expressed a
deduction which Joshua drew from what the Lord had said to him in
verse 1, for since His announcement that He had given the king of
Ai and his people and his city into Israel’s hand was accompanied
by instructions for them to lay an ambush for the city from the rear
(v. 2), it logically followed that the success of such strategy
depended upon the army of Ai being lured out of it. Yet in the light
of the whole context it is clear that we have here something more
than a mental inference, namely faith’s conclusion. Joshua was
warranted in having the utmost confidence in the successful
outcome of this plan, because he was employing the means which
the Lord had appointed, and was resting on His promise in verse 1,
and there-tore counted upon His blessing the same by drawing forth
the forces of the enemy and thus leaving their city unprotected. This
has been placed upon record for our learning and encouragement,
particularly for ministers of the Gospel: if they adhere strictly to the
methods and means God has appointed, and they look to Him for
His blessing on the same, then whatsoever He has purposed shall
assuredly be accomplished thereby.
From the above we see how that we should profit from past
experiences, especially those wherein disaster overtook us. Note
how in the fifth verse Joshua had declared, "they will come out
against us as at the first." That knowledge was now put to good use,
and by availing himself of the same Joshua turned a previous defeat
into a success. As Joshua perceived what course the king of Ai
would follow, so Christians are told concerning their great
adversary, "we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11)—nor
are we of the various allurements and snares of the world, and least
of all of the treachery and wickedness of our own hearts. Great care
needs to be taken and honesty exercised upon this point, for while
on the one hand the Word makes it very plain that Satan tempts and
assaults the saints, on the other hand we are all too prone to father
upon him our own sinful brats. It may not always be easy to decide
whether a solicitation unto evil originated with our own lusts or the
Devil, yet this is sure, that he can gain no advantage over us without
our own consent, and therefore whenever we yield to his seductions
the fault and guilt are ours, and instead of blaming Satan we must
unsparingly condemn ourselves and confess the same to God.
This is obviously the principal practical lesson for us to draw
from this detail of verse 6: that our knowledge of the enemy’s policy
and tactics should be turned to good account, or otherwise we fail to
profit from God’s exposure of the same in the Word of Truth. "For
we are not ignorant of his devices": from what is revealed in Holy
Writ, from what we observe by carefully noticing the falls of our
fellows, and from what we learn from our personal experience, we
are cognizant of his favorite methods, baits, subtleties, and lines of
approach; and such knowledge increases our responsibility to be
ever on our guard, to take measures to counteract the same, and, as
Joshua here did, turn them to our advantage. To be forewarned is to
be forearmed and when we know beforehand from which direction
the attack upon us is most likely to take place, we can not only
forestall the same, but turn it to good account. The favorite devices
of Satan are to prejudice unbelievers against the Truth and so engulf
them in the pleasures of the world that they lose sight of the interests
of their souls and the inestimable importance of the world to come,
to mar the believer’s testimony for Christ, and to destroy the peace
of Christian assemblies by fomenting a spirit of strife and jealousy.
Ere passing on from this point, let us remind the young
preacher that he may gather a wealth of suitable material from the
Scriptures themselves should he desire to make a sermon on
"Satan’s devices." In such case he should, of course, concentrate
mainly on those which were employed upon Eve in Genesis in. and
those upon our Lord in Matthew 4 Without furnishing a complete
list, he may supplement them from the following. Satan seeks to
puff up (1 Chron. 21:1), to stir up to rebellion against the Divine
providences and encourage hard thoughts of God (Job 1:11; 2:7-9),
to produce a spirit of cowardice and induce us to betray Christ, as in
the case of Peter (Luke 22:31), to consort and bargain with the open
enemies of Christ and lead us to betray Him (John 13:2), to drive to
despair and self-destruction (Matthew 27:5), to foster the spirit of
covetousness and attempt to impose upon the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3),
to tempt to marital infidelity (1 Cor. 7:5), to undue severity (2 Cor.
2:6-11), to corrupt our minds from the simplicity which is in Christ
(2 Cor. 11:2), to pose as an angel of light and transform his ministers
as the ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:14, 15), to deny the
Truth (2 Tim. 2:25, 26), to intimidate (1 Pet. 5:8), to slander God’s
servants and saints (Rev. 12:10).
"Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the
city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand" (v. 7).
Joshua was still addressing the thirty thousand of his men who were
to lie in wait behind Ai until the opportune moment arrived for them
to fall upon it. That would be when the main force of Israel had
made a frontal approach in order to tempt its defenders to come out
against them, and on their being thus drawn out into the open Israel
would pretend to flee, inducing them to pursue and leave their
homes defenseless. "Then ye shall rise up," seizing the favorable
opportunity without delay. The success of the plan required the full
cooperation of Joshua’s men. Not all of them were appointed to the
same stations or allotted the same tasks, but each was required to
play his part faithfully. Had those who were to accompany Joshua
refused to turn tail when the men of Ai advanced upon them, those
who formed the ambush had their long wait in vain; and unless they
acted promptly in occupying the soldier-less city, then Joshua’s plan
had failed. Hence it was that Joshua had bidden them, "be ye all
ready," that they might immediately avail themselves of the great
advantage which his ruse offered them.
The spiritual application to its of the above is obvious. The
Lord’s people are called upon to act together in their spiritual
warfare. Not all are assigned positions of equal honor, nor are they
given the same tasks to perform, yet they must supplement one
another and act in conjunction if the interests of their Master’s cause
are to be furthered, and if they are not to be humiliated before the
common enemy. Unless the pastor has the full cooperation of his
church officers, he is placed at a most serious disadvantage, and
unless the rank and file of the members cooperate with both, little
success will crown their efforts. Nor is it sufficient for one local
church to fulfill its spiritual functions: there must be mutual accord
and concerted action on the part of the several battalions of Christ’s
soldiers if the enemy is to be defeated. Is it not the deplorable
absence of such united effort on the part of God’s people that
explains the comparative impotency of modern Christianity? While
a spirit of jealousy and discord prevails, and factions and schisms so
largely obtain, corporate fellowship is impossible, and where there is
no fellowship there can be no united front presented before the
powers of darkness, and therefore no Ais captured to the glory of
God.
Let us now observe and admire the blessed balance of Truth
as exemplified in the passage which is now before us. In the last
three or four verses which have engaged our attention, it is the
human-responsibility side of things which is manifestly in view, the
several duties which the different parts of Israel’s army were called
upon to perform, and perform them they must if success was to
attend their efforts. Nevertheless, Joshua was most particular in
guarding the Lord’s glory, and in letting his men know that it was
the Divine blessing upon their efforts which would make them
prosperous. This is clear from his words: "Then ye shall rise up from
the ambush, and seize upon the city, for the Lord God will deliver it
into your hands." There was the Divine-grace side of things! The
two things are not contradictory but complementary, as in "the hand
of the diligent maketh rich" and "the blessing of the Lord it maketh
rich" (Prov. 10:4, 22). Both are consistent: the one reveals the
primary cause, the other the subordinate and instrumental one.
Neither will be effectual without the other. The sluggard looks for
prosperity without diligence; the self-sufficient or practical atheist,
from diligence alone: but the balanced Christian, from the blessing
of God in the exercise of diligence. That wise combination keeps
him both active and humble, energetic, vet dependent on God.
"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it"
(Ps. 127:1), yet if they build not there will be no "house"!
Ambush
"And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set
the city on fire: according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye
do. See I have commanded you" (Josh. 8:8). In those words Joshua
completed the orders given to thirty thousand of his men who were
to lie in ambush behind Ai. He had already assigned the position
they were to occupy. He had bidden them to be all of them ready to
strike the blow while the iron was hot. He had explained the part
which the major portion of his army would play, making their own
task much easier. He had assured them the Lord God would deliver
the city into their hands. And now he informed them how they must
make a thorough job of and complete the task allotted them. Only
half of it was accomplished when the city was captured: it must be
reduced to ashes. This teaches us that there is to be no relaxing in
the performance of duty when God has granted our efforts a measure
of success, but a continuing to render full obedience unto all His
commandments. Much easier said than done, declares the reader.
True, we reply, but enabling grace is available if we seek it
wholeheartedly. When the Lord is pleased to prosper our labors,
instead of a complacent slackening on our part, it should serve as a
spur and encouragement to attempt yet greater things in His name.
Observe the time-mark again: "when ye have taken the city,
that ye shall set the city on fire." There was to be no tardiness in
executing the orders given them. Each of us should be able, by
Divine grace, to aver, "I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy
commandments" (Ps. 119:60). When our duty is clear it should be
performed with alacrity. The more unpleasant it be, the sooner it is
done the better. Least of all can we afford to trifle with sin or
indulge our evil lusts: no quarter must be shown our enemies—Ai
must be completely destroyed! The revealed will of God is to be
complied with without any reservation on our part. As full obedience
was here required from Joshua’s men, not only to take the city, but
to destroy it, nothing less is required from the soldiers of the Lord
Jesus. There was a needs be for these men to carry out their part of
the plan promptly, for the sight of the smoking houses would not
only dismay and panic the king of Ai and his forces (v. 20), but was
to serve as a signal to Joshua that his "ambush" had made
themselves masters of the city, and therefore that he and his
company might turn round and fall upon their pursuers. Thus we see
that tardiness on our part acts as a hindrance to our brethren!
"Joshua therefore sent them forth; and they went to lie in
ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai"
(Josh. 8:9). It speaks well for the spirit and loyalty of these men that
they made no objection to their leader’s orders: that in view of the
disaster which overtook their brethren on a former occasion (Josh.
7:4, 5), they raised no demur. Nor did they complain at being
deprived of their rest through being sent away "by night" (v. 3). It is
also to be recognized that the position assigned unto them was the
real post of danger, for, isolated as they would be from the main
body of Israel’s army, they ran the imminent hazard (humanly
speaking) of being discovered by the enemy, and cut off and
annihilated by them. It therefore says much for their courage, too,
that they promptly complied with Joshua’s orders. From the Divine
side of things we may perceive again that when God works He
always works at both ends of the line: having assured Joshua of the
certainty of victory, the Lord also wrought in these men, "both to
will and to do of His good pleasure," by inclining them to fulfill
their mission faithfully. Incidentally, we may observe the minute
accuracy of Scripture, as seen in the topographical harmony between
this verse and Genesis 12:8, Bethel and Ai being in close proximity.
"But Joshua lodged that night among the people" (v. 9). He
did not accompany the thirty thousand, for there was other important
work to engage his attention. It was his evident duty to be with the
principal body of his force, that he might maintain their morale, for
only a day or two previously their hearts "had melted and become as
water" when tidings of the initial failure reached them (Josh. 7:4, 5).
He would therefore seek to inspire them with confidence and
courage, and turn their minds from the defeat unto the Lord’s
promise. Not only must discipline be enforced, but there were duties
to be discharged which he could not suitably delegate to others, for
he had to supervise all the arrangements which needed to be made
for the morrow. Yet there is something more here. There is no reason
to believe that Joshua had ever done otherwise: nowhere else is such
a statement made. Why, then, this particular emphasis: "Joshua
lodged that night among the people"? We believe it is because the
Holy Spirit looked forward to the Antitype. The Lord Jesus was the
homeless Stranger here, and "had not where to lay His head,"
spending His nights upon the mountain-side (John 7:53; 8:1). So far
as we are aware, the Gospels record but one exception: the last night
but one before His crucifixion Christ lodged with His friends at
Bethany (Mark 14:3, and cf. 14:10 with John 13:3)!
"And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the
people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to
Ai" (v. 10). As there was to be no slackness on the part of those
whom he had sent away to ambush Ai, so there was no lazing or
giving way to self-indulgence by their commander, but the setting
before his men a pattern of alacrity and intenseness. "Those who
would maintain their spiritual conflicts must not love their ease"
(Matthew Henry). The pastor should set his members an example of
earnestness, diligence, and zeal. There was no neglecting of his duty
on Joshua’s part, no treating casually the approaching engagement.
All was done decently and in order, in preparation for the
forthcoming march. By his "numbering of the people" we
understand his marshalling of the host in their proper ranks, seeing
to it that each man was in his correct place under his own tribal
standard. Then he and the tribal heads took the positions of
command. Pastors must have the co-operation and support of their
church officers, and they in turn inspire the rank and file with
courage and unselfishness. It is to be observed that the "elders" were
here accorded a position of honor, for those who humble themselves
before God (Josh. 7:6) are in due time exalted by Him.
"And all the people, even the people of war that were with
him, went up and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched
on the west side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai"
(v. 11). The whole fighting force of Israel, having been duly
mustered, left the camp at Gilgal, where the women, children, and
other non-combatants would remain until the return of the army.
Once again we mark the geographical accord of the statement that
they "went up" with Genesis 12:8, where, quite incidentally, we are
told that Bethel and Ai were situate in a mountainous region. They
"drew nigh and came before the city," which was in fulfillment of
the agreement Joshua had entered into with the thirty thousand (v. 5)
—foreshadowing the fidelity of the Captain of our salvation to fulfill
His engagements and make good His promises. It is blessed to see
how the Lord overcame the fears of Joshua’s followers (Josh. 7:5)
and wrought in them a willingness to accompany their leader—
which is to be regarded as a part of His gracious answer to the
prayer of Joshua 7:7-12! The statement that "there was a valley
between them and Ai" is not without spiritual significance—they
lined up their forces on high ground, and Christians must regard
themselves as "partakers of the heavenly calling" (Heb. in. 1) and
conduct themselves accordingly if they would be successful in the
good fight of faith.
"And he took about five thousand men and set them to lie in
wait between Bethel and Ai on the west side of the city" (v. 12). No
hurried assault was made upon the enemy by Joshua, but first an
orderly disposition of his forces was arranged. It seems strange that
some of the commentators should boggle over this verse and be in
doubt as to whether or not the five thousand men here spoken of
were drawn from the thirty thousand, or were another company, for
to us the narrative makes it quite plain that they were a separate
force which was now assigned to another position. Joshua’s design
therein was evident, for his project served a twofold purpose: it cut
off Bethel sending any reinforcements to Ai, and it prevented the
forces of Ai escaping in that direction when Joshua turned round and
fell upon them. It was what strategists would term a flanking
movement. Therein we behold the thoroughness of Joshua’s
preparations, notwithstanding the Divine promise which he had
received—"I have given into thine hand the king of Ai," etc. (v. 1)—
he took every possible precaution and spared no effort on his part to
ensure victory. In other words he made the fullest possible use of all
the means at his disposal. And we are required to do likewise.
"And when they had set the people, even all the host that was
on the north side of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the
city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley" (v. 13).
After their uphill march from Gilgal, Joshua decided that his forces
should remain stationary until the morning—another illustration of
the important principle. "he that believeth shall not make haste." But
though he had risen up early that morning there was no taking of his
ease by Joshua that night. No furloughs are granted the soldiers of
Jesus Christ, for their enemies take none. Our spiritual warfare calls
for incessant alertness. How Joshua spent that night we are not told.
Some think it was to make a reconnaissance—to ascertain the lay of
the land, its roads, etc.—but that was hardly likely by night. Others
suppose he spent the time in prayer, asking God’s blessing on the
forthcoming fight, yet advance no reason why he should leave the
camp in order to do so. In any case it was a bold act on his part to
venture alone so near unto Ai—an act in accord with the Lord’s
words to him in Joshua 1:9. Turning from the type to the Antitype,
we have here what confirms our remarks on verse 9. Our Lord’s last
night before the great conflict was spent alone in "the valley" of
humiliation—from Gethsemane to Pilate’s judgment hall!
"And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they
hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went our against
Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the
plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him
behind the city" (v. 14). From the opening words of this verse it
seems dear that whatever Joshua had done that night in the valley it
was now visible to those in Ai as soon as day broke, and that it at
once attracted their attention: something which appears to have
constituted a challenge to them—reminding us again of our Lord,
who so far from hiding from His enemies boldly "went forth" to
meet those who had come to apprehend Him (John 18:4). Their
"rising up early" indicates their bloodthirstiness and eagerness for
the fray, doubting not that an easy conquest would be theirs;
possibly they thought to spring a surprise upon Israel by a dawn
attack. Alas, how often are we surprised and overcome through
failure to be constantly upon our guard. It is while Christ’s servants
"sleep" that the enemy sows his tares (Matthew 13:25). There is
some difficulty in determining the meaning of "went out against
Israel to battle at a time appointed": possibly it signifies the same
hour as when they were successful against Israel on a former
occasion (Josh. 7:5), deeming it a "lucky" one.
"But he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him
behind the city." That appears quite a commonplace statement, yet in
reality it is far otherwise. The success of Israel’s strategy depended
upon their men in ambush being undetected, and that in turn
depended upon the secret operations of God upon and within the
king of Ai. It seems well-nigh impossible that no less than thirty
thousand should remain concealed within so short a distance of the
city, and not merely for a few minutes, but for forty-eight hours. It
was a miracle, as truly so as the sun’s remaining stationary at the
command of Joshua—the tenth chapter. It was due to the power of
Jehovah, who prevented the king of Ai from sending out scouts and
discovering the hostile force in his rear. "The king’s heart is in the
hand of the Lord as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever
He will" (Prov. 21:1)—sometimes to act wisely, at others foolishly;
sometimes to deal kindly with His people (Ezra 6:22), at others to
hate them, as in the case of Pharaoh. What is before us in our present
passage supplies a striking illustration of the dominion of God over
all and His full control of the wicked, preventing this heathen
monarch from taking the most elementary precautions for the
safeguarding of his city and people.
What has just been pointed out is far too little attended unto
today even by the people of God, that the almighty Governor of the
world exerts a restraining influence upon the wicked, and that for
the good of His people. Yet Scripture records many specific
examples of the same. Thus when Abraham sojourned in Gerah, and
from fear denied that Sarah was his wife, her honor was (humanly
speaking) placed in the utmost jeopardy, for the king of that place
sent and "took her," yet "had not come near her," for, as God said to
him, "for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me: therefore
suffered I thee not to touch her" (Gen. 20:1-6). Had not the Lord,
secretly but effectually, interposed, Abimelech had grievously
wronged Sarah. Ah, my reader, how often hath thy gracious God
withheld the wicked from touching thee—burglars from breaking
into thy house, etc. Again we say, the restraining operations of the
Most High are all too little perceived by us. Another notable
instance is that of Balaam. He was hired by the king of Moab to
curse Israel, and it is clear from the Divine narrative that he was
anxious to do so, that he might earn "the wages of unrighteousness."
But the Lord prevented him, so that he had to acknowledge, "How
shall I curse whom the Lord hath not cursed . . . He hath blessed,
and I cannot reverse it" (Num. 23:8, 20).
When Jacob was recounting the wrongs he had suffered at
the hands of Laban, his father-in-law, who had deceived him and
changed his wages ten times, he added. "But God suffered him not
to touch me" (Gen. 31:7), and received a further proof thereof in the
immediate sequel (v. 29), when the Lord again held Laban back
from venting his anger upon him. The brethren of Joseph hated him,
and "conspired against him to slay him" (Gen. 37:18), but Jehovah
interposed and thwarted their designs. Nor is this restraining power
of God limited to individuals, but is exerted upon whole
communities and nations. Thus we are told: "The terror of God was
upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue
after the sons of Jacob" (Gen. 35:5). Centuries later the Psalmist was
moved to make reference to that phenomenon, "When they were but
a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. When they
went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another
people, He suffered no man to do them wrong" (Ps. 105:12-14),
bridling their lusts and causing the wolf to dwell with the lamb and
the leopard to lie down with the kid. "Neither shall any man desire
thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God
thrice in the year"(Ex. 34:24). When the men-folk were no longer
present to defend their farms, God restrained the covetous desires
and designs of the surrounding heathen.
We consider that what has been alluded to in the last two
paragraphs casts much light upon the incident which is here before
us, that it was due to the restraining operations of God that the king
of Ai failed to send out scouts in all directions ere he led forth the
whole of his army from the city, and left it defenseless. Instead,
"they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out
against Israel to battle" (v. 14). Infatuated by his previous success,
filled with self-confidence, he rushed forward to complete disaster.
Thus it was with Pharaoh and his hosts when they pursued the
Israelites through the Red Sea and perished therein. Before God
destroys the wicked, He first gives them up to a spirit of madness.
Should these lines be read by a Christ-less soul who is yet in his
sins, we beg him to pause and heed the solemn warning which is
here presented to him. Let not his previous immunity from Divine
judgment fill him with a false sense of security: "they are most in
danger who are least aware of it" (Matthew Henry). ‘The king of Ai
was blind to his own interests—are not you the same? He failed to
take the most obvious precautions—are not you guilty of similar
folly: hastening unto eternity and utterly unprepared to meet your
God? O "seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him
while He is near" (Isa. 55:6). "Today if ye will hear His voice,
harden not your heart" (Ps. 95:7, 8).
"And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they
hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against
Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the
plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him
behind the city" (Josh. 8:14). In Scripture those words, "it came to
pass," are something more than a formal manner of prefacing a
narrative or introducing an incident, signifying the accomplishment
of the Divine foreordination, that it occurred precisely as God had
decreed, for He has predestined the actions of the wicked equally
with those of the godly. Exactly what it was that they "saw" we
know not, but they failed to investigate it, and, being regulated by
their senses rather than by reason, precipitately rushed forward to
death. Infatuated by his previous success (Josh. 7:5), unconscious
that he was fighting against the Almighty and flinging himself upon
the thick bosses of His bucklers (Job 15:26), the king issued forth to
what he confidently believed would be an easy victory, yet only to
fulfill God’s purpose (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Upon further reflection, we
are now satisfied that that is the meaning of the clause which has
puzzled the commentators—"at a time appointed," i.e. of God, for
He has fixed the hour of every man’s death (Job 7:1).
"And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten
before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness" (Josh. 8:15).
They pretended to be filled with terror, and instead of making a firm
stand against these Canaanites they gave ground, and probably fled
in some disorder toward the wilderness. Yet however distasteful and
degrading it was for the main body of Israel to feign themselves
cowards, it was necessary for them to do so if their plan was to
succeed. In like manner, there are times when some Christians are
required to act a humble part, perhaps a humiliating one, if the task
which is assigned others of their brethren is to be duly
accomplished. All cannot occupy positions of equal honor in the
church, any more than can all the servants of a king’s household be
equal—scullery maids are as essential as lords in waiting. In the
days of David there were some who girded on their swords and
accompanied him to the battlefield, while there were others who
were required to remain behind and guard the provender; but it is
blessed to observe that when the spoil was to be divided he gave
orders, "as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part
be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall [take] part alike" (1 Sam.
30:24).
"God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as
it hath pleased Him—And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no
need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more
feeble, are necessary. . . . Now ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular" (1 Cor. 12:18, 21, 22, 27). In our remarks
upon Joshua 8:9, we pointed out how admirable was the self-
sacrificing, obedient, and courageous spirit displayed by the thirty
thousand: how that they murmured not at being deprived of their rest
through being sent away "by night," or at the dangerous post
assigned them. Equally praiseworthy was the conduct of this force
which accompanied Joshua. They might have asked, Is it for this
that thou hast brought us from Gilgal? Have we had a long uphill
march only to turn tail as soon as the enemy advance toward us? Or,
Since the Lord has delivered Ai into our hands [verse 1], what need
is there for us to play so ignominious a part and cut so sorry a figure
before the heathen? Instead, they meekly complied with their orders
and loyally supported their leader.
But in that to which we have just called attention we should
recognize the secret power of God at work, overcoming their natural
scruples and inclining them to co-operate fully with their brethren,
and thus fulfill His will. This too should be regarded as a part of His
gracious answer to the prayer of Joshua 7:6-9. How wondrously He
acts when we truly humble ourselves before Him and are concerned
for the honor of His name! He makes things work smoothly, yea,
work together, when He shows Himself strong in our behalf. Yet
how often we miss perceiving the same through failing to observe
closely His providences and connect the same with our previous
cries unto Him for help. For the sake of our more hyper-Calvinistic
readers it may be well for us to point out here that there is nothing
more "inconsistent in admiring the virtues of these men of Israel
while ascribing the same unto the gracious operations of God than
there was in the apostle’s telling the Colossians that he "rejoiced" in
their orderliness and the "steadfastness of their faith" (Josh. 2:5),
when he knew full well that God was the Author of those spiritual
fruits. Because there are no official powers or authorities "but of
God," that does not preclude our rendering "honor to whom honor is
due" (Rom. 13:1, 7)!
"And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten
before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness." Once again
there is something more here than that which is of historical interest,
or even of practical instruction for our hearts. Little as it may appear
at first glance, yea, utterly incongruous as it may sound, Joshua’s
conduct on this occasion—when considered in the light of the
immediate sequel—plainly and strikingly foreshadowed Him who
though He was rich vet for our sakes became poor, that we through
His poverty, humiliation and suffering might be rich. "What Joshua
did in this strategem is applicable to our Lord Jesus, of whom he
was a type. Joshua conquered by yielding, as if he had himself been
conquered: so our Lord Jesus. when He bowed His head and gave up
the spirit, seemed as if death had triumphed over Him, and as if He
and all His interests had been routed and ruined; but in His
resurrection He rallied again, and gave the powers of death a total
defeat; He broke the serpent’s head by suffering him to bruise His
heel. A glorious strategem"! (Matthew Henry). How wonderful are
the ways of God, who not only set the sun in the heavens, gave to
the lamb its characteristics, appointed the fruit-bearing vine to be a
figure of Christ but also shaped Old Testament events so as to
prefigure His person and work!
"And all the people that were in Ai were called together to
pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn
away from the city" (v. 16). This too was "of the Lord," and it
should be marvelous in our eyes. Therein we behold the success
which God gave to Joshua’s ruse, when his men made a feint as
though they were beaten; or rather to his obedient compliance with
the orders he had received from the Lord. Not only had the king of
Ai gone out with the whole of his military force—sallying forth with
the exultant cry: "They flee before us, as at the first" (v. 6)—but
when Israel was seen in flight the non-combatant citizens were
summoned to join in their pursuit; thereby rendering still easier the
task assigned the thirty thousand. It is obvious that Without the
Divine blessing on this plan such a considerable body of men could
no more have remained concealed than could Jacob’s device in
Genesis 30:37-43, have prospered. "See how the prosperity of fools
destroys them and hardens their hearts to their ruin" (Matthew
Henry). Because God had used the king of Ai on a former occasion
to chastise Israel, he and his people were puffed up with conceit.
 Note carefully the precise expression used here by the Holy
Spirit: the inhabitants of Ai were "drawn away from the city." Those
words set forth another of the secret operations of the Most High in
His government of this world. In our last, we called attention to the
restraining influence which He exerts upon men; here His impelling
vower is seen. To His people He says, "I have loved thee with an
everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee"
(Jer. 31:3), yet not with physical force, but a moral suasion which
overcomes their native enmity and frees the will from the dominion
of sin. "I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love" (Hos.
11:4): not by external force, such as is used on brute beasts, but by
cogent arguments, tender inducements, constraining motives and
obligations, such as are suited to work on the understandings,
affections and wills of rational creatures; the same being rendered
effectual by the supernatural power and application of the Spirit.
Such Divine drawing is absolutely essential in order to the saving of
sin’s slaves and the freeing of Satan’s captives, for as the Lord Jesus
so plainly declared, "No man can come to Me except the Father
which hath sent Me draw him" (John 6:44)—a truth so repugnant to
the proud heart of the natural man, that when Christ uttered it,
"From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no
more with Him" (John 6:65, 66).
Not only does the Word of Truth make known this drawing
power of God upon His elect, but it reveals Him putting forth the
same upon the non-elect, though in their case He presents a very
different set of reasons and inducements before their minds. "I will
harden Pharaoh’s heart that he shall follow after thee" (Ex. 14:4)—
impelling Egypt’s king to pursue His people unto the Red Sea. So
too with the other kings of Canaan: "For it was of the Lord to harden
their hearts that they should come against Israel to battle, that He
might destroy them utterly" (Josh. 11:20). Unto Barak Deborah
announced that the Lord God of Israel had declared: "I will draw
unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army,
with his chariots and his multitude: and I will deliver him into thine
hand" (Judg. 4:7). "I will bring them against My land, that the
heathen may know Me" (Ezek. 38:16) in the power of My fury (v.
18). "I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the
valley of Jehoshaphat" (Joel 3:2). So it was with the Aites: the
Hebrew word rendered "draw away" in Joshua 8:16, is translated
"pluck" in Jeremiah 32:24, "pull out" in Jeremiah 12:13, "be rooted
out" in Job 18:14.
"And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel that went not
out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel"
(v. 17). Further proof was this that the king of Ai had been given up
to a spirit of madness, employing every male at his disposal to
pursue Israel, leaving none to guard the city or secure his own
retreat in case of emergency. It is hard to conceive a greater piece of
folly unless it be that of Pharaoh, who, after witnessing such
manifest demonstrations of the power and wrath of Jehovah upon
Egypt, should, immediately after the death of all the firstborn,
pursue Israel, and then attempt to march through the Red Sea. The
one equally with the other was blinded by pride and obstinacy. Yet
observe well that those in verses 17 "went out" of their own volition!
Thus does Scripture uniformly present together the two sides of
man’s free agency and God’s invincible operations, without any
philosophical explanation of the "consistency" of the two things.
God "draws" irresistibly, yet without the slightest violation upon
man’s will or the least impairment of his accountability. If we deny
either the one or the other, then we flatly repudiate what is clearly
revealed in Holy Writ.
What has just been alluded to is certainly profoundly
mysterious, vet that is no valid reason why we should reject it, for if
we believe only that which we can fully understand our creed will
be a very small one. Even our consciousness bears witness that we
act voluntarily, and the ungodly will themselves, at times, admit that
a "higher power" constrained them to follow such and such a course;
nor do they feel that they were reduced to "mere machines" in so
being. Viewing the contents of verse 17 in connection with the
warfare of the saint, we are there shown that the hand of every man
of this world is, spiritually speaking, against him. Many of them are
indeed kind-hearted, generous, and benevolent unto a Christian in
temporal things; but (all unconscious to themselves) they are
antagonistic to his eternal interests. Their influence is entirely
earthly, and never heavenly. What was the attitude of the world
toward Christ? Without a single exception, hostile. Pharisees and
Sadducees, priests and scribes, politicians and the common people,
the Roman soldiers, and even the crucified malefactors, reviled Him,
until a miracle of grace transformed one of them into a worshipper.
If we were more like Christ we should experience more of the
world’s enmity and persecution.
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is
in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua
stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city" (v.
18). He had waited for a further word from Jehovah before taking
this action. As it was at Jericho, so here at Ai: each stage of the
process in the capturing and destroying of the city must be ordered
by the Lord. Thus it was with Moses in every project in which he
engaged. So also with the apostles, teaching us that the servant of
Christ must not do anything without His authorization. It is indeed
blessed to observe here that Joshua’s hand was the first one to be
outstretched against Ai. Is not the lesson for us therein plain? It is
when the antitypical Joshua stretches forth His hand on our behalf
that the best time has come for us to act. The need for the Lord to
inform Joshua when to stretch forth his hand is obvious, for it served
as a signal to those in ambush, and that required to be precisely
timed—when the men of Ai had left the city—so that they might
swiftly seize their opportunity.
The Lord did not fail His servant, but at the crucial moment
gave him the word of command: "Stretch out the spear that is in thy
hand." That action was not only designed as a signal to his men in
ambush, but, as verse 26 makes clear, by the same He directed the
whole engagement, until complete victory was achieved. Now was
drawing near the hour of Joshua’s triumph, for he was on the point
of leading Israel to conquest, of which his outstretched spear was the
symbol. That too was a foreshadowing of our blessed Savior. It
seems evident from verses 22 and 24 that throughout the contest
Joshua must have occupied some position of eminence, from which
he gave orders to his troops, and therein he was a figure of Christ on
high. The last night but one before the fight, lodging among the
people (v. 9), as did Christ with His friends at Bethany. The next
night alone in "the midst of the valley" (v. 13)—the symbol of deep,
humiliation (Isa. 40:4: Luke 1:52). as our Lord spent His in
Gethsemane and the judgment halls of the Jews and Romans. Then
fleeing before the foe as if beaten (v. 15). as Christ, in apparent
defeat, was out to death by His enemies. Now assured by God of
victory (v. 18), as He has promised to make Christ’s foes His
footstool.
In concluding this article we propose to consider more
closely the lines of typical teaching in Joshua 8. In the course of our
comments we have indicated some of the practical applications to be
made of its contents, and have pointed out the several respects in
which Joshua again foreshadowed our Lord. But now we must
inquire. What contribution to the particular theme of this book is
made by the capturing and destroying of Ai: what are the principal
lessons there for us concerning the Christian’s warfare? That
question is more easily asked than answered, late must acknowledge
we have experienced more difficulty here than when pondering what
was before us in Joshua 3 and 4. But that is to be expected. First,
because Israel here was only enjoying God’s second best, and where
that be the case His showing Himself strong on our behalf is
curtailed, and acts of folly on our part raise, as it were, a cloud of
dust, which prevents our perceiving so clearly the workings of God.
Second, because the human side of things is more prominent. At first
the babe is carried, but the time arrives when it must learn to use its
own feet: so with the saint, who has to develop his graces and
subdue his lusts.
Both in the crossing of the Jordan and the capturing of
Jericho, the Lord did all for Israel, working miracles on their behalf;
but in connection with Ai much more was required from them. Thus
it is in the spiritual life. Regeneration is a miracle of grace, wherein
we were entirely passive; but in order to our growth in grace and
spiritual progress, all our faculties have to be called into action. The
"lambs" Christ carries in His bosom (Isa. 40:11), but the "sheep" are
required to follow Him (John 10:27). Immediately after conversion
the power of God is so put forth that usually the believer
experiences a season of peace from the assaults of Satan and the
stirrings of his inward corruptions. But soon he becomes conscious
of the serpent’s enmity and is made painfully aware of the powerful
enemies within his own heart; and the fight of faith gradually
becomes fiercer, and he meets with some humiliating falls in the
contest. Yet we can discern the wisdom of God therein, promoting
our good. If He continued to do all for us without our active
concurrence, and if nothing but victory was our uniform experience,
we should quickly become proud and self-sufficient—as was the
case with Israel after Jericho! But under Divine chastenings, and
through His instructions, we are taught how to turn former defeats
into successes—by using the means appointed and counting upon
God’s blessing the same.
Worship in Victory
"And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide. And
as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should
take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the
gate of the city, and raise there a great heap of stones, that remaineth
unto this day. Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel
in mount Ebal . . . an altar of whole stones" (Josh. 8:29-31). It can
scarcely be doubted that there is a designed contrast between those
two events. In the former we see the ignominy of Ai’s king, here we
behold the worship of the King of kings. The one marked the grave
of a malefactor, the other recognized the claims of the Holy One.
Great indeed is the contrast between the dead body under the stones
and the accepted sacrifice upon the altar of stones. That bore witness
to the carrying out of the curse of the Law, on this was inscribed its
precepts. The former was at "the gate" of Ai (the place of judgment
—Amos 5:10), the latter was in a mount. That was intended as a
solemn warning unto evil-doers, this was for the instruction of those
who desired to do well.
 "Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in
mount Ebal." Everything connected with the incident prefaced by
that statement is of deep importance and interest, calling for our
closest attention. A further word upon the Spirit’s time-mark. This
act of worship followed immediately upon the destruction of Ai and
all its inhabitants. We should naturally expect that after Israel’s
capturing of Jericho and Ai they had continued to advance,
proceeding to the further occupying of Canaan. Now that they had
made themselves masters of its frontier towns, it would appear the
only sound policy to forge ahead while their terror was upon the foe,
and penetrate into the very heart of his country. Instead, a long and
difficult journey was taken unto mount Ebal, that a solemn religious
ordinance might be observed. In the midst of their military campaign
a lengthy pause was made in order that Jehovah might be honored.
"The camp of Israel was drawn out into the land not to engage the
enemy but to offer sacrifice, to hear the Law read, and to say Amen
to the blessings and curses. It is a remarkable instance of the zeal of
Israel for the service of God and for His glory" (Matthew Henry).
The offering of burnt offerings and peace offerings to
Jehovah upon this occasion was an acknowledgment of His blessing
upon their arms, and a rejoicing before Him in the successes which
His power and goodness had vouchsafed them. At Rephidim Israel
had been taught that victory over Amalek was obtained by the hands
of Moses being lifted up toward the throne of heaven, and as a
monument thereto he erected an altar, naming it "Jehovah-nissi."
which signifies "the Lord my banner" (Ex. 17:15). So here, as the
captain of their salvation, Joshua had not only "stretched out the
spear that he had in his hand" (Josh. 8:18), but had kept it raised and
extended until victory was complete (v. 26), and now he expressed
his gratitude by erecting this altar to mark the same. That is clearly,
evident from the opening "then" of verse 30. Yet his act on this
occasion imported something more. As yet Israel had conquered but
a very small section of Canaan, and here they journeyed upwards of
another hundred miles, and upon reaching mount Ebal Joshua built
this altar. It was therefore a remarkable act of faith, a claiming of the
whole land for the Lord—men only build on land which is their
own! Thus, instead of waiting until Israel’s victory was complete,
Joshua anticipated the same in a sure and certain hope!
This is the first time that any "altar" is mentioned in the book
of Joshua, and there are some very striking parallels between it and
the one mentioned in Exodus 20:24. Both were erected upon a
mount; both of them at the express command of the Lord, and not
merely by the spiritual impulses and promptings of Moses and
Joshua. Both of them were designed to magnify the Divine Law, and
to exemplify the grand fact that grace reigns through righteousness.
On both of them were sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings
(Ex. 24:5). The one was shortly after Israel’s supernatural exodus
from the house of bondage and crossing of the Red Sea, the other
soon after their miraculous crossing of the Jordan and entrance into
the promised land. In the course of these articles we have frequently
emphasized the fact that in his actions Joshua (as one of the
outstanding types of Christ) was constantly regulated by the written
Word of God. That had again received illustration in Joshua 8:29, for
the taking down of the carcass of the king of Ai was required in
Deuteronomy 21:23. Equally so was that principle exemplified here
in Joshua 8:30, for the building of this altar was in compliance with
the injunctions given through Moses.
In the book of Deuteronomy many instructions were given
the children of Israel near the close of their sojourn in the wilderness
as to how they must conduct themselves upon their entrance into the
land of promise. Therein we find that which explains the incident
recorded in the closing verses of Joshua 8.It had been said unto
them, "Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye
shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount
Ebal; and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. And there shalt thou
build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt
not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the
Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings
thereon unto the Lord thy God; and thou shalt offer peace offerings,
and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God "These shall
stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall
stand upon mount Ebal to curse" (Deut. 27:4-7, 12, 13).
The "altar" was the meeting-place between God and men. In
its construction it was of the most simple and unpretending
character, no place being allowed for the exercise of human art. This
may appear strange when we remember that both rich materials and
elaborate skill were expended upon the tabernacle and its internal
furnishings—the outer-court vessels alone excepted. But when we
call to mind the purpose of the altar and its leading object, the
difficulty vanishes, and the propriety of its extreme plainness at once
appears. It was there the Holy One and the fallen creature transacted
concerning sin and salvation: that the alien might be reconciled, the
guilty pardoned, the cleansed one have fellowship with the Lord.
Therefore did He appoint that man should there be reminded of his
utter unworthiness and impotency as he came before the One who
deigned to meet with him. His curse rested on the ground for man’s
sake (Gen. 3:15), and by no effort of his can man remove it. For the
altar to be made of ornamented plates of costly metal would have
misrepresented the object for which it was designed, and disposed
man to forget his vile condition. So, in the general direction for the
formation of altars, God ordained it should be a rude mound of
earth, or of unpolished stones (Ex. 20:24, 25; and cf. 1 Kings 18:31,
32).
The altar, then, must be of God’s workmanship, unbeautified
by man’s skill, so that he could not glory in his own production.
That chosen meeting place of God with man as a sinner must be
such as would convey the impression of a direct contact between the
God of heaven and the earth which He had made—on a "mount,"
but the altar naked, simple, unadorned; thereby emphasizing His
own condescension and the poverty of the sinner. The leading idea
designed to be set forth by the materials of the altar was confirmed
by its name. Departing from the common usage of antiquity,
Scripture employs a term which vividly enunciates both the
humbling element on man’s side and the grace on God’s. That name
is misbeach, which means place of slaughter, for it was thither the
victim was brought and slain. And thus, from the beginning, God
taught His people the solemn fact that there could be no communion
between Himself and fallen creatures save by the shedding of blood;
that the sentence of death must be executed upon the guilty. Later,
when a stationary altar was appointed for the sanctuary, it was
ordered to be made not of gold and silver, but of wood overlaid with
brass.
"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in
mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the
children of Israel. As it is written in the book of the Law of Moses:
an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lifted any iron. And
they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord and sacrificed
peace offerings" (Josh. 8:30, 31): In addition to what has been said
above, it should be pointed out that the "altar" prefigured our Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the sole meeting place between the thrice holy
God and guilty sinners. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none other name given among men whereby we must be
saved"
(Acts 4:12). None comes unto the Father but by Him. They
who look to the merits of the apostles or the mediation of Mary to
give them access to God, and their prayers and works acceptance
before Him, are miserably deluded; and it is but charity to tell them
so. Christ Himself is at once the antitypical Altar, Sacrifice for sin,
and acceptable Offerer. While those three things may be
distinguished, both in shadow and substance, they must not be
separated, for they all meet in Him. As it is "the altar that sanctifieth
the gift" (Matthew 23:19), so the dignity of Christ’s person gives
infinite value to His offering. Furthermore, He is our "Altar" (Heb.
13:10) to whom we bring our sacrifices of praise (Heb. 13:15), and
presents the same, perfumed by His merits, unto God (Rev. 8:3, 4).
The pile of stones on mount Ebal was not gathered to be
thrown in judgment at sinners, but for an altar on which was to be
offered a sacrifice for sinners. Very express was the prohibition
concerning the stones of the altar: "Thou shalt not lift up any iron
tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of
whole stones." Those unpolished but whole stones set forth both the
humiliation and perfection of the Savior, as He appeared
respectively to men and to God. To the natural eyes of Israel He
possessed "no form nor comeliness," and when they saw Him, they
perceived no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. But in the
sight of the Father He was "a precious corner-stone," and in Him He
delighted. Nothing was to be hewn off the life of Christ, for it was
perfect. None of His actions needed any modification. Yea, as
Exodus 20:25, declared, "If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast
polluted it." Not a single deed of Christ’s could be bettered, and if
one had been missing from His entire life the whole had been spoilt.
Much the same thing was borne witness to here as was symbolically
shadowed forth in our Lord’s coat, which was "without seam, woven
from the top throughout" (John 19:23).
More noteworthy than either the time when the altar was
erected or the materials of which it was composed was the place
where it was set up, namely mount Ebal. There were two mountains
to which Israel were now brought—Gerizim and Ebal—and we
should naturally have expected to find the altar on the former, for it
was there the blessings of the Law upon the obedient were
pronounced (Deut. 11:29), whereas it was on the latter that its curses
were published. But "as for God, His way is perfect" (2 Sam. 22:31),
and everything was ordered here so as to foreshadow the most
terrible yet most blessed event of all history. The vicarious offering
sacrificed on Ebal prefigured the Head of the Church entering the
place of the curse, yea, being made a curse for His members. So that
what we have here is very similar to—and equally unexpected and
precious as—the altar on mount Sinai (Ex. 24:4) (see our "Glorious
Sinai" article in the April issue). A reference to Deuteronomy 27:4-7,
shows the analogy between the two is yet more complete: the Lord
gave orders that after the offering of sacrifice they should "eat there
[of the peace offering] and rejoice before the Lord thy God," as their
fathers before them had done on Sinai (Ex. 24:11). How remarkably
did Divine grace shine forth there! Who had thought of rejoicing on
the mount of the curse!
"And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of
Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel" (v.
32). That also was in obedience to Deuteronomy 27:8, and was
equally remarkable. That altar was built as a monument of the
Divine mercy to Israel’s victories, yet it was not an account of their
triumphs but a copy of the Ten Commandments that was inscribed
upon it! The grand practical lesson for us therein is that the best way
to remember God’s mercies is not to forget His Law. As Gurnall
well said, "God counts those mercies forgotten which are not written
in legible characters in our lives." For Israel, that writing of the
Decalogue upon the stones of the altar was a reminder to them that
they were taking possession of Canaan not only on the ground of the
promise to Abraham but also according to the terms of that Law
which they solemnly covenanted themselves to keep (Deut. 11:29-
32). The two things must not be separated: in presenting their
offerings upon the altar, they spoke to God; in the writing of the
Law upon its stones, He spoke to them, enforcing His holy claims
upon them. Christ died to deliver His people from the penalty of the
Law, but not from obedience to its precepts.
On Deuteronomy 27:8, John Gill rightly said, "The Law
being written on stones denotes the duration of it, which continued
not only during the times of the Old Testament dispensation, and to
the times of John, and had its fulfillment in Christ, but stilt
continues; for though Christ has redeemed His people from the curse
and condemnation of it, yet it is in His hands as a rule of direction to
them, as to their walk and conversation. Nor is it made void by any
doctrine of the Gospel, and nothing more strongly enforces
obedience to it than the Gospel. The moral law is immutable,
invariable, and eternal I n its nature, and it is in the matter of it."
Alas, that so many of Mr. Gill’s admirers have departed so far from
his teaching thereon. Thomas Scott also said, "We must rest our
hope on the atonement of the great Redeemer, and keep the holy
Law of God continually before us as the rule of our grateful
obedience. We only deceive ourselves if we suppose that our praise
unto God is sincere for the gift of His Son, unless we also delight in
His Law and serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25). God will not be bribed
by the worship of rebels (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 106:12, 13).
 Ere giving a brief exposition of the verses that follow, let us
further admire the striking and blessed prefiguration of Christ in
what has been before us. No less than three times has the Holy Spirit
recorded the Divine prohibition that the altar must be built of
unhewn and unadorned stones—in Exodus 20:25; Deuteronomy
27:5; Joshua 8:31—so carefully did He guard the glory of Christ. In
sharp contrast with us, who, though "living stones," yet need much
shaping, there were no rough or sharp edges in the character of
Christ; no polishing of His life was required to render it well
pleasing to the Father, So much did He resent anything which
marred a type that when the sons of Aaron offered "strange fire"
upon the altar they were immediately consumed by fire from heaven
(Lev. 10), and when the ark was set upon a cart instead of on the
shoulders of the priests, judgment fell upon Uzzah (2 Sam. 6). God
was exceedingly jealous of the honor of His beloved Son, bidding
Moses, again and again, to make all things in the tabernacle
according to "the pattern" which He showed him (Ex. 25:9, etc.), for
everything therein pointed to and set forth the person and
perfections of the Mediator. The writing of the Law on the stones of
the altar tells of Christ’s sustaining the honor of the Law, that in Him
alone is it "established" (Rom. 3:31).
"And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their
judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the
priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord;
as well the stranger, as he that was born among them: half of them
over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had
commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel" (v.
33). A most solemn and auspicious assembly was this, when the
whole nation, with their responsible heads, were gathered before the
Lord. The "ark of the covenant"—mentioned here for the last time in
Joshua—was brought out of the tabernacle on this momentous
occasion. The original tables of the Law were preserved therein, and
now its statutes had been written on the stones of the altar. That
which here took place is to be regarded as a solemn ratification by
the new generation of Israel of the covenant entered into by their
fathers at Sinai. The sanctions of the Law were now proclaimed in
the hearing of the whole congregation, and by their repeated "Amen
(Deut. 22:15, 16, etc.) all Israel consented to the terms of the
covenant. The mention of "the stranger" here anticipated the
gathering of the Gentiles into the Church.
It must have been an exceedingly impressive sight as the
entire congregation of Israel assembled in the valley between those
two mountains. There had been nothing like it since their solemn
gathering on Sinai forty years previously: in fact what took place
here was virtually a repetition of what had occurred there—Israel
solemnly covenanting to keep God’s Law. As the former had been
preceded by wondrous displays of God’s grace and power on their
behalf, so it had been here; and thus, in each instance, submission
and obedience to Him was to be an expression of their love to Him
and gratitude for His favors. Such is precisely the place which the
Law is to have with the Christian. Because the Lord Jesus has borne
his sins and reconciled him to God, he is to express his thankfulness
by receiving God’s Law at His hand (1 Cor. 9:21) and thereby
respond to His injunction: If ye love Me, keep My commandments"
(John 14:15).
The scene which is set before us in the closing verses of
Joshua 8 is equaled only by that which is exhibited in Exodus 24:
The events described therein are parallel in every way, the latter
being explained by the former. In each there is a public assembling
of the whole congregation of Israel before the Lord. In each a
federal engagement is solemnly entered into. Each was transacted
upon a mount, where an altar was erected, the Divine Law
prominently honored, and the people ate before Jehovah. The
difference between them is that in the former it was the first
generation of Israel which had recently emerged from Egypt that
was concerned; while in the latter it was the first generation of those
who had shortly before entered Canaan. The claims of Jehovah were
now made known unto this new generation in a striking and
impressive manner, and they were required to aver their recognition
of those claims and affirm subjection to the same. First an altar had
been erected and sacrifices offered thereon. Most appropriately had
"the peace offering" a place, for a portion of it was for the Lord and
a portion of it was eaten by the offerer (Lev. 7:32, 34), for a
covenant is a mutual engagement between two parties, and thus the
Lord and His people here communed together.
Upon the stones of that altar the Decalogue was written.
Typically, that set forth the fact that the Law had been magnified by
Christ (Isa. 42:21). In His teaching He had fully maintained its
authority (Matthew 5:17), in His life He rendered perfect obedience
to it, and in His death He endured its awful penalty. Practically, we
are there taught that the redeemed are to receive the Law from the
Redeemer. Christ did not keep the Law for His people in order that
they might be freed from its holy requirements, but to honor God
therein and leave them an example that they should follow His steps.
In order thereto, He has not only brought them under the deepest
possible obligations of gratitude unto Himself, bidding them to
express their love unto Him by keeping His commandments, but has
also procured for them the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit, who puts
His laws into their hearts and writes them upon their minds (Heb.
10:16): that is, implanting a love for them, and impressing them with
their importance, authority, and spirituality. And therefore it is that
the truly regenerate delight in the Law of God after the inward man,
and with their minds serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25).
It is to be duly noted that in the Holy Spirit’s description of
the company convened on that auspicious occasion express mention
is made of "as well the stranger as he that was born among them"
(Josh. 8:33), which, as previously pointed out, anticipated the time
when the Gentiles would also be brought into the congregation of
the Lord. The various references made to "the stranger" in the law of
Moses have not received anything like the attention they should by
Christian commentators. Provision was made for "the stranger,"
upon his circumcision, to partake of the Passover feast; yea, it was
enacted: "One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the
stranger that sojourneth among you" (Ex. 12:48, 49); yea, even the
cities of refuge were available to him equally with the Israelite
(Josh. 20:9)! Commandment was given unto Israel that "the stranger
that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you,
and thou shalt love him as thyself" (Lev. 19:34). As he shared
Israel’s privileges. so he had to share their obligations also, by
entering into covenant with God (Deut. 29:11, 12), and therefore if
he blasphemed the name of the Lord the same penalty was inflicted
upon him as upon a guilty Hebrew (Lev. 24:16).
"And afterwards he read all the words of the Law: the
blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of
the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which
Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the
women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant
among them" (Josh. 8:34, 35). Thus the entire assembly came under
the sound of the just requirements of their Benefactor and Governor.
As Deuteronomy 27 informs us, as each of the solemn curses of the
Law was uttered by the Levites "with a loud voice" (not an
apologetic whisper!), it was required that "all the people should
answer and say, Amen (vv. 14, 15), thereby solemnly concurring
therewith. As Matthew Henry pointed out, "It was (1) a profession of
their faith in the truth of them. (2) An acknowledgment of the equity
of them. (3) An imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged
them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the
curse was here entailed." What an example was this occasion of the
importance of the public reading of lengthy sections of God’s Word,
and that its most unpalatable portions must not be omitted! The
reading of the Law to "the strangers" again intimates that the
Gentiles are under it. No further mention of "the ark" is found in
Joshua, for the covenant had now been ratified by the second
generation of Israel.
Israel had marched into Canaan led by the written Law of
God (Josh. 3:11-17), for the ark of the covenant was the Divinely
appointed chest in which were deposited and preserved the tables on
which the Lord’s own finger had inscribed that Law which Israel
had covenanted to keep. The same Law had been borne around the
walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:4), being the minister of vengeance unto the
idolatrous Canaanites. That same Law had now been written on the
stones of the altar on Ebal (Josh. 8:32), thus becoming the Law of
the Land. Was not this God’s very object, in enabling Israel to
conquer Canaan: that He should have not only a people in obedience
to Him, but a country in which the blessedness of their obedience
should be exhibited before the surrounding nations? Beyond
question, for Moses declared, "I have taught you statutes and
judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should
do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do
them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of
the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this
great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deut. 4:5, 6; and
cf. 1 Kings 10:8, 9). As Jehovah reminded their descendants
centuries later, "Ye are My witnesses" (Isa. 43:10; and cf. Mal.
3:12).
 Joshua 9:1-27
Honor Amidst Deception
Enemy Reactions
"And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this
side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of
the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the
Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebasite. heard thereof;
that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with
Israel with one accord" (Josh. 9:1, 2). At first glance there appears
little pertinency or propriety in mentioning this detail immediately
after what was described in the closing verses of Joshua 8: But
careful readers will observe that this passage begins with the word
"and," and those who have followed us through the previous articles
of this series should know by now what use to make of it. It calls for
thoughtful attention to what immediately precedes, so that the force
of the connection may be the better perceived by us. And that not
merely so as to fix in our minds the order of events, but more
especially that we may ascertain the spiritual lessons which are
pointed thereby. The book of Joshua contains very much more than a
mere historical record of Israel’s conquest and occupation of the
land of Canaan, namely a shadowing forth of that spiritual warfare
unto which Christians are called.
Believers in Christ are not only "witnesses" unto Him (Acts
1:8)—showing forth His praises, reflecting the moral perfections of
His character, disciples, "they which follow the Lamb whithersoever
He goeth" (Rev. 14:4)—but they are also soldiers of Jesus Christ (2
Tim. 2:3), and as such it is especially to the book of Joshua that they
should turn for instruction, inspiration, warning, and encouragement.
What then are the lessons we should draw from that which is
recorded in Joshua 9:1 and 2? Two, according as we recognize the
twofold link between those verses and their context—with that
which immediately precedes and with what is rather more remote. In
other words, this coming together of the kings of Canaan, and their
agreeing, to join forces in making a mass attack upon Israel, is to be
regarded first as it is related to that which has just been before us in
the closing verses of Joshua 8:namely the magnification of the
Decalogue on mount Ebal and the covenant which was made by the
new generation of Israel with Jehovah; and then with the whole of
Joshua 6-8 where the overthrow of Jericho and Ai is narrated. The
force of the opening "and" is borne out by the "heard thereof" at the
close of verse 1. It is the enemy’s reaction to those events which is
here in view.
Brief though their record be, those two verses present to our
notice that which is of deep importance, and something which
should be particularly heeded by ministers who desire to be faithful
to their calling. The Holy Spirit’s mention of this federating of
Canaan’s kings to fight against Joshua and Israel, immediately after
describing what had taken place on the mountains of Ebal and
Gerizim, is obviously designed to supply us with a typical
illustration and solemn exemplification of man’s hostility to the Law
of God. No sooner did it reach the ears of these kings that Joshua
had built an altar on Ebal and had inscribed on its stones the Divine
Decalogue—which was henceforth to be the Law of the Land—than
they made common cause against God’s people and determined to
use force, as the "heard thereof" (v. 1) plainly intimates. To
acknowledge the rights and authority of the Most High, and submit
themselves unto His revealed will, is something which the
unregenerate both resent and oppose. They desire to be lords of
themselves and are resolved to go their own way. The language
expressed by the actions of all of them, and by the mouths of many,
is that of the self-willed and arrogant Pharaoh: "Who is the Lord that
I should obey His voice?" (Ex. 5:2). They are determined to please
themselves.
Here is the very essence of human depravity. Sin is a revolt
against God, a refusing to be in subjection to Him. Sin is not only a
determining to follow our own inclinations, but it is a fighting
against our Maker and Governor. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. Unspeakably solemn is that declaration, and one which is most
repugnant to human susceptibilities. Nevertheless, it is a fact which
cannot be gainsaid. Proof thereof is furnished in the clause
immediately following: "for it [the mind of the natural man] is not
subject to the Law of God; neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7).
Nothing more plainly evinces the inveterate hostility of the
unregenerate unto God than their insubordination and opposition
against the Divine Law. Few indeed will openly admit that they hate
God, and fewer still are aware of that awful fact, for sin is very
deceitful (Heb. 3:13), and blinds the judgment (Eph. 4:18). Nowhere
is that more clearly demonstrated than throughout the entire realm of
idolatry. If men were pleased with the true God, they would not have
manufactured so many false ones. They desire a God and a system
of religion which are suited to their depraved inclinations. Millions
who bow not before an image of wood or stone nevertheless believe
in a God which their own sentiments and imaginations have devised,
and against him (or it) they have no enmity!
But let the true and living God be apprehended as His
character is set forth in the Scriptures, and that enmity will soon be
more evident. Let Him be known as the Divine Potentate who
shapes one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor, entirely as
He pleases; as the ineffably Holy One who cannot look on evil, and
hates all workers of iniquity; and as the righteous Judge of all, who
will by no means clear the guilty; and the fallen creature’s hatred of
such a One will appear in its true colors. Let Him give to such
creatures His Law, and require unqualified obedience thereto, and
they at once rebel. If God would forgo His sovereign rights, their
opposition would be subdued; if He would lay aside His scepter men
would cease fighting against Him. But because He declines to do so,
the will of the creature is opposed to the will of the Creator, and he
refuses subjection to His throne. Conclusive proof that the sinner’s
nature is diametrically the opposite of God’s is seen in his deadly
opposition to the Divine government. The moral law is both a
revelation of its Author’s character and an expression of His will,
and man’s repudiation of it exhibits the contrariety of sin to holiness.
What has just been pointed out was unmistakably and most
solemnly demonstrated when the Lawgiver became incarnate and
dwelt here upon earth, for the ill will of religious and irreligious
alike was active against Him. Not only was He despised and rejected
by men, but as He plainly declared "they hated Me without a cause"
(John 15:25). Nor did they make any attempt to cloak their malice.
While He healed the sick and provided the multitude with loaves
and fishes, their hostility was held in abeyance; but when He pressed
upon them the claims of His lordship, defined the terms of
discipleship, and made known the character and requirements of His
kingdom, their resentment soon flared up. Not only did He come
unto His own and "His own received Him not," but "His citizens
hated Him and sent a message after Him saying, "We will not have
this One to reign over us" (Luke 19:14). Let it not be forgotten that it
was as "the King of the Jews" Christ was crucified! "The kings of
the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against
Jehovah and against His Christ, saying, Let us break their bands
asunder and cast away their cords from us" (Ps. 2:2, 3; and cf. Acts
4:25-27)—chafing at the Divine Law, refusing subjection to the
Divine authority.
Thus, in the gathering of the kings of Canaan "to fight with
Joshua and with Israel" immediately after the promulgation of the
Divine Law upon the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim, we have both
a solemn adumbration of what took place in the hours immediately
preceding our Lord’s crucifixion, and an illustration of man’s
opposition to the Law. Up to this point the Canaanites had been on
the defensive, but in Joshua 9:1, 2, we see them preparing to take the
offensive, and make a united attack on God’s people. The kings
there mentioned were of varied nationalities and interests, and
occupied widely scattered territories, but here we behold them
sinking their differences and federating together "with one accord"!
Just as the priests and scribes, the Pharisees and Sadducees united in
opposing the incarnate Lawgiver. And just as it is today, for both
"dispensational" Arminians and "Antinomian" Calvinists make
common cause in repudiating the Decalogue as the Christian’s rule
of life. So will every true servant of Christ discover. Let him give to
the Law that place in his ministry which it has in the Scriptures, let
him be faithful in discharging his Divine commission (and
remember "all the counsel of God" includes very much more than
what are termed "the doctrines of grace"!), and press upon
unbelievers and believers the claims of Christ’s Kingship, and the
strictness and spirituality of the Decalogue, and he too will be
despised and reviled.
In our last we pointed out that the word "And" at the
beginning of Joshua 9 has a double force: intimating that what now
follows is to be linked with, first, what is recorded in the closing
verses of Joshua 8, namely the magnification of the Divine
Decalogue on mount Ebal and the renewing of the Mosaic covenant
by this new generation of Israel; and second, with the whole of
Joshua 6-8 which narrate their conquests, under God, of Jericho and
Ai. In other words, the contents of Joshua 9 make known to us the
enemy’s reactions to those incidents. As the events were twofold, so
were his reactions. First, we are informed that as soon as the kings
of Canaan "heard thereof" they "with one accord" agreed to unite
themselves together "to fight with Joshua and with Israel" Up to this
point they had acted on the defensive, but now they saw that their
own interests were threatened, they determined to make a mass
attack upon Israel. "The varied expressions here used [in Joshua 9:1]
include the inhabitants of the land to the utmost western and
northern borders" (T. Scott). It was not an immediate attack that was
planned, but a consulting together how best to put a stop to Israel’s
progress and secure their own territories.
Verily, "there is nothing new under the sun." A "League of
Nations" or federating together of different peoples to "pool" their
resources is no modern invention, but as old as human history. Here
was a banding together of rival kings to make common cause in
opposing the people of God. They entered into an agreement "at top
level" to support and assist each other, and ultimately to assail Israel
—which they did, as Joshua 11:1-5 shows. For the time being they
were willing to sink their individual differences and combine
together. Nor was this the first time that such a thing had happened.
As far back as Abraham we are told that "It came to pass in the days
of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer
king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; that these made war with
Bera king of Sodom and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king
of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela,
which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim,
which is the salt sea" (Gen. 14:1-3). which may well be designated
"the Western bloc of nations" against the "Eastern power and its
satellites." At a later date we find still another "consulting together
with one consent" of a number of nations, and a federating of
themselves against Israel (see Ps. 83:4-8).
That which is recorded in Joshua 9:1, 2, should be of real
practical value unto those who are engaged in fighting the good fight
of faith. There is real wisdom in that old adage. "To be forewarned is
to be forearmed." It is often a very real help to have reliable
information of what effects a certain action produces upon the foe.
Here we are shown the nature of such immediately upon Israel’s
solemn renewal of their covenant with Jehovah. The lesson in plain:
it is when God’s people are most conscious of their obligations,
when most determined by grace to discharge the same, when most
zealous in fully consecrating themselves unto the Lord, that the ire
of Satan breaks out the fiercest. As we have pointed out, up to this
point these Canaanitish kings had remained quiescent, but now they
planned aggression. Naturally speaking, it seems strange that they
were not actually hostile from the beginning, opposing Israel’s
crossing of the Jordan, for they had received notice of their approach
(Josh. 2:9, 10). Nor had these kings made any attempt to go to the
relief of Jericho when that city was seriously threatened by those
under Joshua’s command.
But notice what these kings did not do. They did not
surrender themselves unto Israel. They did not consider themselves
outnumbered, and cast themselves on Joshua’s mercy. Even alter
they learned of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and the falling
of Jericho’s walls, they did not capitulate. Nor do the enemies of the
Christian. No matter how marked or extensive the victory God
grants us, we must not conclude that the worst of the fight is now
over. Satan in his activities is the nearest approach to "perpetual
motion" found in any creature. He never accepts defeat or quits the
field. One had thought he must recognize the utter futility of
assailing Immanuel but he did not. And though completely worsted
and routed in his attempt, it was only "for a season" (Luke 4:13) he
left Him. Why then should any of His followers expect to be
exempted! The same is true of "the flesh," with all its evil lusts.
Indwelling sin never surrenders to the new nature, nor ceases its
attacks upon it. Nay, the farther a Christian advances into an
experiential entrance into and enjoyment of his spiritual heritage, the
fiercer the conflict becomes, and the more determined and
concentrated the efforts of his enemies to thwart him.
It is striking to see how the Holy Spirit has particularized the
diversity of the kings described in Joshua 9:1: some were from the
mountains, some from the valleys, and yet others from the sea
coasts; yet though so widely scattered they federated together
against Israel. That illustrates the fact that the spiritual enemies of
God’s people are of many kinds and types, that every form of
worldliness—its most refined and elevated as well as its coarsest
and lowest—is a menace to them. Equally so are their own evil lusts
varied and numerous: self-will, pride, unbelief, slothfulness,
cowardice, impatience, discontent, and a host of others, have to be
resisted and mortified. How the unanimity of those heathen tribes
should shame Christians because of their divisions! And how their
banding together against Israel ought to arouse the believer to the
realization that all his graces must work actively together—faith
strengthening hope, love animating both—in waging the fight to
which he is called. If it appears strange that these kings had been
quiet so long, to carnal reason it seems the more so that they should
now plan an offensive after God had so signally shown Himself
strong on the behalf of His people. But behind the scenes the Lord
was saying, "Assemble yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be
broken in pieces" (Isa. 8:9). Thus will it yet be with the enemies of
His Church.
But we must now turn to and consider the second reaction of
the Canaanites unto the recent conquests of Israel. This is quite
different from the former one, and is described in Joshua 9:3-7. Here
we are informed, "And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what
Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and
went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks
upon their asses, and wine-bottles old and rent, and bound up; and
old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them;
and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they
went up to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him and to
the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore
make ye a league with us." In Joshua 10:2, we are told that "Gibeon
was a great city, as one of the royal cities... greater than Ai, and all
the men thereof were mighty"; nevertheless, they were afraid of
Israel. Herein we behold the sovereignty of God: His "terror" (Gen.
35:5) fell not upon the kings mentioned in the preceding verses, yet
it did upon the Gibeonites! Yet God was not acting arbitrarily or
capriciously: He had His own wise reasons for making the
Gibeonites an exception.
"And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had
done unto Jericho and Ai" (v. 3). This is all of a piece with what is
recorded in Joshua 2:9, 10, where Rahab had said to the spies, "I
know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is
fallen upon us... For we have heard how the Lord dried up, the water
of the Red Sea for you when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did
unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side
Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed." Here is a further
example of the same thing, which serves to demonstrate the
consistency and truthfulness of this history. Spiritually considered, it
illustrates this principle: that the unbelieving world do not remain in
ignorance of the mighty works of God, which renders their unbelief
the more inexcusable and adds to their guilt. The miracles of Christ
were not wrought in a corner, but openly and publicly, so that even
His enemies were obliged to acknowledge the reality of them (John
11:47), and Herod, too. was informed of the same (Luke 23:8). The
same is true today, both of the providential interpositions of the
Most High in the affairs of nations, and the supernatural operations
of the Holy Spirit in His elect.
 Whenever there is a definite and striking display of the Holy
Spirit’s power, some of the unregenerate are impressed and attracted
thereby, and seek to join themselves unto the objects of the same.
We behold an instance of that in connection with Abraham. He
experienced an effectual call from God, which produced a
supernatural effect, for it was against nature that he should leave his
home, abandon the land of his fathers, and go forth "not knowing
whither he went." It was a peculiarly distinctive work of God of
which he was made the subject, for the Lord Himself tells us, "I
called him alone" (Isa. 51:2). Nevertheless, we find that both his
father and his nephew were so impressed by the change wrought in
Abraham and his determination to make a complete break from his
old manner of life, that they accompanied him as he left Chaldea
(Gen. 11:31)—though the former died before Canaan was reached,
and the latter was far from happy therein. Likewise when the
children of Israel left Egypt, in order to go unto their inheritance, "a
mixed multitude went up also with them" (Ex. 12:38), and had an
evil influence upon the people of God (Num. 11:4). It was the same
again when those in captivity availed themselves of the edict of
Cyrus that they might return to Palestine, for after they did so, and
the Law of Moses was restored, we read that they separated from
Israel all the mixed multitude" (Nehemiah 13:3)!
In this dual reaction of the Canaanites unto the mighty works
which Jehovah had wrought in their land—their determining to use
force against Israel, and under the pretense of friendship to seek
union with them—we have exemplified the two principal characters
assumed by the arch-enemy of God and His people and the methods
employed under them. The Devil is depicted in the Scriptures both
as the roaring lion and the subtle serpent. As the lion, he uses force
and seeks to terrorize; as the serpent, he employs cunning and
endeavors to poison and corrupt. In the former character he acts
more openly, and assaults from without; in the latter, he works more
secretly, aiming to defile from within. Against our first parents he
appeared as the lying and beguiling serpent but in employing Cain to
murder righteous Abel, we behold the power and cruelty of the lion
(1 John 3:12). Thus it was in connection with what we have here. In
stirring up the kings of Canaan to fight with Joshua, Satan was
relying upon the use of arms; but in moving the Gibeonites to cloak
their character and pose to be what they were not, so that Israel
might be deceived into making a league with them, we behold his
craftiness, purposing to introduce his leaven into the meal.
We often point out in these pages that God does not work
according to a stereotyped plan, but that infinite variety marks His
operations. The same is true, in a lesser degree, of the Devil—who is
ever a marked imitator. He too acts not uniformly. If one plan or
method fails he always has another in reserve, as the whole history
of Christendom has repeatedly demonstrated. He altered his tactics
with Christ: first seeking to slay Him while a babe, then almost
posing as an angel of light when tempting Him, and then as the
dragon of darkness (Luke 22:53) he bruised His heel. So too with
the followers of the Lord Jesus: first openly and directly persecuting,
then flattering and fawning upon, and then corrupting by unholy
alliances. The opposition and cruelty of Nero and other Roman
emperors failing, the patronage of Constantine and the making of
Christianity the state religion succeeded in accomplishing Satan’s
design; just as centuries later the spirituality and power of the great
Reformation under Luther was curtailed when the German princes
gave support to it because of the political liberty which it promised
them. No wonder the apostle declares that—with the Word of Truth
in our hands—"we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices" (2 Cor. 2:11),
and with the records of the last nineteen centuries before us there is
still less excuse for our being unacquainted with his strategy.
That which is narrated in Joshua 9:3-6, of the dishonest
Gibeonites gives us a typical picture of graceless professors seeking
to "join’ the people of God. They knew there was no likelihood of
their desire being realized if they presented themselves before Israel
in their true character, so they resorted to guile in order to deceive
them. "They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been
ambassadors" (v. 4). It must not be overlooked that while Satan is
very subtle the flesh also is exceedingly artful, fully capable of
playing many parts in order to gain its own ends. Behold how it
moved Jacob to cover himself with a hairy skin and masquerade as
Esau, king Saul to disguise himself when he went to the witch of
Endor (1 Sam. 28:8), the wife of Jeroboam feigning herself to be
another when she visited the prophet Ahijah, whose eyes were set by
reason of age (1 Kings 14:1-6), and the wolves in sheeps’ clothing of
Christ’s day. In his second epistle Paul warned the Corinthians
against "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13), and Jude complained that
ungodly men had "crept in unawares" into the assemblies of the
saints (Jude 1:4). The churches are full of such today.
Those Gibeonites posed as "ambassadors," men not only of
peaceful design but of importance, fitted to enter into an official
engagement with Israel and make a covenant with them. Such is the
character assumed by thousands of hypocrites who apply for church
membership. They pretend to be fully qualified to be taken into
fellowship among the Lord’s people, claiming that the peace of God
is in their hearts. These Gibeonites pretended to have journeyed
from a far country and attired themselves accordingly. They "took
old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old and rent, and bound
up; and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon
them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy." Very
thorough were they in this work of imposture, well made up for the
part they were playing—even in conforming to Israel’s peculiar
ways by using "asses" rather than horses. In like manner, empty
professors will often go to considerable trouble in their efforts to
impose upon the people of God, affecting an outward change in their
conduct and laying claim to inward graces which they possess not.
They pose as being "poor in spirit," convicted of sin, and hungry for
the bread of life, and prate about their unworthiness.
Not only does this incident point a solemn and urgent
warning for the churches of Christ to be much on their prayerful
guard against taking hypocrites into their membership, but it also
intimates how the individual Christian needs to be aware of his
danger in being imposed upon by his inward enemies, for his lusts
not only assume a great variety of forms, but often pretend to be his
friends. He knows, both from Scripture and his own experience, that
"the flesh lusteth against the spirit," but often he fails to realize that
even his corruptions are capable of posing as virtues, and would fain
persuade him that they are kindly disposed and have good designs
toward him. It is not merely that his evil lusts become less active for
a season, and even appear to be asleep, but that they seem to have
undergone a change for the better, and now assume the garb of piety.
For example, it is easy for a Christian—if he fails to weigh
everything in the balances of the Sanctuary and rigidly test his
motives by Holy Writ—to persuade himself that his natural self-will
is now a holy zeal for God, or that his impatience is really spiritual
earnestness, or that his slothfulness is a holy caution.
The "flesh" or sinful nature takes upon itself many plausible
guises, and those carnal enemies which are actually very near to us
—yea, a part of our very selves—often pretend to have come from
"a far country" (Luke 19:12), that is, from heaven itself, just as the
Gibeonites presented themselves before Israel as having come from
a great distance. In other words, what we sometimes regard as
heavenly graces are nothing but our native corruptions dressed up to
deceive us. Particularly is this the case with mock humility and
lowliness. The Gibeonites appeared not in the attractive apparel of
purple and fine linen, but in rags and tatters! Likewise will our very
pride take on a deceptively modest appearance and pose. One may,
from the teaching of God’s Word, be intellectually convinced of the
total depravity of man, yea, be thoroughly persuaded of his own
sinfulness and unworthiness, without his heart being in the least
affected and bowed in contrition before God. He may even imagine
that he has made considerable progress in the work of mortification,
and become complacent in the belief that he is increasingly "denying
ungodly and worldly lusts," and perceive not that such complacence
is a sure sign that pride is at work.
Oh, how powerful and terrible is the "deceitfulness of sin"
(Heb. 3:13). If Joshua himself was imposed upon by these
hypocritical Canaanites, how carefully and cautiously do we need to
carry ourselves, and seek to profit from this incident. Make no
mistake here, my reader: the real Christian has many "Gibeonites"
within his own breast to contend with! In addition to what has been
pointed out above, let us add that one may be not only absorbed with
his good works, but even well pleased with the knowledge and sense
which he has of his own corruptions. Truly. "the heart is deceitful
above all things." Who can know it? Yet if we be sincere and
diligent in examining ourselves, in comparing the workings of our
hearts with the searching and holy teachings of God’s Word, daily
viewing ourselves in its mirror, we shall perceive more of its
"wiliness." True humility is never engaged with itself, still less is it
pleased therewith; but rather mourns over its paucity and the
constant opposition produced by the workings of pride. True
humility delivers from self-importance and self-exaltation, and
keeps us from posing as "ambassadors"—wanting to have the pre-
eminence.
The Gibeonites
In our last we dwelt upon the twofold reaction of the
Canaanites to the notable victories which the Lord gave Israel at
Jericho and Ai, namely the determination of the kings to employ
massed force (Josh. 9:1, 2), and the deception which the Gibeonites
practiced upon them (Josh. 9:3-6), which illustrates the dual
character in which Satan opposes the people of God and the methods
he employs therein—as the roaring lion seeking to devour, as the
subtle serpent using guile. Both Scriptural and ecclesiastical history
demonstrate that the latter is far more dangerous and successful than
the former. When open persecution fails either to exterminate or
intimidate the faithful, Satan resorts to his secret wiles, which only
too often corrupt their testimony. Nor is the reason for this hard to
discover. Not only is the former method much more easily detected,
but fierce opposition casts believers upon the Lord for enabling
strength and fortitude, and thus proves a blessing in disguise to
them, whereas they are very apt to be less on their guard against
Satan’s sly artifices, and if pride persuades them that they are too
well established in the Truth to be misled by error or taken in by
hypocrites, they more easily fall victims of his snares.
 What has just been pointed out receives forceful
exemplification in the incident we are pondering. By God’s
enablement Joshua and his men made short work of the combined
efforts of the kings and their vast armies (Josh. 11:1-12), but, as 2
Samuel 21:1, shows, the descendants of these Gibeonites were long
a thorn in Israel’s side. But the fault was entirely their own: due (as
we shall see) to their unwatchfulness and self-sufficiency. It was a
solemn example of that which our Lord had in mind when He said,
"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good
seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed
tares among the wheat" (Matthew 13:24, 25). In His interpretation,
Christ stated that "the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but
the tares are the children of the wicked one" (v. 38). That is precisely
what happened here. Let it be carefully noted that the enemy did not
introduce among the wheat darnel or thistles, but "tares," which are
a spurious imitation of the wheat, and so closely alike in appearance
that the one cannot be distinguished from the other until the time of
harvest. So these Gibeonites came not in their true characters, but
posed as those who had come from a far country.
As stated in our last, a threefold view may be taken of these
Gibeonites. First, as the world extending its patronage to corporate
Christianity, seeking to destroy its distinctive testimony and
heavenly character by an amalgamation with the state. In the light of
that severe indictment, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not
that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" (James 4:4),
we see that the proposal for such an unholy alliance and glaring
infidelity unto God must be promptly refused Second, as hypocrites
applying for membership in the local church. In view of the Divine
prohibition, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath
Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel?" (2 Cor. 6:14, 15), how it behooves each Christian assembly
to examine prayerfully and carefully the qualifications of each one
seeking fellowship therewith! Third as our evil lusts pretending to be
what they are not, to have undergone a change for the better, so that
they would fain persuade the unguarded that they are to be
numbered among his graces. That which we are now to consider
shows how inexcusable is our being imposed upon.
"And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said
unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country:
now therefore make yea league with us" (Josh. 9:6). Incidentally,
this reference to Gilgal makes it clear that Israel had made the long
journey unto Ebal (Josh. 8:30) for the express purpose of obeying
the Lord’s injunction in Deuteronomy 27:4, 5, etc., that they
remained there but a short time, and then returned to their original
camp. But there is far more in it than that: the fact that Israel
succumbed to this temptation at this particular place rendered their
failure the more inexcusable. That will be evident from the sequel.
"Gilgal" is mentioned for the first time in our book at Joshua 5:9,
and there we learn that it was the place where "the reproach of
Egypt" was rolled away, when the male members of that new
generation were circumcised. In other words, it was there that they
received the outward mark and sign that they were separated from
all other nations in covenant relation with Jehovah (Gen. 17:9, 10),
set apart to His service. It was also the place where they "kept the
Passover" (Josh. 5:10), for it is only those who submit to God’s
ordinances and walk according to His precepts who can really enjoy
communion with Him.
What has just been pointed out shows the need for looking
up the marginal references of each passage, and seeking to ascertain
the meaning of the proper nouns in Scripture—if we are too dilatory
or in too much of a hurry to do so, we are sure to be the losers. It
also supplies the key to the more specific typical signification of this
incident. Circumcision connoted dedication unto God and was the
Old Testament’s figure of mortifying the lusts of the flesh (Jer. 4:4;
Deuteronomy 10:16)—the two things which Satan hates in the
Lord’s people above everything else and which he opposes at every
turn, for they are what distinguish them from the world, and promote
God’s glory. That which the Devil is most anxious to destroy is the
testimony of the saints as a peculiar people, devoted unto God,
walking with Him in separation from the ungodly (Rom. 12:1, 2).
They are to conduct themselves as "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Pet.
2:11) in this scene. Through Balaam Jehovah had declared "the
people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the
nations" (Num. 23:9, and cf. Deuteronomy 33:28). Through these
Gibeonites—for it is ever his way to use human instruments (his
"ministers—2 Corinthians 11:14, 15)—the enemy was making an
attack upon Israel’s consecration, inducing them to ignore God’s
injunction of separation by a union with the heathen.
Thus, in the light of the special theme of Joshua, the
outstanding lesson for us here is that a vital aspect of the believer’s
spiritual warfare consists of the imperative need for maintaining his
consecration to God and persevering with the work of mortification,
ever being on the alert against the wiles of the Devil to hinder him
therein. But more: he must be on his most diligent guard against the
workings of pride while engaged in this very work. That also is
clearly implied in this incident. After their arduous journey to Ebal
and full obedience to God there, they had returned to Gilgal, yet it
was here they suffered themselves to be deceived by the craft of
Satan! Alas, how deceitful are our hearts! How prone we are to be
elated with the very things Divine grace works in and through us. If
we are gratified with o or consecration, pleased with our self-denial,
puffed up with our obedience, or proud of our prayerfulness and
increasing dependence upon God, we are headed for disaster. "Pride
goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov.
16:18), and pride was certainly at work in Israel at this time. Oh,
how much we need to heed these injunctions. "Be not high minded,
but fear" (Rom. 11:20) and "rejoice with trembling" (Ps. 2:11)!
It is true that God had said unto Israel, "When thou comest
nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And
it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then
it shall be that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries
unto thee, and they shall serve thee" (Deut. 20:10, 11)—a passage
which must be kept in mind when reading Deuteronomy 20:16, 17,
and one which shows that even here, in holy wrath, God
"remembered mercy." But that was an entirely different matter from
what is now before us. There was nothing whatever in the case of
these Gibeonites which justified Joshua in ignoring the plain
injunction, "Take heed to thyself lest thou make a covenant with the
inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the
midst of thee" (Ex. 34:13). There is nothing that the Lord
abominates more than unholy mixtures. "Thou shalt not sow thy
vineyard with divers seeds... thou shalt not plough with an ox and an
ass together... thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of
woolen and linen together" (Deut. 22:9-11) plainly states the
principle, and Revelation 3:15, 16, demonstrates His abhorrence of
our repudiation of the same, for "Laodiceanism" is a union between
the world and the professing Church.
"And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye
dwell among us, and how shall we make a league with you?" (v. 7).
No doubt it was the responsible heads of the congregation who took
the lead in making answer to these disguised Canaanites, who had
come with the express purpose of telling lies, to tempt the people of
God and lead them into sin. Three things are evident from their
words. First, they were well instructed in the Law, for they realized
it would be wrong to accede to this suggestion. Second, they were
then occupying the ground of faith: "dwell among us was as though
the whole of Canaan was already in their possession! Third, they did
not immediately and impulsively grant their request, but voiced the
language of distrust. It is those very things which made the sequel
graver. It pays to be wary, yea, suspicious of impostors, if we are not
to be deceived by glib tongues. "Put not your trust in princes" (Ps.
146:3), and in a day like ours, "Take ye heed every one of his
neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother" (Jer. 9:4). We are sure to
suffer if we disregard such warnings.
The careful reader will have observed that these "inhabitants
of Gibeon" (v. 3) are designated "Hivites" in verse 7, and, assured
that there is nothing superfluous in Holy Writ, he will endeavor to
ascertain why this detail has been placed on record. It cannot be
without reason and significance that the Spirit has here told us that
these deceivers belong to the Hivites, and therefore it is our duty to
discover His design therein. That may require a little trouble on our
part (for the meaning of much in the Word is withheld from those
who fail to search it diligently), but if it serves to cast light on this
incident, it is worth it. The only way to discover the Spirit’s design
is to use the concordance and look up other passages, particularly in
the earlier books, where "the Hivites" are mentioned. Nor have we
far to seek. In Genesis 34: we learn how the sons of Jacob answered
Shechem and his father (who was a "Hivite"—verse 2) "deceitfully"
verse 13), and by a treacherous ruse succeeded in slaying them and
spoiling their city (vv. 14-29). Here then was the biter bit: the
descendants of those who had so wickedly deceived the Hivites
were now in turn deceived by them!
In the preceding article we called attention to the fact that
while the terror of the Lord had not fallen upon the kings of Joshua
9:1, yet it had upon the Gibeonites, and that while we may behold
therein an illustration of His sovereignty, who makes one to differ
from another as He pleases, yet He acts not capriciously therein. Let
us now amplify that statement. There was nothing arbitrary in the
Lord’s dealing with these Hivites, rather was He treating with them
according to the principles of His government. Though at times His
mills grind slowly, yet none the less surely. Centuries previously the
sons of Jacob had wickedly tricked the Gibeonites, and now God
suffered their descendants to reap the consequences of such
deception. Thus what is here before us is a clear case of what is
termed "poetic justice." But though God was righteous in permitting
Israel to be imposed upon, that in no wise interfered with their
accountability or excused their slackness. Joshua and the princes of
the congregation acted quite freely, and, as verse 14 clearly
intimates, were to blame because they sought not directions from the
Lord. God’s Word, and not His secret will, is the rule of our
responsibility.
"And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants" (v. 8). This
was the language of deference, signifying inferiority and expressing
their willingness to perform any tasks assigned them. That was the
bait to entrap Israel: We can be useful and do the rough work for
you. But Joshua was not satisfied with their indefinite statement. He
was on his guard, but not sufficiently so. "And Joshua said unto
them, Who are ye? and front whence come ye?" It was at this very
point that he failed. Instead of conferring with them he should have
gone apart and sought counsel from the Lord (v. 14). He was
evidently in doubt, and "whatsoever is not of faith, is sin" (Rom.
14:23). Even the wisdom of this world warns us, "When in doubt, do
nothing." But the Word of God proffers the believer far better advice
than that: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth liberally to all" (Jam. 1:5). It is always the height of folly for
us to parley with the enemy. Moreover, in thus interrogating them
Joshua was but tempting these Gibeonites to tell further lies!
Remember that, my reader, and go very slow in asking souls, "Are
you saved?" or "How did you like the magazine I loaned you?" lest
you be guilty of giving occasion to your friend (in order to "save his
face") to utter a falsehood.
"And they said unto him, From a very far country thy
servants are come, because of the name of the Lord thy God, for we
have heard the fame of Him and all that He did in Egypt, and all that
He did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to
Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, which was at
Ashtaroth" (vv. 9, 10). The Gibeonites had already lied unto the
princes of Israel (v. 6 and cf. 15), and now that the further
questioning of Joshua had given them an opportunity to declare their
true characters, they only used it for an occasion to add to their guilt.
Originally they had stated, "We be come from a far country" (v. 6),
now they said, "From a very far country," illustrating the solemn fact
that one lie generally leads to another and still worse one. How
earnestly we need to pray, Remove from me the way of lying" (Ps.
119:29)! It is very humiliating but salutary to note that the Lord
deemed it requisite to enjoin His own children, "Wherefore putting
away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25).
Exaggerating is lying, so also is the making of promises which we
have no real intention of keeping. Do you really mean it when you
say to certain ones, "I am so glad to meet you"? We may act a lie as
well as utter one.
A careful examination of the tale told to Joshua by these
Gibeonites reveals how everything in it was designed to appeal unto
Israel’s pride. First, they claimed to have come from a very far
country, which was to flatter Joshua that he was now being courted
by those from so great a distance. That very feature was part of the
temptation which fanned the egotism of Hezekiah and led to his
undoing, for he was "glad" when the king of Babylon made friendly
overtures unto him, and showed his messengers all his treasures, for
when God’s servant took him to task, he said: "They are come from
a far country unto me" (Isa. 39:3). Beware, my reader, of all those
who fawn upon you, and remember that "the Lord shall cut off all
flattering lips" (Ps. 12:3). Second, their repeated "thy servants"
emphasized their readiness to take an inferior and subordinate place,
and be subservient to Israel. Third, they intimated that so great was
the fame of Joshua’s God that, even so remotely situate, they had
"heard" of His wondrous works. This too was said for the purpose of
ingratiating themselves with Joshua, as though they too desired to
come under Jehovah’s protection.
One Hebrew scholar tells us that their words "From a very
far country are thy servants come because of the name of the Lord
thy God" may be translated "unto the name of the Lord thy God":
that is, willing to be proselytes to Judaism, desirous of embracing
Israel’s religion—the added "for we have heard the fame of Him"
seems to confirm that rendering, and thus a strong appeal was
thereby made to Israel’s piety. They appeared to be deeply
impressed by the wonders which God had wrought, and therefore
sought friendship with Israel. For this purpose they had undertaken a
very fatiguing journey, which evidenced their willingness to be
tributary unto them. Their story had been carefully thought out and
was "all of a piece," for while they made reference to their
knowledge of what Jehovah had done in Egypt and to the kings of
the Amorites, they were careful to make no mention, of the
supernatural crossing of the Jordan, nor of Israel’s recent victories at
Jericho and Ai—for tidings of them would not yet have reached "a
very far country"! Thus we are shown how far hypocrites will go in
order to gain the friendship of God’s people.
Joshua’s Failure
In our last article (upon the early verses of Joshua 9) we saw
how that Israel’s supernatural crossing of the Jordan and the
victories which the Lord gave them at Jericho and Ai had struck
terror into the hearts of the Gibeonites. Consequently, those
Canaanites who resided in that part of the land which Israel must
very soon reach determined, by means of a piece of trickery, to
outwit the hosts of God, and thereby preserve their own lives. They
decided to pose as those who dwelt in "a far country"—that is,
beyond the bounds of Canaan itself—and who wished to enter into a
league of peace with the Hebrews. Accordingly, they attired
themselves in tattered garments and came to Israel’s camp at Gilgal.
They told a plausible tale, saying that the fame of Jehovah had
reached their ears—thereby intimating their desire to come under
His protection and become proselytes to His religion. They
apologized for their sorry appearance, explaining that it was due to
the long and fatiguing journey they had come. It was a subtle appeal
to Israel’s pride that tidings of the wonder-working power of their
God had gone so far abroad that even these remote strangers were
acquainted with the same, and therefore sought union with His
favored people. In reality it was a tempting of Israel to act at direct
variance with an injunction from Jehovah which expressly forbade
their doing any such thing.
These Gibeonites belonged to the tribe of the Hivites (Josh.
9:7). and the renowned Hebraist, John Gill, tells us that "The name
Hivites signifies serpents"! They certainly acted here in complete
accord therewith, conducting themselves "wilily" (Josh. 9:4), telling
downright lies, and succeeding in thoroughly deceiving Joshua and
his princes. Yet Israel ought not to have been imposed upon by them.
Even from a natural standpoint their conduct was excuseless. Only
recently they had themselves resorted to a subtle strategy in the
taking of Ai, and therefore it now behooved them to be doubly on
the alert lest they be paid back in their own coin. ‘I he men of Israel
were indeed suspicious, for they said, "Peradventure ye dwell among
us, and how shall we make a league with you?" (Josh. 9:7).
Evidently they remembered those words, "When the Lord thy God
shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly
destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show
mercy unto them" (Deut. 7:2). Nor was Joshua himself satisfied with
the first account they gave of themselves, as his "Who are ye? and
from whence come ye?" (v. 8) evidenced. Yet the suspicions of both
the one and the other were soon lulled to sleep.
"And they said, From a very far country thy servants are
come, because of the name of the Lord thy God" (Josh. 9:9). It is to
be noted that though Joshua had specifically asked them, "Who are
ye? and from whence come ye?" in their reply they neither declared
their nationality nor named the place of their birth. Thus, typically
considered, their credentials were unsatisfactory at the vital point,
for it is the spiritual birth of those applying for fellowship that the
churches need to inquire most closely into. "We have heard... all that
He did in Egypt... and to the two kings of the Amorites that were
beyond Jordan" (v. 10), intimating that a deep impression had been
made upon them thereby. "Wherefore our elders and all the
inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with
you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are
your servants, and therefore now make ye a league with us" (v. 11).
Thus they pretended that their senate had been formally convened
and had unanimously appointed their ambassadors to enter into this
covenant with Israel—i.e. they were vouched for by reliable
authorities, so that Joshua need have no fear of being imposed upon
by charlatans.
If the tale told by these Gibeonites was really true, and they
had come from "a very far country," then the extreme measures
which Jehovah had commanded His people to take with the
inhabitants of the land (Deut. 7:1, 2) would not have to be executed
against them. This is clear from Deuteronomy 20:15, 16, where a
very definite distinction was drawn between the two cases: "Thus
shalt thou do [offer "peace" unto it (vv. 10, 11)] unto all the cities
which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these
nations. But of the cities of those, people which the Lord thy God
hath given thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that
breatheth. But thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hivites, and the
Amorites," etc. Yet these Gibeonites were not the inhabitants of
another country, but belonged to the tribe of the Hivites (Josh. 9:7),
and as Genesis 10:15, 17, makes known, "the Hivite" was an
immediate descendant of the accursed Canaan (Gen. 9:25). "This our
bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we
came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy.
And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold,
they be tent; and these our garments and our shoes are become old
by reason of the very long journey" (vv. 12, 13).
Their repeated "behold" or "see" was an appeal to Israel’s
senses. The present condition of the food and clothing of these
Gibeonites was appealed to in corroboration of the account which
they had given of themselves. But there was no more reason why
Israel should be deceived through their eyes than their ears. Had
they walked by faith instead of sight, it would have been impossible.
For faith always has to with God and is regulated by His Word. Faith
is the expression of a spirit of dependence upon Him, and that, in
turn, issues from the realization of our own insufficiency. It was
doubly inexcusable that Israel were imposed upon here, for they
were in "the camp at Gilgal" (Josh. 9:6), where the tabernacle of the
priesthood resided, and therefore the place where the mind of the
Lord could be obtained if they sought Him in the way of His
appointment. That way had been plainly made known unto Joshua,
for through Moses God gave orders to him, "He shall stand before
Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment
of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his
word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with
him" (Num. 27:21). It was the failure of Israel, and especially of
Joshua on this occasion: to avail themselves of God’s gracious
provision that rendered their conduct so blamable.
In like manner, there is no excuse for a Christian’s being
deceived by appearances, or left in ignorance concerning God’s will
as to his path of duty. The Lord has made ample provision for his
instruction. It is our holy privilege to go unto the antitypical Eleazar
and ask counsel of Him, and the great High Priest of the spiritual
Israel will, through the Urim and Thummim (which signify "lights
and perfections ") of His Word, lead us in a plain path. "Trust in the
Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding;
in all thy ways acknowledge Him" are His requirements, and if we
meet them—by His grace, which He is ever ready to give unto those
who humbly seek it (James 4:6)—then His sure promise is, "and He
shall direct thy paths (Prov. 3:5, 6). As another has aptly expressed
it, "This is the polar-star of a child of God—faith in his Father’s
providences, promises, and grace. Let the eye look upward, and all
will be light (Matthew 6:22; cf. Ps. 32:8; 34:5). To "trust in the Lord
with all our heart" is to make Him our entire and exclusive
confidence. To "lean not unto our own understanding" is to renounce
our own wit and wisdom and refuse to rely upon the proud dictates
of reason. To "acknowledge God in all our ways" is to own His
proprietorship and supremacy, to ask counsel of Him, to seek His
glory, and to be conformed unto His will. Comply with those
conditions and Divine guidance is guaranteed—His Spirit will bring
to our mind the verse which is exactly suited to our case, and cause
us to be regulated by the same.
But alas, instead of trusting in the Lord with all our hearts we
are prone to put our confidence in anyone or anything else. How
lamentably we fail in looking alone unto God in each fresh trial and
emergency, and counting upon His supplying our every need. It is
just because we are so slow in casting all our care upon Him and so
reluctant to draw strength from Him day by day, and hour by hour,
that we stand in need of this very exhortation. Equally so with the
one which immediately follows. The understanding has indeed been
given us by God, and it is our duty not only to exercise the same, but
diligently to cultivate it. Nor will anything else so sharpen and refine
it as will the study of and meditation upon the Scriptures.
Nevertheless, it must not be depended upon, for the mind has been
degraded by the fall and darkened by indwelling sin, and therefore
is, at best, an unsafe guide. Even in a regenerated man, a prophet of
God, it proved a mistaken counselor (2 Sam. 7:2-5). As a fallen
creature, it is still the tendency of a believer to lean unto his own
understanding—to his foolish notions and false fancies; to make a
god of reason. Just in proportion as we yield to that tendency are we
remiss in acknowledging God in all our ways. If we be regulated by
natural prudence much trouble shall we make for ourselves, for God
will justly suffer us to reap the consequences of our folly. It was at
these very points Israel failed in the incident we are now
considering.
"And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at
the mouth of the Lord" (Josh. 9:14). Here was the crux of the whole
matter. Israel failed sadly: failed to give the Lord His proper place;
failed to avail themselves of His gracious provision to make known
His will via the high priest. And the cause of their failure is here
plainly revealed, for the two halves of this verse are inseparably
connected. By "the men took of their victuals" we are not to
understand that they sampled the same by eating thereof, for
obviously there was no need to do that with moldy bread. No, it
signifies that they took it into their hands for a closer inspection in
order to confirm what the Gibeonites had told them. In other words,
they walked by sight and relied upon the testimony of their senses.
They acted naturally and not spiritually. Instead of seeking guidance
from the Lord through His servant, as they were in duty bound to do
by His Word, they confided in their own wisdom, relied upon their
own judgment, and thus a looking unto God was precluded. They
"asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord": had they done so there
had been no need for them to test the food of these Gibeonites! Had
they clone so they had not been deceived by them! The whole blame
rested upon themselves.
This was Israel’s second failure after their entrance into
Canaan, and in neither of them was Joshua guiltless. The previous
one occurred in connection with their first assault on Ai. Those who
had reconnoitered the place had said unto Joshua, "Let not all the
people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and
smite Ai; make not all the people to labor thither, for they are but
few" (Josh. 7:3). Flushed by their victory at Jericho, possessed by a
spirit of self-confidence, they too much lost sight of the fact that the
capture of Jericho was due not to the brilliance of their strategy or
the valor of their arms, but to the miracle-working power of
Jehovah. They now deemed themselves to be invincible and were
assured that the taking of the remainder of Canaan would be a
simple task. They therefore felt that a single battalion of their
soldiers would be sufficient to capture that town—even though there
were "twelve thousand men" in it (Josh. 8:25). And their leader,
instead of seeking counsel from the Lord, foolishly adopted their
suggestion. As may well be anticipated, God blew upon their carnal
policy and suffered their proud hearts to be humiliated. They were
put to shame before their enemies, fled in panic, and the whole
congregation of Israel was thoroughly dismayed (Josh. 7:4-6).
We would naturally think that if there were another failure on
the part of Joshua and Israel it would be quite dissimilar from the
former one, arising from a different cause. Surely, after having had
their eyes opened to see the reason for their first defeat, they would
now be doubly on their guard against a repetition of the same. Alas,
human nature is slow to learn and profit from its failures. Even the
father of the faithful repeated his initial fault, for though he did
wrong in going down into Egypt to sojourn there, and committed a
yet worse offense in denying his relationship to Sarah, and though
he was there put to shame by Pharaoh for his deception (Gen. 12:10-
20), yet he was guilty of the selfsame thing when he went and
sojourned in Gerah (Gen. 20:1, 2)! The same was true of poor Peter:
as it was a sprat of cowardice which led to his denial of Christ, so he
yielded to the same weakness at Antioch, separating from the
Gentile believers when certain ones came from Jerusalem, "fearing
them which were of the circumcision" (Gal. 2:12). In each case it
was "the fear of man" that ensnared him (Prov. 20:25), and as that
verse clearly intimates, such ensnaring is the consequence of our not
"trusting in the Lord." Thus it was too in the incident we are now
pondering: Joshua relapsed into his former fault.
 In the very next test presented to Israel and their leader, they
failed in the same way its they did in connection with Ai. Instead of
consulting the Lord, they used their "common sense." As the result,
Israel and Joshua too were deceived by the plausible story told by
the Gibeonites, and misled by their appearance and the condition of
their victuals. And this too has been recorded for our instruction:
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning" (Rom. 15:4). Yet it is not the mere reading of them that is
required: if we are really to profit therefrom, we must examine each
incident closely, pondering each detail carefully, and taking it home
unto ourselves. The failures of eminent saints have not been
chronicled either to encourage slackness on our part or to discourage
us, but rather to illustrate and demonstrate that though the spirit be
willing yet the flesh is weak, and especially to give point to that
exhortation, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12). If after some painful disillusionment we
say, "I believe I have learned my lesson this time," it is a sure sign
we have not done so if we now proudly assure ourselves, "I shall not
be deceived again in that way."
That which supplies such solemn warning to us in the cases
alluded to above is that in each instance the failure was not
committed by a young and inexperienced disciple, but was the lapse
of a mature saint; for Abraham, Peter and Joshua had long walked
with God. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear—heed! But, more
particularly, that which is now engaging our attention is to be
viewed in the light of the book in which it is found, and the special
theme which is developed therein. As we have so often stated, the
book of Joshua sets forth in both a typical and practical manner the
spiritual warfare of the saints, and their present entrance into and
enjoyment of their spiritual heritage. And in it the Holy Spirit has
described not only Israel’s victories but their defeats also, and a
prayerful study of the same makes known to us both the secrets of
success and the causes of failure in fighting the good light of faith. It
is only as we keep these facts steadily, in mind as we pass from
chapter to chapter and from one episode to another, and faithfully
make a personal application of the same unto our own hearts and
lives, that we shall really be advantaged by the same. Let us then
observe carefully the nature of Joshua’s failure on this occasion.
It was more of a negative than a positive one. In nowise was
it an act of deliberate disobedience or defiant pitting of his own will
against the Lord’s. Where those elements exist, the offense is very
much graver, and the resulting chastisement from God will be much
sorer. What Joshua did here was not by studied premeditation, but
was more of a case of being "overtaken in a fault" (Gal. 6:1). That in
nowise excused him, yet we must not regard him as being guilty of
something worse than what he actually did. Both in Joshua 7:3, 4
and here (Josh. 9:14, 15) he acted too impulsively and precipitately.
Instead of waiting upon the Lord and seeking direction from Hint, in
each instance he acted "on the spur of the moment," and on the
ground of mere nature, walking by sight instead of by faith. What
point this gives to the Divine injunction, "He that believeth shall not
make haste" (Isa. 28:16)! If we act in too big a hurry to pray over
anything and work in the energy of the flesh, we displease the Lord,
hinder His cause, and bring trouble upon ourselves. The principal
lesson taught us in this incident is that, in order to light the good
fight of faith successfully, we must maintain the place of
dependence upon God and be constantly seeking wisdom from
above.
"And asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord" (v. 14),
and therefore acted in independence of Him—possibly because he
regarded this as too trivial a matter to take unto God. But there also
we must not lean unto our own understanding: "In everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known unto God" (Phil. 4:4)—big as well as little, the least
matters as well as the greatest. What a holy privilege! But "prayer
and supplication" is very much more than perfunctorily offering up a
petition unto heaven: it is a definite waiting upon God, a diligent
seeking from Him. It involved time and trouble for Joshua to ask
counsel of the Lord: for it required him to go unto the high priest
and inquire His mind through him. As we read in Judges 20:27, 28,
The children of Israel inquired of the Lord [for the ark of the
covenant of God was there in those days and Phinehas the son of
Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days] saying, Shall
I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my
brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up, for tomorrow I
will deliver them into thine hand"—and cf. 1 Samuel 23:9, 12.
Observe how frequently "the man after God’s own heart" inquired of
Him: 1 Samuel 22:10; 23:2, 4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1, 5, 19. Beautiful
too is the picture set forth in Ezra 8:21.
"And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant
with them, to let them live, and the princes of the congregation
sware unto them" (v. 15). This is not recorded to Joshua’s honor, but
it manifests the inflexible fidelity of the Divine historian. Scripture
is impartial in relating the blemishes of its most famous characters.
Joshua ought to have said to these Gibeonites what a loyal servant of
God said to the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin: "Ye have
nothing to do with us" (Ezra 4:3). In order to maintain a testimony
unto the holiness of God, His people are required to walk in
separation from the world; but here we behold Joshua entering into
an alliance with those who were under the Divine curse. That is the
grand aim of Satan: to destroy the witness of the saints as those who
are called to walk apart from the ungodly. Alas, that they so often
permit him to succeed! What communion has light with darkness?
What concord is there between a people in covenant relation with
the Holy One and those who are idolaters? None whatever.
Therefore let the former be much on their guard at this point,
conduct themselves accordingly, strenuously resist every temptation
from Satan to compromise. Finally, let us remember that the
Christian is never to "make peace" with his inward enemies, but
must ceaselessly fight against them.
It was said by James Durham, the Puritan, "It is hard to
know, in spiritual exercises, whether it be more difficult to attain
some gracious frame or to maintain it when it is attained, whether
more seriousness is required for making peace with God, or for
keeping it when made." That observation is confirmed both in the
teaching of God’s Word and the experience of His children: as it is
easier in natural things to squander than acquire, so spiritually to
retain is as hard a task as to obtain. In Psalm 85:8, we read, "I will
hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His
people, but let them not turn again to folly." Alas that we should
need such an injunction as that. When a child has burned his fingers
he is afraid of the fire, and when a believer has dishonored the Lord.
and brought trouble upon himself by foolish conduct, he ought to be
doubly on his guard against a repetition thereof. Yet only too often,
instead of decreasing self-confidence and walking softly before the
Lord, he relaxes his efforts to mortify pride, becomes careless in the
use of God’s appointed means for maintaining fellowship with
Himself in the paths of righteousness, and therefore falls again into
the same sin.
The very fact that believers are here dehorted "let them not
turn again to folly" intimates their proneness to do so. Yet that is so
far from making any allowance for the same, it expressly forbids it.
Moreover, what immediately precedes renders a repetition of the
fault the more excuseless. When the Lord has so graciously "spoken
peace to His people," that is, has pardoned their transgressions and
allayed their consciences, a spirit of gratitude should cause them to
be more careful in avoiding everything which would displease and
grieve Him. As Matthew Henry rightly pointed out, "The remission
of sins past is not a permission for sins to come, but a great bridle
and restraint to it." Peace is spoken by God unto those who turn
from sin, and therefore we have a clearly implied warning here that
if we return thereto peace will depart from us. Just so far as we
really valve God’s peace will we diligently endeavor to avoid
whatever destroys it. Sin is a breach of the Law (1 John 3:4), God-
ward it is an "offense" (Rom. 5:17) or affront, self-ward it is folly or
acting contrary to our interests, "forsaking our own mercies" (Jon.
2:8).
All sin is foolish, but backsliding is doubly so, and it is
because of our corrupt tendency unto it that such a caution as the
above requires to be taken to heart by all of us. The more so because
of sin’s insidiousness—ever ready to trip us up if we are the least bit
off our guard. As pointed out at the close of our last, sin is by no
means always premeditated. Joshua’s failure in the making of a
covenant with the Gibeonites was no deliberate act of disobedience,
but was more a case of being "overtaken in a fault" (Gal. 6:1)—
through hurried action, instead of seeking counsel from the Lord. To
be "overtaken in a fault" is a very different thing from resolving and
contriving the same: the one is inadvertent, the other planned. It is
ever to be borne in mind that the Christian has no inherent strength
of his own: he stands by faith (Rom. 11:20), and faith is directly
opposed to self-confidence. Therefore it is that, unless he maintains
a constant prayerful vigilance and self-discipline, he is ever in
danger of a sudden surprisal from the force of temptation, or being
overborne by the heat of his passions.
Joshua had not only failed in a similar way previously, but he
had been rebuked for it by the Lord, and convicted of his folly (Josh.
7:10, 11). The repetition of such failure has been recorded by the
Holy Spirit to bring home to us our weakness and fickleness. If one
so highly favored of God as he who had so signally honored Him by.
the general tenor of his character and conduct was capable of these
momentary lapses, then how much do both writer and reader need to
heed that exhortation "Be not high minded, but fear." The sad fact is
that a believer may not only fall into sin, but—unless he preserves a
spirit of entire dependence upon the Lord—he may, through the
infirmity of the flesh, fall into the same sin. Samson (who was a
believer—Hebrews 11:32) did so, first by marrying a Philistine
woman (Judg. 14), which was expressly forbidden by the Divine
Law, and later by consorting with a Philistine harlot (Judg. 16.), for
which he paid dearly. Jehoshaphat committed a great sin in joining
affinity with the wicked Ahab (2 Chron. 18:1-3) and was reproved
for the same (Josh. 19:2); yet in Joshua 20:35, we find him relapsing
into the same sin. When we are guilty of similar folly, it should lead
us to deeper repentance, though not to despair.
"And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with
them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware
unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they
had made a league with them that they heard that they were their
neighbors, and that they dwelt among them" (Josh. 9:15, 16). As Gill
pointed out, "The league seems to have been made the same day
they came. The Gibeonites were no doubt in haste to have it
confirmed, lest they should be discovered; and Joshua and the
princes of Israel took no pains and gave themselves no great trouble
to inquire about them, but made peace with them at once." And now
the deception of the one and the folly of the hasty action of the other
were discovered. With rare exceptions, lies are quickly exposed.
Only truth wears and lasts. Impostures are speedily found out, as
Jacob’s by his father Isaac, Jeroboam’s wife’s by the prophet (1
Kings 14:1-6), that of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Then how
utterly vain must be every attempt to impose upon Him unto whom
"all things are naked and opened"! It is impossible to deceive
Omniscience by masquerading before Hint in the garb of a
hypocritical profession, nor will His people be deceived thereby if
they carefully weigh them in the balances of the Scriptures.
The terrible times in which we are living call for a further
word on this practical subject. "The lip of truth shall be established
for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Prov. 12:19). Then
how important it is to eye eternity in all our words—doubly so in the
case of preachers! The profession of the Truth may indeed occasion
present inconvenience and trouble from men, but it shall receive an
eternal reward from God. On the other hand, the preacher who, for
momentary gain and popularity, represses the Truth and is a
purveyor of lies shall reap a harvest of everlasting shame and woe.
But that verse applies to all of us. As Matthew Henry tersely
expressed it, "Those that make a lie their refuge, will find it a refuge
of lies." Falsehoods and deceits are not only evil in themselves, but a
foolish expedient, for they expose the perpetrator to speedy
detection, which renders him suspect and distrusted in everything.
Even though his fellows should fail to disprove him unless he
sincerely repents, "He that speaketh lies shall perish." (Prov. 19:9).
Nothing makes us more like the Devil than this, for he was a liar
from the beginning (John 8:44). How earnestly we should pray,
"Remove from me the way of lying" (Ps. 119:29)!
 "And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had
made a league with them, that they heard that they were their
neighbors, and that they dwelt among them" (v. 16). That may well
be viewed from another angle. Not only is it a fact that, as a general
rule, deceptions are quickly discovered, but it is equally true that,
where the heart beats true to Him, God will not long suffer His
people to be imposed upon. They are children of the day and not of
the night, and therefore there is no reason why they should stumble
over any obstacles in their path. As their Master declares, "I am the
light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). But to follow Christ
means very much more than "believing" in Him: it signifies to
commit ourselves unreservedly to His government, to walk in His
precepts, to emulate the example which he has left us. And in the
main, and with few deviations, that is exactly what Joshua and Israel
had done since their entrance into Canaan. They had been obedient
to Jehovah, complying with His revealed will in all things. And
though they had temporarily failed to seek counsel from Him, and in
consequence had been beguiled by the Gibeonites, yet because the
main course of their lives was pleasing to God, He soon allowed
them to learn their mistake. How gently the Lord deals with us!
"And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their
cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon," etc. (v. 17).
This is explanatory of the foregoing verse and, by implication,
shows us how unnecessary was Israel’s precipitate action—had they
withheld their judgment and decision but a very short time, they
would have learned that these Gibeonites had by no means come
from a very far country. By the children of Israel" here, we are not to
understand the entire congregation—for the camp still remained at
Gilgal (Josh. 10:17)—but rather their fighting-men with the
responsible heads of the tribes. Most probably they had advanced
this distance in order to investigate the report they had received. It
should be pointed out that this was not the "third day" from setting
out on their journey—for it was but a night’s march from Gilgal to
their cities (Josh. 10:9)—but from the time when they first "heard"
that the Gibeonites were their neighbors. Definite confirmation of
this was now before them, for here were "their cities." The Holy
Spirit’s emphasis here by the repetition of "the third day" intimates
that this is a detail which the reader should duly ponder. A further
word thereon.
It should be carefully noted that in John 8:12, Christ did not
simply say that the one who followed Him should have light, but
"the light of life," and this is exactly what is typically portrayed here
in verses 16 and 17, for at the end of three days" brings us
(symbolically speaking) on to resurrection ground. Joshua and his
fellows had acted by sight instead of faith, and here the Spirit
supplies demonstration of that fact. They had conducted themselves
on the ground of mere nature, being regulated by their senses, and
not as quickened souls whose privilege it was to enjoy unbroken
communion with God and be guided by Him. They had, for the
moment, relapsed into carnality, but now "on the third day" they
were back on resurrection ground and given to see things in a true
light. So the Christian has, by God’s grace and power, been brought
from death unto life, and is henceforth called upon to "walk in
newness of life" (Rom. 6:4) and to "put on the new man" (Eph.
4:24), which means to act as one who is a new creature in Christ, to
be governed by heavenly principles. If he fails to do so, then he will
lack discernment and wisdom for his path, and be left to his erring
natural judgment. Only so long as his eye be "single" to God’s glory
will he be full of light.
"And the children of Israel smote them not, because the
princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of
Israel" (v. 18). Here is further evidence that the rulers in Israel were
back again on resurrection ground—in communion with the Lord,
conducting themselves as regenerated men. The fear of God was
upon them, and they acted accordingly! Had they now been walking
according to the flesh, they had argued that "circumstances alter
cases," that because the Gibeonites had lied to them they were now
automatically released from keeping their part of the compact. The
carnal mind would reason that a covenant was surely not binding
when one of the parties entering into it had acted under false
pretences. But no such corrupt principles regulated these princes.
Their word was their bond. "Though we have been imposed upon,
we must not think ourselves at liberty to retaliate: solemn
engagements made, even to our own hurt, must be conscientiously
adhered to" (Thomas Scott). Two wrongs never make one right, and
for a child of God to descend unto the sinful level of worldlings is
doubly heinous. The deception practiced by these Canaanites did not
excuse Israel’s hasty action: they had been foolish in so rashly
committing the nation, and now they must suffer the consequences
of the same.
"And the congregation murmured at the princes" (v. 18). The
fault was entirely their own that Israel’s leaders had been ensnared
by such a piece of trickery, and though by grace they had respect
unto the Lord’s honor and refused to perjure themselves, yet they
were made to feel the evil results of failing to "ask counsel at the
mouth of the Lord" (v. 14). There is no previous mention of
"murmuring" on the part of any of the Israelites; but now their unity
was disturbed! This was no casual incident, but a Divine providence,
designed to speak loudly unto those who had ears to hear. It was a
Divine chastisement, an outward mark of the Lord’s displeasure—
yet how mild a one! The immediate reason for this "murmuring" is
fairly obvious: the soldiers were chagrined at being withheld from
seizing and plundering these cities; nevertheless, had not Joshua and
the princes offended against the Lord in acting on their own
judgment instead of waiting upon Him for-directions, His restraining
hand had prevented such an exercise of the carnal cupidity of the
rank and the of the people, and no spirit of discontent and division
would have been shown. Though God judicially pardons our
failures, in His governmental ways He often makes us to eat the
fruits of our folly.
"But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have
sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may
not touch them" (v. 19). It is blessed to behold the harmony and
unanimity of the princes, that none of them were weakened by the
opposition which was encountered. It was not only their own word
which was involved, but their word under Divine oath, and to violate
that would both perjure themselves and grossly discredit their God
in the estimation of the heathen. It can hardly be doubted that the
congregation itself must have known of their oath, but charity
requires us to believe that they had temporarily forgotten it. By way
of illustration we may see in this murmuring of the congregation
against these princes that, when either religious or political leaders
are actuated and regulated by holy and lofty principles, it must not
be expected that those under them will appreciate and seek to further
their motives, but rather will criticize and oppose. Blessed it is to see
how these princes stood their ground, fearing God and not the
people. And the Lord honored them therein, for no further
murmurings against them are mentioned—the Lord subduing the
people’s lusts!
An Honored Oath
"This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest
wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them"
(Josh. 9:20). In the preceding verses we saw how Israel had been
deceived by some of the Canaanites, who, pretending to be from a
very far country, posed as ambassadors authorized to treat with
Joshua and enter into a treaty of peace for their people. Those
impostors had not only prepared a very plausible tale, but were
carefully made up in keeping with the part they played, appearing in
tattered garments and with moldy bread as evidences of the long
journey they had taken. Instead of seeking counsel at the mouth of
the Lord. Joshua and the responsible heads of the nation walked by
sight and relied upon their senses (v. 14). Instead of deferring their
decision and taking the trouble to carefully investigate the claims of
the Gibeonites, Israel hurriedly entered into a covenant with them to
spare their lives. Instead of making them a conditional promise, the
princes solemnly ratified the agreement by oath (v. 15). All of this
should be regarded by us as a pointed warning to avoid precipitate
action, and as showing the wisdom of heeding that injunction, "He
that believeth shall not make haste" (Isa. 28:16).
Within three days the folly of Israel was made manifest, for
upon penetrating a little deeper into Canaan they came to the cities
of the Gibeonites (vv. 16, 17). It is to be duly noted that Israel’s
discovery of the trick that had been played upon them was not made
by any spiritual discernment of theirs—which had assuredly been
the case had a "single eye" been maintained to God’s glory
(Matthew 6:22)—but by external means. Moreover, though the Lord
did not allow them to be deceived for any length of time, He made
evident, even if in a comparatively mild and gentle way, His
displeasure against the princes through His providential dealings
with them. The "murmuring" against them by the congregation,
though "very natural under the circumstances," should be regarded
as a Divine chastisement—God’s suffering the people to voice their
discontent, instead of working in them a spirit of acquiescence.
Thus, for the moment, the harmony of Israel was disturbed and their
unity seriously threatened. But it is good to see that, with one
accord, the princes feared God rather than men, and, so far from
desiring amity at any price, recognized that "the wisdom which is
from above is first pure, then peaceable" (Jam. 3:17).
Instead of yielding to the desire of the rank and the of the
People, who obviously wanted to avenge themselves upon the
Gibeonites, and plunder their cities, all the princes stood their
ground, and said, "We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of
Israel: now therefore we may not touch them" (v. 19). Matthew
Henry pertinently remarked that they "did not apply themselves to
Eleazar for a dispensation, much less did they pretend that no faith is
to be kept with heretics—with Canaanites; no, they were strangers to
the modern artifices of the Roman Church to elude the most sacred
bonds and even to sanctify perjuries." No, they were determined to
honor the engagement into which they had entered. Happy the
nation whose leaders and governors abide by their obligations. The
testing of these princes was a very real one, but though their fidelity
should occasion a mutiny of the people, they refused to go against
their consciences. There can be little room for doubt that it was their
unanimity which God used to pacify the murmuring congregation,
teaching us that the best way to suppress discontent by the governed
is for there to be a solid and firm front presented by the governors.
Yet it was no mere policy of expediency which regulated these
princes, but rather the fear of God and their determination not to
dishonor Him.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain;
for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain"
(Ex. 20:7). There is the original and fundamental law concerning
oaths, and with it should be linked, "Thou shalt fear the Lord thy
God, and serve Him. and shalt swear by His name" (Deut. 6:13). An
oath, then, is a solemn appeal to the dread name of Jehovah, which,
by awakening the spirit of the swearer to a consciousness of the
awe-inspiring presence and cognizance of the Most High, gives all
its sanctity and power to it. Properly speaking there are four things
in an oath. First, a formal asseveration of the truth—which should
always be spoken even though no oath be taken. Second, an
acknowledgment of the presence of the thrice Holy One, who is
solemnly called upon as a Witness in confirmation of the statement
that we make. Third, an invocation, whereby we request God to
testify unto our conscience that what we swear to is nothing but the
truth (Rom. 9:1). Fourth, an imprecation, in which the swearer calls
upon God to be the Revenger of all lies, binding himself to Divine
punishment if he swear falsely. Since an oath be the invoking of
God, it is an act of worship, an ascribing glory and owning Him as
Judge.
It is therefore evident that the violation of an oath is a sin of
the first magnitude, for it is a breach of the third commandment, a
taking of God’s name in vain, which He will not hold guiltless. As
Leviticus 19:12, informs us, to commit perjury in the name of God
is an act of profanity. From such awful considerations it follows that
an oath is to be feared (Eccl. 9:2), and that once made it is binding
(Num. 30:3)—a solemn example of which is seen in the case of
Jephthah (Judg. 11:25). Consequently, it is not to be entered into
lightly, nor should one be taken at all except in matters of real
importance, and then only in the gravest spirit and manner. There are
times, as Deuteronomy 6:13, shows, when it becomes our duty to
appeal unto God by solemn oaths, for deciding matters which cannot
be adequately settled without one (Heb. 6:16). It is to be observed
that, when occasion required and men were warranted in the taking
of an oath, such obtained centuries before the giving of the Law at
Sinai. Thus Abraham swore to Abimelech (Gen. 21:23, 24), and
required an oath to be taken by his servant when seeking a wife for
Isaac (Gen. 24:8, 9). Jacob swore to Laban, and Joseph to his father.
Since these instances had no respect unto the legal institutes of
Moses, they lead us to conclude that there would be nothing in the
Gospel to forbid such a practice in this Christian era—again and
again Paul confirmed his testimony by calling on God as Witness (2
Cor. 1:23; Gal. 1:20).
"This we will do to them: we will even let them live, lest
wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them"
(v. 20). One of the distinguishing marks given of those who shall
abide in the Lord’s tabernacle (enjoy intimate communion with
Him) and dwell in His holy hill (spend eternity in heaven) is, "He
that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not" (Ps. 15:1, 4): that
is, who will not go back on his oath no matter what temporal loss
might be involved. On the other hand. "perjured persons" are classed
with murderers of fathers and mothers, whoremongers, slave
dealers, etc. (1 Tim. 1:9, 10). Very far were these princes from now
treating their engagement with the Gibeonites as "a mere scrap of
paper"—the Kaiser, Hitler and Mussolini brought down Divine
wrath upon themselves and their people by just such perfidy. It is
exceedingly solemn to observe that this was one of the crimes which
characterized Israel during the closing days of their Old Testament
history—see Zechariah 5:4; Malachi in. 5; 2 Chronicles 36:11-13
—"until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there
was no remedy" (2 Chron. 36:16). Only so long as Britain honors
her treaty obligations—no matter what sacrifices be involved—is
there any hope of "remedy" for its people.
"And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them
be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation;
as the princes had promised them" (v. 21). These princes were
twelve in number, one at the head of each of Israel’s tribes (Num.
1:15, 16, 44). That God was pleased with their sparing the lives of
the Gibeonites is clearly evidenced from the sequel, for the very
next chapter records how He gave them the most glorious victory in
all their wars. Furthermore, we find that, centuries later, He severely
avenged the wrong which Saul did unto the descendants of this tribe,
manifesting His sore displeasure against that king’s injuring of them
in violation of this very league (2 Sam. 21:1)—mark how David, the
"man after God’s own heart," honored his oath to Jonathan in this
connection, exempting Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, from the just
avengement (v. 7). Though the lives of these Gibeonites were
spared, their liberty was taken from them, and they were made
bondmen—not only tributaries, but under the yoke of servitude. To
be "hewers of wood and drawers of water" would not only be
wearisome employment, but regarded as a very low and menial one
(cf. Deut. 29:11).
From what has been before us in the above incident, as well
as from its sequel, we may perceive how that we are never the
ultimate losers by fearing the Lord and honoring His name. Folly
was committed by Joshua and the princes in so hastily concluding a
league with the Gibeonites, and it was too late to rectify it:
nevertheless, God overruled the same to His own glory and the
benefit of His people, providing both Himself and them with useful
servants. God can, and in His own wondrous way often does, turn
our mistakes into advantages. That way will not be as good and
glorious as His first best for us, yet it will not be without blessing.
The same incident also teaches us the needlessness of taking things
into our own hands and seeking to anticipate the Divine
appointment. The congregation suffered no injury by restraining
their desire to seize and plunder the cities of the Gibeonites
mentioned in Joshua 9:17, for if the reader will consult Joshua
18:25-28, he will find that in the end, when the land came to be
divided, the first three cities there mentioned were obtained by them,
and the fourth in Joshua 15:2. It is never to our detriment to wait the
Lord’s time!
"And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them,
saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from
you: when ye dwell among us?" (v. 22). Let us duly observe and
admire: the blessed restraint which Israel’s leader here placed upon
himself. Though these Gibeonites were now entirely at his disposal,
he used not his power tyrannically. Nor did he give way to an
outburst of temper because of their chicanery, and harshly denounce
them as base liars. Instead, he mildly reproved them for their fraud
and gave them opportunity to explain their conduct. As Matthew
Henry rightly pointed out, "A just cause needs not anger to defend it,
and a bad one is never made the better by it." The Lord forbids us
rejoice (malignantly) when our enemy falls (Prov. 24:17), and
severely chastised the Edomites because they had "spoken proudly
in the day of Judah’s distress" (Obad. 1:12). This was the sin of
Shimei, scorning his humiliated sovereign (2 Sam. 16:5-9), for
which he paid with his life (1 Kings 2:9, 10) How very differently
was the Lord Jesus dealt with when He was arraigned before His
judges! In Joshua’s mild treatment of the Gibeonites we may behold
blessedly shadowed forth "the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2
Cor. 10:1).
"Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be
freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of
water for the house of my God" (v. 23).
Those words do not signify that Joshua now pronounced a
curse upon them, but rather that it would henceforth be made to
appear that they belonged to an accursed posterity. In a previous
article we pointed out that the reason why these Gibeonites are
designated "‘Hivites" in Joshua 9:9, was to intimate that they were
the descendants of Canaan (Gen. 10:5-7), and here we have set
before us an illustration of the sentence pronounced upon him
because of his father’s sin. By the spirit of prophecy Noah had
declared, "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto
his brethren" (Gen. 9:25). The curse, then, consisted of servitude,
and here we behold one part of its fulfillment in these Gibeonites
being made the manual servants of Israel. How mysteriously yet
wondrously does God order His providences unto the fulfillment of
His Word, guiding the princes to select or determine this particular
form of punishment upon these men! In Joshua’s confirmation of the
sentence of the twelve princes we have a striking adumbration of
Christ making good His promise to the twelve apostles,
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound [ratified] in
heaven" (Matthew 18:18).
"And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was
certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded
Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of
the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives
because of you, and have done this thing" (v. 24). Let us first notice
that in this part of their reply they bore witness to God’s having
made good one of His promises to Israel and fulfilled a prophecy
made through Moses, to the effect that such reports would reach
their ears of the irresistible power of Israel’s God, and the fame of
His wondrous works on their behalf, that the inhabitants of Canaan
would be filled with dismay and their hearts sink within them. "I
will send My fear before thee and will destroy all the people to
whom thou shalt come" (Ex. 23:27). "This day will I begin to put the
dread of thee and the fear of thee upon all nations" (Deut. 2:25),
Jehovah had declared, thereby fulfilling the prediction of Exodus
15:14: "The people shall hear and be afraid, sorrow shall take hold
of the inhabitants of Palestina.’" Such terror would fill them that
their spirits would sink completely and they would be panic-stricken
at the prospect before them. Such was the case here.
"There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord
your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the
land that ye shall tread upon, as He hath said unto you" (Deut.
11:25). God would strike such terror into the Canaanites, and make
them so conscious of their impotency, that He would render the
same subservient to the success of His people. Rahab had,
previously, avowed the accomplishment of this, acknowledging that
tidings of Jehovah’s miracle-working power had reached them, that
"your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land
faint because of you" (Josh. 2:9). In like manner will God yet make
good every prophecy He has made and every promise that He has
given. It is therefore to be duly noted that these Gibeonites freely
testified that the nation of Israel was now acting according to the
commandment of the Lord their God, and not from a spirit of
personal blood-thirstiness and greed. They made no attempt to
justify the lies which they had told, but frankly owned that they were
in dread of losing their lives, and that the principle of self-
preservation had moved them to resort to such a device.
"And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good
and right unto thee to do unto us, do" (v. 25). That was tantamount
to saying, We are fully in thy power and entirely at thy disposal, and
readily submit ourselves to thy discretion. Their foregoing statement
evinces that they had not only "heard" but also believed that God’s
promises to His people and threatenings to His enemies would
certainly be fulfilled. They realized God’s word was inviolable and
His power invincible, and therefore nothing remained but for them
to cast themselves upon His clemency. In their "as it seemeth good
and right unto thee to do unto us, do" unto Joshua, one can see they
hoped for the best: treat with us according to the laws of justice and
kindness, and especially act consistently with the league made and
the oath taken. It is in precisely such a spirit and attitude that sinners
are to come before God in Christ—convicted of their sins,
convinced of the verity of God’s threatenings, casting themselves
upon His good pleasure, hoping in His mercy, submitting
unreservedly to His will, ready to take His yoke upon them.
"And so He did unto them, and delivered them out of the
hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua
made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
congregation, and for the altar of the Lord" (vv. 26, 27). How
blessedly the and-typical Joshua was there foreshadowed! Though
the guilt of these men was established, and though they belonged to
an accursed race, yet he spared their lives, and that on the ground of
a covenant made by oath! Thus he did what was both good and
right": yea, he went beyond what they "asked or thought," showing
them favor and conferring honor upon them, by appointing them to
minister unto the "altar of the Lord"; and thus they would be taught
the worship of the true God and delivered from idolatry. It is striking
to note that the only ones who acknowledged what they "heard"
about the Lord (Josh. 2:10; 9:24) were delivered from His
judgments. The descendants of these Gibeonites—termed
"Nethinim" or "devoted persons"—had a place of honor in the
service of the temple centuries later (1 Chron. 9:2; Ezra 8:20; Neh.
7:60).
 Joshua 10:1-43
Victory At Gibeon
Peacemaking
As its opening verse shows, the tenth of Joshua is closely
connected with chapters 6, 8, and 9, and this needs to be duly
heeded by us if we are to discover and appropriate the spiritual
lessons which it has for the Lord’s people today--which should ever
be one of our principal quests when reading God’s Word. In chapters
6 and 8, we have an account of Israel’s conquest of the cities of
Jericho and Ai, but in the ninth something quite different is
presented. Following the fighting at Ai there came a lull, and the
capitulation of the Gibeonites unto Israel without any strenuous
efforts on the part of the latter. It is often thus in the experience of
Christians. When they have been particularly active in engaging the
enemy and a notable victory has been obtained, the Lord grants a
brief season of rest and comparative quietness. Yet they are not to
conclude therefrom that the hardest part of their conflict is now over,
so that it is safe for them to relax a little. What we are about to
ponder indicates the contrary, and warns us that Satan does not
readily admit defeat. Not only was Israel’s warfare far from being
ended, but a more determined and concerted resistance was to be
encountered. Instead of having to meet the force of a single king, the
massed armies of five of them had now to be defeated. The same
thing appears in the history of our Savior: the farther His gracious
ministry proceeded, the greater and fiercer the opposition reel with.
Sufficient for the disciple to be as his Master.
Proceeding from the general to the particular, we observe
that the opening verses of Joshua 10 confirm the typical application
which we made of the concluding portion of the preceding chapter.
At the close of our last we pointed out that what is there recorded of
the Gibeonites adumbrated sinners surrendering themselves unto
Christ, or, to use an expression which was freely employed by the
Puritans, their "making peace with God." More recently, some have
taken decided exception to that expression. It is affirmed that the
sinner can do nothing whatever to make peace with God, and that it
is quite unnecessary for him to essay doing so, seeing that Christ has
"made peace through the blood of His cross. But that is to confound
things which differ, confusing what Christ purchased, and when the
same is actually applied unto us. The question—and a most
important one too—is, What does God require from the sinner in
order for him to become a personal partaker of the benefits of that
legal "peace" which Christ made with God? To which some make
answer, Nothing but faith—simply believing that Christ has fully
atoned for all our sins and relying upon the sufficiency of His
sacrifice. But that is only half the answer, the second half, for it
leaves out an essential requirement which must precede believing.
"Repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:15), "Testifying
both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God,
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). It is very clear
from these passages that repentance is as necessary as faith. Nay, we
go farther, and declare that an impenitent heart is incapable of
exercising a saving faith. Christ complained to Israel’s leaders, "Ye
repented not afterward, that ye might believe in him" (Matthew
21:32)—they responded not to the ministry of His forerunner
because they had no realization of their sinful and lost condition.
Those "dispensationalists" who state that repentance is required only
of the Jews evince their ignorance of the most elementary truths of
Scripture, for in "the great commission" Christ ordered His servants
"that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47), and
His apostle announced that God "now [in this Christian era!]
commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). Of course
He does, for such a call is the pressing of His holy claims upon those
who have ignored the same—who have disregarded His authority,
slighted His law, and lived entirely to please themselves. It is
because so little repentance has been preached that Christendom is
now crowded with empty professors.
Repentance is a taking sides with God against myself. It is
the laying aside of my awful enmity against Him. It is the privative
side of conversion, for there must be a turning from something
before there can be a turning unto God. Repentance consists of a
holy horror and hatred of sin, a complete heart-forsaking of it, a
sincere confessing of it unto God. True repentance is always
accompanied by a deep longing and a genuine determination to
abandon that coarse which is displeasing to God. It is impossible, in
the very nature of the case, that a soul could seek God’s pardon with
any honesty while he continued to defy Him and persist in what He
forbids. Thus, repentance is the sinner’s making his peace with God
—the throwing down of the weapons of his rebellion, ceasing his
warfare against Him. Nor is there anything in the least degree
"legalistic" or meritorious about this, for repentance or making
peace with God neither atones for our vile misconduct of the past
nor moves God to be gracious unto us. Repentance no more
purchases salvation than does faith, yet the one is as indispensable
as the other. The wicked is required to "forsake his way . . . and
return unto the Lord" before He will have mercy upon him and
abundantly pardon (Isa. 55:7, and cf. 1 Kings 8:47-50; Acts 3:19).
"Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem
had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as
he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her
king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel
and were among them; that they feared greatly" (Josh. 10:1, 2).
Once more we would note the very varied effects upon different
ones of what they had "heard" of Israel’s exploits, and how some of
them attributed their successes unto Jehovah, while others did not
so. Rahab (Josh. 2:9-11) and the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:9) were
examples of the former, and the kings of Joshua 9:1, and this
Adonizedek of the latter. The king of Jerusalem, despite his high-
sounding name, gave God no place in his thoughts; yet he was
thoroughly alarmed at Israel’s progress. His fear was cumulative. He
was rendered uneasy at the tidings of Jericho’s overthrow, still more
so at the news of the destruction of Ai; but when he and his subjects
learned of the Gibeonites having concluded a league of peace with
Joshua, "they feared greatly"—most probably because he had
counted on their considerable support in resisting these aggressors.
 We would also attentively heed the Spirit’s emphasis here on
the time-mark: "It came to pass, when Adonizedek . . . heard." There
is nothing meaningless or superfluous in the Scriptures, and it is by
noting such a detail as this that we often obtain the key which opens
to us the spiritual significance of what follows. In this instance the
immediate sequel was the banding together of four others with the
king of Jerusalem against Gibeon, and in the light of the closing
verses of chapter 9, the typical force of this is not difficult to
perceive. It is when sinners renounce the service of their former
master, and the friendship of the world, in order to make their peace
with God and join interests with His people, that they must be
prepared to encounter persecution from the ungodly. That is why the
Saviour bade all would-be disciples of His to sit down first and
"count the cost" (Luke 14:28-33), and His servant warned believers,
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13). In
Adonizedek’s determination to slay the Gibeonites we have
adumbrated the inveterate enmity of the serpent against the
Redeemer’s "seed" Previously, while Satan keepeth his palace, "his
goods are in peace" (Luke 11:21), but when he loses any of his
captives, his rage against them knows no bounds.
Ere passing on let us ponder one other detail in our opening
verse, namely Israel’s "utter destruction" of Jericho and Ai, for a
most important lesson is inculcated by that adjective. In its
application to the spiritual warfare of the Christian it tells us that we
must be ruthlessly thorough in the work of mortification. No half
measures are to be taken against the things which hinder the present
possession Of our heritage. There must be no compromising with
our lusts, no trifling with temptation, no flirting with the world.
True, inward corruptions will strongly resist our onslaughts upon
them, as the men of Ai did when Israel came against it. For a time
the king of Ai had the better of the contest, so that Israel were
dismayed; but they did not abandon the fight, instead they humbled
themselves before the Lord, and He graciously undertook for them.
Not that they were released from the discharge of their
responsibilities, so that they could passively witness His operations
on their behalf. No, indeed. They were required to perform their
duty and employ different tactics. Accordingly, as they implicitly
followed His instruction, the Lord prospered them and Ai was
utterly destroyed": in other words, complete victory was theirs.
But the overthrowing and destroying of Ai proved to be
neither an easy nor a pleasant task to Israel, for in the course thereof
they passed through both a humiliating and distressing experience.
So it is in that work of unsparing mortification to which the
Christian is called. Our Lord likened it unto the plucking out of a
right eye and the cutting off of a right hand (Matthew 5:29, 30). By
such language He intimated the difficulty and severity of the work
He has assigned us. The "eye" represents that which is dearest to the
natural man, and the "hand" what is the most useful to him. The
plucking out of the one and the cutting off of the other signify that
we are to exercise the most rigorous denying of self, that however
precious an idol or profitable any unrighteous course may be unto
the carnal nature, they must be sacrificed for Christ’s sake. No
matter how unwelcome it proves to the flesh, its lusts are not to be
spared; for unless they be brought into subjection to God, the soul is
gravely imperiled. By Divine grace this difficult task is not
impossible. The "utter destruction" of Ai, then, is recorded both for
our emulation and for our encouragement. Yet remember that,
though a brief lull may follow such a victory, the surrender of our
remaining enemies is not to be looked for; rather must we expect a
yet more determined resistance from them, seeking to prevent any
further spiritual advance by us.
"They feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one
of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the
men thereof were mighty" (v. 2). We believe the Holy Spirit’s design
in giving us these particulars about the Gibeonites was at least
threefold: to magnify the grace of God in subduing them unto
Himself, to account for the subsequent actions of Adonizedek, and
to cast light upon the typical significance of the sequel. In view of
what we are here told about the Gibeonites, it is the more
remarkable that they had not only made peaceful overtures unto
Joshua, but had offered no demur at taking upon them the yoke of
servitude and becoming hewers of wood and drawers of water unto
Israel. Therein we should discern a people, hostile to Him by nature,
"made willing" in the day of God’s power, and the might of His
grace in bringing them to submit readily to the most exacting and
pride-abasing terms. Such is the nature of the miracle of conversion
in every case: the slaying of man’s awful enmity against God, the
humbling of his haughty heart, the bending of his stubborn will, the
bringing of hint to a complete surrender unto the lordship of Christ,
making him an "obedient child" (1 Pet. 1:14).
"They feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one
of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the
men thereof were mighty" (v. 2). Gibeon was not only a formidable
frontier town but also the capital of that section, and such a city and
territory yielding so tamely to Israel much alarmed the king of
Jerusalem. Not only had he lost what he probably counted upon as
being a powerful ally, but he feared that other cities would follow
suit, so that he now began to tremble for his own skin. If so
powerful a people had capitulated without striking a blow, who
could be expected to take a resolute stand against Joshua and his
men? Not only was he much alarmed, but greatly chagrined and
incensed against the Gibeonites, and so resolved upon their
destruction (vv. 4, 5), which indicates the third design of the Spirit
here. The "greater" the trophy which grace secures for Christ, the
more "royal" his status, the fiercer will be the opposition which he
meets with from his enemies. That is why those whom the Lord
makes the ministers of His Gospel are the chief marks of Satan’s
malice. But let them not be dismayed thereby. Not only is it a high
honor to suffer for Christ’s sake, but the opposition a faithful
preacher encounters is a good sign that God is using him to make
inroads into the Devil’s kingdom.
"Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham
king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia
king of Lachich. and unto Debit king of Eglon, saying, Come up
unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made
peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel" (vv. 3, 4). It will
be remembered that the Canaanitish kings whose territories lay
farther to the north and the west had previously decided to federate
themselves against Israel (Josh. 9:2), and by this time would
probably be engaged in mustering their forces for a combined
assault upon them. But the tidings of Gibeon’s alliance with Joshua
so intimidated and enraged these five kings, whose cities were
nearer the point which Israel had then reached, that they decided to
anticipate the plan of their remoter fellows by falling upon Gibeon.
It is likely that the king of Jerusalem reckoned upon Joshua having
his hands so full in making his arrangements and deploying his
forces to meet the impending attack of the northern anti western
armies of the Canaanites that he would be unable to come to the
relief of the Gibeonites. It therefore appeared to be a favorable
opportunity and a safe venture for these five kings to fall upon those
whom they regarded as their renegade countrymen; yet in so doing
they but accelerated their own destruction.
Verse 2 opens by saving, "That they feared greatly," yet the
preceding verse mentions no one save the king of Jerusalem, and so
we would expect it to read that "he feared greatly." While it is likely
that the plural number is designed to include his subjects, it is also
highly probable that the "they" looks forward to the four kings
mentioned in the next verse, and it intimates why they were willing
to respond to Adonizedek’s call. Thus we behold again how
widespread was the terror inspired by the news of Israel’s victories.
Not only was this a further fulfillment of what the Lord had
announced in Exodus 23:27, and Deuteronomy 11:25, but we may
perceive therein a shadowing forth of what takes place under the
proclamation of the Gospel. As we pointed out above, the hearing of
what the mighty arm of Jehovah had wrought reacted very
differently in them than in others. There was the same opportunity
for rhose kings to make their peace with Joshua as the Gibeonites
had. and their fatal refusal to do so supplies a solemn illustration of
the fact that the Gospel is "the savor of life unto life" to those who
believe and are saved, but" the savor of death unto death" to those
who reject it and are lost (2 Cor. 2:15, 16). Nor is fear sufficient to
move a sinner to throw down the weapons of his warfare against
God, as appears not only from the case before us, but also from that
of Pharaoh and of Felix who "trembled" as he listened to Paul
speaking on "judgment to come" (Acts 24:25).
Not only was Adonizedek unwilling to humble himself and
make peace with Joshua, but he was determined that none of his
near neighbors should do so, and in his persuading them to follow
his policy we have a sad instance of a strong character being able to
influence others to evil. To be a personal transgressor is bad enough,
but to be a ringleader in wickedness evinces a high degree of
depravity and is doubly damnable. Adonizedek’s "Come up unto me,
and help me" is to be understood in the light of "that we may smite
Gibeon," thereby signifying that it was a duty devolving equally
upon all of them. At first one wonders what they thought would be
gained by such a course: would it not be more prudent to husband
their forces for self-defense when the army of Joshua should invade
their section? Probably their purpose was to make an object lesson
of Gibeon and thereby intimidate other cities from following their
example. But the inspiring motive which prompted the prime mover
is clearly seen in the ground of his appeal unto his fellows: "For it
[Gibeon] hath made peace with Joshua and with Israel," and as the
closing words of verse 1 add, "and were among them." Thus it was
something more than an instinct of self-preservation which moved
them to act, namely a malignant spirit against those who had united
themselves with the people of God. Thereby they had alienated
themselves from their original associates and evoked their wrath.
Declaration of War
The typical teaching of the Old Testament is one of its most
striking and blessed features. It not only demonstrates the Divine
authorship thereof, by causing the shadows to outline so accurately
the coming substance, but supplies valuable instruction for the
student of the New. We are sometimes reminded that "In the Old
Testament the New is contained, and in the New Testament the Old
is explained," but there is a danger lest we draw the inference that
the latter has largely displaced the former. This is so far from being
the case that the former casts considerable light on the latter, and
supplies the keys which unlock many of its details. Rather are the
two Testaments like the two eyes of our body—both necessary in
order to complete vision, the one complementing the other. Not only
are we largely dependent upon the prophets for an understanding of
the predictions made by Christ and through His apostles, not only is
there much in the historical books which supplies vivid illustrations
and exemplifications of the practical teaching and precepts of the
Epistles, but the ordinances and ceremonies of Judaism
foreshadowed and help to open unto us many aspects of Gospel
truth. We have sought to give prominence to this in our progress
through the book of Joshua, showing that in numerous ways its
central character prefigured the Lord Jesus, that Israel’s experiences
in the conquest of Canaan adumbrated the Christian’s spiritual
warfare, and that both solemn and precious evangelical pictures arc
to be found therein.
During the past century there were those who rendered a
valuable service unto Christendom by the stress they laid upon the
importance and worth of the Old Testament types, and how that
many incidents recorded in its historical books set forth "the way of
salvation." Yet it is much to be regretted that they were so partial in
their selection, and that their emphases on certain particular aspects
of the way of salvation were often so disproportionate. It is indeed
blessed to point out how that Rahab was delivered from destruction
and obtained a place among the people of God by the exercise of
faith, and how that the Cities of Refuge are a blessed representation
of that security which is to be found in Christ for those who are
pursued by the Law; but it is equally striking to behold, and
necessary to insist on if the balance of truth is to be preserved, that
the Gibeonites making peace with Joshua provides just as real and
striking a "Gospel picture" as do the former. There are some of the
types which more especially magnify the grace of God; there are
others which exemplify His holiness. In the one is displayed His
benevolent overtures; in the other, the claims of His righteousness.
Sometimes it is the freeness of the Divine mercy which is stressed,
at others the responsibility of the sinner is pressed.
 Those who have read critically our last six articles on the
Gibeonites (Josh. 9) may have concluded that we were guilty of
contradicting ourselves, for we began by viewing them as
illustrating the character and conduct of empty professors and
hypocrites applying for union with God’s people, yet ended by
regarding them as types of repentant sinners coming to Christ and
making their peace with God. It was not a case of our forgetting
what we had first pointed out, nor is there anything inconsistent
therewith in our latter remarks. There is a fullness in God’s Word
which pertains not to the writings of men, and many and varied are
the "applications" which may be legitimately made of a single
passage in it. In Genesis 22. Isaac is first a type of Christ, in his
subjection to his father’s will and his readiness to be offered in
sacrifice; but later he is a figure of the sinner—the ram taking his
place and dying in his stead! From Exodus 16 many striking
comparisons can be drawn between the manna and Christ as the
bread of life, yet in John 6 we find Him making some very definite
contrasts between them. Some of the characters in Scripture portray
both the unsaved and backslidden believers, nor is there anything
incongruous in their so doing. So it is with the Gibeonites: they need
to be regarded in two different relations, in accordance with the
marked change in their early and later conduct.
We must distinguish between the Gibeonites as they were
moved by Satan to act dishonestly and tempt Israel and as they were
subsequently moved by the Holy Spirit to surrender unto Joshua and
made willing to take his yoke upon them. In his natural condition the
sinner is a hypocrite, and even when he is brought sincerely to seek
after Christ not a little carnality is mingled with his efforts. There is
a very marked difference to be observed between the wily conduct
of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9:3-6, and their frankness and meekness
in Joshua 9:24, 25, and equally so should there be between the
"applications" which the expositor makes of them. What follows in
chapter 10 confirms the accommodation we made of the closing
verses of chapter 9. No sooner had the Gibeonites made their peace
with Joshua than the rage of the enemy was stirred against them.
Thus it is in the experience of a saved sinner. If he be truly
converted—gives Christ His rightful place in his heart and life,
making a thorough break from the world—it is not long before he
discovers that so far from his former companions congratulating
him, or being ready to emulate him, they now turn against him and
become antagonistic, persecuting him in some form or other, seeking
to bring about his downfall rather than encourage him.
But we must take a yet closer look at those who opposed the
Gibeonites. Five kings of the Amorites combined together to destroy
them: they were not only fellow Canaanites but close neighbors.
Thus we regard them as something more than a figure of the
Christian’s foes in general, namely a pointing more definitely to
those whom, at first, he does not suspect of being inimical to him.
When a young convert has broken from the ungodly he is more or
less prepared for the enmity of the profane world, but not so of the
professing world: rather does he expect that those who bear the
name of Christ will he his friends. Alas, he has to discover (in
principle at least, and often literally) that "a man’s enemies are the
men of his own house" (Mic. 7:6)—quoted by our Savior in
Matthew 10:36. This is yet another lesson that the Christian has to
learn in connection with his spiritual warfare, and a particularly
painful one it is. But sufficient for the disciple to be as his Master,
for we are told of our Lord that "neither did His brethren believe in
Him" (John 7:5) and that His kinsmen regarded Him as crazy, saying
"He is beside Himself" (Mark 3:21); while it was one of His apostles
who betrayed Him.
What has just been pointed out was clearly adumbrated by
those who assailed the Gibeonites. First, as already remarked, they
were near neighbors, fellow Canaanites. Second, they dwelt in the
mountains (Josh. 10:6), and it is ever to be borne in mind that there
are no meaningless details in God’s Word. To inform us that these
kings resided in the mountains is only another way of saying that
they occupied high ground, that theirs was an elevated position. Sad
to say, it is often those who hold a similar place in the religious
realm who are the least friendly toward the Lord’s little ones.
Desiring to have the pre-eminence, they are merciless unto any who
refuse to be subject to them—as the Sanhedrin hounded Christ to
death and forbade His ambassadors to preach in His name. The
mountains are also a symbol of pride (Isa. 40:4) with which every
Diotrephes is filled (3 John). Third, the same feature appears again
in the high-sounding names of these kings (Josh. 10:3), for
Adonizedek, the prime mover, means "lord of righteousness";
Hoham, "Jah (God) protects"; Piram, "wild" or "fierce"; Japhia,
"high" or "elevated"; Debit, "speaker" —suitable cognomens for
pretentious professors!
Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem, sent a message unto the
four kings saying: "Come up unto me, and help me, that we may
smite Gibeon" (Josh. 10:4). Very soon after the Gibeonites had
entered into their friendly league with Israel they found the most
powerful forces of southern Canaan arrayed against them. They had
done them no wrong, but rather had shown their fellows the wisest
and best course to adopt. Yet this was the very thing which the arch-
conspirator most dreaded (vv. 1, 2). Incidentally, we may note how,
at that early date, Jerusalem exerted more or less of a dominating
influence in the land of Palestine, for not only was it its king who
took the lead in this movement, but his city was to be the gathering
center for the others. Yet apparently he had not sufficient confidence
in his own forces to act alone, so sought the cooperation of four of
his fellows. Had it been merely a matter of coming to his aid, it is to
be doubted whether they would have responded, for they were more
or less rivals. Human nature and tribal bigotry being the same then
as now, it would be self-interest which moved them to accede, and
since Gibeon was "as one of the royal cities" (v. 2) they coveted a
share of its spoils.
But let us observe next the ground of Adonizedek’s appeal
unto his fellows: "for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the
children of Israel" (v. 4). That which so incensed him was their
union with the people of God. It is to be duly noted that this is the
third time their "making peace" is mentioned (Josh. 9:15; 10:1), and
the setting in which the phrase occurs leaves us in no doubt as to its
precise import. It connotes a change of relationship and the complete
reversal of the old order of life. Spiritually speaking, it is our
response to the Gospel call "be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20)
—cease your enmity against Him. The very expression occurs in
"Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with
Me" (Isa. 27:5). It is a complete surrendering of ourselves unto God.
It is identical with conversion, which is a thorough right-about-face.
Genuine repentance is always accompanied by reformation of
conduct. The wicked must abandon his course of self-will and self-
pleasing and "return unto the Lord" (from whom he departed in
Adam’s apostasy) if his sins are to be pardoned (Isa. 55:7, and
compare Prov. 28:13).
The Scriptures are full of what is deliberately and fatally
omitted from the false "evangelism" of our day, which blatantly
announces that nothing is required from the sinner except faith in
Christ. But an impenitent heart cannot savingly believe, nor is there
any forgiveness for those who are determined to continue in a course
of carnality and worldliness. "Put away the strange Gods which are
among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God" (Josh. 24:23)
—idols must be abandoned before He can be loved and served.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted is the Divine demand.
Observe well what immediately follows: "that your sins may be
blotted out" (Acts 3:19.). The same order occurs again in Mark 4:12:
"Lest at any time they should [1] be converted, and [2] their sins
should be forgiven them." That is the order of human responsibility.
"We . . . preach unto you that ye should [1] turn from these vanities
[2] unto the living God" (Acts 14:15). Again, Paul declared that his
business was to turn men "from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God" (Acts 26:18), and note well that precedes
"that they may receive forgiveness of sins." Likewise must a
Christian cast off the works of darkness" ere he can "put on the
armor of light" (Rom. 13:12).
"Therefore the five kings of the Amorites . . . gathered
themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and
encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it" (v. 5). That is set
over against the "made peace" of the preceding verse, teaching us
clearly that to make our peace with God signifies to cease fighting
against Him. It also shows that, when we do so, those who are
opposed to Him will turn against us, and that no matter how
circumspectly we conduct ourselves. It is the desire of a Christian to
live amicably with all men, but he soon has cause to say with the
Psalmist, "I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war" (Ps.
120:7). The enemies of the Lord will not leave alone those who wear
His yoke and are joined to His people. In uniting with Israel the
Gibeonites had alienated themselves from their heathen neighbors.
The four kings offered no objection to Adonizedek’s plan, but
willingly made common cause in seeking the destruction of their
fellows. What a sidelight that casts upon the character of the
Canaanites! How it serves to demonstrate their fitness to be the
objects of Jehovah’s judgment! It is also to be noted that all of these
five kings were Amorites, and these were the ancient enemies of
God’s people (Num. 21:21-23).
In those days it was not the custom of an invading army to
make an immediate attack upon a city, but rather to surround it and
weaken its inhabitants by a process of starvation—cutting them off
from all further supplies from without. Ancient cities were
surrounded by high and thick walls and protected by powerful gates,
and to make a direct assault at first would prove a costly
undertaking. Accordingly we read that the hosts of these kings
"encamped before Gibeon." They were evidently quite sure of
themselves and had no doubt of success. Probably they thought it
unlikely that Joshua would go to the trouble of honoring his league
with the Gibeonites, and, in any case, that the camp of Israel was too
far distant for their fighting men to come up to the relief of the
besieged city; and therefore that the task would prove a simple one.
But like many others before and since, they were to prove that "the
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong" (Ecclesiastes
9:11). Like Pharaoh of old, these kings had left the Lord out of their
reckoning! And they too discovered that nothing more surely
provokes Him against evil-doers and hastens their destruction than
for them to make war against those who have entered into a
covenant with Him.
 But why should God permit this unprovoked attack? Why
did He suffer the Gibeonites to be so menaced? Since they had made
their peace with Him, why did He not cause the rest of the
Canaanites to be at peace with them? For a variety of reasons. First,
to impress upon them their own origin. They too were "clay of the
same lump," and in the evil conduct of their invading fellows they
had a solemn reminder of what they were by nature. By this painful
method the Lord was saying to them, "Wherefore remember, that ye
being in time past Gentiles in the flesh . . . having no hope, and
without God in the world" (Eph. 2:11, 12). It was naught but
sovereign grace which made them differ from those who sought to
slay them. It is a salutary exercise of heart for us to heed that Divine
injunction, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, to the hole of
the pit whence ye are digged" (Isa. 51:1). Such a look will remove
pride from us; such a realization will keep us in our proper place—
in the dust before God. The Gibeonites belonged to the same
accursed race as these five kings, and it was only God’s
distinguishing mercy which prevented them from sharing their
doom. Seek to remember that, Christian reader, when you are being
persecuted by the world, and ask yourself who it is that has
delivered you from being among the persecutors!
Many other answers may be returned to our question as to
why God permitted the Gibeonites to face such a situation. It was to
test their faith and make it evident unto them whether or not they
now regretted the radical step they had recently taken. Would they
tell themselves what fools they had been to antagonize their former
companions, or were they prepared to endure afflictions for the
Lord’s sake? Those who heed Christ’s exhortation to first sit down
and "count the cost" before enlisting under His banner will not
"think it strange" when the fiery trial comes upon them. Again, it
was to make them realize that they were living in a hostile world, as
sheep in the midst of wolves. Sooner or later each believer is made
to prove that unwelcome fact. "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world
hate you" (1 John 3:13). It did your Master, and the more faithful
you be to Him the more fellowship will you have with His
sufferings. Again, this trial was designed to cast them back the more
upon the Lord: to wean them from any hankering they had to
maintain communion with those who were strangers to Him. Finally,
it afforded an opportunity to prove God’s sufficiency: His
compassion, fidelity. power.
And how did the Gibeonites react to the peril threatening
them? They did not repudiate their alliance with Israel and apologize
to Adonizedek for what he would regard as their perfidy. They did
not put their trust in the strength of the city’s walls; nor did they, on
the other hand, regard their predicament as hopeless, and
despairingly await their end. Instead, "the men of Gibeon sent unto
Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy
servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the
kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered
together against us" (v. 6). Either they had advance tidings of the
impending attack, and in order to save time dispatched messengers
unto Joshua, or the cordon which their enemies had thrown around
the city was not so complete as to prevent some of their number
issuing forth on their mission. Very blessed is it to behold their
conduct on this occasion. They appealed to the one who had recently
shown them mercy and spared their lives. They had full confidence
in him, neither questioning his willingness to come to their aid nor
doubting his ability to rescue them.
In appealing to Joshua for help they disavowed their self-
sufficiency. So far from proudly entertaining the idea that they were
capable themselves of repulsing the enemy, they looked to Joshua
for deliverance. Though by nature all the men of Gibeon were
"mighty" (v. 2), they relied not on their own skill and valor, but
humbled themselves by applying elsewhere for assistance. Note this
well, dear reader, if you would be victorious in the fight of faith.
Recognize that the forces confronting you are far too formidable for
your own wisdom and might. Take the place of dependence and look
to the antitypical Joshua. It is in conscious weakness that our
strength lies (2 Cor. 12:10). There is no other way of becoming
strong in the Lord and in the power of His might than by utterly
discounting our own fancied competency. "To them that have no
might He increaseth strength" (Isa. 40:29). On the other hand, woe is
denounced on those who trust in chariots" (Isa. 31:1). Trust in the
Lord and thou shalt not be confounded.
Deliverance
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble" (Ps. 46:1). In the heyday of youth, "while the evil days
come not" those words mean comparatively little unto us. As the
sunshine of prosperity is enjoyed our minds do not dwell upon the
shelter provided for the storm, Nevertheless, God has ordained that
sooner or later each of His children will be devoutly thankful that
such a verse is in His Word, and give them to prove experientially
the verity and preciousness of it. Then it is, but only then, we
discover that "trouble" is a blessing in disguise—as the dark clouds
pour down showers which refresh the parched earth. It is true that
trouble does not always issue in conscious and manifest blessing,
but in such case the fault is ours. Many of the troubles which people
impiously ascribe to "bad luck" or "misfortune are brought upon
themselves by hurried decisions or foolish conduct. But if the
Christian will place the blame where it belongs, confess to God the
sinful failures which have occasioned his trouble, and beg Him
graciously to sanctify the same unto him, his prayer will be
answered, and he too will learn that the Divine Workman can bring
good out of evil.
It is very blessed to observe the climacteric emphasis in
Psalm 46:1. First, what God is in Himself: "our refuge and
strength"—the One to whom we may turn for succor and shelter; the
One whose grace is sufficient for every need. Second, what He is
unto His people in trouble, namely a real "help," for He is no "fair
weather friend," but One who may confidently be counted upon in
the day of adversity and affliction. Third, this is amplified thus: He
is not only a "‘help," but a present one: not one who is far distant,
but by our side—"closer than hands or feet." And to make it still
more emphatic and impressive "a very present help," added the
Psalmist—as Spurgeon expressed it, "more nearly present than the
trouble itself." For, mark it well, it is not merely that the Lord is a
very present help in time of trouble" as so many misquote it, but "in
trouble" itself. Thus His assistance may be counted upon with
absolute certainty. He is a very present help in trouble to enable us to
bear it, to sustain us under it, to comfort us in it, to bring us through
it, yea, to sanctify the same unto us. Thus have His people, in all
ages, abundantly proved. He was "a very present help in trouble"
unto Jacob when He subdued the enmity of Laban and Esau, to
Joseph in Egypt, to the widow of Zaraphath, to Daniel in the lions’
den. And He is the same today!
No matter how cautiously we plan or discreetly we act, there
is no escaping trouble in some form or other, for man is "born unto
trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). How can it be otherwise:
myself a fallen and erring creature, dwelling in a world which lieth
in the wicked one? But let not that fact sour or dismay you: rather
use it for obtaining personal proof of the validity and value of the
Divine assurances. Trouble is sent not to drive us from God, but to
draw us to Him. Emulate the Psalmist: "In the day of my trouble I
sought the Lord" (Ps. 77:2)—not took matters into his own hands,
seeking to put right what was wrong, for that ends in making bad
matters worse. The believer’s duty and privilege is clear: to
appropriate and plead that precious promise, "Call upon Me in the
day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Ps.
50:15). Follow not the vain policy of the world in attempting to
forget your trouble or drown it in pleasure, or grit your teeth and
make the best of a bad job. No, make the living God your recourse:
count upon His loving-kindness and tender pity, bear in mind His
mighty power and infinite resources, so that nothing is too hard for
Him.
Does the reader say, I have called upon the Lord again and
again, but He has not removed my trouble or even mitigated it? Nor
has He promised to do so. But in Psalm 1:15, He says, "I will deliver
thee," and is not that the same thing? No, certainly not; rather is it
something much better. There is something worse, something to be
far more dreaded, than "trouble," namely the sinful way in which we
are so prone to act while under it. The promise is "Call upon Me in
the day of trouble: I will deliver thee"—not "from it," but from
thyself. Call upon Me humbly, trustfully, perseveringly, and I will
"deliver thee"—from open rebellion against Me, from a suicide’s
grave, from sinking into utter despair. But more, "and thou shalt
glorify Me," by meekly and patiently enduring what I have
appointed thee, by leaning harder upon Me, and by thus improving
the trouble. This is both our duty and privilege: "glorify ye the Lord
in the fires" (Isa. 24:15). To glorify Him should ever be our aim,
whether in health or on a bed of suffering. Let not the afflicted saint
give way to self-pity and regard himself as "the victim of
circumstances," but seek grace to rise above and be victor over
them. "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall
strengthen thine heart" (Ps. 27:14).
Trouble is not always in consequence of our wrongdoing or
injudicious conduct. So far from it, it may be caused by fidelity to
Christ, thereby stirring up against us the enmity of Satan. Such was
the case of the Gibeonites. A short time after they had made peace
with Joshua, entered into a league with him, and he had appointed
them to be servants "for the altar of the Lord," five kings of the
Amorites determined to destroy them, and "they and all their
hosts . . . encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it" (Josh.
10:5). Whereupon we are told, "And the men of Gibeon sent unto
Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, slack not thy hand from thy
servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the
kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered
together against us" (v. 6). Most commendable was such an action.
In the hour of their need they turned unto the one who had so
graciously spared their lives and entered into a covenant with them:
they confided in his sympathy and counted upon his ability and
willingness to come to their aid. Thus it is that Christians should
ever do with the antitypical Joshua—"casting all your care upon
Him, for He careth for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).
That appeal of the Gibeonites unto Joshua may be typically
regarded as the prayer of believers unto the Lord. Considered thus, it
contains valuable instruction for us. First, observe the place which
they took: "thy servants" they acknowledged themselves to be. Such
language breathed a spirit of dependence, disowning any might or
sufficiency of their own. This is what becomes us as we approach
the mercy seat—taking the place of confessed weakness, coming as
empty-handed beggars. Second, they acquainted Joshua with the
desperateness of their situation, spreading their case before him.
Such is ever our privilege: to unburden our hearts unto Him who
alone can afford us real relief. Third, they made known their request:
"save us, and help us." Logically those clauses should be reversed,
but a burdened and agitated heart pays little attention to its phrasing
when dire calamity prompts the cry for deliverance. Fourth, this
appeal was couched in terms of urgency: "slack not thy hand . . . for
all the kings of the Amorites . . . are gathered together against us."
That was not the language of dictation or of impatience, but a cry of
distress, and an appeal unto the relation which now obtained
between them and Joshua, for subservience is entitled to protection.
But there was one word in their appeal which perhaps some
of our readers would deem unsuitable for use in a prayer unto God:
"Come up quickly" begged the Gibeonites. Let God’s Word
determine, for to it we must ever turn for instruction and guidance.
Before referring thereto let us bear in mind that the situation in
which those men were placed was no ordinary one, but rather were
they in extremity, so that unless effectual help reached them
promptly it would be too late. Thus we are not about to turn unto the
Scriptures for something which will supply us with a general rule to
direct us on all occasions, but rather to ascertain whether there are
any prayers to God recorded therein which intimate that it is
permissible for His people to employ the language of importunity
when, to them, their case appears desperate. Undoubtedly there are,
not only in a single passage but in many. "Bow down Thine ear to
me: deliver me speedily" (Ps. 31:2), cried David. And again, "Make
haste to help me, O Lord my salvation" (Ps. 38:22): he entreated that
the help might not be long in coming. "But I am poor and needy:
make haste unto me, O God" (Ps. 70:5): a desperate case calls for
timely aid.
 God’s time is always the best time, yet when we are sorely
pressed we may beg Him to act on our behalf without delay. "Hear
me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth" (Ps. 143:7). When our case is
critical we may plead its urgency. "O my God, make haste for my
help" (Ps. 71:12). Such a cry was evoked by the sore pressure of
affliction, and it shows that if real necessity justifies it we may be
urgent with God. though never out of willfulness. At a time when the
enemy had come in like a flood and the cause of God was
languishing, and His people were in sore straits, we find that Asaph
prayed. "Let Thy tender mercies speedily prevent ["meet"] us, for
we are brought very low" (Ps. 79:8): thus in dire distress it is
permissible for us to ask for speed on God’s part. What is still more
pertinent to this particular point is the example of our Savior, for in
the Messianic Psalms we find that He cried, "O Lord, My strength,
haste Thee to help Me" (Ps. 22:19, and cf. 40:13). "I am in trouble;
hear Me speedily" (Ps. 69:17). And again, "In the day when I call
answer Me speedily" (Ps. 102:2).
"So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of
war with him, and all the mighty men of valor" (v. 7). Joshua did not
send a messenger to the hard-pressed Gibeonites telling them that
they must fight their own battles or proffer the excuse that his hands
were already too full for him to intervene on their behalf. Nor did he
raise an objection against the hard journey which such an
undertaking would involve. Not thus would he mock those who
were looking to him for deliverance. Instead, he responded promptly
and readily to their pressing request. Therein we see again how
blessedly Joshua prefigured the Savior. As we read through the four
Gospels, we find that the Lord Jesus never failed to answer an
appeal for help, whether that appeal came from Jew or Gentile, rich
or poor, saint or sinner. He was just as willing to heal the servant of
the Roman centurion as He was the mother-in-law of His apostle,
and to grant the request of the poor leper as to raise Lazarus. Nor did
He refuse to give an interview unto Nicodemus because he sought
Him by night, or turn a deaf ear to the dying thief when He was
experiencing the pains of crucifixion. And, my reader, He is the
same today as He was yesterday: vastly different in the position He
occupies, but unchanged in His readiness to succor the needy.
Though we are very familiar with what has just been pointed
out, and freely acknowledge the preciousness of the same, yet every
one of us needs to be reminded of it, especially when we are hard
pressed. Not only are we ever prone to give way to an evil heart of
unbelief, but when sore trouble comes upon us we are likely to be so
occupied with it as almost to lose sight of our blessed Lord. One
reason why He sends or permits the trouble is that we may be drawn
closer to Him, and prove more fully His sufficiency to help us, no
matter what straits we may be in. As He never turned a deaf ear to
any cry of distress during the days of His flesh, nor refused to
undertake for anyone who sought His help, neither will He do so
now that lie is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. As He
promptly delivered Peter when he cried, "Lord save me, I perish," so
will He still thrust forth His mighty hand and rescue any believer
who, fearful that he may be drowned in a sea of troubles, calls upon
Him for relief the Gibeonites did not appeal in vain to the captain of
Israel in their emergency, nor will the Christian if he trustfully
petitions the antitypical Joshua.
"So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of
war with him, and all the mighty men of valor." This shows that he
had learned his lesson" or had profited from his previous failure
(Josh. 7:3-6), for now he employed at least the major part of his
forces and accompanied them in person. We say "at least the major
part of his forces." for it is most unlikely that he would leave the
camp, with all the women and children, entirely undefended. Thus
this is probably one of the many instances in Scripture where the
word "all is not to be taken absolutely, without qualification, but
would here signify battalions of the men of war from all the tribes.
Herein we see Joshua fulfilling his covenant engagement, for when
those Gibeonites threw in their lot with the people of God they came
under His protection—compare Ruth 2. And a courageous enterprise
it was—very different from the former ones. On earlier occasions, at
Jericho and at Ai, it was but a single enemy which he had to engage,
but here it was the massed forces of no less than five kings which he
had now to encounter, and they had the great advantage of being
stationed in the heights unto which he must ascend. Typically,
Joshua was here a figure of the good Shepherd going forth to rescue
His imperiled sheep, and in the "all the people of war with him" we
behold the plenitude of Christ’s resources (Matthew 28:18).
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have
delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand
before thee" (v. 8). We are not told that Joshua "asked counsel of the
Lord" on this occasion, nor is it at all likely that he did so. There is
no need for any to inquire what be God’s will for him when his path
of duty is clearly marked out before him, as was the case here. They
having owned his dominion and submitted to his yoke, Joshua was
now under definite obligation to go to the assistance of the
Gibeonites—as the government is to safeguard its loyal subjects.
Nevertheless it is more than probable that Joshua’s heart was lifted
up to trod as he prepared for his arduous and dangerous undertaking,
seeking wisdom from Him and making request for Him to grant him
success m the same. Not only is this to be inferred from all that is
recorded of the general tenor of his pious life but had Joshua now
gone forth in a spirit of independence and self-sufficiency, we can
scarcely conceive of the Holy One, under such circumstances,
vouchsafing him such a word as this. In appearing unto Joshua at
this time the Lord intimated His approval of Israel’s sparing the lives
of the Gibeonites (Josh. 9:18-20) and of their venturing to deliver
them from their enemies, and accordingly He gave him this message
of encouragement and assurance.
"Fear them not." Very gracious was this. The Lord would
have the heart of His servant in perfect peace from the outset, and
thus be the better prepared for the forthcoming battle. Fear is due to
unbelief, through being occupied with the puny might of those who
are arrayed against us, instead of our faith being fixed upon the
almightiness of the One who is for us. But the Lord did more than
barely exhort His servant to banish from him the spirit of
trepidation, giving him an all-sufficient reason why tranquility of
mind should now possess him: "for I have delivered them into thine
hand." Thus, here too, we are taught that perfect peace of heart is the
fruit of the mind is being stayed upon Jehovah. "I will trust, and not
be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is strength" (Isa. 12:2): the latter is
ever the consequence of the former—when we resolve to make Him
our confidence, none will affright us. In His "there shall not a man
stand before thee" there was a renewing of the original promise
which the Lord had made unto Joshua in Joshua 1:5. "God hath
spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God
(Ps. 62:11)—alas, most of us are so dull of hearing that the message
has to be repeated much oftener than "twice" before we really
believe it.
"Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up
from Gilgal all night" (v. 9). First, we should observe that the
assurance which the Lord had just given Joshua was not perverted
by him into an excuse for slackness on his part, but very much the
reverse. Instead of reasoning that since victory was certain there was
no need to exert himself and his men unduly, rather were they
thereby stimulated to self-sacrificing effort. He did not wait until the
morning before starting out on the hard and hazardous mountain
climb, but, setting aside his own comfort, journeyed all through the
night. Second, therein we behold the merciful response which he
made unto the urgent request of the Gibeonites, "Come up to us
quickly, and save us." He delayed not, but promptly hastened to their
relief. As Matthew Henry pointed out, "If one of the tribes of Israel
had been in danger, he could not have shown more care and zeal for
its relief than here for Gibeon, remembering then, as in other cases,
that there must be one law for the stranger that was proselytized, as
for him that was born in the land. Third, he came upon the one
"suddenly," when they were least expecting it, probably before day
had broken and ere they had made their dispositions and taken their
places, thereby throwing them into instant confusion and
consternation.
"And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them
with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that
goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto
Makkedah (v. 10). If more of the servants and soldiers of Christ
were willing to lose a night’s sleep in His cause, particularly in
efforts to help their distressed brethren, we should oftener behold the
Lord baring His mighty arm, showing Himself strong on their
behalf. Observe how jealous the Holy Spirit ever is in guarding the
Divine glory! Joshua was unquestionably an able strategist and those
under him were "mighty men of valor," and no doubt they acquitted
themselves well on this occasion; yet that also was of God, and
therefore the honors must be ascribed unto Him. Not only spiritual
gifts, but physical powers, natural aptitudes, mental endowments,
military skill and success, are all bestowed upon men by their Maker
—"what hast thou that thou hast not received?" This is not
sufficiently recognized by us: if it were, there would be less of
idolatrous hero worship.
Miracles
The spiritual ignorance and skepticism of the day in which
we are living calls for a clear and unhesitating setting forth of the
teaching of God’s Word upon this subject. It is the duty of every
preacher and Sabbath-School teacher to bring before the rising
generation what Holy Writ reveals thereon. Without any drawing
upon the imagination, yet by the use of vivid and picturesque
language, it is one which can be made deeply interesting to the
young. Broadly speaking, the miracles of the Bible are of two kinds
or classes: manifest and supernatural judgments of God upon the
wicked; gracious and mighty interpositions of God on behalf of His
people. Of the former we may instance the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah by fire from heaven: of the latter, the opening of a
way through the Red Sea so that Israel passed through dry-shod.
Briefly, we would define a miracle as a supernatural event brought
about by a special act of Divine providence, an extraordinary display
of God’s power. It is an event occurring in the natural world, which
is apparent to the senses and of such a nature that it can be rationally
attributed only to the immediate act of God. As a special and more
obvious interposition of God, a miracle differs from His common or
ordinary providences.
 The objection made by infidels against miracles, that they
are contrary to nature and its established order, is quite pointless, for
it entirely leaves out of consideration the fact that they are due to the
direct intervention of One who is superior to those laws and can
alter the mode of their operation whenever it pleases Him. The
various ways and means by which God governs the universe
demonstrate both His freedom and His sovereignty. Matter is ruled
by forms, bodies by souls, inferior bodies by celestial, the visible
world by invisible angels, angels and souls immediately by God.
Nor do the same things always keep the same track or follow the
same course. In Moses’ time the flowing sea stood up as a wall and
the flinty rock flowed as a river. In Joshua’s day the glorious sun
was halted in his race and remained quite stationary for a whole day.
In Elijah’s life the iron swam, and in Daniel’s the fire did not burn.
During Christ’s ministry there were numerous excesses of nature,
actings by prerogative, displays of the Divine glory. Such variety in
the motions of nature exhibits the perfect freedom and
superintendence of nature’s Lord.
Whatever philosophical difficulties miracles may present to
unbelief, the explanation which the Bible gives of them is far more
rational and satisfactory than any that human wisdom can supply.
The theories and hypotheses advanced by atheists are incredible and
irrational, for they are at once un-philosophical and unscientific. But
once the living God be postulated as their Author, One who is
eternal and almighty, infinite in wisdom and goodness, supernatural
works are to be expected. To say that miracles are "impossible" is
absurd and the acme of arrogance, for the one who makes such an
assertion virtually assumes himself to be possessed of omniscience
—endowed with all knowledge. To deny that they exist is, if
possible, still worse, for it is a deliberate closing of the eyes to that
which confronts us on every side. Creation is a miracle, for it
immeasurably transcends the capabilities and even the
understanding of the natural man. The combined wit and resources
of all physicists and scientists in the world could not create so much
as a single blade of grass. No wonder the Lord asks puny man,
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare,
if thou hast understanding" (Job 38:4).
The sustentation and preservation of creation is a miracle.
None but the One who gave them being could provide for and
maintain such an innumerable multitude of creatures. Even if the
wise of this world were able to bring into existence a blade of grass,
they could not keep it alive a single day if deprived of the soil, and
denied the water and sunshine which God provides. The regulation
of the created system is a miracle. Man may tamper with the clocks
in his "daylight-saving" schemes, but he cannot make the sun rise an
hour earlier or set an hour later. He may sinfully fret and fume at the
weather, but he can no more alter or modify it by any of his devices
than he can change the tides of the sea. Providence is a continuous
miracle, supplying the needs of not only a billion human beings, but
myriads of animals, the birds of the air and the denizens of the deep.
"Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest
Thy face, they are troubled" (Ps. 104:28, 29) — so dependent is the
world on its Maker’s bounty. Man may attempt to "ration," but when
God calls for a famine he is helpless before it.
Strictly speaking, a miracle is something more than an
unusual occurrence or mysterious prodigy, for the effects of the
electric telegraph had been such unto those who lived a thousand
years ago, but today they are explainable by natural laws.
Contrariwise, the more fully a real miracle be comprehended the
more evident it is that such a phenomenal effect is above all the
powers of nature, and must be attributed to an immediate act of
God’s intervention. Nor are we justified in regarding such
interventions as anarchical infractions of nature’s order, but rather as
the interposition of the Divine will, directing events unto the
outworking of His purpose, every miracle being wrought in strict
accord with His decrees. As the Westminster Confession so
admirably expresses it, "God in His ordinary providence maketh use
of means, yet is free to work without [Hosea 1:7], above [Romans
4:19], and against [2 Kings 6:6; Daniel 3:27] them at His pleasure."
It must not be thought that the Creator has brought into existence a
system or instituted such laws as tie His own hands. No,
"Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth,
in the seas, and all deep places" (Ps. 135:6).
Great care needs to be taken how we employ such
expressions as "nature" and "the laws of nature," for they were
coined by those who had no knowledge of or faith in the living God,
and are commonly used by men who would exclude the thought of
God’s immediate presence and power in the universe. But the
Scriptures teach us to see the hand of God operating directly in all
that is attributed to "natural causes" by the skeptics. The Christian
rejects the idea that the universe is naught but a vast machine which
works involuntarily, necessarily and uniformly. Instead he
acknowledges a present God in providence as well as creation. As he
admires the flowers which spring from the tiny seeds, renewing the
original grace and beauty of the parent plant, he traces the
immediate influence of the Creator, as truly and as much as in
making Aaron’s rod to bud (Num. 17:8). Nor is the vegetating of the
seed any less a Divine work and marvel because it is multiplied by
millions and repeated year by year for successive ages. What
unbelief terms "the course of nature" is but the agency of God. He is
operating on the right hand and on the left, constantly maintaining
and directing all things, though men discern Him not. Without Him
"not a sparrow falls to the ground."
That the so-called "laws of nature" are being continually
modified in their action by the intervention of Divine will appears
plainly in the marked differences in the weather from year to year.
Though Lewis be situated so far to the west, this writer has
witnessed snow lying on the ground during July! That is, of course,
very exceptional, but it illustrates what has just been said, as do also
the frequent falsifications of the "weather prophets," even of those
who claim that it "runs in cycles." The same thing is exhibited in the
longevity of different individuals: not only do no two centenarians
give the same recipe for the attaining of old age, but many of them
have been of frail physique and delicate constitution, and if naught
but physical properties and laws determine the event, then the
strongest should live the longest and the weakest die early. The
material world abounds in such exceptions. "Cut off a snail’s head
and’ it will grow out again; cut off a crab’s head, but it will not grow
out again. Cut off a crab’s claw and it will grow out again, but cut
off a dog’s leg and it will not grow out again" (Roget: Physiology).
Why such marked variations in the seasons? Why such
disparity in the health and mentality of members of the same family?
Why those differences in the operation of the very same properties
and laws of animal substance? "It is as easy for God to turn nature
out of its settled course as it was to place it in the station it holds and
the course it runs" (Charnock). Verily, "He hath done whatsoever He
hath pleased" (Ps. 115:3). Rightly did R. Haldane argue, "To affirm
that a suspension or alteration of the laws of nature is impossible is
to confer on them the attribute of Deity, and to declare they are
supreme; and having no superior, precludes the existence of God as
well as miracles, or it represents Him as subordinate to His own
laws" (Evidence and Authority of Revelation, Volume 1). We say
again that what is called the course of nature" is nothing but the
direct agency of God, the exercise of His will, wisdom and power.
"Nature" would cease to move were its Maker to withdraw His
energy from it. It can no more operate of itself than it could produce
itself. Those laws by which God usually conducts the government of
the material creation were originally adjusted by Him, are now
preserved by His power and are deviated from whenever He pleases.
"And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel and
were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great
stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they
were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children
of Israel slew with the sword" (Josh. 10:11). It will be recalled that
when the Gibeonites made their peace with Joshua and entered into
a league with him, five kings of the Amorites gathered their armies
together and made war upon their capital. They sent to Joshua an
urgent appeal for help, which he answered at once by marching at
the head of his men through the night. Coming upon the Canaanites
unexpectedly, and probably before they had made their dispositions
and appointed sentries, they threw them into consternation.
Moreover, "the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them
with a great slaughter," thereby signifying His approval of Israel’s
sparing the lives of the Gibeonites by now giving them the most
glorious victory in all their wars. As the remaining Amorites fled the
Lord employed against them the artillery of heaven, which
demonstrates how hopeless is the case of those who have Him for
their enemy.
In casting down the great stones of hail upon the Amorites
we may observe what a variety of means God uses in executing His
will. In overwhelming the antediluvian world He employed a deluge
of rain; in the destruction of Sodom, fire from heaven; in the
overthrow of Pharaoh and his hosts at the Red Sea, by removing the
wheels of their chariots and drowning them. Therein we behold His
sovereignty exemplified, as it is too in ministering unto His people.
This was not the first time God made the hail a messenger of
judgment, for He did so in the seventh plague upon Egypt (Ex. 9:22-
26). Many of the premillenarians believe that "hail" will be one of
the weapons again used by God in His judgments on the earth (Rev.
16:21). This awful visitation on the Canaanites had been foretold:
"Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved . . .
against the day of battle and war?" (Job 38:22, 23)—Job was
probably written before Joseph’s birth.
There are three things which were singular and striking about
the hail in Joshua 10. First, its great size: second, its force and
efficacy—being like bullets from a machine gun, slaying men
outright. Occasionally, we have read of hail of unusual dimensions,
which did great damage to crops and cattle, but not of it effecting
such wholesale slaughter of human beings as on this occasion.
Third, its discrimination—none of the Israelites being killed! This is
the feature which most evidently evinced the miraculous nature of
this hail. Though Joshua’s men must have been in close combat with
the Canaanites and more or less mixed up with them as they pursued
them, none of the deadly missiles fell on God’s people. This was
even more remarkable than what occurred under the seventh plague,
for whereas the Lord then sent it throughout all the land of Egypt,
none fell in Goshen (Ex. 9:26); but here it fell all round the
Israelites, yet without one of them being harmed—illustrating that
word, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right
hand; but it shall not come nigh thee" (Ps. 91:7).
There is probably an allusion to this miracle and others of a
similar nature in Psalm 18:13, 14, both passages speaking of "The
Lord discomfited them . . . and chased them," and mentioning the
hail. There was no escaping His wrath. Hopeless is the plight of all
who provoke Him. When the appointed hour of His vengeance
arrives, none can deliver himself. Thus will it be with everyone who
mocks Him and persecutes His people. They shall discover, to their
eternal undoing, that it is "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God." That more died from the hailstones than Israel slew
with the sword made good God’s word unto Joshua, "Thine eyes
have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two kings:
so shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest Ye
shall not fear them: for the Lord your God He shall fight for you"
(Deut. 3:21, 22). And to Him may the Christian look in his spiritual
warfare, and "if God be for us, who can be against us?"
The opening verses of Psalm 44 supply a striking and
blessed commentary upon what has been before us. "We have heard
with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst
in their days, in the times of old. How Thou didst drive out the
heathen with Thy hand, and plantedst them; how Thou didst afflict
the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession
by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy
right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance,
because Thou hadst a favor unto them." This was a God-honoring
acknowledgment. Canaan was His gift unto Israel, and He put them
in possession of it. Their warriors, indeed, were not inactive, but it
was the light of His countenance which inspired them with valor.
God was the Conqueror of Canaan. Without His power working in
and for them, all their efforts had been in vain. By employing the
artillery of heaven against the five kings the Lord made this the
more evident.
 And what is the application which we are to make of the
same? First, give unto the Lord the honor which is due to Him, and
freely ascribe our victories unto Him. Whatever success be ours, it is
wholly due to the might and goodness of God. Without His blessing
all our endeavors would be useless. Second, recognize and own His
sovereign grace to be the fount from which proceed all His actings
on our behalf; "because thou hadst a favor unto them." Third, make
known to our children the miracle-working power of God, especially
what He has wrought for us. Fourth, count upon Him undertaking
for us: He is the same almighty God and Savior now as then! What
we read of in Scripture and have heard from our fathers should
strengthen faith, encourage prayer, stimulate hope: "Thou art my
King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob" (Ps. 44:4). Thou art
my sovereign Lord, my sure Defense against all enemies, my all-
sufficient Redeemer. Intervene on my behalf, confound my foes,
grant me the victory. Thou hast but to speak and it is done, to
"command" and it standest fast.
"And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them
with a great slaughter" (Josh. 10:10). Therein we behold a solemn
exemplification of Christ’s utterances in Matthew 18:6, "But whoso
shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he
were drowned in the depth of the sea." Jehovah had previously acted
in accordance with that principle in connection with Egypt, for it
was because Pharaoh oppressed and afflicted the Hebrews so sorely
that his land and people were visited by the ten great plagues. And
now the five kings of Canaan had provoked the Most High by their
assault upon Gibeon (vv. 4, 5), for its inhabitants had made peace
with Joshua and with the children of Israel, entering into a league
with them, and thereby coming under the Lord’s protection. As
pointed out in a previous article, the Gibeonites are to be regarded as
young converts, and in seeking their destruction the Amorites had
affronted God Himself, for as the prophet assured His people, "he
that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye" (Zech. 2:8, and cf.
Acts 9:1, 4). Many of those Amorites had fallen beneath the sword
of Israel, but a still greater number died under the great hailstones
which the Lord cast upon them from heaven (v. 11). In whatever
direction they fled the vengeance of God overtook them, for as
Isaiah 28:21, informs us, the Lord acted in "wrath" with them.
A great number of the Canaanites had fallen, but the remnant
of their armies continued in flight. Joshua was reluctant that
complete victory should be prevented by failing daylight, and
though he and his men had marched all through the preceding night
(v. 9) in hastening to the relief of the sorely menaced Gibeonites, so
that he could spring a surprise attack upon their invaders, and
though they had been engaged in fighting and pursuing the
retreating foe over the mountain passes, yet he was loath to call a
halt before his task was completed. We therefore behold him, next,
supplementing his self-sacrificing diligence by a remarkable display
of faith: "he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon" (v. 12). From the
natural standpoint that appears like the act of a madman, and even
from a spiritual aspect it seems to be the height of presumption. Yet
it was neither the one nor the other: rather was it the exercise of full
confidence in a miracle-working God. Faith must not be judged by
the standards of carnal reason.
But, it may be asked, must not faith have something solid to
rest upon, some word of God’s to lay hold of and direct it?
Generally, yes; but not necessarily something specific in every
instance. For example, when David committed his fearful sin in
connection with Uriah, no provision was made for such a case, nor
had he any promise from God which he could plead. What then did
he do? Psalm 51 reforms us. He cast himself upon the known
character of his God. No sacrifice was appointed under the law for
murderers, and therefore the guilty one here acknowledged, "Thou
desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it" (v. 16). What then?
"According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions" (v. 1) was his plea. And Psalm 32:5, shows it
prevailed! Again, when Daniel was cast into the lions den, so far as
the Scripture informs us he had no definite word from God of
deliverance, yet he was delivered and that "because he believed in
his God" (Josh. 6:23)—without any specific promise to appropriate
to his case, Daniel’s faith confided in the power and sufficiency of
his God to extricate him from his perilous position; and the Lord did
not confound him. Of course not! It is always safe to trust Him.
In the present instance there is little room for doubt that
Joshua had an extraordinary impulse or impression made on his
heart by the Holy Spirit, for that alone will satisfactorily account for
so pious a man asking God to do this unprecedented thing, as it
alone explains why He granted such an unheard-of request. It may
be objected that nothing is here said of Joshua making any request.
Neither are we told in 1 Kings 17 that Elijah made request of the
Lord that there should be a drought, yet James 5:17, informs us that
he did: "he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not
on the earth by the space of three years and six months." But further,
let it be duly noted, we are reformed that "Then spake Joshua to the
Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the
children of Israel" (v. 12). Surely that confirms the thought
expressed at the opening of this paragraph, that Joshua acted here in
response to an extraordinary impulse from above, as was not
infrequently the case with eminent servants of God during the Old
Testament era.
"Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord
delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said
in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou,
Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." The two things, it will be noted, are
here joined together, and their order intimates their relationship. The
inspired record here is too brief to justify dogmatic assertions. To us
it appears that Joshua asked God’s permission so to command the
sun, or that while he communed with Him he received corn mission
to do so. As Matthew Henry pointed out, "The prayer had not been
granted by the Divine power, if it had not been dictated by the
Divine grace. God wrought this faith in him and then said
‘According to thy faith,’ and to the prayer of faith ‘be it unto thee.’ It
cannot be imagined, however, that such a thing as this should have
entered into his mind if God had not put it there. A man would have
a thousand projects in his head for the completing of the victory,
before he would have thought of desiring the sun to stand still; but
even in the Old Testament saints ‘the Spirit made intercession
according to the will of God.’ What God will give, He inclines the
hearts of His praying people to ask, and for what He will do, He will
be inquired of (Ezek. 36:37)."
Not only was Joshua’s ordering of the sun to stand still a
glorious exhibition of his faith and implicit confidence in God, but it
also manifested his zeal in the service of God. This appears more
plainly if we bear in mind what has already received our notice,
namely that he had engaged in a tiring uphill march all through the
previous night, and then had been employed in fighting from early
dawn till late that day, for the terms of this double command to the
celestial luminaries intimate that the sun was then near the hour of
its setting, and the moon of rising. Yet instead of now welcoming a
respite, and an opportunity to rest himself and his men, his heart
longed for the prolongation of the hours of daylight, so that he might
complete his task and utterly exterminate the enemy. How blessedly
he here typed out the One who declared by the Spirit of prophecy
"the zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up" (Ps. 69:9)! In its
practical application unto ourselves this detail makes it evident that
there must be unwearied efforts put forth by us in our spiritual
warfare and that we are not to rest satisfied with partial victories, but
must continue fighting until complete success is ours. No doubt
Joshua and his men found "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength" (Isa. 40:31), and so shall we, if we do likewise.
"He said in the sight of all Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibeon." To express himself thus before all his army evinced how
strong was the assurance of his faith. Joshua was not afraid that the
Lord would put him to confusion before the people. Confident that
God had inspired his cry, he doubted not that it would be answered.
It was to the Almighty, the creator of the sun and moon, that he
looked, and with Him all things are possible. Doubtless, he counted
too on Jehovah’s special favor unto His covenant people. Moreover,
He had said; "I have delivered them into thine hand" (v. 8), and
therefore the remaining Amorites must not be allowed the
opportunity of escaping under the shelter of nightfall. Looking
higher: what anointed eye can fail to see in his action here a striking
adumbration of Christ as the miracle-worker, who, by His many
wonders and signs, gave proof that He was not only the promised
Messiah, but none other than God, manifest in flesh. How vividly
does Joshua’s staving the planets in their courses remind us of that
One who had such command over the elements that His disciples
marveled saying, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds
and the sea obey Him!" (Matthew 8:27).
"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies" (v. 13). This is
one of the favorite passages which infidels scoff at. Wise in their
own conceits, they affirm that for such a thing to happen as is here
recorded is contrary to science and philosophy. We do not propose to
waste any time in replying to them. It was long ago pointed out by
Bishop Watson, "The machine of the universe is in the hand of God,
and He can stay the motion of any part, or of the whole, with less
trouble than any of us can stop a watch." If a human engineer can
slow the speed of an express train by putting on the brake, and bring
it to a complete standstill by cutting off the steam, what cannot the
Divine engineer do with any ponderous body which He has Himself
set in motion. The sun is but an instrument, made by God to perform
His good pleasure. That He is in no wise dependent upon or limited
by it is clear from the fact that light existed and the earth was
clothed with vegetation before the sun was made (Gen. 1.)! By the
miracles of Joshua 10:13, and Isaiah 38:8, the Most High
demonstrated that the daily rising and setting of the sun is not from a
blind instinct of nature, and that He controls its course: "which
commandeth the sun, and it riseth not" (Job 9:7).
"And the sun stood still." Here, as in many other passages,
we are taught that the Lord God has a superintendence over all the
creatures of His hand. He sends forth His imperious commands not
only unto angels and men (Dan. 4:35), but to the birds of the air (1
Kings 17:4) and to the wild beasts (Dan. 6:22), yea, to inanimate
things. He issues His edicts to the clouds and to the light of the sun
and they promptly submit and obey. He addresses the light as though
it were a rational creature: He commands it not to shine and it shines
not. The host of heaven, as well as the inhabitants of the earth, are
entirely at His disposal. The whole course of nature moves or stands
still at the mere will of its Maker. As the sun stood still at His word
through Joshua, so at His fiat it went backward in the days of
Hezekiah (Isa. 38:8), and it is by His orders that the same sun, at any
time, withdraws its genial beams and is muffled up with dark
vapors. "With clouds He covereth the light; and commandeth it not
to shine by the cloud that cometh bewixt" (Job 36:32).
Those who profess to believe in an omnipotent God do but
betray their crass folly when they attempt to reason, and conclude
that He either cannot or does not exercise His power in other ways
than those known to our very limited experience. It is true that the
sun rises and proceeds in a natural course, yet only by Divine
commission. Though nothing in nature be more constant than the
rising of the sun, God can suspend its motion whenever He likes. He
who at first commanded it to rise can easily countermand it. What is
swifter in motion than the sun? All creatures upon earth are but slugs
in comparison; the eagle of the air but a snail. Yet God can stop it
instantly. When He sends forth His prohibition it cannot stir a foot
till He removes that prohibition. It shone not for three days upon
Egypt (Ex. 10:22). Since He can stop the sun from shining what
cannot He do! Great indeed is God’s power: equally great is His
goodness, which causes the sun to shine upon the evil and
unthankful when it is in His power to withhold it. How little is that
realized by the world! O that men would praise the Lord for His
goodness and for His wonderful works unto the children of men.
Nothing is more "natural" than the succession of the four
seasons; nevertheless, there is so great diversity and such marked
inequality between summer and summer and winter and winter
(even in the same part of the earth) that it is obvious to all
enlightened minds that each is controlled and regulated by a new
and particular providence of God. It was indeed wonderful that
when a blind beggar cried, "Son of David, have mercy on me," Jesus
stood still, and commanded him to be called," and healed him (Mark
10:48, 49). Behold there "the Sun of righteousness" stayed in His
course by the appeal of a poor sinner! There are some who think the
action of Joshua in this amazing incident foreshadowed Christ at His
second coming when He saves Israel, appealing to Zechariah 14:7:
that in the day of the Lord’s battle with the nations "it shall come to
pass that at evening time it shall be light," upon which, at present,
this writer has no definite opinion, either pro or con; having learned
from long experience to be very chary of prophetical speculations.
Sufficient for him to know that whatever the Lord has purposed,
promised, or threatened concerning His future dealings with the
earth will certainly come to pass.
Rather would we dwell upon the practical message which
this miracle has for us today. The Christian’s confidence in the Lord
ought to be greatly strengthened by a pondering of the same. Though
God no longer halts the sun in its course, yet He does many
remarkable things in answer to the believing supplications of His
people. When George Muller was crossing the Atlantic to fulfill an
important preaching engagement, his ship. was delayed by a dense
fog off the coast of Newfoundland. Said he to the captain," I have
never yet been late for an appointment: let us go to prayer." The fog
lifted almost immediately and the ship arrived in port on time! When
entering our train from Chicago to Pittsburgh (April 1931) we
encountered a Christian lady in distress. The porter had wrongly put
her into an express, which would carry her hundreds of miles
beyond her destination; and the ticket collector informed her that
there was no possibility of the train halting at her village. The writer
and his wife reminded her that nothing is too hard for God. We had
special prayer, and were able to assure her that the Lord would stop
the train. Some hours later she was told to get ready, and it stopped
for a few seconds. Some of our readers in Pennsylvania will recall
this incident, for they saw the letter of thanks which Mrs. Pink
received, telling of how the experience had brought her to trust more
fully in a miracle-working God.
 "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this
written in the book of Jasher"? (v. 13). The book of Jasher is
generally thought to be the same as "the book of the wars of the
Lord" mentioned in Numbers 21:14. A further reference is made to it
in 2 Samuel 1:18. Apparently it was a book in which were
chronicled outstanding events in the fighting of Israel. The fact that
this miracle was recorded in such a book during the lifetime of
Joshua not only indicates the deep impression which this
phenomenon had made upon the minds of the people but attests its
verity. As at a later date Israel sang, "Saul hath slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands," so they would recite this
memorable deed of Joshua’s which had an effect upon the whole
frame of nature, producing an alteration therein. What is still more
important, this miracle is referred to in the inspired writings of the
prophets: "The sun and moon stood still in their habitation" (Hab.
3:11). As a miracle is of Divine causality—an event wrought in the
external world by the immediate power of God—so miracles are
authenticated by Divine testimony—usually by at least "two
witnesses."
Remarkable as was this event, it by no means stands entirely
alone in a class by itself. We have already alluded to Exodus 10:22,
and Isaiah 38:8, and would further compare the statement that "the
stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (Judg. 5:20), and also the
star which miraculously moved and led the wise men from the East
to the house where the infant Savior then was (Matthew 2.). But let
us also point out the mystical interpretation which may be
legitimately made of what has been before us. As God controls the
movements of the sun, causing it to shine brightly or to be overcast
with dark clouds, so it is with spiritual light. Those parts of Africa
and Asia upon which the Sun of righteousness shone so blessedly
during the first three centuries of this Christian era have since been
under the black dominion of Mohammedanism, and such lands as
Italy and Spain, which were favored with the glorious light of the
Gospel in the days of Paul, have long languished under the darkness
of popery. On the other hand, heathen lands are now being
evangelized. God orders spiritual light and darkness as truly as the
natural.
What most impresses us in connection with this miracle is
the clear demonstration which it affords of the supremacy of God
and His absolute control of all creatures. There was no power in
Joshua nor any extraordinary dispensation committed him to exert
such an influence upon the whole frame of nature as to produce so
great an alteration therein. No, it is clear that he had a Divine
warranty to speak that which he knew Jehovah Himself was about to
effect. He first addressed himself to Him in prayer, then received
assurance from Him, and then at his word the heavenly bodies
remained stationary for many hours. Therein we behold how the
living God is both the alpha and omega, the first cause and the last
end, the wise contriver and the sure moderator of everything, to His
own glory, according to the counsel of His own will. Thus will faith
perceive the wisdom, goodness and power of God in every event.
Anything short of that is virtual atheism, which gives God no place
in His dominion over the world. Writing on Joshua 10:13, John Gill
said, "How this is to be reconciled with the Copernican system or
that with this, I shall not inquire." Wise man not to pretend to
understand what has not been Divinely revealed. Wiser still in
refusing to allow the theorizings of a Prussian astronomer to cast
doubt on what He has made known, or to suggest an interpretation
which "harmonizes" the same with the hypothesis of "science falsely
so called" (1 Tim. 6:20).
Makkedah
"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the
people had avenged themselves upon their enemies" (Josh. 10:13).
Therein demonstration was made of the absolute supremacy and
invincible might of Jehovah. Three great miracles were wrought that
day by the Lord on behalf of his people, for they are explainable by
naught but Divine causation. First, there had been the great
hailstones that God had cast down from heaven, and which were
remarkable for their magnitude, their efficacy and their
discrimination—more of the Amorites dying from them than by the
sword of Israel, and so directed that none of the latter were even
injured by them. Second, the sun standing still in mid heaven, and
remaining so for "almost a whole day." Third, the staying of the
moon in her course, for it is to be noted that Joshua (as the type of
Christ) had addressed her directly: "Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon" (v. 12)—evidently
he did not believe that the two bodies acted so automatically m
conjunction that it was unnecessary to give distinct command unto
the latter, for in such case he would have spoken only to the sun. It
was therefore a different and additional miracle that the moon also
"stayed," as is further evident by the Holy Spirit’s separate mention
of each in verse 13.
It is exceedingly solemn to observe that these extraordinary
displays of God’s power were judgments upon the Canaanites, and
that like the great deluge in the days of Noah, the destruction of the
cities of the plain by fire from heaven, and the fearful plagues upon
Egypt, the miracles of Joshua 10 were interpositions of Jehovah for
the express purpose of destroying the wicked. This presents to us an
aspect of the Divine character which, in the vast majority of pulpits,
has been deliberately ignored and suppressed for the past fifty years,
until the Deity of Holy Writ is now, even in Christendom, "the
unknown God." Those miracles make it clearly evident that God’s
holiness is as real as His grace, His justice as His mercy, His wrath
as His love; and they require to be given equal prominence in the
preaching of those who profess to be His ministers. They were so by
the Divine Preacher: neither prophet nor apostle spoke so plainly or
so frequently as did Christ upon the fearful portion awaiting the lost:
such expressions as "the wrath of God," the "damnation of hell,"
"the furnace of fire [where] there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth," the "worm that dieth not and the fire that is not quenched,"
were upon His lips much oftener than "the love of God."
It is the lamentable and patent dishonesty of so many pulpits
during the past two or three generations that is so largely responsible
for the moral corruption of our nation today. Of old the Lord
complained of those in Israel "whose lips should keep knowledge,"
that "ye have not kept My ways, but have been partial in the Law"
(Mal. 2:9), and thus has history repeated itself. Instead of declaring
"all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), unfaithful men dwelt only on
those portions of the Truth which made for their own popularity,
deliberately omitting whatever would be unpalatable to their
unregenerate hearers. Such a one-sided portrayal was made of the
Divine character that the Most High was not held in awe; the moral
law was relegated unto the Jews, so that sin became to be regarded
lightly; and the soothing opiate that God loves everybody took away
all fear of the wrath to come. Thousands of thinking men forsook
such an effeminate ministry, and those who continued under it were
lulled soundly asleep. The children of the former, for the most part,
grew up entirely godless; while those of the latter believed in a
"god" which is the figment of a sickly sentimentality. And, my
reader, where there is no reverence of God and respect for His Law,
there will never be genuine regard for human law.
In consequence of such widespread perfidy on the part of the
"churches," and the disastrous effects thereof upon the community,
an insulted and incensed God is now dealing with Christendom, not
in grace, but in judgment! Never was an error so plainly exposed as
"Dispensationalism" has been during our lifetime. So far from the
"silent heaven" of Sir Robert Anderson and his school, the heavens
have been thundering loudly. Instead of this Christian era differing
from all previous ones, by an exemption from open displays of
God’s anger, it has been, and still is, marked by such with increasing
frequency and severity. True, the Day of Salvation has not yet
expired, the way of deliverance from the everlasting burning is still
available for every individual who accepts the free offer of the
Gospel; nevertheless, God has a controversy with those who have
slighted His authority and ignored the claims of His righteousness. It
is an obvious fact that His judgments have fallen the heaviest upon
those parts of the earth which have enjoyed the most spiritual light
but deliberately closed their eyes to it. He has ceased using the "still
small voice" of winsomeness, and has been speaking loudly in the
earthquake and the fire (1 Kings 19).
 "And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the
Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for
Israel" (v. 14). Those words supply definite confirmation of our
remarks upon verse 12, that these miracles were wrought by God in
answer to the supplication of His servant—he had at first addressed
himself unto the Lord in private, and then, in the hearing of Israel, to
the luminaries of heaven. Therein we behold the amazing
condescension of the Most High, that he deigns not only to listen to
the voice of His creatures, but also to respond to their appeals. It
should be pointed out that, as so often in Scripture, the language of
this verse is relative and not absolute—both before and since then
God has often listened to the voice of man, but not to the extent of
altering the movement of the whole planetary system. In this
extraordinary instance we may perceive how, once more, the Lord
made good His promise to Joshua, in Joshua 3:7, and, as the man
whom He delighted to honor, further "magnified him in the sight of
all Israel." The final clause of the verse tells us why Jehovah so
acted on this occasion—to make it still more evident that He was the
Captain of Israel’s armies, and that when He laid bare His mighty
arm none of their enemies could stand before Him. These
supernatural phenomena must have made a deep impression upon
the surrounding nations, especially those given to the study of
astronomy.
"And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp
to Gilgal" (v. 15). This verse is by no means free of difficulty, for in
view of what is recorded in verses 17-20 it would appear that both
Joshua and his men remained for some time in the vicinity of
Gibeon; while verse 21 is still more definite—"and all the people
returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah." Moreover, as Scott
pointed out, "It is most unlikely that Joshua would march his army
twenty or thirty miles in the midst of victory"—especially after
marching all the previous night and being so strenuously engaged
that supernaturally prolonged day. The absence of the word "Then"
at the beginning of the verse precludes the necessity of our
understanding it to mean that they returned immediately unto "the
camp to Gilgal"; and since identically the same statement is made in
verse 43, we regard this in verse 15 as being said by way of
anticipation and not as something then accomplished. Ultimately
they returned there: to acquaint the congregation with their victory,
to render public thanks to God, and to resume and complete their
preparations for the northern campaign (Josh. 11:1-7). Note well the
"all Israel with him," which was yet another miracle—not one had
been killed by the hail or slain by the Canaanites!
"But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at
Makkedah" (v. 16). These were the same kings mentioned in verse 3,
who had determined upon the destruction of Gibeon. That very
morning they had proudly stood at the head of their armies, only to
see them utterly routed and almost annihilated, not only by the
sword of Israel but also by the artillery of heaven. The tables had
indeed been turned with a vengeance, as the opening "But" of the
verse is designed to emphasize. Instead of seeking to rally the
remnants of their armies and leading their men in a final stand, they
were panic-stricken, and ignominiously took to their heels in an
attempt to preserve their own lives. They must have realized that
more than human forces were arrayed against them, and, filled with
terror, they sought to escape the avenger. Doubtless they cherished
the hope that the darkness which was due would aid their escape,
and they must have been utterly dismayed by the supernatural
prolongation of the daylight. They had traveled quite a distance from
Gibeon, but the relentless chase of those who sought their death still
continued (v. 10).
The "cave" incidents recorded in the Scriptures are of
considerable variety. The first one noticed was the place of
unmentionable degradation on the part of Lot and his daughters after
their merciful deliverance from Sodom (Gen. 19:30-38). The next is
where Abraham honorably purchased the field of Ephron, wherein
was a cave which became the burial place of his wife Sarah (Gen.
23:17, 19), as another was the temporary sepulcher of Lazarus (John
11:38)—not so the Savior’s, whose holy body was laid in a new
tomb "hewn out in the rock" (Matthew 27:60). In the cave of
Adullam, David and his loyal followers found asylum from the
murderous designs of Saul. At a later date another cave provided
shelter for fifty of the Lord’s prophets, when Obadiah hid them from
the wicked Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4), to which allusion is made in
Hebrews 11:38. The final reference is in Revelation 6 when in the
great day of the Lamb’s wrath—of which Joshua 10 provided a faint
adumbration, for in that day too the heavenly bodies shall be
affected—the kings of the earth and the great men shall hide
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and shall
say unto them, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb" (vv. 12-17).
"And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found hid
in a cave at Makkedah" (v. 17). We may perhaps connect this verse
with the fifteenth, and understand by its language simply that Joshua
had planned to return at once unto Gibeon. Before actually carrying
out his design, apparently, he determined to make sure that
vengeance had been executed upon the ringleaders of the
unprovoked attack upon Gibeon. The fact that Joshua was here told
that these kings were "found" suggests that he had given instructions
to make search, and ascertain whether the five kings were among
those captured, or if their corpses could be identified upon the field
of battle. Whether it was some of his own men who had succeeded
in locating the fugitives, and now acquainted Joshua with their
hiding place, or Canaanitish traitors who had observed their taking
refuge in this cave, and desired to ingratiate themselves with Joshua
by turning "informers," we know not the bare fact alone is stated:
their attempt at concealment had failed. It is to be borne in mind that
they were endeavoring to escape not only the sword of Israel, but the
vengeance of God—for "the Lord fought for Israel" (v. 14) and
concealment from Him was impossible.
"And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon the mouth of the
cave, and Set men by it for to keep them" (v. 18). Observe the
collectedness of Israel’s leader even in the heat of battle. Instead of
being elated and excited by the tidings he had just received, or
perturbed because it conflicted with his intention of returning
forthwith to Gibeon, he calmly gave orders which would effectively
prevent the escape of the kings, securing them in the cave until such
time as would be convenient for them to be brought before him and
dealt with as they deserved, for the next two verses indicate that
information had also just been received that Israel’s task on this
occasion had not yet been completed. "The kings escaped the
hailstones and the sword, only to be reserved to a more ignominious
death; for the cave in which they took shelter became first their
prison and then their grave" (T. Scott). Very similar was this to the
case of Pharaoh, who survived the ten plagues upon the land of
Egypt, that he might be a greater and more notable memorial of
God’s wrath and power. Both instances supply illustrations of that
solemn declaration, "The Lord knoweth how . . . to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished" (2 Pet. 2:9).
"And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite
the hindmost of them; suffer them not to enter into their cities: for
the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand" (v. 19).
When directing the battle against the King of Ai it appears that
Joshua stood on some eminence where he could be seen by his men
and from which he issued his orders (Josh. 8:18, 26). But on this
occasion they were in a mountainous section of Canaan where the
terrain was much more broken, which precluded such a policy. It is
clear from verse 10 that after the principal engagement the Amorites
fled in several directions. Possibly the main body of those who took
to their heels had been slain, and Joshua concluded that the death-
dealing hail had accounted for the remainder, and had therefore
commenced preparations for the return to their headquarters. But the
information he had recently received caused him to change his
plans, and to issue the above order. His "stay ye not" implies that
there had been a pause, and he now gave this word to stimulate his
men unto a final effort. Well as they had done, and weary as they
might be, this was no time to relax or to sit down congratulating one
another.
Note the argument made use of by Joshua as he here
encouraged those under him to redouble their efforts and finish the
work required of them: "for the Lord your God hath delivered them
into your hand." It may well be that they were reluctant to act so
ruthlessly, and that there was some doubt in their mind about
pursuing so merciless a policy. Having completely defeated them in
battle, and seen a still greater number killed by the hailstones,
should not the remaining survivors be shown clemency? But neither
Joshua nor those under him were free to please themselves in this
matter: "when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou
shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no
covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them" (Deut. 7:2—
repeated in verses 16-23). That Divine command was a general and
not a universal one, being limited as to time ("when") and qualified
by Deuteronomy 20:10, 11. On each occasion the task of Israel’s
army was to be regulated by that Divine mandate. That it must be so
in this instance was made unmistakably clear by Jehovah’s words to
Joshua in verse 8, "I have delivered them into thine hand," and
therefore they must slay the Amorites without pity or respite.
"And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel
had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till
they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered
into fenced cities" (v. 20). The closing words of this verse make it
clear that, notwithstanding the extremely heavy losses which the
Amorites had sustained, some of them succeeded in making good
their escape. That some of them would do so was intimated by
Joshua’s "smite the hindmost" in the preceding verse. It was too late
then to round them all up: only the laggards in the rear could be
overtaken. So it is in the spiritual warfare of the Christian: even after
his greatest victories, some of his enemies still survive. In view of
God’s dealings with Israel we need not be surprised at this, for at a
later date He told them: "I also will not henceforth drive out any
from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: that
through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of
the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not" (Judg.
2:21, 22).
"And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at
Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the
children of Israel" (v. 21). That "all the people returned to the camp"
shows that none of the Israelites had been slain by the enemy. So it
is spiritually. Whatever buffetings the believer endures, none of his
graces can be destroyed by Satan. That the men of Israel returned to
the camp to Joshua in peace shows how the saint should conduct
himself when he has been granted success over his foes, namely,
seek and enjoy communion with the antitypical Joshua. That none
moved his tongue against them demonstrates how fully the fear of
God had fallen upon the Canaanites: so awed were they that none
dared to curse their victors, or utter a word of reproach against them.
Let us remind the reader once more that Israel’s conquest
and occupation of the land of Canaan present to us a typical picture
of the Christian’s warfare and present enjoyment of his spiritual
inheritance. That warfare is many-sided, and constitutes one of the
principal parts of the "service" in which the Lord requires His
people to be engaged, and which renders all their other actions
unacceptable unto Him while it be disregarded. Alas that we are
living in a day of such gross darkness and crass ignorance that
comparatively few, even in Christendom, have any scriptural
concept of the kind of enemies which the saint is called upon to
conquer, or the nature of that work in which he ought to abound. The
worst of his foes is neither the world nor the Devil, but rather "the
flesh." It is not external temptations but inward lusts that constitute
his gravest menace and greatest danger. It is the subduing of those
"fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Pet. 2:11), the resisting
of his inbred corruptions, which the believer is to be constantly
occupied with, for while they be neglected all his other efforts to
please God are in vain. "From whence come wars and fightings
among you [Christians]? come they not hence, even of your lusts
that war in your members?" (Jam. 4:1).
It is the mortification of their lusts and the cultivation of their
graces which is the lifelong task that God has set before His
children. The greater part of the New Testament consists of the
epistles, which are addressed directly to the saints, and they will be
searched in vain for any exhortation which bids them preach to
others, engage in evangelistic activities, or do "personal work." On
the other hand, those epistles will be found to abound in such
injunctions as, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. . . . Let us therefore cast off the works of
darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Rom. 6:13, 13:12),
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1), "That ye put off concerning
the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and
that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:22-24), "Be diligent that ye
may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Pet.
3:14).
There is the scriptural answer to the oft-raised question,
What can I do for the Lord in return for all He has done for me?
How can I best express my gratitude for His wondrous mercy? By
keeping "thy heart with all diligence" (Prov. 4:23), for true godliness
is not so much a thing of the head, or of the hand, but of the heart.
Therein lies the "sphere of his service." There he will discover more
than enough to keep him diligently engaged the remainder of his
days: to transform a barren wilderness, or rather a neglected field
(Prov. 24:30, 31), into a garden for his Master to delight in; to root
out the weeds and burn up the thorns and thistles, and to replace
them with fragrant flowers and luscious fruits; for only then will he
be able to say, "Let my Beloved come into His garden, and eat His
pleasant fruits" (Song 4:16). But alas, pride and the restless energy
of the flesh cause him to be occupied with the gardens (souls) of his
fellows, instead of working out his own salvation with fear and
trembling. It is much easier to preach unto others than to gain the
mastery over sinful self. It is greatly to be feared that many a
Christian has cause to say, "They made me the keeper of the
vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept" (Song 1:6).
 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth:
fornication. uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness" (Col. 3:5). Here is the duty enjoined, the great
task assigned. The tense of the verb expresses continued action, that
which is to be our daily concernment and practice, and not merely
by fits and starts. The evil lusts here named are termed "members"
because indwelling sin is compared with an organism—"the old
man" (Eph. 4:22), "the body of this death" (Rom. 7:24). In addition
to our natural bodies, there is a body of corruption, which wholly
compasses the soul—"the body of the sins of the flesh" (Col. 2:11).
"Your members which are upon the earth" is added to prevent our
supposing that the reference is to a mortifying of our physical
bodies, for external macerations are of no avail. It is our depraved
nature which uses these lusts, as the natural body does its members.
Sin is very much alive in the Christian, for the flesh or evil nature is
ever opposing the spirit (Gal. 5:17), and he is called upon to employ
no half measures in resisting the same. Corrupt propensities are to
be dealt with unsparingly, sinful desires sternly denied, evil thoughts
rejected with abhorrence.
Dangerous enemies are not to be handled gently, and sin is to
be shown no mercy, but is to be so striven against that we earnestly
seek to slay it. "Mortify" means put to death, destroy. Extinguish all
lustings after earthly and carnal things which are opposed to the
spiritual anti heavenly life which we have in and from Christ. Yet
the term is not to be understood absolutely, in the sense of slaying so
as to deprive of the being of sin; but rather to render it useless. In
Romans 4:19, we read of Abraham that "he considered not his own
body now dead," yet it was not so absolutely; but its natural vigor
was greatly abated. Hence Hebrews 11:12, speaks of his being "as
good as dead." As Owen well expressed it, "To mortify signifies a
continued act, in taking away the power and force of anything, until
it ceases to be dead unto some certain ends or purposes." The flesh
cannot be subdued without our doing violence to its affections, and
the figurative expression of "mortifying" is used to denote the
painfulness and troublesomeness of the task. But however
unpleasant the duty, we only make more pain for ourselves it be
neglected. Neglect weakens and wastes indwelling grace, for it is
impossible for sin and grace to be strong in the soul at the same
time.
Now it is this aspect of our spiritual warfare which is in view
in Joshua 10:17-27. In the slaying of those five kings we have
shadowed forth the Christian’s obligation to mortify his lusts and
render impotent the sin which indwells him. There are several
respects in which those kings typed out the believer’s corruptions.
First, they belonged to an alien race, being Amorites: so, too, the
lusts of the flesh are not a part of man’s original nature. Second, they
sought to slay the Gibeonites, who were a figure of young converts:
in like manner, the flesh is hostile to the spirit. Third, they were
defeated by the men of Israel: thus also is the saint frequently given
the victory over his temptations. Fourth, they hid in a cave: after
their temporary defeat, our lusts cease their raving and we are
granted a respite. Fifth, they were then rendered helpless by Joshua’s
orders (v. 18), as our passions are when Christ rebukes them and
bids them be still. Sixth, they were taken out of their concealment
and brought before Joshua, teaching us that Christ alone can deal
effectually with our enemies. Finally, the captains of Israel were
bidden to place their feet upon the necks of these kings, after which
they were slain.
In the preceding articles on Joshua 10 we have already
covered, from the historical standpoint, the first five of the above
points, and we must now consider more distinctly their typical
significance ere turning to the final ones. The great work of
mortification in which God calls His people to engage consists of a
constant endeavor to subdue the ragings of indwelling sin, in order
that they may serve and glorify Him. Sin is an active principle, ever
inclining us to evil—"warring against’ the new nature (Rom. 7:23),
hindering us from that which is good, drawing off the heart from
holy duties or distracting us in them; and therefore it is to be
steadfastly resisted. Complete exemption from its power is not
attainable in this life, but its influence over us may be greatly
diminished. Mortification is to be extended unto every internal
disposition which is evil, as well as unto our external acts, refusing
to hearken to their solicitation and denying them that food on which
they could feed (Rom. 13:14), vigorously opposing them as water is
cast upon fire. We are to aim at extirpating not only those gross sins
which are condemned by men, but even those which are condoned
and admired by the world.
When the five kings had met with a summary defeat at
Gibeon, they "fled, and hid themselves in a cave" (Josh. 10:16).
Similar is the experience of the believer when the Lord has granted
him a notable victory or a blessed season of revival in his soul: his
heart rests sweetly on Christ and inward peace is now his portion.
Nevertheless, though quiet, his enemies have not ceased to be, and
therefore he needs to make close inspection within, and deal with
what will again cause him trouble if it be left to itself. Thus we are
told that Joshua was informed, "The five kings are found hid in a
cave" (v. 17), which implies that a diligent search had been made for
them. Israel’s leader then gave orders for great stones to be rolled
upon the mouth of the cave, and men set before it "for to keep them"
(v. 18). Such is our responsibility: to use every means appointed by
God for the subduing and suppression of our lusts, and preventing
their breaking forth into renewed activity. Said the apostle, "I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection" (1 Cor. 9:27). Said the
Psalmist, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might
keep Thy Word" (Ps. 119:101).
"Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring
out those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they did so, and
brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave: the king of
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of
Lachish, and the king of Eglon" (Josh. 10:22, 23). The opening word
of those verses is both important and significant, for it not only
indicates the connection between them and verse 21, but also serves
to intimate and introduce a prophetic picture of things to come. First,
there had been "a very great slaughter" of the Lord’s enemies (v. 20),
as there will be at the close of this world’s history (2 Thess. 1:7-9;
Rev.19:11-15). Second, "all the people returned to the camp to
Joshua at Makkedah" (v. 21)—a blessed foreshadowing of the entire
Church being gathered around the antitypical Joshua after their
warfare is accomplished. Third, "none moved his tongue against any
of the children of Israel" (v. 21): in like manner will the supremacy
of Christ and His redeemed be recognized and owned in the great
day to come (1 Cor. 6:2, 3, Rev. 2:26). Fourth, Joshua did not
personally fetch these kings out of their hiding place, but called
upon others to bring them before him: so before Christ "shall be
gathered all nations" (Matthew 25:32)—by "the holy angels" of
verse 31, the "reapers" of Matthew 13:30.
Those kings had thought more of their own skins than of the
welfare of their men. They had fled for their lives and sought refuge
from their pursuers. But in vain—impossible to evade the vengeance
of God. Their place of concealment was soon discovered, and at the
time which best suited Joshua they were brought before him and
dealt with as they deserved—those who foment war rarely escape
the worst of its consequences. No further respite was allowed them:
these kings, who had determined the destruction of the peaceful
Gibeonites, must now appear before Israel’s commander. Awful and
solemn moment was that: an illustration of what shall take place at
the final assize, when the wicked will have to stand before and be
judged by the great Joshua. They who made lies their refuge shall
then be exposed. They who sought shelter in a nominal profession
and mingled with the people of God shall then be openly discovered.
None can be concealed from the eyes of Omniscience, none escape
His tribunal. "Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies" (Ps.
21:8), and then will they prove what a fearful thing it is to "fall into
the hands of" the One they opposed.
In Joshua’s requiring the kings to be brought before him, the
Christian is taught that he must (in prayer) bring all his foes—be
they inward lustings or outward temptations—to the Savior, for it is
not by his own strength he can vanquish them. Next, "Joshua called
for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of
war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks
of these kings." And we are told, "They came near and put their feet
upon the necks of them" (v. 24). Very striking is this, and most
important the spiritual instruction contained therein. Being dealt
with in this manner betokened that these kings were in complete
subjugation unto the people of God. And that is the attitude which
faith is to take unto all its enemies, regarding them as foes already
defeated—not by himself, but by his victorious Head; and, as a
member of His body, sharing therein. Christ has gloriously prevailed
over sin and Satan, and it is the Christian’s privilege to appropriate
the same unto himself. Has not God promised him, "Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou
trample under feet" (Ps. 91:13)? That is realized each time the saint
treats with contempt and abhorrence the evil solicitations of Satan
and his agents.
What we have just said ought to be the constant and uniform
experience of the believer. That it is not so is due in part to his
failure to plead daily the promise of Psalm 91:13, and count upon
the Lord making it good more fully unto him. God has "put all
things under His [Christ’s] feet" (Eph. 1:22), which is explained by,
"Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet (Heb. 2:8); and
by Joshua’s bidding his captains place their feet upon the necks of
these defeated kings we are thereby shown that our Savior would
have His people bring into subjection their spiritual enemies and
share in His triumph over them. He would have them plead before
God the efficacy of His sacrifice, and beg Him to grant them a
deeper acquaintance experientially of its cleansing virtues. Is it not
written, "they overcame him [the Devil] by the blood of the Lamb"
(Rev. 12:11)? And so shall we, if we trust in its sufficiency—not
only to put away our sins from before God, but also to enable us to
prevail over them in our present warfare. Christ has made believers
"kings and priests unto God" (Rev. 1:6), then let them earnestly seek
grace to act as such, having dominion over themselves, ruling their
spirit (Prov. 16:32; 1 Cor. 6:12).
"And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be
strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your
enemies against whom ye fight" (v. 25). The ultimate and complete
victory of the believer is infallibly certain. "The God of peace shall
bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you" (Rom. 16:20). The juxtaposition of those two
things should be carefully noted, the second one intimating that the
first statement is made for the express purpose of quickening us to
fight the good fight of faith. The issue of that fight is not left in the
slightest doubt. The members of Christ’s body must be partakers of
the victory of their Head. In emphasizing the prediction of Genesis
3:15, too little attention has been given to the promise of Romans
16:20. Christians have to do with a foe that was completely defeated
at the cross, for through death Christ annulled him who had the
power of death (Heb. 2:14) and spoiled principalities and powers,
triumphing over them (Col. 2:15). Those consolatory declarations
are made to encourage us to resist the Devil, regarding him as a foe
already conquered, as one who has no claims upon us, as one whom
at the close God will tread under our feet; and the extent to which
we appropriate "the [available] grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" will
be the measure in which we shall tread him underfoot now.
"And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and
hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees
until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down
of the sun, that Joshua commanded and they took them down off the
trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and
laid great stones in the cave’s mouth, which remain until this very
day" (vv. 26, 27). The mightiest of those who have rebelled against
God and persecuted His people will yet be treated with the utmost
ignominy and summary judgment. Hanging them upon trees
demonstrated that they were accursed of God (Gal. 3:13). "Though
hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. Their wisest
counsels prove a snare to entangle them, their most valiant and
vigorous exertions expose their weakness and end in disgrace and
dismay, their choicest blessings are changed into a curse and their
secret retreats become their prisons or their graves! Kings and
mighty captains, who are disobedient to God, will at last be treated
as arch-rebels, to be distinguished only by the deepest infamy and
heaviest vengeance; and all the Israel of God will join the triumph of
the Captain of their salvation in trampling upon the necks of their
proudest opposers, exclaiming, ‘So let all Thine enemies perish, O
Lord’ (cf. Psalm 149:6-9)" (Thomas Scott).
Challenged
One or two details m the closing verses of chapter 10 which
lack of space prevented a consideration of in our last issue, must be
noticed here. First, it is blessed to observe that all which is recorded
from verse 28 onwards manifests how fully the faith expressed by
Joshua in verse 25 was vindicated. There he had encouraged the
captains of his men of war, for as they placed their feet upon the
necks of the five conquered kings of the Amorites, he boldly said
unto them, "Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good
courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom
ye fight." What implicit confidence in the living God did he there
display! There is nothing in the context to show that Israel’s leader
had received a recent assurance from his Master to that effect: rather
do we consider that his heart was resting upon that word he had long
ago received through Moses—"Thine eyes have seen all that the
Lord your God hath done unto these two kings [namely Og king of
Bashan, and Sihon of the Amorites, who opposed Israel in the
wilderness and were overthrown]: so shall the Lord do unto all the
kingdoms whither thou passest" (Deut. 3:21).
There can be no doubt that that promise became the "sheet
anchor" of Joshua when he came to be elevated to the position of
commander-in-chief of Israel’s forces. He had "mixed faith" with the
same (Heb. 4:2) and it became the stay of his soul until his arduous
and dangerous task had been completed. He had already received
more than one definite "earnest" of the Lord’s making good that
word: Jericho and Ai had fallen before them, and the five kings of
the Amorites had been utterly routed. But much heavier fighting
now lay before them. They had barely made a beginning, and far
more yet remained to be accomplished. But Joshua had no doubts,
no fear of the outcome. His trust was in the Lord of hosts, and he
was not afraid to commit himself before others. Fully assured of the
Divine fidelity, he boldly avowed his confidence therein before and
unto his brethren. What an example for Christian leaders to follow!
"My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear
thereof, and be glad" (Ps. 34:2). The confident language of those
who are well acquainted with the Lord is an inspiration to those of
their brethren of less experience. They who have proved the Lord’s
goodness should give free expression thereto that others may be
confirmed in their trust of a faithful God. Thus it was here with
Joshua.
"And the Lord delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel,
which took it on the second day" (Josh. 10:32). That detail marks a
difference from the other Canaanitish towns captured by them.
Libnah (v. 30), Eglon (35), Hebron (37) and Debir (39) were
apparently mastered in a single attack; but not so Lachish.
Spiritually, that teaches the Christian that some of his lusts are more
powerful than others, and require a longer and more determined
effort on his part to subdue them. And, too, an initial failure to enter
into possession of a particular portion of our inheritance must not
deter us from making a second effort to do so. Ellicott pointed out
that it appears from other scriptures too that Lachish was a fortress
of considerable strength. When Sennacherib king of Assyria "came
up against all the fenced cities of Judah" (2 Kings 18:13), although
he personally "laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with
him" (2 Chron. 32:9), yet he had to abandon his attempt to reduce it
(2 Kings 19:7, 8). At a later date, when Nebuchadnezzar invaded
Judah in the reign of its last king, Lachish was one of the two places
which were the last to be conquered: "for these defensed cities
remained of the cities of Judah" (Jer. 34:7).
Our reason for here calling attention to the above historical
fact is twofold. First, because it supplies a striking illustration of the
Divine inspiration of the Bible from its minute accuracy and
consistency. Those three passages, though lying so far apart, agree in
showing that Lachish was a city of considerable strength and one
which was more than ordinarily difficult to capture. It is one of
innumerable evidences of the authenticity or genuineness of Holy
Writ, which by silent testimony bears witness to its perfect harmony.
This argument, drawn from unmistakable coincidence without
design, will have greater weight with those best qualified to weigh
evidence. In the mouths of three independent witnesses (Josh., the
writer of 2 Chronicles and Jeremiah) the truth of what they wrote is
hereby established, for their separate allusions unto Lachish are
unstudied and without collusion, yet are they thoroughly consistent
and concordant. Second, because by comparing Joshua 10:32, with
those latter passages we learn that Israel succeeded where such
mighty warriors as Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar failed, which
teaches the valuable lesson that under God His people are able to
achieve what the natural man cannot!
"And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one
time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel" (Josh. 10:42).
Another indication of the Divine authorship of the Bible are those
words. There is no magnifying of the human instrument, no paying
homage to a national hero, but, instead, a placing of the glory, where
it rightfully belongs. This is but one of a score of similar passages m
which we may perceive the Holy Spirit’s jealousy of the Divine
honor, wherein Israel’s successes are attributed unto Jehovah’s
showing Himself strong in their behalf. This He does in a variety of
ways, for when the Lord fights for His people He fights against their
enemies. In the case of Pharaoh and his army, He filled them with a
spirit of madness, so that they rushed headlong to their destruction;
in others, He instilled a spirit of fear so that they fled when no man
pursued them (2 Kings 7:6, 7), and then is made good that word,
"The flight shall perish from the swift . . . and he that is courageous
among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord"
(Amos 2:14-16). A true humility in Christ’s servants today will
recognize and readily acknowledge the same principle when their
labors are made to prosper.
"And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp
to Gilgal" (v. 43), which seems to intimate that during the lengthy
campaign in which they had been engaged none of the Hebrews
were slain, but that their complete force returned safe and sound to
their headquarters. It is not without reason that the Holy Spirit
mentions by name the place where their camp was situated, for it
points at least three most important and valuable lessons for us.
First, Gilgal was, spiritually speaking, the place of self-judgment
and conscious weakness (see our Joshua articles 27 and 28), for it
was there that the Israelites were circumcised (Josh. 4:19; 5:2, 3),
and that should ever be the place unto which the Christian has
recourse after his victories, for only as he preserves a sense of his
own nothingness will his strength be maintained. Second, Gilgal was
the place of Divine fellowship: "the children of Israel encamped in
Gilgal, and kept the Passover" (Josh. 5:10): only as communion with
God is maintained may we count upon Him granting us further
success in the light of faith. Third, Gilgal was me place where the
tabernacle was erected (Josh. 6:6), where the priesthood officiated,
where sacrifices were offered, and where the Lord manifested his
presence.
We would fain believe that when Joshua and all his men
returned to Gilgal that, before acquainting their families with the
details of how graciously and wondrously the Lord had wrought for
them in their battles, they first offered sacrifices of thanksgiving
unto Him, and rendered public praise for the notable successes
which He had vouchsafed them. The least they could do was to
acknowledge Him who was the Bestower of their conquests. And the
same is true of us, my readers: the only fitting way in which we can
celebrate our spiritual triumphs is to give the whole of the glory of
them unto their Author, as that is likewise the best preparative for
the further fighting which lies before us. We are diligent and earnest
in making supplication unto the Lord when we are hard pressed by
the foe, and we should be equally explicit and fervent before Him
when He has granted us deliverance. He requires us to make known
our requests with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), and it is more and more
our conviction that one chief reason why so many of our requests
are refused is that we fail to appreciate sufficiently those He has
granted. God will not set a premium upon ingratitude.
But even though the Christian returns to the place of self-
abasement after his victories, enters into sweet communion with the
Lord and duly acknowledges His favors, he must not expect that
henceforth all will be plain sailing for him. It was not so with Joshua
and Israel, for the very next thing we read after their return to Gilgal
is, "And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those
things, that he sent to Joab king of Madon, and to the king of
Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph. . . . And they went out, they
and all their hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is
upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.
And when all these kings were met together, they came and pitched
together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel" (Josh. 11:1-
5)! Here is a throwing down of the gauntlet with a vengeance.
Hitherto the Canaanites had acted on the defensive, for it was Israel
who assaulted Jericho and Ai, and the attack of the five kings had
not been against Joshua, but the Gibeonites; but now they took the
offensive, fiercely challenging Israel’s right to remain in Canaan.
There is an old saying that "Any fool can make money, but it
takes a wise man to keep it." Certainly it requires much diligence
and care for the Christian to retain what he has acquired spiritually,
to maintain the progress he has made, to consolidate that portion of
his heritage which he has entered into, for the great enemy of souls
will strive hard to deprive him thereof. He challenged our first
parents in Eden while in their sinless condition, for it was abject
misery unto him to see them happy. This principle runs all through
Genesis. When God prospered Abraham in Canaan and his flocks
and herds increased, such strife arose between his herdsmen and
Lot’s that they could no longer dwell together in peace. Later, the
Philistines filled with earth the wells which his servants had dug
( Genesis 26:15), and when Isaac’s men dug new ones the men of
Gerar objected, challenging their right to the same, and striving with
them ( Genesis 26:20, 21). When Jehovah made known His purpose
that Rebekah’s elder son should serve the younger, she had the
effrontery to contest His decision ( Genesis 25:23; 27:6, etc.). When
by means of dreams it was made known that the rest of his brethren
should be subservient to Joseph and pay him homage, they
determined to prevent the fulfillment thereof.
 Even Joseph challenged the desire of his dying father to
bestow his principal blessing upon Ephraim (Gen. 48:17). When the
Hebrews were peacefully settled in Goshen "there arose up a new
king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph" (Ex. 1:8), who was
jealous of and fiercely assailed them. And all these things have been
recorded for our instruction, to teach us to expect that attempts will
be made to dispossess us of our rightful portion. Yea, we find that
Satan blatantly and impiously assaulted the Holy One, challenging
Him to supply proof of His deity—since you be the Son of God,
"command that these stones be made bread." So too during His
public ministry: again and again he stirred up the priests and
Pharisees to demand by what authority He did this and that. Such
opposition is epitomized in the parable of the wheat and tares: no
sooner had Christ sown the good seed in the field than His right
thereto was challenged by Satan’s sowing darnel therein.
The Devil sought to rob the apostles of their portion, as is
clear from the words of Christ: "Satan hath desired to have you, that
he may sift you as wheat" (Luke 22:31)—His use of the plural
pronoun shows that more than Simon was involved. How long was
it after Pentecost before the enemy stirred up Saul of Tarsus to
persecute the primitive Christians and encompassed the death of
Stephen? No sooner had Peter been Divinely sent unto Cornelius
and a blessed work of grace commenced among the Gentiles, than
there was determined opposition and an attempt made to bring the
same to an end by denying Peter’s rights to evangelize the Gentiles.
The Book of Acts records instance after instance of attacks made
upon the peace and prosperity of one church after another. What
force do all the above examples give to our need of taking heed of
that exhortation "hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5:21), for
the flesh, the world and the Devil will combine in seeking to get us
to relinquish the same. Because of the corruptions of our hearts, the
temptations of Satan, the allurements of the world, we are in real
danger of letting go what is more precious than rubies. Having
bought the Truth, we must resolutely see to it that we "sell it not"
(Prov. 23:23).
 It is not without good reason that the Lord has bidden His
people to "hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering"
(Heb. 10:23), and never was it more imperative that they attended to
that injunction. We must, despite all opposition and persecution,
continue in and press forward along that narrow way which leads
unto life, for only he that endures unto the end shall be saved. No
matter how fiercely you be assailed, surrender not your ground, but
steadfastly maintain your profession. That "hold fast" presupposes
inducements to compromise and renounce. It signifies the putting
forth of our utmost endeavors to remain steadfast. "Hold that fast
which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Rev. 3:11). Adhere
firmly thereto in faith and with a good conscience: never was it
more needful to do so. The character of these times demands
unfailing loyalty and unswerving devotion to Christ and to all He
has committed to us. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run
all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Cor.
9:24)—it is not the start but the end which determines the fitness to
wear the crown.
Thus it will be seen, once again, that the passage before us
contains lessons of deep importance for the Christian, particularly
regarding his spiritual warfare and present enjoyment of his
heritage. The children of Israel had made quite a little progress in
their conquest of Canaan, but now they were very seriously
challenged as to their occupancy. A most formidable attempt was
being made to dispossess them, yea, utterly to vanquish them. In
chapter 10 only live kings united in their attack upon Gibeon, but
here there was a federation of all the remaining kings of Palestine.
The vastness of the forces deployed by them appears in "even as the
sand that is on the sea shore," and with them were "horses and
chariots very many" (v. 4). Ah, my reader, Satan will not readily
admit defeat! He did not in connection with Job, but renewed his
assault again and again. "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a
man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Then he saith, I will return. . . . Then goeth he, and taketh with
himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter
in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the
first" (Matthew 12:43-45)!
The believer must be prepared for such challenges being
made to him, for if Satan opposed our invulnerable Head it is not to
be expected that he will leave alone the vulnerable members of His
mystical body; and though at the command of Christ he departed
from Him, it was only "for a season." So it is with us. We may be
enabled by grace so to resist the Devil that he will flee from us
(James 4:7), yet we may be sure that it will not be long before he
returns and resumes the conflict. Nor are his efforts confined to
individual saints: he assaults their assemblies too, as the New
Testament and all ecclesiastical history of this Christian era shows--
how many churches’ candles have been put out by him because of
lack of watchfulness on their part, or through failure to take a firm
stand against him! That word of the apostle to the church officers at
Ephesus needs to be laid to heart by all holding a similar position
today: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock,
over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I
know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock. . . . Therefore watch" (Acts 20:28-
31).
These paragraphs are not being written merely to fill up
space, but in the endeavor to supply young believers with a timely
warning, to put them on their guard against the onsets of their
adversary. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and though we may
not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, yet all of us need to be frequently
reminded of them. At no one point does he more often assail than in
seeking to take from us what is ours. In Matthew 13:19, our Lord
solemnly pointed out that the wicked one is able to catch away that
which was sown in the heart, yet the fault is our own if we suffer
him to do so. He will endeavor to rob us of some Divine promise
which we are trying to rest upon, by denying our personal title to the
same. He will challenge our warrant to some particularly helpful
portion of the minister’s sermon, saying that it pertains not to us. He
will call into question our right to peace of conscience and joy of
heart. He will oppose us when reading the Word or engaged in
prayer. In short, we must expect to be challenged by him at every
point, and seek grace steadfastly to resist him.
In concluding this article let us take note that Joshua 11
opens with the word "And," which intimates that this formidable
federation of the Canaanites took the field against Israel while they
were at Gilgal (Josh. 10:43), which is one reason why we have
entitled this meditation "Challenged." There is nothing which more
enrages Satan than to behold the saints taking the place of conscious
weakness before the Lord, or enjoying blessed communion with
God as they feast with Him upon the Lamb; yet there is never a time
when it is so certain that he will meet with no success as he attempts
to vent his enmity against them, for it is impossible for him to injure
any who "dwelleth in the secret place of the most High," for of such
it is declared, he "shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty,"
and therefore can he confidently affirm "I will say of the Lord, He is
my refuge and fortress: my God; in Him will I trust." For the
promise to him is "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler" (Ps. 91:1-3). Those who live a life of fellowship with God
are assured of His protection, and may therefore preserve a holy
serenity of mind, assured that He will repel their foes and defend
them. Nevertheless, as Scott pertinently pointed out, "The believer
must never put off his armor, or expect durable peace, till he closes
his eves in death."
 Joshua 11:1-12:24
The Final Conquest
A Challenge Met
Before developing the central theme suggested by the verses
which are now to be before us, let us offer a few comments upon
their setting. "And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had
heard those things, that he sent" a message to many of his fellow
kings, and they, with their armies, met together to fight against Israel
(Josh. 11:1-5). It has been pointed out by another that "Jabin seems
to have held in northern Palestine a similar position of power and
influence to what Adonizedek king of Jerusalem did in the south." If
the reader refers back to Joshua 10:1-5, he will find that that king
had done precisely the same thing, except that his assault was made
not directly against Israel, but upon the Gibeonites who had made
peace with them. It is a trite remark to say that "history repeats
itself," nevertheless it is one which casts an unfavorable reflection
upon fallen human nature, for it is tantamount to acknowledging that
one generation fails to profit from the faults of those who preceded
them and avoid the fatal pits into which they fell. What proof that all
are "clay of the same lump (Rom. 9:21), and that "As in water face
answereth to face, so the heart of man to man" (Prov. 27:19).
"When Jabin . . . had heard these things." Once more we
meet with this important word: compare Joshua 2:10; 5:1; 9:1, 9;
10:1; and note the various reactions of those who received such
tidings. It is true that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God" (Rom. 10:17), yet it is also a fact that "The hearing
ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them"
(Prov. 20:12). True alike both naturally and spiritually, for morally
man is both deaf and blind to the things of God (Matthew 13:13,
14), and therefore the voice of mercy is disregarded and the sinner
perceives no beauty in Christ that he should desire Him. To his need
and to the remedy he is alike insensible. Until a miracle of grace is
wrought within him, his imagination is darkened and his heart
closed against God. That is why multitudes that hear the Gospel with
the outward ear profit not, and those who are saved under it and
receive it into their hearts do so solely because God has made them
to differ from their unbelieving fellows. Jabin "had heard" of the
destruction of Jericho and Ai, but instead of trembling thereat he
hardened his heart. Thus do sinners rush madly to destruction,
notwithstanding the repeated warnings they receive from the deaths
of their godless fellows.
That which is recorded in the beginning of Joshua 11 looks
back to and is the sequel of what was briefly noticed by us in Joshua
9:2. That was preliminary, a consulting together, and probably a
determining and promising how strong a force each king was
prepared to contribute unto the common cause. This was the
materialization of their plans and the actual taking of the field by
their armies.
Up to that point the Canaanites had acted more or less on the
defensive, but upon hearing of the overthrow and burning of Ai they
determined to take the offensive. First, the various kings mentioned
in Joshua 11:1-3, considered that now their own interests were
seriously threatened it was time to unite their forces and make a
massed attack upon Israel. Second, the king of Jerusalem and his
satellites agreed to fall upon the Gibeonites. The latter was the first
to be carried into execution, and, though it met with failure and the
utmost disaster, Jabin and his confederates (which appears to have
included all the Canaanites to the utmost western and northern
borders) were undeterred, and instead of casting themselves upon
Israel’s mercy determined to destroy them in battle.
This "league of nations" or uniting together of several kings
and making common cause was no new thing even at that early date,
for Genesis 14:1-3, reveals that centuries before there had been what
might well be designated "the western bloc of nations" assailing "the
eastern power and its tributaries." But this movement was to meet
with no more success than had the concerted measures taken by
Adonizedek." And they went out, they and all their hosts with them,
much people, even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in
multitude, with horses and chariots very many" (Josh. 11:4). A real
challenge was now made to Israel’s further occupancy of the land,
and a most terrifying sight must it have presented to the natural eye.
This vast assembly was not only far more numerous than any force
which Israel had previously encountered, but it was much more
formidable and powerful, being provided with a great number of
horses and chariots, whereas Israel’s army was on foot (Deut.
17:16): note the absence of the mention of horses in Genesis 24:35;
26:14; Job 1:3—they are seen first in Egypt (Gen. 47:17).
As a protest against the slavish literalism which now exists
in certain circles, and as a demurrer against those who insist that the
words of Revelation 7:9, "a great multitude, which no man could
number," mean exactly what they affirm, a few words require to be
said upon our being told that the assembled hosts of the Canaanites
were "even as the sand that is upon the sea shore in multitude." One
had supposed that any person of average intelligence and education
would at once perceive that such language is hyperbolical, and
therefore not to be understood according to the strict letter of it.
Such a rhetorical figure is frequently used in Scripture for the
purpose of producing a vivid impression. Thus, in the days of Moses
the Lord declared He had multiplied Israel "as the stars of heaven
for multitude" (Deut. 1:10). When the Midianites assailed Israel it is
said, "they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and
their camels were without number" (Judg. 6:5) and "as the sand by
the sea side for multitude" (Josh. 7:12). The Philistines who
gathered themselves together against Saul are described as "the sand
which is on the sea shore in multitude" (1 Sam. 13:5). When God’s
judgments were on Israel He declared, "Their widows are increased
to Me above the sand of the seas" (Jer. 15:8). Nineveh is said to have
multiplied its merchants "above the stars of heaven" (Nah. 3:16).
Thus, "as the sand which is upon the sea shore" is a
proverbial expression to signify a great number. Before such massed
armies Israel might well be affrighted, especially since they were at
such a disadvantage, entirely on foot. In the light of Judges 4:3, it is
highly probable that the chariots commanded by Jabin were of iron,
and, as was customary of those used by the ancients in warfare,
armed with terrible scythes, to cut down men as they drove along.
Doubtless such a host would be fully assured of an easy victory, but
they were to discover, as others both before and since have done,
that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong"
(Ecclesiastes 9:11). The size and might of this assembly only made
its overthrow the more notorious and demonstrated more evidently
that it was the Almighty who fought for Israel. Since they were the
aggressors, Israel were fully justified in destroying them. In like
manner will God in the day of judgment have abundant cause to cast
into hell those who have rebelled against Him and strengthened
themselves against the Almighty (Job 15:25).
We entitled the preceding article "Challenged" and
concluded by pointing out that the last verse of Joshua x shows us
Israel at Gilgal—the place of conscious weakness and of
communion with God—and that while there the enemy could not
harm them. In substantiation of that statement, we quoted the
opening verses of Psalm 91. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (v. 1).
Without attempting to indicate the typical allusions of that figurative
language, or entering into any niceties of exposition, suffice it to say
that spiritually it signifies that they who live in close fellowship with
God are in the place of safety and security. No evil can reach them
there, or, as Spurgeon expressed it, "the outstretched wings of His
love and power cover them from all harm." "I will say of the Lord,
He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust" (v. 2).
That was the inference the Psalmist drew from that fact, the
application he made to himself of that blessed promise. Confiding in
the Lord, resting on His word, he knew that he was fully protected
from all the storms of life and the malice of his foes. No matter how
many, how powerful, how relentless his enemies, he was resolved to
trust in Him who was his covenant God, his all in all.
"Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His
feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy
shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night;
nor for the arrow that flieth by day" (vv. 3-5). In those words we are
permitted to hear the Psalmist’s holy soliloquy, assuring himself
that, regardless of what form the enemy’s attack should take or when
it came, he had an unfailing shield in the Lord, and therefore there
was nothing for him to fear. And that is just as true today, my reader,
as it was three thousand years ago. He who unreservedly places
himself in the hands of God is perfectly secure in the midst of all
dangers—infallibly so in connection with his soul, and reasonably
so in regard to his body—and therefore should he enjoy full serenity
of mind when his godless fellows are filled with alarm and terror.
But let it be carefully noted that verse 1 is the foundation on which
rests all that follows. It is only as close communion with God be
maintained that the soul will be able to confide in and rely upon Him
in seasons of stress or peril. While we dwell in the secret place of
the most High, the most skillful deceiver cannot beguile nor the
most formidable foe harm us.
The greater the dangers menacing God’s people, the greater
support may they ask for and expect from Him. The more entirely
their hearts be fixed on Him as their strength and deliverer, the more
certainly shall their spiritual enemies be subdued by them. See this
most strikingly exemplified here in Joshua 11: "And when all these
kings were met together, they came and pitched together at the
waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. And the Lord said unto
Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time
will I deliver them up all slain before Israel" (vv. 5, 6). First, let us
observe that Jehovah here made good the word that He had given
through Moses: "When thou goest out to battle against thine
enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than
thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee . . . to
fight for you against your enemies, to save you" (Deut. 20:1, 4).
How this reminds us of the declaration, "He is faithful that
promised" (Heb. 10:23)! One of the titles which Deity has taken
unto Himself is "The faithful God" (Deut. 7:9). How safely then
may He be relied upon! None ever yet really trusted Him in vain.
"And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of
them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain
before Israel." Very striking indeed is that statement and most
blessed. Does the reader perceive its real force as he weighs its
connection with what immediately precedes? Surely it is apparent:
the challenge made by the Canaanites was not simply against Israel,
but against Israel’s God! It is like what we find in the opening
chapters of Job, where something very much more than a satanic
attack upon that patriarch is in view. The evil one dared to assail
Jehovah Himself, for when He asked him, "Hast thou considered My
servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an
upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" we are told
that "Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for
naught? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his
house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed
the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land"
(Josh. 1:8-10). That was a maligning of the Divine character, for it
was tantamount to saying that Job worshipped God not for what He
was in Himself, but merely for what He had bestowed upon him.
What we have just pointed out is made yet plainer in Satan’s
next words: "But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he
hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face"—so far from adoring Thee
because of Thy personal perfections, Job merely renders a
mercenary service for what he gets from Thee. Base insinuation was
that: Job is Why dutiful servant not because he has any love for Thee
or genuine regard to Thy will, but from selfish principles, and that
reflects no credit on Thee. It was an impugning of the Divine
character, a blasphemous challenging of God’s ,own excellency. As
the sequel shows, the Lord accepted the challenge, and by so doing
made fully evident the adversary’s lie, for after he had been allowed
to slay his sons and seize his possessions, the Lord gave Job the
same commendation as before: "a perfect and an upright man, one
that feareth God, and escheweth evil, and still he holdeth fast his
integrity, although thou movedst Me against him" (Josh. 2:3). Thus
did God glory over the baffled Devil and upbraid him for his failure,
for Job was equally loyal to Him in adversity as in prosperity. Still
Satan was not satisfied: "all that a man hath will he give for his
life . . . touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy
face" (Josh. 2:4, 5). And again he was proved a liar, for the patriarch
declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Josh. 13:15).
Though the circumstances were different, the same principle
was really involved here in Joshua 11:—the Devil’s enmity against
and opposition to God. For it was the Lord who had given Canaan
unto Abraham and his seed, and He it was who had brought them
into it. Palestine was Israel’s by right of Divine donation. But now
the occupancy of their inheritance was hotly challenged. All those
kings with their armies were determined to destroy them. The
gauntlet was thrown down: let it be put to the issue was the language
of their actions. The Lord promptly accepted the challenge, and let it
be known unto Israel that "he that toucheth you toucheth the apple
of His eye" (Zech. 2:8). Blessed figure of speech was that: telling
not only of the inherent weakness and tenderness of the Lord’s
people, but intimating their nearness and dearness unto Himself.
God strongly resents any affront done to them, and will severely
punish those who seek to harm them. Therefore did the Lord
immediately assure Joshua that there was no reason for him to be
dismayed by this imposing force of the enemy: they were but
flinging themselves upon "the thick bosses of His bucklers" (Job
15:26), rushing headlong to their destruction, as would be made to
appear on the morrow. So likewise, in the end, will all the works of
the Devil be destroyed.
A most important truth is exemplified in all that has been
pointed out above, yet one that is little apprehended by God’s people
today, namely that Satan’s assault upon them is really an attack upon
their Lord—upon them only because of their relationship to Him.
That is illustrated again in Acts 9: for when He arrested Saul of
Tarsus on the road to Damascus, as he was "breathing out
threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," He
said, "why persecutest thou Me?"—it was the Devil who was
impelling Saul, as it was Christ and not merely His disciples against
whom he was venting his animosity. And thus it is now. As God
suffered Satan to afflict Job so sorely, not because that patriarch had
given occasion to be severely chastised, but in order that his
integrity might the more plainly appear and the Divine character be
vindicated, so He still permits the adversary both to tempt and buffet
His people, that their steadfastness (in varying degrees, but always
from a total apostasy) may redound to His own glory. As we are told
in 1 Peter 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ"—not only, and not principally, theirs, but primarily
and pre-eminently God’s.
The practical value of this important truth scarcely requires
to be pointed out. Since it be the Lord Himself rather than His
redeemed against whom the venom of the serpent is ultimately
aimed, how secure are the saints in His hand! Secure, because His
own personal honor is involved in their preservation, He has given
definite assurance that
"This is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all
which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day" (John 6:39), that they shall "never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand" (John 10:28), and
therefore if the Devil were to bring about the eternal destruction of a
single one of them Christ would be eternally disgraced. But such a
calamity is utterly impossible, for though Satan be mighty, the Son
of God is almighty. Upon that fact, in full persuasion of the
everlasting preservation of every soul who has fled to the Lord Jesus
for refuge, may each believer rest with implicit confidence. Here,
then, is yet another important lesson taught the believer in this
invaluable book of Joshua concerning his spiritual warfare, namely
that the contest is, ultimately, between Satan and his Savior, and
therefore the issue cannot be in the slightest doubt: as surely as
Joshua and the children of Israel overcame and vanquished all the
Canaanites who came against them, so will Christ and His Church
triumph gloriously over the Devil and his angels.
But further. It is the believer’s privilege to realize, especially
when fiercely assaulted and sorely pressed by the foe, that the
outcome of the fight in which he is engaged rests not with him, but
with the Captain of his salvation, and therefore to Him he may turn
at all times for succor and for victory. What the Lord said here unto
Joshua the Christian should regard as being said unto himself: "Be
not afraid because of them." Those who are now arrayed against the
Christian and who seek his destruction shall soon themselves be
destroyed. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet
shortly" (Rom. 16:20), and meanwhile, as the apostle immediately
added, "The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Amen." But just as
that assuring word spoken to Joshua was addressed unto his faith
and could be enjoyed only by the exercise of that grace in the
interval before its fulfillment, so serenity of mind while menaced by
his foes can only be the believer’s as he by faith appropriates that
promise unto himself. Then let his triumphant language be, "Behold,
God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2). In
proportion as he does so will he be warranted in resting on that
declaration, Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with
His feathers." (Ps. 91:3, 4).
In our last we considered the Divine response made to the
formidable movement inaugurated by Jabin and his fellows. the
Lord promptly took up the cudgels on behalf of His menaced
people. He assured His servant that he need entertain no fear
whatever about the outcome, promising him, "I will deliver them up
all slain before Israel" (Josh. 11:6). In like manner is the Christian to
be assured, and therefore it is his holy privilege to enter upon and
engage in the good fight of faith resting on the sure pledges of God,
confident of a successful issue. "He is faithful that promised" (Heb.
10:23). The more we meditate upon the veracity of the Promiser, the
more will faith be strengthened. In proportion as we truly realize
that we have to do with One who cannot lie, the greater confidence
shall we have in His Word. Instead of being so much occupied with
the difficulties of the way (which will but engender doubts), we need
to look above unto Him who has given us such "exceeding great and
precious promises" (2 Pet. 1:4) to be the stay of our hearts, to cheer
and gladden us. Those promises are to be treasured up in our minds,
for they are both the food of faith to nourish and strengthen it and
the fuel of faith to stoke and energize it, otherwise it will lack that
which is necessary for its activity, as a fire will not burn without
wood or coals—thus coldness of heart is due mainly to faith being
deprived of its fuel!
There will be little or no success in our spiritual warfare
unless we make much of the Divine promises, and still more of the
Promiser Himself. The foes that have to be encountered are far too
powerful to be overcome by any might of ours, and therefore must
we look to Him whose soldiers we are. If we do so, no matter how
great our weakness or formidable the task assigned, the Lord will
not fail us. "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to
conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age,
because she judged Him faithful who had promised" (Heb. 11:11).
There were strong impediments in the way of her faith, and at first
She was staggered by them, but as she regarded the immutability
and fidelity of the Promiser her doubts were stilled, faith prevailed,
and strength was given. As Manton well said, "Every Divine
promise has annexed to it the challenge, ‘Is anything too hard for the
Lord?’" As in Sara’s case, so with us, very often there is a fight with
unbelief before faith is established on the promise. But instead of
suffering obstacles to hinder faith, they should be made a help to it
—arguing, Here is a grand opportunity for me to prove the
sufficiency of my God. He never promises more than He is able to
perform. His word never exceeds His power: "Faithful is He that
calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24).
It should be duly considered that this massing of the
Canaanites against Israel occurred not soon after they entered the
land, nor did they encounter anything like such an opposing force
either at Jericho or Ai. No, rather was this trial met with after they
had made considerable progress in taking possession of their
heritage. Thus it was too with the father of all them that believe:
each new test of Abraham’s faith was more severe than the
preceding ones. And so it is in the Christian life. Thus it is the
mature and aged warrior to whom this word is most appropriate: "Be
not afraid." Why should Joshua fear? Since God had so wondrously
delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt, overthrown Pharaoh and
his chariots in the Red Sea, provided for them all through their
wilderness journey, miraculously opened the Jordan for them to
enter into Canaan, most certainly He was not going to abandon them
now and allow them to perish at the hands of Jabin and his armies.
No indeed, when God begins a work He never stops when it is but
half done, but always completes and perfects it (Phil. 1:6). So it was
with Israel under Joshua; and so it is with every elect vessel’ "whom
He justified, them He also glorified" (Rom. 8:30). Much takes place
between the one and the other, but though death itself occurs (as has
been the case with His people for the last six thousand years), the
former guarantees the latter.
Let then the tried and aged pilgrim take comfort from the
Lord’s dealings with Israel, and give no place whatever to Satan’s lie
that God has tired of him. Like the fiend that he is, the Devil seeks
to attack us most fiercely when much oppressed by circumstances or
at our weakest physically. When natural vigor has abated and the
increasing weight of years is felt, he will seek to inject the most
God-dishonoring doubts into the minds of His people. Reject them
with abhorrence, and rest on the Divine assurance, "I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Heb. 13:5). He who has cared for His
child all through the years most certainly will not forsake him or her
in the time of old age. He who has responded to your cries in former
days will not turn a deaf ear now that your voice has grown feeble.
"He shall deliver thee in six troubles [has he not done so?]: yea, in
seven [the final one] there shall no evil touch thee" (Job 5:19). Past
deliverances are sure earnests of future ones. "And even to your old
age I am He: and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made,
and I will bear; even I will carry, and wilt deliver you" (Isa. 46:4):
those are the "I wills" of Him who is the Truth. Rest your whole
weight on them.
But resting upon the promises does not mean that the saint
may shirk any of his duties, or even relax in the performing of them.
Rather do such Divine assurances involve corresponding
obligations. That is clear from the two halves of the verses quoted in
our opening paragraph: "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)" (Heb. 10:23).
That "for" is very forceful, supplying us with a powerful motive
unto steadfastness and diligence. Since God be faithful to us, we
ought to be faithful unto Him. To hold fast the profession of our
faith is a comprehensive expression which includes every aspect of
the Christian life, and the knowledge that God will infallibly make
good His word unto us is to animate unto fidelity in the carrying out
of its engagements. The Divine promises are not only comforting
pillows on which to rest our weary heads, but cordials to strengthen,
spurs to move us, encouragements for us to press forward along the
way, arguments for us to make use of in prayer. The Divine promises
are the food of faith, and faith is for producing good works. That is
the practical application which the apostle made of the Divine
assurances in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57: Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord."
So far from annulling the believer’s responsibility or
countenancing any slackness in the discharge of the same, spiritual
privileges involve additional obligations. But alas, man is such a
creature of extremes that even a Christian when he be deeply
impressed with one aspect of the Truth is very apt to become so
absorbed with it as to lose sight of and leave out of his reckoning the
counter-balancing aspect of the Truth. Because God performs
everything for us, it does not mean there is nothing for us to do. If
we ascribe the glory unto Him to whom alone it is due we shall
freely own to the Lord, "for Thou also hast wrought all our works in
us" (Isa. 26:12); nevertheless that does not alter the fact He has
bidden us "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"
(Phil. 2:12), yet that too is immediately followed with, "For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
There the two sides of the Truth are placed in juxtaposition, and
notice well the order in which they are set before us. First the
enforcing of our duty, and then the encouraging motive to inspire us
therein. The latter is not added to induce indolence, but in order to
encourage effort. We have no scriptural warrant to expect that God
will show Himself strong in our behalf unless we make conscience
of His precepts and use the means He has appointed. Our bread is
Divinely guaranteed (Isa. 33:16), nevertheless it must be labored for
(John 6:27).
The relation of Philippians 2:13, to Philippians 2:12, is a
double one, being designed both to cheer and to humble us. The
child of God is very conscious of his weakness, and knowing that
the world, the flesh and the Devil are arrayed against him, and
contemplating the tasks set before him—tasks which are spiritual
and far above the compass of mere nature—he asks, How can I
possibly accomplish them? The answer is, Divine assistance is
assured. The believer is not left to himself, but the omnipotent God
operates within as well as for him, and therefore is he to go forth in
the confidence that Divine grace will be sufficient for him. Help is
indeed needed by him, and if he conducts himself aright that help
will certainly be given. On the other hand, he is required to work out
his own salvation "with fear and trembling," that is in a spirit of
humility and lowliness. But how is that possible unto those who are
proud and independent? We are all of us Pharisees by nature—
boastful and prone to self-glorying. How then can we be emptied of
such a spirit? And again Philippians 2:13, supplies the answer. From
this consideration: since it be God who works in me all that is
praiseworthy; then I have nothing to boast of. I am constantly to
remind myself that it is God who makes me to differ from those of
my fellows whom He leaves to themselves. The strongest
inducement possible to produce a self-abasing spirit is the
realization that apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Above we have said that there will be little or no success in
our spiritual warfare unless we make much of the Divine promises:
let us now add that the same is equally true of the Divine precepts.
That also is taught us in Joshua 11:6, for immediately after assuring
His servant, "Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about
this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel," the Lord
added, "thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots with
fire." God’s promises are not designed to further slothfulness, but to
stimulate to the performance of duty. God does not work in us to
promote idleness, but to "will and to do of His good pleasure."
When the farmer sees God working by softening the ground with
gentle showers, he is encouraged to plough and plant his fields.
When the yachtsman perceives God working by stirring the
becalmed air with a breeze, he is encouraged to hoist his sails. So it
is spiritually. Grace is given the regenerate for them to use: "stir up
the gift of God which is in thee" (2 Tim. 1:6). We are to "work out"
what God has wrought in us, yet in complete dependence upon Him.
We must beware of abusing the truth of Divine operations and take
to heart the warning of the lazy servant who hid his talent in the
earth.
To be a successful warrior I must be able to say with David
(and none obtained more military victories than he!): "Thy
testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the
rejoicing of my heart" (Ps. 119:111). We agree with C. Bridges that
when "testimony" occurs in the singular number it has reference to
the Bible as a whole—the entire revelation of God’s will unto
mankind—but when found in the plural it is chiefly the perceptive
parts of Scripture which are in view. This is borne out by verse 138:
"Thy testimonies that Thou hast commanded," and "I have kept Thy
precepts and Thy testimonies" (168). David had chosen God’s
statutes or precepts as his "heritage" to live upon. Not the world did
he select for his happiness, but a heritage of holiness and wisdom,
one which would not fail in time and one that would endure for ever.
He made this choice because he realized their value: that they are
like their Author, namely "righteous and very faithful" (138), and
because he loved them exceedingly (167). So too did the apostle
bear witness: "I delight in the law of God after the inward man"
(Rom. 7:22) —only then will our obedience be acceptable unto Him.
"I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies," and as Spurgeon
said, "If we keep God’s testimonies they will keep us—right in
opinion, comfortable in spirit, holy in conversation, hopeful in
expectation."
 The Divine testimonies are as necessary and essential unto
the believer in his spiritual warfare as are the Divine assurances. It is
the fight of faith which we are called to wage, and as God’s
promises are its food, so His precepts are its directors. Faith has
three great tasks to perform: to trust implicitly in God, to render
obedience to His revealed will, and steadfastly to resist all that is
opposed thereto. The promises provide encouragement for the first,
the precepts light for the second, and the Lord Himself must be
looked unto for strength for the third. So it was in Joshua 11:6: the
Divine promise there was immediately followed by a precept;
Joshua was required to hough the horses of the Canaanites and burn
their chariots with fire. Matthew Henry pointed out that this new
campaign upon which Joshua was now entering "was a glorious one,
no less illustrious than the former in the success of it, though in
respect of miracles, it was inferior to it in glory. The wonders God
then wrought for them, were to initiate and encourage them to act
vigorously themselves. Thus the war carried on by the preaching of
the Gospel, against Satan’s kingdom, was at first furthered by
miracles; but the warfare by then was sufficiently proved to be of
God, and the managers of it are now left to the ordinary assistance
of Divine grace in the use of the sword of the Spirit, and must not
expect hail-stones, or the standing still of the sun."
The order given to Joshua for the houghing of the horses of
the Canaanites and the burning of their chariots involved, of course,
the vanquishing of them in battle. Accordingly we ate told, So
Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by
the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them" (v. 7).
Though it was the Lord Himself who had accepted the challenge of
Jabin and his confederates, and had assured His servant that He
would deliver them up all slain before Israel on the morrow, this did
not signify that he and his men were to remain passive—mere
spectators of God’s working. He was indeed about to act mightily
for them, yet at the same time by and through them! This also needs
to be made clear and emphasized in certain quarters today: not only
where hyper-Calvinism or a species of fatalism holds sway, but also
where a certain type of the "victorious life" teaching is misleading
souls, for the one is as paralyzing as the other. The Christian is
informed that the reason why he so often yields to external
temptations or is overcome by indwelling sin is because he is
making the great mistake of trying to fight his foes personally; that
they will never be conquered until he, "by faith," turns them over to
Christ and counts upon His vanquishing them for him; that the battle
is not his but the Lord’s; that He triumphed over Satan and all his
hosts at the cross; and that if we yield ourselves completely to Him
His victory will be ours without any effort on our part.
There is just sufficient veneer of the Truth to give this line of
teaching a plausible appearance, vet there is also more than enough
repudiation of Scripture to convince all who are subject to God’s
Word of its error. Seemingly it supplies a blessed solution to the
most distressing problem in the Christian life, and at the same time
appears to honor Christ, but in fact it repudiates human
responsibility, and falsifies the teaching of our Lord. Faith is not
only to rest upon the Divine promises and rely upon what Christ has
done for His people; it is also required to bring forth good works,
run in the way of His commandments, follow the example He has
left us. When one of the leaders of this modern movement declares,
"As I trust Christ in surrender there need be no fight against sin, but
complete freedom from the power and even the desire of sin," he not
only inculcates what is contrary to the recorded experience of God’s
people in all ages, but he takes direct issue with Scripture itself. The
Bible speaks of "striving against sin" (Heb. 12:4), wrestling against
principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12), bids the believer "fight the
good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12), enjoins him to "endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ . . . that he may please Him who
has chosen him to be a soldier" (2 Tim. 2:3, 4), and calls upon him
to "put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:11).
It is obvious that the above references, and others of a
similar nature, would be quite useless, meaningless, if the ideal state
of Christian living were a merely passive thing, and if it be summed
up in the catchword of one of its popular advocates, "Let go, and let
God." Most assuredly the believer cannot gain the victory by his
own powers; instead, he is to seek strength from the Lord, and then
to use the same actively and strenuously. To speak of a passive
"overcomer" is to employ words without meaning. To make the
believer a mere onlooker of the Lord’s exploits is to reduce him to
something less than a moral agent. "Stand still, and see the salvation
of the Lord" must not be so misunderstood and misapplied as to
neutralize the exhortation "Let us run with patience [i.e.
perseverance] the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1). "Running,"
like "wrestling" and "fighting," is a figure which expresses the
putting forth of vigorous endeavor. True, we are to be "looking unto
Jesus" while thus engaged, yet run we must. True also that the
Christian is to reckon on the blessed fact that his Savior has
triumphed over Satan, and yet that does not alter the fact that he is
required to "resist the devil." True, God has promised to tread Satan
under our feet shortly, vet be is not there now, any more than
Christ’s enemies have yet been made His footstool (Heb. 10:13).
The ultimate victory is sure, yet it has to be fought for by each one
of us.
Thus it was in Joshua 11. Divine assurance that Jabin and his
army would be slain on the morrow had been given, yet that did not
release Israel from performing their duty. God had made no
announcement that He would destroy the Canaanites by fire from
heaven, as He did the cities of the plain (Gen. 19), or that He would
cause the earth to open her mouth and swallow them up as in the
case of Korah and his company (Num. 16). Instead, He had
promised to "deliver them up all slain before Israel"—a word which
imported, according to its common usage, being killed in battle.
That His servant so understood it is evident, for we are told that he
and all the men of war with him "fell upon them." Joshua did not
seek a defensive position and dig trenches for the protection of his
men, and then sit down and wait for the Lord to work. No, with full
confidence in his Master’s promise, he took the initiative, acted
aggressively, and launched an attack upon the foe—boldly,
suddenly, unexpectedly. God had said "to morrow I will deliver
them up," and, taking Him at His word, Joshua delayed not.
Probably that was the very last thing which the hosts of Jabin were
expecting, and they would be thrown into the utmost confusion from
the very outset.
The Challengers Vanquished
Our design in these articles has been to supply something
more than a bare exposition of the book of Joshua, namely to point
out some of the bearings which its contents have upon us today. A
true understanding of God’s Word is indeed of first importance, for
unless its meaning be rightly apprehended, of what service will it be
unto us? Yet it is the use to which we put it, the measure in which
we appropriate its principles and precepts to the regulating of our
daily walk, that is equally important. "If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them" (John 13:17), that is the test. Thus, to
spare no pains in endeavoring to arrive at the meaning of God’s
Word, that he may give a sound interpretation of the same, is only a
part of the duty resting upon the minister of the Gospel, and
especially the teacher of God’s people. Another part of his work,
equally necessary and exacting, is for him to make practical
application unto his hearers of each passage he takes up, to point out
the various lessons it inculcates, to accommodate it unto the present
condition and circumstances of those to whom he ministers. Only so
will he emulate the example left him by the Divine Teacher of the
Church: only so will he pursue the same course that was followed by
His apostles: only so will he be of greatest service unto His needy,
tried and often sorely perplexed people. It is not the elucidation of
mysteries or light upon prophecy that they most need, but that which
will comfort, strengthen and stimulate them.
Such a policy as just intimated will indeed slow down the
speed of one who undertakes to go systematically through a whole
book of Scripture, or even a single chapter thereof. But so far from
speed being a virtue, it is. more often a vice, as much in modern life
tragically shows. "He that believeth shall not make haste". (Isa.
28:16) holds good of the "opening up" of God’s Word, as it does of
everything else. and must be heeded if souls are to be really edified.
But though such a method will not make for swiftness, yet by God’s
blessing (on much prayerful meditation) it will produce something
far more substantial and satisfying than the superficial
generalizations which now so widely obtain. both in the pulpit and
in the religious press. As the old adage says, "Slow but sure is sure
to do well." Instead of seeing how quickly we could race through the
book of Joshua, we have endeavored to ascertain and then point out
the practical application of its contents unto ourselves and our
readers. Particularly have we dwelt at length upon the many things
in it which illustrate the various aspects of the Christian’s spiritual
warfare: the snares he must avoid. the rules he must observe, the
means he must employ, in order to success therein. We have sought
to call attention to the grand incentives and the real encouragements
furnished by this book to "fight the good fight of faith," and to show
how strength for the same is to be obtained.
In addition, we have endeavored to remove those
"stumbling-blocks" (Isa. 57:14) which various types of error lay in
the path of the Christian warrior. Let us now add a few words to
what was said at the close of our last concerning the misleading
teaching of certain sections of what is known as "the victorious life"
movement. While on the one hand we heartily concur with their
deploring of the carnal and worldly walk of the rank and the of
professing Christians, and agree that many of God’s own people are
living far below their privileges in Christ; yet on the other hand we
neither endorse their language nor believe the remedy they prescribe
is the true one. All of their leaders are decidedly Arminianistic,
which at once evinces that they are unsafe guides to follow. It is
scripturally warrantable to say that some believers are living Christ-
dishonoring lives and acting contrary to God’s revealed will; but that
is very far from justifying the oft-made assertion that He desires to
do this or that in and for them, but they will not let Him. That would
connote a thwarted Redeemer, and obviously a defeated Christ could
not be the Leader of any "victorious" followers! Such a "Christ" is
very different from Him who is no less than "the mighty God" (Isa.
9:6). Verily "the legs of the lame are not equal" (Prov. 26:7), and
they who are proudest of their consistency are often the most
inconsistent in their beliefs and conduct.
 To contend for holiness of life is indeed praiseworthy, and to
urge God’s people to "possess their possessions" and enjoy now the
rich heritage which is theirs in Christ is also a thing most needful;
yet zeal requires to be tempered with knowledge, and if a spirit of
fanaticism is to be avoided all must be tested by Holy Writ. Satan is
never more dangerous than when he appears as an angel of light. To
carnal reason it seems that Christ’s acceptance of the Devil’s
challenge to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple had
been an outstanding act of faith in God to preserve Him from all
injury; nevertheless, His reply shows that such had been an act of
presumption and contrary to Scripture. Likewise, it may strike us as
most honoring to Christ to say that He is ready to do all for us if we
surrender wholly to His control; but the fact is that He will no more
relieve us of personally contending with our foes than He would
repent and believe for us in order to our being saved. Strengthen us
He will, if we seek His grace aright; yet that strength will be given
for the purpose of equipping us to fight the good fight of faith. As
the apostle declared, "I also labor, striving according to His working,
which worketh in me mightily" (Col. 1:29). Nor is there anything in
that statement the least derogatory to His glory; but very much to the
contrary.
Resuming our remarks upon Joshua 11. In view of the great
preponderance of Jabin’s forces over Israel’s, and the weighty
advantage he had in being possessed of so many horses and chariots,
while they were on foot, there can be no doubt that he was not only
fully confident of victory, but that he considered, the initiative lay
entirely in his own hands, and that there was not the least likelihood
of their launching any attack upon him. Yet that was the very thing
that happened. "So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him,
against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon
them" (v. 7). Therein we behold the confidence, the obedience, the
daring and the promptness of faith. Joshua’s confidence lay not in
his own military skill, nor in the valor of his men, but in the sure
promise of the One whom he served. The assault which he now
made upon the Canaanites was not dictated by caprice, feelings, or
carnal reason, but was in compliance with the orders which he had
received from the Lord. His falling suddenly upon Jabin and his
army was not due to any impatience or anxiety for the issue to be
immediately determined, but was the result of laying hold of the
Lord’s "to morrow" in the preceding verse. His action was not a
venturesome or foolhardy one, but a daring to rely upon his God
when faced with what to sight appeared a hopeless situation—as the
Hebrews, and later Daniel, feared not to defy the edicts of the king
of Babylon.
"And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who
smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto
Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they
smote them, until they left them none remaining" (v. 8). Thus did
Israel’s God make good His word through Moses (Deut. 20:1),
fulfill the promise made to His servant, and vindicate the faith of
Joshua. Thus was provided yet another proof of how firm is the
foundation on which has rested the faith of God’s people in all
generations. And thus too did He demonstrate His acceptance of the
impious challenge of Jabin and his fellows, and make it clear that
"There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the
Lord" (Prov. 21:30)—another verse, by the way, whose language is
not to be taken absolutely and where an interpreter is needed to
bring out its sense. As a matter of fact all the wisdom of Satan and
all the policy of the unregenerate is directed, immediately and
actively, against the Lord; yet all in vain. He that sitteth in the
heavens laughs at the most determined and concerted projects of
men against Himself and His Anointed, and fulfils His pleasure
despite them (Ps. 2:1-6). As well attempt to stop the sun from
shining or the ocean from moving as seek to nullify the decrees of
the Almighty. All who make war with the Lamb shall most certainly
be vanquished by Him (Rev. 17:14).
The total failure of Jabin’s long-planned project
demonstrated clearly that there is "no counsel against the Lord"
which has the remotest possibility of succeeding. The best-contrived
policy against Him comes to foolishness. "He taketh the wise in
their own craftiness [not "ignorance "!]: and the counsel of the
froward is carried headlong" (Job 5:13). Pharaoh’s counsel to
depress the Hebrews issued in their being increased (Ex. 1:8-12).
Ahithophel’s counsel was befooled at the very time when "it was as
if a man had inquired at the oracle of God" (2 Sam. 16:23; 17:7, 14,
23, with 15:31). Ahab’s attempt to falsify God’s word by seeking to
ward off the threatened stroke against his life (1 Kings 22:30-34),
Athaliah’s deep-laid plot to exterminate the family of David and
thereby frustrate the Divine promise (2 Kings 11:1), the blatant boast
and wicked design of Sennacherib against Judah (2 Chron. 32:21;
Isaiah 30:31), the strong and repeated efforts of the adversaries of
Judah and Benjamin to prevent their building of the temple (Ezra
4:6), and later the craft of Sanballat to oppose the erecting of the
walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah), the determination of Haman to slay
all the Jews (Esther 3), Herod’s seeking to kill the infant Savior
(Matthew 2)—all came to naught, as inevitably they should do when
opposing the decrees of heaven.
"And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel" (v. 8),
thereby fulfilling the promise which He had given unto Joshua the
day previously (v. 6). Blessed is it to learn from this, and many other
passages, that the wicked, equally with the righteous, are in the
hands of Him who made them and are entirely at His sovereign
disposal. One of the chief designs of Scripture is to reveal unto us
the several relations which God sustains unto His creatures. He is
not only their Creator, but their Lawgiver and Ruler, their King and
Governor, and, ultimately, their Judge, to whom they must yet
render an account of their deeds. Since the reprobate as well as the
elect are represented as clay in the hands of the Divine Potter
determining their eternal destiny (Rom. 9:21-24), then certainly He
has full control of them and their actions while they be in a time
state. This is a very real and substantial part of the believer’s
consolation, that his God "doeth according to His will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay
His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" (Dan. 4:35), and
therefore that neither Satan nor any of his children can make the
least move against one of the Lord’s people without His express
permission and the removing of His providential hindrances.
 "And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel." What
a commentary was that upon "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the
heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none
effect" (Ps. 33:10)! Not only are the wicked the subjects of God’s
government, but their every action is controlled by Him and made
subservient to His eternal purpose, yet without His having any part
in their wickedness. Was it not so in the cases of Pharaoh and Judas?
And is it possible to select more extreme ones? If then the greatest
of all rebels fulfilled the purpose of the Almighty (though quite
unwittingly so far as they were concerned), then think it not strange
that it is so with all lesser rebels. Nimrod and his fellows thought to
erect a tower whose top should reach unto heaven, but God
frustrated them. Abimelech king of Gerah sent and took Sarah unto
himself, but God suffered him not to touch her (Gen. 20:6). Balaam
loved the wages of unrighteousness and hired himself out unto
Balak to go and curse Israel, but the Lord so interposed that that
prophet had to confess to his chagrin, "Behold, I have received
commandment to bless: and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it"
(Num. 23:20). "Surely the wrath of man shall [be made to] praise
Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain" (Ps. 76:10).
"The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His
kingdom ruleth over all" (Ps. 103:19)—over the evil and the good,
over the demons and those they indwell as truly as over His Church.
God rules in the decisions of the senate, the tumults of the people,
the fury of battle, as really as in the ragings and tides of the sea. The
plotting of kings, the ambitions of aggressors, the avarice of
conquerors, are fully controlled by the Most High. He presides in
their counsels, determines their decisions, decides which nations
they shall attack, bending their minds to comply with His eternal
decrees. Unmistakably, repeatedly, uniformly, is that the teaching of
Holy Writ. Note well what the Lord said of that heathen monarch
who was so filled with the lust of conquest: "O Assyrian, the rod of
Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation. I will
send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of
My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the
prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he
meaneth not so . . . but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations
not a few" (Isa. 10:5, 7). The Assyrian had other designs of a more
ambitious scope, but God changed the direction of his thoughts, and
caused him to be His instrument of retribution in inflicting judgment
upon a people who had sorely provoked Him. God employed him,
unknown to himself, as "the rod of His anger: thus he was in God’s
hand and his actions determined by Him.
"And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel . . . and
they smote them, until they left them none remaining (v. 8). See here
the utter futility and madness of fighting against the Almighty!
When He "delivered them up" unto their justly deserved death, what
could they do? Nothing, they were helpless, unable to escape the due
reward of their iniquity. "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall
not be unpunished; but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered"
(Prov. 11:21). Thus it was with Jabin and his hosts; their
confederacy in evil came to naught. Their number, strength and
unanimity availed them nothing now that God’s hour of vengeance
had arrived. Therein we have a solemn anticipation and adumbration
of the judgment awaiting the world of the ungodly. The Lord has
solemnly declared that He "repayeth them that hate Him to their
face, to destroy them" (Deut. 7:10); and again, "Thine hand shall
find out all Thine enemies: Thy right hand shall find out those that
hate Thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of Thine
anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire
shall devour them" (Ps. 21:8, 9). Out of Christ there is no protection
from God’s justice. When He appears to judge the world, the
stoutest heart will melt in terror and the most obdurate will cry to the
rocks. "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on
the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:16, 17).
"And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he
houghed their horses, and burned their chariots with fire" (v. 9). In
the flush and excitement of victory Israel’s leader failed not to
comply with the orders he had received from his Master, and it is
blessed to see how the Holy Spirit has taken notice of and recorded
the same, thereby showing us the value which God places upon
obedience. Not only so, but the chronicling of these details here is
for our spiritual instruction, intimating as they do once more that
further victories are not to be expected by us unless we remain in
complete subjection to the Divine will. The continued blessing of
God on our efforts to overcome our foes is dependent upon the
maintenance of lowliness and submission unto Him, for if pride or
self-will is allowed, then the Holy Spirit is grieved. Humility ever
expresses itself in obedience to God. What is recorded here in verse
9 explains what follows to the end of the chapter, where we are
shown how Joshua’s progress remained unretarded. In what
particular way this "houghing" was done we are not informed, so we
cannot be sure whether the horses were only rendered powerless for
warfare or completely destroyed. In view of burning the chariots, it
seems more likely that they would be killed, so as to prevent other
Canaanites from using them; the more so since they would be of no
value to Israel.
"And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him: he
houghed their horses, and burned their chariots with fire." What
proof was this that "There is no king saved by the multitude of an
host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a
vain thing for safety" (Ps. 31:16, 17)! As God can save those who
are without armies, so those with them are helpless if He be against
them—as was clearly demonstrated at the Red Sea. It is a striking
fact that the most glorious days of military victory for Israel were
when the veto of Deuteronomy 17:16, was strictly regarded by them.
In addition to their remarkable exploits in the time of Joshua, we
may recall their victories over Sihon and Og (Num. 21:23-26, 33-
35), their overcoming of Sisera and his nine hundred chariots of iron
(Judg. 4:3-16), and David’s victory over the king of Zobah, with his
thousand chariots (2 Sam. 8). On the other hand, it is equally
noticeable that Israel’s declension dates from their transgression of
Deuteronomy 17:16 (1 Kings 4:26; 10:26), and that defeat came
from the very quarter in which they foolishly placed their
confidence (2 Chron. 12:2, 9 and compare Isaiah 31:1): all of which
goes to show "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but
safety [or "victory"] is of the Lord" (Prov. 21:31), It may also be
pointed out that later, when Israel renounced this vain confidence,
God healed their backsliding (Hos. 14:3, 4).
God and War
The title of this article may possibly shock some of our
readers, thinking that "Satan and War" would be a more appropriate
and accurate one. There are an increasing number today among
churchgoers who repudiate the idea that God has anything to do,
designedly and directly, with such calamities as tidal waves,
earthquakes, or wars. Since there are such things, these people
attribute them to and blame them upon the Devil. Their beliefs differ
little from the religious conceptions of the ancient Persians and
modern Parsees, for Zoroastrianism teaches that there are two Gods
presiding over this sphere, a good and an evil one; that all blessings
are to be ascribed unto the former and all our ills unto the latter. And
just as that ancient system of philosophy and religion contains no
definite statement as to which of the opposing deities will ultimately
triumph, so these modern dualists have so little confidence in the
true and living God, and are so determined to dissociate Him from
the affairs of this scene, that they talk (and even write) about the
likelihood of this earth being blown to smithereens by some devilish
kind of bomb, instead of this world being (when it has served His
purpose) destroyed by its Creator with fire (Ps. 1, 3), as He did the
antediluvian world by water.
It needs to be constantly pressed upon this skeptical
generation that the One who made this world is now governing it;
and that not merely in a vague and general way, but most definitely
and specifically. The Lord God presides over all its affairs, regulates
all its events, directs all its inhabitants. If He did not, if there be
some creatures beyond His control some happenings outside His
jurisdiction, then there would be no guarantee that everything which
transpires on earth (as well as in heaven) shall redound to His glory,
and that all things are working together for good to them that love
Him. Instead, all confidence in the future would be at an end, all
peace of heart and tranquility of mind an empty dream. But
Scripture is far too plain on this matter to be misunderstood: His
kingdom ruleth over all (Ps. 103:19), who worketh all things after
the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11), "For of Him, and through
Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen"
(Rom. 11:36). So far from Satan being able to thwart Him, he could
not lay a finger upon Job or any of his possessions until the Lord
gave him permission to do so; and the demons could not enter the
herd of swine without Christ’s consent (Mark 5:12, 13). Nor can the
Devil gain the slightest advantage over a saint without his own
allowance, and if he resists him steadfastly in the faith, he is obliged
to flee from him (Jam. 4:7).
Since "all things" are of God, then wars must not be
excluded. So truly is this the case that His Word declares, "The Lord
is a man of war" (Ex. 15:3): thus Deity hesitates not to assume unto
Himself a militant title. And again He declares, "The Lord mighty in
battle" (Ps. 24:8), which is illustrated and demonstrated again and
again in the history of Israel, when He showed Himself strong in
their behalf and slew their foes. "The Lord of hosts mustereth the
host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of
heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of His indignation, to
destroy the whole land" (Isa. 13:4, 5). It may be objected that these
are Old Testament references, and that the spirit of the New
Testament denounces all war as now being unlawful. But the New
Testament is far from bearing that out; its teaching thereon is in full
accord with the Old. Thus, when the soldiers came to Christ’s
forerunner for instruction, asking, "What shall we do?" he did not
say, Fight no more, abandon your calling, but gave them directions
how to conduct themselves. When the centurion came to the Savior
and drew an argument from his military calling, our Lord did not
condemn his profession or rebuke him for holding such an office;
instead, He highly commended his faith (Luke 7:8, 9).
When foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, Christ
declared that God would send forth His armies (Matthew 22:7), so
that the Roman legions were but instruments in His hands, directed
by Him to effect His judgment. When examined by Pilate, our Lord
said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this
world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered
to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).
Those words clearly imply that, though carnal means were then
improper for advancing His spiritual kingdom, yet had not His state
of humiliation precluded His assumption of the royal scepter His
followers might, lawfully have fought to defend His title. Moreover,
His qualifying "now suggests that such a time would come, as
Revelation 19:11, plainly confirms. When the ten kings determine to
make the mother of harlots desolate and burn her with fire, we are
told, "For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill His will" (Rev.
17:16, 17). How entirely different is the God of Holy Writ from the
fictitious one of the sentimental dreamers of this effeminate age!
In our previous comments upon Israel’s fighting in Canaan,
our principal emphasis has been upon the application thereof unto
the spiritual warfare in which the Christian is called upon to engage,
but our articles would lack completeness if we failed to devote one
unto the literal side of things. Much of human history consists of a
chronicling of wars, and it is a matter of no little concern and
importance that we should turn the light of Scripture thereon and
ascertain God’s relation thereto. Is He but a far-distant Spectator
thereof, having no immediate connection with the horrible carnage
of the battlefield, or is His agency directly involved in the same? To
speculate upon such a matter is not only useless, but impious. War is
ever a frightful calamity, the more so if it be a civil one, when one
part of the populace is madly fighting against another; or when
many nations become involved or embroiled. At such a time the
suffering and anguish experienced rudely shake the belief of many
in an overruling providence; and even God’s own people find it
difficult to stay their minds on the Ruler of the universe and trust in
His goodness and wisdom, unless they be firmly rooted in the Truth.
Those who are familiar with history know how many sad
proofs it contains that human beings are often more cruel than are
the beasts of the jungle. Lions and tigers kill their prey in order to
appease their hunger, but men destroy their fellows only to gratify
their insatiable lusts of ambition and avarice. During the course of
the centuries wild animals have killed thousands of mankind, but
within the last few years literally millions have been destroyed by
the restless wickedness of those who cared not what immeasurable
suffering would result from the meeting of their greedy desires. We
cannot sufficiently deplore the depravity of human nature which has
made men beasts of prey, or rather devils to one another, seeking
whom they may devour. The events of this enlightened century only
too plainly confirm the teaching of Scripture on the thorough
corruption of fallen human nature, that in their unregenerate
condition men are "hateful, and hating one another" (Titus 3:3). But
let us not condemn the ferocity and wickedness of our fellows in any
self-righteous spirit, but in the humbling realization that we too are
clay of the same lump, and that if a spirit of benevolence now
governs us, it is naught but sovereign grace which makes us to
differ.
But while we contemplate with grief, shame and horror the
vile works of men of the same vicious natures as our own, we must
by no means overlook and ignore the place which Divine providence
has in all those occurrences in which they are the actors. God is
supreme, and all inferior agents are under His government, held by
Him in such effectual control that they can do nothing without Him.
In the most tremendous evils which they inflict, they are the
ministers of His vengeance. Even when whole nations be destroyed,
by whatsoever means, the hand of God is in that work of judgment.
We briefly alluded unto this in our last, but deemed it necessary to
supplement what was there pointed out. "I will set the Egyptians
against the Egyptians’ and they shall fight every one against his
brother, and every one against his neighbor; city against city, and
kingdom against kingdom. And the spirit [courage] of Egypt shall
fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof . . .
and the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a
fierce king shall reign over them, saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts"
(Isa. 19:2-4)—words which ought to cause not a few people to
revise their ideas on this subject. When cities are reduced to rubble,
when civil war afflicts a country, when kingdoms are destroyed, the
agency of God is to be acknowledged therein.
The worst tyrants, when inflicting the greatest outrages, are
the instruments of God, accomplishing His will. In Jeremiah 25:9,
we find Jehovah referring to Nebuchadnezzar as "My servant"—just
as He spoke of "My servant Moses" (Num. 12:7) and "David My
servant" (Ps. 89:3). The king of Babylon was just as truly an
instrument in effecting the Divine purpose as they were: they in
delivering and building up, he in punishing and destroying. "Lo, I
will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the
Lord . . . and they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy
sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and
thine herds: . . . they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein
thou trustedst, with the sword" (Jer. 5:15, 17). God brings judgment
upon a nation as surely as He gives blessing: uproots as truly as He
plants. "Lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation,
which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the
dwelling-places that are not theirs: they are terrible and dreadful"
(Hab. 1:6, 7). How clearly do those words show that heathen nations
are under God’s control and used by Him when it serves His
purpose.
The Babylonians were employed by the Ruler of this world
for the chastisement of His people and commissioned by Him to
carry the Jews into captivity, yet in so doing they incurred great guilt
and were made to reap as they had sown. Those things may seem
utterly inconsistent unto carnal reason, yet they are not so in reality,
for Nebuchadnezzar acted with no thought of fulfilling the Divine
decrees, but rather to satisfy his own rapacity, and therefore was his
kingdom providentially destroyed by Him with an unexampled
destruction. Others were sent by God to execute His vengeance on
Babylon, and though they in turn were incited by their own passions,
nevertheless He it was who called forth their hosts and gave them
the victory. "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which
shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.
Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces, and they shall
have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare
children" (Isa. 13:17, 18). How awful does Providence appear here!
Even when savage idolators violate every dictate of humanity, they
are the executors of the judgments of the Almighty. While their
conduct is most horribly guilty, in the Divine sovereignty it fulfils
God’s will.
"The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all
glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. . . .
He shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment
against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof" (Isa.
23:9-11). The demolition of Tyre by the Chaldeans was not only the
fulfillment of prophecy, but was accomplished by Divine agency.
God did it, yet man did it. In unconsciously doing the work of the
Lord, men act quite freely, and therefore are justly accountable for
doing what it was eternally predestined they should do. Philosophy
cannot plumb such a depth by its own line, but Scripture clears up
the mystery. Of Cyrus God declared, "Thou art My battle axe and
weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and
with thee will I destroy kingdoms" (Jer. 51:20). What is there said of
that mighty conqueror is equally true of all conquerors that ever
lived, or shall live, on this earth. Conquerors regard themselves
almost as gods, but the axes and saws with which men cut and
cleave wood might with far better reason exalt themselves to the
rank of human creatures. None of them can. do anything but what
God’s counsel determined before to be done by their hands, and
therefore it is our bounden duty to give God the glory for all the
judgments which are done by them, and to adore His awful
providence in all the miseries they inflict upon guilty kingdoms.
It is in the light of all that has been said above that the
conquest of Canaan by Israel is to be viewed. Joshua 10:30, 42,
makes it quite clear that the "sword" of Joshua was the sword of the
Lord—compare "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon" (Judg.
7:20). Equally so, it is in the light of various passages found in the
Pentateuch that we must consider the severity of God’s dealings
with those whom His servant was commissioned to slay. The
original inhabitants of Canaan were flagitious offenders, not only in
being gross idolators, but in trampling underfoot the laws of
morality and of humanity. If the reader turns to Leviticus 18:3, 27,
28, and then ponders what is recorded between verses 3 and 27, he
will perceive the horrible depravity which the Amorites exhibited,
for in those verses a black catalogue is supplied of the vile
"abominations" of which they were guilty. Those heathen tribes
were like a cankerous sore in the body politic, contaminating the
surrounding nations, and therefore it was an act of mercy unto the
latter, as well as a just punishment upon the former, that God
ordered Joshua to destroy them root and branch. The Lord had borne
long with them, but now that the iniquity of the Amorites had come
to the full (Gen. 15:16) naught but summary judgment suited their
case.
Not only is no apology required for the Lord in connection
with His solemn works of judgment, but He is to be owned and
magnified therein. "O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I
will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy
counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For Thou hast made of a
city an heap; of a defensed city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no
city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify
Thee" (Isa. 25:1, 2)—as Israel did when Pharaoh and his hosts were
overthrown by the waters of the Red Sea, and as the inhabitants of
heaven shall exclaim "Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and
power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are His
judgments, for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt
the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His
servants at her hand" (Rev. 19:1, 2). God is glorious in His works of
providence as well as in His works of creation. As He made all
things "good" at the creation of the world, so He doeth all things
"well" in His government of it. He is to be revered and adored even
of those works which He performs by the hand of His creatures. He
is glorious in what He does by and through wicked men as well as
by His saints: glorious in His acts of vengeance as well as in His
acts of grace.
But if the balance of truth is to be preserved on this subject,
clue place must be given and full regard had to another class of
passages, which show that when God deals in judgment—whether it
be with individuals or nations—He does so because man’s sinfulness
calls for it, and not because He delights therein. This is clear from
Ezekiel 14, where, after announcing the "four sore judgments"
which he would send upon Jerusalem, the Lord God declared, "And
ye shall know that I have not done this without cause" (vv. 21-23),
for as Jeremiah 22:8, 9, informs us, "And many nations shall pass by
this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Wherefore
hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer,
Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and
worshipped other gods and served them." How plain is the testimony
of Lamentations in. 33, "For He doth not afflict willingly [from His
heart] nor grieve the children of men." Equally so is Ezekiel 33:11,
"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Therefore
are we told that judgment is "His strange work. . . . His strange act"
(Isa. 28:21), for it is not as agreeable to Him as His works of mercy.
God approves of righteousness wherever it be found, and
rewards the same with temporal blessings; but He ever disapproves
of sin, and sooner or later visits His anger upon it (Prov. 14:34). Yet
even when the dark clouds of His judgment are hanging over a
kingdom or an evil system, calamity may be averted by national
humiliation before God and reformation of conduct (Ex. 9:27-29;
Luke 19:41-44; Rev. 2:21, 22). How much to the point are those
words of the Lord in Jeremiah 18:8: "If that nation, against whom I
have pronounced [judgment], turn from their evil, I will repent of
the evil that I thought to do unto them"—as was most definitely
exemplified in the case of Nineveh. That verse has, of course, no
reference to the alteration of His eternal decree, but instead
enumerates one of the principles by which God governs this world,
namely that He deals with nations as with individuals—according to
their conduct, making them to reap as they have sown, for His
judgment is ever tempered by His mercy (Judg. 3:8-10).
Now each of the two sides of our subject pointed out above
was illustrated in Joshua 11: On the one hand we are told, "For it
was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against
Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly, and that they
might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord
commanded Moses" (v. 20)—because they had filled up the measure
of their iniquities and were ripe for judgment (compare Matthew
23:32; 1 Thess. 2:16; Rev. 14:7, 18). On the other hand we read that
"But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned
none of them, save Hazor only" (v. 13), by which is meant those
who remained passive and fought not against Israel. So that here too
in wrath God remembered mercy. That is one of several passages
which show that Israel did not massacre unresisting Canaanites (cf.
Deuteronomy 20:10, 11)—Joshua 24:11, shows that those in Jericho
assumed a hostile attitude, and therefore we may conclude that those
in Ai did so too.
Summary
Before turning to the next section of our book (chapters 13–
18), which treats of the apportioning of the land unto the tribes of
Israel and their actual entrance into their inheritance, one more
article is called for on chapter 11: with a few supplementary remarks
upon the twelfth, where we have abbreviate of Israel’s conquests. A
report is made of the protracted fighting which the complete
subjugation of the Canaanites entailed, and this is followed by a list
of the thirty-one kings who were vanquished by Joshua. There are a
number of details in the former chapter which, despite the five
articles we have already written thereon, have not yet been noticed,
and which are much too important for us to pass over, for they are
details which adumbrate and illustrate various aspects of that good
fight which Christians are called upon to wage. They concern things
which, if success is to crown our efforts, contain valuable lessons
that we do well to take to heart. Since they be included in the
"whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning" (Rom. 15:4), we cannot afford to ignore them.
When our Lord had miraculously fed the multitude with the
five barley loaves and two small fishes, we are told that He bade His
disciples to "gather up the fragments . . . that nothing be lost" (John
6:12)—a word that needs to be pressed much upon God’s people
today, for some of them are following the evil example of this
wasteful and wanton generation by being guilty of throwing away
much that could well be used or reused. It is in the spirit and
according to the general principle contained in that precept of
Christ’s that we turn again to Joshua 11 for though we have, again
and again, feasted from its contents in our more or less general
survey of them, yet quite a few scattered "fragments" therein claim
our attention, and these we shall now endeavor to "gather up" into
this present article. Though we lack the ability to do as the apostles
did and "fill twelve baskets" with the same, yet we trust that by
Divine assistance we shall be able to provide sufficient to meet the
needs of some hungry souls. The Lord graciously grant it.
"And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them,
did Joshua take, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and he
utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded" (Josh. 11:12). Most express orders had been given to
him by his predecessor to do these very things (Deut. 7:2; 20:16,
17); he was to show no mercy and spare none, for they were
drinking in iniquity like water is by the parched. And Moses, in turn,
had received these instructions from the Lord Himself. Thus, in the
slaughtering of the idolatrous and immoral Amorites, Joshua and his
men were not actuated by a spirit of bloodthirstiness or malice, but
instead were having regard to the Divine precepts. The practical
application of this detail unto ourselves should be obvious. Some of
God’s statutes enjoin that which is painful unto flesh and blood
(Matthew 16:24; Phil. 3:10), yea, quite contrary to our fallen natures
(Matthew 5:29, 30), yet we must not pick and choose only those
which are agreeable to us, but conform to the most trying and
disagreeable of them; and even though it involves antagonizing
those nearest and dearest to us (Matthew 10:34, 35; Luke 14:26), we
must, like David, "have respect to all God’s commandments" (Ps.
119:6).
"As the Lord commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses
command Joshua, and so did Joshua: he left nothing undone of all
that the Lord commanded Moses" (Josh. 11:15). That is to be
regarded first as a general statement, summarizing his obedience
unto such enactments as Exodus 23:24; 34:11-13; Numbers 33:52;
Deuteronomy 12:3, in which he was bidden to overthrow their idols
and quite break down their images, to destroy their altars and cut
down their groves, to destroy all their pictures and pluck down all
their high places, to break down their pillars and burn their groves
with fire; in short, so thoroughly to make an end of all the
monuments of their religion that the very names of their false gods
should be "destroyed out of that place." Thus Joshua was not free to
follow his own caprice, nor left to the exercise of his own judgment,
but was required to carry out the detailed orders which he had
received from his Master. How conscientiously and thoroughly he
did so appears from this inspired record of the Holy Spirit: "he left
nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded."
"Would we approve ourselves upright, then we must leave
nothing undone which the Lord hath commanded: for though
omissions are not so scandalous, either in the world or in the
Church, as commissions, they are as certainly acts of disobedience
and effects of a will unsubjected to the Divine authority" (Thomas
Scott). As our Lord told the Pharisees, who were very punctilious in
paying tithe of mint and anise, yet omitted the weightier matters of
the Law—judgment, mercy, and faith—"these ought ye to have done
and not to leave the other undone" (Matthew 23:23). Sincere
obedience is impartial. He who from a right principle obeys any of
God’s commandments will have respect unto all of them. Here is
one of the radical differences between gracious souls and empty
professors: the latter act for themselves and not for God, and will do
no more than what they consider promotes their own interests or
enhances their reputation before their fellows and, like the Pharisees,
usually lay stress on the "least" commandments, especially those
things which distinguish them from other denominations, and
neglect those which relate to moral duties attending to such
externals as the "washing" of their hands, yet making no serious
attempt to cleanse their hearts.
 What a searching word is this for both writer and reader to
measure himself by: "he left nothing undone of all that the Lord
commanded"! Therein he conformed to that fundamental injunction,
"What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not
add thereto, nor diminish from it" (Deut. 12:32). For men to add
anything to the precepts of God, as binding upon the conscience or
as being essential to personal piety, is an affront upon His wisdom,
for it is tantamount to charging Him with an oversight. Equally so,
to diminish aught from the Divine commandments, to ignore or
render any of them void, is to despise God’s authority and goodness.
If we be wise, even a regard to our own interests will cause us to
render unqualified obedience, for God has enjoined nothing but
what is for our good, and therefore none of His commandments can
be neglected but to our injury and loss. What a solemn word too is
this to the preacher! Oh, that he may be able to look his
congregation in the face and say truthfully at the close of a pastorate,
"I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you" (Acts 20:20).
"Joshua made war a long time with all those kings" (Josh.
11:18). Though the account of his conquest of Canaan be a very
brief one and his numerous victories are packed into a small
compass, yet it is not to be thought that they were all obtained
within a few days (or even weeks) as was the case at Jericho and in
the campaign described in chapter 10 but rather occupied a
considerable period. Yet, after all, the expression "a long time" is a
relative one, for the swiftness or slowness of time’s passing is not
always to be gauged by the clock. When its span is filled with stress
and strain, its flight seems much slower—as it would to the mothers
and wives more than to the fighting men of Israel themselves—
hence in the Hebrew it reads "many days." But, as a matter of fact,
that span of time comprised only seven years, as may be seen by a
comparison of Joshua 14:1-10, with Deuteronomy 2:14, for in the
former we learn that Caleb was only eighty-five when Canaan was
conquered and but forty when sent forth by Moses to spy out the
land; while the latter informs us that thirty-eight of those years had
been spent in the wilderness before Israel crossed the Jordan. Thus
the whole of Canaan was subdued and occupied by Israel within the
space of seven years.
Those words, "And Joshua made war a long time with all
those kings," tell us of his constancy, and the stability of those who
served under him. They did not take things easy after Jericho was
captured, nor relax their efforts when Ai fell before them, but
continued steadfast until they had completed the task assigned them.
What a noble example for the Christian to follow in the prosecution
of his spiritual warfare! Let him not be appalled by the obstacles
confronting him, deterred by the number of enemies to be overcome,
nor disheartened by his failures along the way. Patience and
fortitude must be earnestly sought from above. Though the fight of
faith lasts "a long time," for it is to be without any intermission
while we are left in this scene, yet "Let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9). It
is just because we are so prone to flag in our efforts during the
performance of duty that this exhortation is addressed unto us and
repeated in 2 Thessalonians 3:13! Then let us watch and guard
against this evil tendency and persevere unto the end.
"And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from
the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all
the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua
destroyed them utterly with their cities" (v. 21). Apparently a special
campaign was made against them, and particular notice is here made
of the same. Nor is the reason for this far to seek. It will be
remembered that when Moses sent forth the twelve men to spy out
the land of Canaan and upon their return ten of them threw cold
water upon the prospect of Israel’s occupying it, they emphasized
the formidable strength of its walled cities and made mention of the
Anakims as being of "great stature," the descendants of the giants,
being by comparison "as grasshoppers" in their own sight (Num.
13:28-33). But mighty as those men were, and taking refuge as they
now did in their fastnesses, Joshua and his men—notwithstanding
the difficulty of the mountain passes and attacking these giants in
their caves—hunted them out and completely routed the very ones
who had originally inspired their unbelieving fathers with such
terror.
"Even that opposition, which seemed invincible, was got
over. Never let the sons of Anak be a terror to the Israel of God, for
even their day will come to fall. Giants are dwarfs to Omnipotence;
yet this struggle with the Anakims was reserved for the latter end of
the war, when the Israelites were become more expert in the arts of
war and had had more experience of the power and goodness of
God. God sometimes reserves the sharpest trials of His people, by
affliction and temptation, for the latter end of their days. Therefore,
‘let not him that girds on his harness boast as he that puts it off.’
Death, that tremendous son of Anak, is the last enemy to be
encountered, but it is to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). Thanks be to
God who will give us the victory" (Matthew Henry). The words
"Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities" are not to be
understood absolutely, as the later Scriptures show, for both of the
books of Samuel make it clear that the race of these giants had not
been completely exterminated, that some of their number succeeded
in escaping and either concealed their presence from Israel or took
refuge in the surrounding countries. This is more than hinted at in
the verse that follows.
"There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the
children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there
remained" (v. 22). This was one of the passages used by J.J. Blunt as
an illustration of his striking book, Undesigned Coincidences. He
pointed out that 1 Samuel 17:4, informs us that the Philistine
champion whom David vanquished was "Goliath, of Gath," whose
height was six cubits and a span—ten feet—and then bids the reader
mark the value of that description, which though quite casual serves
to authenticate its historicity. Next, he reminds us of the testimony
of Moses in Numbers 13:32, 33, where we are told that certain of the
original inhabitants of Canaan were "men of great stature . . . giants,
the sons of Anak, which come of the giants." Those details are to be
carefully borne in mind in connection with Joshua’s final feat of
arms, when, as we have seen, he "cut off the Anakims from the
mountains," and none of them were left in the land of Israel "only
[observe the exception] in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod."
Thus, when we find in the book of Samuel that Gath is most
incidentally named as the country of Goliath, that fact squares most
unmistakably with the two other independent facts chronicled by
two other authors, Moses and Joshua: the one that the Anakims were
of gigantic size, the other that some of that almost exterminated
race, who survived the sword of Joshua, actually continued to dwell
at Gath! Thus in the mouths of those three witnesses is the Word
established, concurring as they do in a manner the most artless and
satisfactory, in confirming one particular at least in that remarkable
exploit of Israel’s shepherd boy. Since this one particular, and that
like a hinge upon which the whole incident moves, is discovered to
be a matter of fact beyond all question, and in the absence of any
evidence to the contrary, we have good reason to regard the other
particulars of the same history to be authentic too. But there are also
many providential circumstances involved in it which argue the
invisible Hand by which David slew his adversary. His being on
hand to hear and accept the haughty challenge, his bag with five
small stones opposed to the helmet of brass and the coat of brazen
mail and the spear like a weaver’s beam, the first sling of a pebble,
the panic of the whole host of the Philistines and their overthrow,
combine to show that it was no ordinary event, and that "the Lord
sayeth not with sword and spear," but that the battle is the Lord’s,
and that He gave it into Israel’s hand (1 Sam. 17:47).
"So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the
Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto
Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested
from war" (Josh. 11:23). It is clear from Joshua 13 and the book of
Judges that those words are to be regarded as a general statement,
probably meaning "the far greater and better part, all before
described; all that he went against—he failed not in any of his
attempts; no place stood out against him that he besieged or
summoned; all yielded to him" (John Gill). Thus did God make
good His promises unto the patriarchs (Deut. 1:8), to Moses (Deut.
3:18), and to Joshua (Josh. 1:6). And now, for a season, the land
rested from war"’ those Canaanites who had escaped, fearing to
attack and remaining quiet; the surrounding nations invading them
not. The spiritual application of this unto ourselves is both apparent
and blessed. However unpleasant and irksome the spiritual warfare
of the Christian may be, his patience in tribulation should ever be
encouraged by the joyful expectation of hope (Rom. 12:12), for ere
long perfect rest above shall be his portion, and that not for a season,
but for ever.
The twelfth chapter forms a fitting conclusion to the military
campaigns of Joshua, containing as it does a summary of his
numerous victories and a list of the thirty-one kings which were
smitten by him. A short account is there given of the conquests made
by Israel both in the times of Moses and of Joshua. The land which
the Lord gave unto Israel consisted of two parts, for though it was
but a single country, yet its terrain was divided by the Jordan. Thus
the conquest of Canaan was a single enterprise, though it was
actually accomplished in two distinct stages. That portion on the
eastward side of Jordan was subdued by Moses, and given to the two
and a half tribes, but the much larger half lay on the western side,
and was subjugated by Joshua and allotted unto the nine and a half
tribes. Typically, that probably has a threefold significance or
application. First, redemptively, the fruits of Christ’s mediatorial
work: far more have benefited therefrom since His death (the
Jordan) than those who were saved by Him during the days of His
public ministry. Second, dispensationally, in connection with the
Church and its members: most probably a much greater number of
them being sinners taken out from the Gentiles than those who had
formerly been from the Jews.
Third, spiritually, in connection with the believer’s salvation:
a portion of his inheritance is entered into and enjoyed by him
before the Jordan is crossed, but the principal part of it lies on the
farther side of death. But while looking for the mystical meaning of
this, let us not overlook the practical lesson. "Them did Moses the
servant of the Lord and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the
servant of the Lord gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and
the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh. And these are the kings
of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this
side Jordan on the west . . . which Joshua gave unto the tribes of
Israel for a possession according to their divisions" (Josh. 12:6, 7).
The linking together of those two things is instructive. "The
enjoyment of present blessings should revive the grateful
remembrance of former mercies, and the benefit derived from the
labors of the living servants of the Lord should remind us to respect
the memories of those who have hitherto served Him in their
generation. The national covenant mediated by Moses engaged
many temporal advantages to Israel" (T. Scott).
"And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the
children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west . . . all the
kings thirty and one" (Josh. 12:7, 24). It may be thought strange that
there should have been so many kings in such a small country. In
reality, it supplies evidence of the accuracy and veracity of this
historical record, for it is in perfect accord with the ancient practice
followed in various countries, namely that many of their principal
cities had their own separate kings. Historians inform us that when
Julius Caesar landed in Britain he found four kings in the single
county of Kent—then how many more would there be in the whole
island? How blessedly did Joshua’s conquest of all those kings
illustrate the truth that the more entirely our hearts be fixed upon the
Lord our strength (Josh. 11:6, 7), the more certainly will our foes—
however powerful or numerous—be subdued before us! According
to its gematria (the use of letters instead of figures—for our modern
numerals were unknown to the ancients), thirty-one equals EL—the
name of God. If then He be for us, who can be against us?
 Joshua 13:1-33
The Spoils of Victory
The thirteenth chapter of Joshua is another chapter which
offers very little scope for the commentator, for it consists largely of
geographical details. After a brief but blessed word from the Lord to
Joshua himself, the first six verses contain a list of those parts of the
land which had not yet been possessed by Israel, together with an
assurance from God that He would drive out from before His people
the inhabitants of those sections also. In the next six verses the Lord
gives orders concerning the dividing of apportioning of Canaan,
naming some of the places therein and the bounds thereof. Then
comes a reference to the portion which Moses had allotted unto the
two and a half tribes on the eastward side of Jordan, with a detailed
description of the same. Parenthetically, mention is made of Israel’s
slaying of Balaam, and twice over we are informed that Moses gave
no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Thus its contents admit of no
unified treatment, its central subject being, perhaps, best described
as the spoils of victory enjoyed by Israel and the respective portions
therein assigned to her tribes.
Canaan was (as we have previously pointed out) at once a
Divine gift, yet as to their occupying of the same it was the result of
Israel’s own prowess. It was bestowed upon them by free grant from
God, nevertheless it had to be conquered by them. Therein there was
an accurate shadowing forth of the Christian’s inheritance. That too
is wholly of Divine grace and mediatorial purchase, but it is not
actually entered into by the heirs of promise without much effort on
their part. It is at this point that theologians have so often gone
wrong, by attributing either too much or too little unto the creature.
Only by cleaving very closely to Holy Writ as a whole—and not by
singling out detached fragments—are we preserved from serious
error. On the one hand, we must see to it that we return right
answers to the questions, "For who maketh thee to differ from
another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (1 Cor.
4:7); on the other, we must give due place to such exhortations as
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate" (Luke 13:24) and "Let us labor
therefore to enter into that rest" (Heb. 4:11); and not ignore such
statements as "knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward
of the inheritance" (Col. 3:24). Only thus will the balance of truth be
preserved.
It is indeed true that the child of God has nothing good or
spiritual but what the Lord has freely bestowed upon him. But does
that mean he is as passive a "receiver" as the earth is when fructified
by heaven’s refreshing showers and genial sunshine? Great care
needs to be taken in answering that question lest we contradict the
Word of Truth. Certainly he is no co-operator with Christ in the
work of his redemption. There is not the least warrant for us to say,
"God will do His part if we do ours." There is no dividing of the
honors: the glory is God’s alone, and we have no ground for
boasting. Most assuredly the elect have nothing to do with their
election, for God chose them in Christ before the foundation of the
world, and there is not a line in His Word to show that His choice
was determined by anything praiseworthy which He foresaw in
them. Those ordained to be vessels of honor were "clay of the same
lump" as the vessels appointed to dishonor. Nor had they a thing to
do with their redemption, for all that was required to make
atonement for their sins and reconcile them to God was
accomplished by Christ centuries before they existed. Nor had they
anything whatever to do with their regeneration, for they were dead
in trespasses and sins when the Spirit quickened them into newness
of life.
But it is quite wrong to infer from the above that the
regenerated soul remains a passive agent. Equally wrong is it to
suppose that he is how possessed of any self-sufficiency, that his
new nature empowers him to perform his duty. Though he has
become a living branch of the Vine, yet he is entirely dependent
upon the Vine’s nourishing and fructifying. But we must not confine
ourselves to that particular figure and relationship. The Christian is a
moral agent, and grace has been given him to improve. Means of
grace have been provided, and he is responsible to employ the same.
He has a conflict to engage him, a race to run. There is a world for
him to overcome, a devil to resist, a salvation to be worked out with
fear and trembling. True, in and of himself he is quite incapable of
accomplishing such tasks; nevertheless, through Christ he "can do
all things" (Phil. 4:13). He must tread the narrow way if he would
actually enter into the fullness of Life, and is required to endure unto
the end if he is to be finally saved. He must fight the good fight of
faith if he is to enter into the eternal inheritance. These things are
just as true and real as those mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.
It must not be forgotten that Scripture itself records, and
without the least condemnation or criticism, such utterances as "by
the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer"
(Ps. 17:4), "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I
might keep Thy word" (Ps. 119:101), "I keep under my body" (1
Cor. 9:27), "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7). Those are not carnal boastings but
true statements of fact, and due place must be given to them in our
theological system, or our doctrinal beliefs are very defective. True
indeed, it was by Divine grace that those men conducted themselves
thus, yet they were active moral agents therein, and not passive
ciphers. Thus also was Canaan a Divine gift unto Abraham and his
descendants, but they had to fight—fight long and hard—in order to
enter into possession of the same. True also that the Lord fought for
them, and that their victories must be ascribed unto Him who so
signally showed Himself strong in their behalf; nevertheless that
altered not the fact that they fought and subdued their foes. Both the
Divine and the human sides are to be recognized and owned by us.
In like manner our salvation has the same two sides unto it.
God is indeed both the Alpha and the Omega thereof, yet He deals
with us as rational creatures and enforces our responsibility in
connection with the same. So far as we can discover, the plants in
the garden and the trees in the orchard owe their growth and fertility
entirely to the Creator. But it is otherwise with believers: they are
required to use the means of grace which God has appointed, and
look to Him to bless the same. The vegetables and trees are
incapable of taking precautions against pests and tornadoes; but we
are obligated to avoid evil, resist temptation, and take shelter from
the storm. Eternal life is a Divine gift (Rom. 6:23), but we are to
"lay hold on" it (1 Tim. 6:12). The celestial inheritance is "the
purchased possession" of Christ for His people (Eph. 1:14), yet it is
also "the reward" of service unto the Lord (Col. 3:24). Grace is
freely given, but we are to use it, and must improve the same if we
would receive more (Luke 8:18; Matthew 25:16). "Seek the Lord,
and His strength: seek His face evermore" (Ps. 105:4)—there is the
meeting-place of the two sides! We have no sufficiency of our own,
but if grace be duly sought (Heb. 4:16) then "our sufficiency is of
God" (2 Cor. 3:5).
"Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord
said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there
remaineth yet very much land to be possessed" (Josh. 13:1). Unlike
Moses, of whom it is recorded that at the close of a still longer life
his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated (Deut. 34:1), the
strenuous life Joshua had lived took heavy toll of him, and the
infirmities of old age had come upon him. Probably he had then
reached the century mark, for he was one of the twelve originally
sent forth by Moses to spy out the land, and therefore would be at
least as old as Caleb, who was then eighty-five (Josh. 14:10), and
most likely quite a few years more, for he was but 110 at the time of
his death (Josh. 24:29). But it is blessed to see that, despite his
increasing bodily weakness, the Lord did not desert him in his old
age, but now honored him with a special visit and a most gracious
communication. And that, dear reader, is recorded for the particular
comfort and encouragement of His aged pilgrims. Unto them He has
given the sure promise: "And even to your old age I am He [the
unchanging One]; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have
made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isa.
46:4), and that blessed assurance it is their holy privilege to rest
upon day by day with childlike faith.
It is to be noted that after informing His servant that he was
old and stricken in years—for the Lord never flatters man, nor
withholds His Truth (except in judgment) from man—He did not say
"but there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed": instead it
was "and there remaineth." Thus He was not saying this by way of
reproach. It appears to us that God so addressed Himself to Joshua
on this occasion, First, to instruct Him: to let him know that He was
no Egyptian taskmaster, who imposed burdens grievous to be borne;
rather did He tenderly remember that Joshua was dust. By virtue of
growing frailty he would be unfit to complete so vast a task as
conquering the whole of Canaan—the major part of which remained
to be done. Second, to humble him. While Joshua had much ground
to be thankful for the considerable success with which the Lord had
crowned his efforts, he had no reason to be elated, for the energy
was still in possession of the remoter sections of Israel’s inheritance.
Third, it was, as the following verses make clear, for the purpose of
acquainting him with his immediate duty.
While the Lord took knowledge of the enfeebled frame of
His servant, yet He did not for that reason encourage him to be
slack. On the contrary, He assigned him a new though much lighter
task. It is not the revealed will of God that His people should spend
their old age in idleness. He does not preserve them through all the
dangers of youth and the trials of maturity that they should be mere
cumberers of the ground. He may well suffer them to become
exceedingly tottery and perhaps bedridden and entirely dependent
upon others; yet even so it is their privilege and duty to beg Him to
make good in them that precious word, "They shall still bring forth
fruit in old age: they shall be fat and flourishing" (Ps. 92:14). They
may still commune with the Lord, and manifest the effects thereof.
The decay of nature is no reason why grace should languish. Even
when thoroughly helpless, the fruits of patience, meekness and
gratitude may be borne, and they may carry themselves as the
monuments of God’s goodness and the memorials of His
faithfulness, and thereby "show forth His praises." Though the
strenuous efforts of earlier years be no longer possible, the ministry
of prayer is available unto the very end, and who can say that more
will not be accomplished therein for eternity than by any other
spiritual activity?
 As intimated above, one of the Lord’s designs in now
appearing unto Joshua was to make known unto him his duty; yea,
this seems to have been His leading object. What that duty consisted
of was revealed in verse 7: he was to superintend in the apportioning
of the land unto the nine and a half tribes—the other two and a half
having already been allotted their heritage by Moses. It was most
essential that he should be the one to perform this task. Clothed as
he was with Divine authority, called of God to be Israel’s head, so
markedly used by Him in vanquishing the armies of the Amorites
and destroying their strongholds, none so well fitted as he now to
divide the spoils of victory. Enjoying the confidence of the
congregation, it behooved him to set about this important task while
life and sufficient strength remained; and not leave unto some
successor to do what could be far better and more appropriately
done by himself. The decisions of the one who had in the hearing of
the nation commanded the sun and the moon to stand still would not
be challenged by the tribes; whereas it was not nearly so likely that
they would freely accept the rulings of another Joshua then must not
delay.
"This is the land that yet remaineth [i.e. to be possessed]: all
the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri" (v. 2). From there to
the end of verse 6 follows a list of the more remote sections of
Palestine which were still occupied by the heathen. Here, then, by
clear implication, was another task assigned unto Joshua: to stir up
the people unto further efforts, that while he could not personally
take any further part in the fighting he must press upon the nation
the duty still devolving upon them. Instead of now taking their ease
and being satisfied with those portions of their inheritance which
had already been secured, they must continue to "possess their
possessions," and not miss God’s best for them. It is highly probable
that the great majority of Israel were quite ignorant of the extent of
the land, unacquainted with the terms of the promise made by the
Lord unto Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21, etc. During their lengthy
sojourn in Egypt their ancestors had lapsed into idolatry (see
Leviticus 17:7; Ezekiel 20:7, 8; 23:3), and so unacquainted were
they with the Lord Himself that when Jehovah commissioned Moses
to lead His people out of the house of bondage he asked, "When
I . . . say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me to you;
and they shall say to me, What is His name? what shall I say unto
them?" (Ex. 3:13).
Sufficient attention has not been paid unto what has just been
pointed out. While it be far from excusing the conduct of Israel
under Moses—in view of the wondrous deliverance the Lord
wrought for them and the signal favors shown by Him unto them at
the Red Sea, at Sinai. and during the forty years that followed—yet
it does supply the key which explains much that otherwise is
altogether unaccountable. Their children had been reared in the
wilderness, and now they had entered Canaan under Joshua it is
likely that they knew little or nothing of its boundaries. Thus we
consider it was for this reason that it was now necessary for the Lord
to instruct Joshua by the details furnished in Joshua 13:2-5, that he
might inform the people of the full extent of that land which had
been given to them. The spiritual application of this unto ourselves
is not difficult to perceive. Even after their regeneration, God’s
people are totally ignorant of the unsearchable riches that are theirs
in Christ, until informed of the same from the Scriptures. "Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him "(1 Cor.
2:9). Nevertheless it at once follows, "But God hath revealed them
unto Us by His Spirit"—in His Word; and as we diligently search
that Word we learn what those things are.
Matthew Henry pointed out three reasons why the Lord
commissioned Joshua to acquaint Israel with the fact that "there
remaineth yet very much land to be possessed," and to amplify that
statement by announcing to them all the geographical details given
in verses 2-5. First, that they might be more affected with God’s
goodness in giving them so extensive a portion, and thereby be
engaged to love and serve Him. He would have them occupied with
the Divine bounty, that their obedience to Him might be prompted
by gratitude and not by a slavish fear. And thus it is to be with His
people today: deep appreciation of His grace and goodness is to
prompt them to run in the path of His commandments. Second, that
they might not be tempted to make any league or contract any
dangerous familiarity with those neighbors, so as to learn their ways;
but might be jealous of them, as those who kept them out of their
rightful inheritance. In like manner, Christians, as they contemplate
the possession purchased for them, are to conduct themselves as
strangers and pilgrims in this scene, keeping their garments
unspotted from the world, walking with God in separation
therefrom. Third, that they might keep themselves in a posture of
war, and not think of putting off their harness as long as there
remained any of the land to be possessed.
In closing this article, a final word upon the application of
verses 1-5 to the aged pilgrim. You may, dear reader, be stricken in
years, nevertheless the fact must be faced that "‘there remaineth yet
very much land to be possessed." No matter what be your growth in
grace or the extent of your progress in spiritual things, you are not as
completely conformed to the image of Christ as you should be, nor
have you as fully possessed your possessions (Obad. 1:17), as it is
your privilege to do. Take a leaf out of the apostle’s book. Near the
close of his life he declared, "Brethren, 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, I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13, 14). Do thou the same. As for verses 2-5,
we too should sit down and draw up a list of those parts of our
heritage not yet experientially possessed by us—and note that verse
2 is headed by the most difficult one, for the later Scriptures show
that Israel had most trouble from the Philistines. Do you ask, What
good could that do? It should humble. It should prompt to more
definite prayer. We read of "the meekness and gentleness of Christ"
(2 Cor. 10:1). Are those graces made good in you ?
When Joshua had become old and more or less enfeebled,
the Lord appeared unto His servant, and after informing him that
there remained yet very much land to be possessed, and naming
some of the places and peoples to be conquered, He declared, "them
will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it
by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded
thee" (Josh. 13:6). It had been so with Moses: under God he had
begun the task of occupying Canaan (namely that part thereof which
lay to the east of Jordan), but only a small beginning had been made.
Joshua had been used to carry forward the enterprise considerably,
yet it was far from being completed—others would be raised up later
to effect the Divine purpose. And it has been the same ever since. A
start was all that was made by the apostles in the evangelizing of the
Gentiles, for when the last of them expired there remained yet very
much land to be possessed. Calvin and Luther were mightily
employed in delivering God’s people from the deadly shackles of
Rome, yet when the last of the Reformers was called home how
much yet remained to be accomplished!
It is the same now. At the close of the most active and self-
sacrificing life in the service of Christ, each succeeding minister of
His leaves this scene with very much of the world still occupied by
the enemy. But observe now the blessed consolation the Lord gave
unto Joshua: "them will I drive out," not "from before thee," for he
would not live to see it accomplished, but "from before the children
of Israel." As he had carried forward the work begun by Moses, so
others would be Divinely appointed and equipped to advance his
efforts—the honor of laying the capstone thereon being reserved for
David centuries later. A similar assurance should be the very real
confidence of every aged minister of the Gospel. There is no
statement in Scripture, so far as the writer can perceive, to show that
a time will ever come when all upon earth will be saved, or even
nominally receive the Truth: yet the Divine promise is given, "One
generation shall praise Thy works to another" (Ps. 145:4); yea, that
some "shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations" (Ps. 72:5). The words of Christ in
Matthew 28:20, make it clear that He will have some of His on earth
till the last, and His "all that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me"
(John 6:37) proves that neither man nor devil will prevent the
salvation of the entire election of grace. "The foundation of God
standeth sure . . . The Lord knoweth them that are His" (2 Tim. 2:19)
provides a grand haven of rest for every anxious heart.
"Them will I drive out from before the children of Israel:
only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites" (v. 6). We regard this
statement as one with a clearly implied proviso attached to it, and as
such addressed to their responsibility, presupposing their
concurrence. Therefore we agree with Matthew Henry’s comments
thereon: "This promise that He would drive them out front before
the children of Israel plainly supposes it as the condition of the
promise that the children of Israel themselves must attempt and
endeavor their extirpation, must go up against them, else they could
not be said to be driven out before them. If afterwards, through sloth
or cowardice or affection to these idolaters, they sat still and let
them alone, they must blame themselves, and not God, if they be not
driven out." Nor was that Puritan alone in so understanding those
words of the Lord. Even the high Calvinist J. Gill remarked thereon,
"Which the Lord would deliver into their hands, providing they were
obedient to His will, for, because they were not, many of those
places never came into their possession, though divided to them by
lot"; and again (later), "that is on condition of their obedience, for it
appears that not only the Sidonians but many others, even the chief,
and most of those mentioned, were never possessed by them."
The same is true of Christians and their eternal inheritance:
there are certain conditions which they are obligated to meet.
"Conditions" not in the Romish sense, as con-causes with the
Father’s choice and the Son’s atonement; nor in the Arminian sense,
of an absolute power lying in their own wills and strength to comply
therewith. But according to the order of things which God has
established, for the enforcing of their moral agency—as there must
be a sowing before reaping, the cross before the crown. Principal
causes (God’s grace and Christ’s merits) do not exclude necessary
means—grace must not be turned into lasciviousness nor Christ
made the minister of sin. Scripture is unmistakably plain on this
point: "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" (Heb. 3:14, and
note well the "if" in John 8:51; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:23).
As remission of sins is promised to none but those who repent (Luke
24:47; Acts 3:19) and believe (Acts 10:43), so only he that endures
to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:13). "Let us labor therefore to
enter into that rest [the antitypical Canaan], lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief" (Heb. 4:11), as the Israelites in the
wilderness. That warning is a real one, which we ignore at our
eternal peril.
"Only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites . . . as I have
commanded thee" (Josh. 13:6). This was the business in which
Joshua was now to engage: to apportion it—the entire territory, both
what was already subdued and those parts of it which still remained
to be conquered. "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance
unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh, with whom the
Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which
Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward" (vv. 7, 8). Having
received orders and authority from God, Joshua was to set about this
task at once with all diligence. He was not to wait until all the tribes
had actually secured their inheritance, but must define or mark out
the portion allotted to each of them, so that they might know the
particular section to which he had Divine title, and go forward, take
and occupy the same. Thus Joshua was to act with full confidence in
God. Though he should be called to leave the field of battle and
enter his rest, others would be raised up to carry on the conflict until
the Divine purpose was realized. This, we say again, needs to be
borne in mind by the Lord’s people in all generations, for
considerable unbelief is often mingled with their grief when some
much-used servant of His is removed from this world—as though
the cause of Christ was jeopardized thereby.
Once more Joshua was to count implicitly upon Jehovah: to
work while it was yet day for him, and to leave the outcome to his
Master. Probably the major part of the land was then occupied by the
Canaanites, yet he was personally to superintend the allotting of the
whole of it to Israel. Thus was he called upon to trust in the Lord
with all his heart, and lean not unto his own understanding (Prov.
3:5), as had Noah and Abraham before him (Heb. 11:7, 8). That is
the principle by which every servant of God is ever to act. As Paul
declared, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5, 7). The
apostle and his fellow workers lived and labored by faith, being
inspired with courage and strength from having their hearts occupied
with things invisible. Theirs was not a single act, but a constant
course of trustfulness. To walk by faith is to conduct ourselves in the
firm belief of those things we do not see, resting on the sure Word of
God and being practically influenced thereby. It is to live in a steady
expectation of things to come—the realities and glories of heaven. It
is the opposite of being governed by our senses or regulated by
visible objects, for "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1), making them real and
precious to the soul.
It was at this point that the predecessor of Joshua had failed;
though, through not linking up parallel passages with Numbers 13:1-
3, many have not perceived this—another case where Scripture must
be compared with Scripture if we are to obtain the complete picture.
"And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will
send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring
us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we
shall come. And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men
of you" and sent them forth (Deut. 1:22, 23). Those words seem to
make two things quite evident. First, that this project originated with
the people. Second, that Moses failed to discern the distrust which
prompted their proposal—his approval thereof being a case of evil
communications corrupting good manners. At a later date, when
chiding the children of Gad and of Reuben, he said, "Wherefore
discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into
the land which the Lord hath given them? Thus did your fathers,
when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land" (Num. 32:7,
8), which shows they had a spirit of unwillingness to go up into it.
From the account given in Numbers 13:17-20, we learn that
they questioned the value of the promised inheritance, as the
language "see the land, what it is . . . whether it be good or bad . . .
whether it be fat or lean" makes clear. Thus it was rank unbelief in
the word of the Lord which lay behind their policy, while their "by
what way we must go up" of Deuteronomy 1:22, showed their lack
of confidence in being Divinely directed as to the best route to take.
What need was there to go and examine the kind of land which the
Lord had chosen for them, when He had already informed them that
it was one "flowing with milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8)? What occasion
was there to investigate the approaches into it when there were the
pillars of cloud and of fire to guide and show them the way? Nor
have we any need to ask what God’s will for us is, when He has
already made known the same, or to inquire as to our path of duty,
when we possess His Word as a lamp unto our feet. But alas, Israel
had a better opinion of their own policy and judgment than of God’s;
and is it not often the same with us?
Though approving of the carnal suggestion of the people,
before acting on the same Moses evidently sought confirmation
from the Lord, and we are told that He said, "Send thou men, that
they may search the land of Canaan" (Num. 13:2). In thus giving
permission, God acted in judgment. Deuteronomy 1:6-8, makes it
clear that a year previously Israel had received Divine orders to go
forward and possess the land which had been given unto their
fathers, but as soon as they left Horeb one sin after another was
committed by them (Num. 11 and 12). God had been provoked by
their waywardness, and in order to make further manifest the
hardness of their hearts He now gave them up to their lusts. The
sequel at once demonstrated their unbelief and perversity. God also
suffered their desire to be granted in order to serve as a solemn
warning to His people in all generations. If we profit not from the
recorded sins and punishments of others, then is our case indeed
inexcusable. When God gratifies our self-will and suffers us to
follow the schemes of our own devising, we pay dearly for it. If we
have more confidence in our own wisdom or the representations of
our senses than we have in the Divine counsels, we shall inevitably
taste the bitterness of our foolishness.
It seems rather strange that, after a full description of the
territory given to the two and a half tribes had previously been
furnished in the closing verses of Numbers 32 the middle of
Deuteronomy in. a briefer reference in Deuteronomy 29 and a fuller
one again in Joshua 12:4-6, a further account of the same should be
repeated here. Matthew Henry suggested the following explanation.
First, as the reason why the nine and a half tribes should now be
assigned their portions: since their brethren had already been
provided for, it was just and meet that they should be so too. Second,
as the pattern for Joshua now to follow. He was not being ordered to
do something unprecedented, for he had been personally present
when Moses had distributed the eastern section of Palestine unto the
two and a half tribes, and from his example he might well now act.
Third, as an inducement unto Joshua to make no delay in performing
this task, that the remaining tribes might no longer be kept out of
their heritage. Thus the Lord who had provided for the former was
equally solicitous about the welfare of the latter. Fourth, that the
portion given to the two and a half tribes years before now being
specified in detail signified a ratification of the original grant, thus
obviating any disputes about the boundaries. Joshua was not free to
make any alterations.
The account given of the portions allocated unto the two and
a half tribes closes with the ominous statement, "Nevertheless the
children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites:
but the Geshurites and Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until
this day" (v. 13). This is the first time that anything of this nature is
recorded of them, though if we are permitted to go through the book
of Judges we shall see that other of the tribes were equally remiss at
a later date. It reminds us of a similar and most regrettable failure on
the part of Queen Elizabeth and those who succeeded her. Under the
Reformation in the days of Luther and Calvin, the Protestant
sections of Europe were delivered from the idolatries of the mass,
Mariolatry and the worship of idols; but those who followed were
found sadly wanting in purging themselves from other popish evils
and superstitions. It is worthy of note that as the two and a half
tribes were placed in their inheritance before their fellows, so
(centuries later) they were displaced before the other tribes were,
being carried captive to Assyria, and that because they "went a
whoring after the gods of the people of the land" (1 Chron. 5:25,
26). Such a proportion does Providence often observe in the
dispensations of prosperity and adversity, setting the one over
against the other.
"Balaam also the son of Besor, the soothsayer, did the
children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by
them" (Josh. 13:23). Nothing definite is known about the early life
of this mysterious person. He is introduced abruptly in the
Scriptures, being mentioned first in Numbers 22:5. A "soothsayer"
was one who essayed to foretell the future and possess strange
powers by means of the occult forces of evil. Balaam was a
magician of renown and had, apparently, acquired some knowledge
of the true God—probably by hearing of what He had wrought in
Egypt and at the Red Sea (see Joshua 2:10). Israel had then crossed
the wilderness, and had arrived at the country of the Moabites—in
the vicinity of the Jordan. Balak its king was afraid that Israel would
destroy his people, and sent for Balaam to use his enchantments
against them. Accordingly, his servants visited the prophet "with the
rewards of divination in their hand," and invited him to return with
them to their master, and pronounce such a curse on the Israelites
that the Moabites might smite them (Num. 22:5-7). Balaam’s
character was at once revealed by his response to this temptation: he
neither accepted nor refused. Instead of reprimanding them, he bade
them lodge with him, and he would return his answer next morning.
During the night God appeared to him, and said, "Thou shalt
not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people. Next morning
Balaam informed his visitors "The Lord refuseth to give me leave to
go with you," and they departed without him—though he
dishonestly failed to tell them why he must not accept their
commission. Refusing to be discouraged by Balaam’s repulse, Balak
sent again to him, promising to promote him with very great honor if
he would come and curse Israel. Though he knew the mind of the
Lord. he temporized and invited the princes to stay with him that
night. Prompted by the love of gain, he now mocked God by
pretending to ask His permission—as though He might change His
mind; and God now mocked him, giving him leave to go, but
commanding him to utter only the word He gave him. This is
evident from "And God’s anger was kindled because he went," and
from "the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary
against him." (Num. 22:22).
Rebuked by the dumb ass and told by the angel, "I went out
to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me," Balaam
acknowledged his sin; yet when the word "Go with the men" was
given to test him further, he was carried forward against all checks
by the violent impulse of his lusts. When he arrived at his
destination, so powerfully did the Spirit of God restrain that Balaam
blessed Israel instead of cursing them. Nevertheless, so strongly did
he love "the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Pet. 2:15), and so
determined was he to earn the same, that he now devised a method
which promised to ensure the ruin of Israel (Num. 31:16, and cf.
Revelation 2:14), and which had been completely successful had not
God intervened (Ps. 106:28, 29). Thus did he definitely range
himself against Israel and defy the Lord. Soon after he reaped what
he had sown: linking his interests with the Moabites and Midianites,
he died with them (Num. 22:7; 31:8). Such is the doom of the
double-hearted, and those who are in bondage to covetousness.
None can serve God and mammon.
 Joshua 14:1-16:10
The Division of the Land
Dividing the Land
"And these are the countries which the children of Israel
inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua
the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the
children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them. By lot was
their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, for
the nine tribes and for the half tribe" (Josh. 14:1, 2). Joshua was now
old and stricken in years, and before the time came when no man
can work the Lord had bidden him engage in the most important
task of superintending the apportioning of Israel’s heritage (Josh.
13:1, 6, 7). Invested with Divine authority to act as Israel’s head,
manifestly enjoying the favor of the Lord, possessing the full
confidence of the people as their tried and faithful leader, none other
was so well suited to perform this particular work. But like all the
other duties which he had discharged, this one called also for the
exercise of faith, for Joshua was now required to assign the entire
country of Canaan which lay on the western side of Jordan: not only
those portions of it which Israel had already conquered and taken
possession of, but also the extensive sections which were still
occupied by the Canaanites. This called for the most implicit
confidence in the Lord—that He would grant the tribes possession
thereof.
The land of Canaan had already been conquered, so far as its
standing armies had been completely routed, its principal
strongholds destroyed, and its kings slain. Yet much of its actual
territory was still in the hands of its original inhabitants, who
remained to be dispossessed. It is important to distinguish between
the work which had been done by Joshua and that which still
remained for Israel to do. He had overthrown the ruling, powers,
captured their forts, and subdued the Canaanites to such an extent as
had given Israel firm foothold in the country. But he had not
exterminated the population in every portion of it, yea, powerful
nations still dwelt in parts thereof, as is clear from Judges 2:20-23,
and 3:1-4; so that much was still demanded from Israel. Therein we
behold again the accuracy of the type. The antitypical Joshua has
secured for His people an inalienable title to the heavenly Canaan,
yet formidable foes have to be overcome and much hard fighting
done by them before they enter into their eternal rest. The same is
true of the present enjoyment thereof: faith and hope encounter
much opposition ere there is an experiential participation of the
goodly heritage which Christ has obtained for them.
The method appointed for the dividing of the land is deeply
interesting and instructive. Two distinct principles were to operate,
yet the giving place to the one appears to rule out the other. The first
had been laid down by the Lord through Moses: "Unto these the
land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of
names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few
thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance
be given according to those that were numbered of him" (Num.
26:53, 54—repeated in Numbers 33:54). There was the general rule
which was to be followed in the dividing of Canaan and the
quartering of the people: the size of the section allocated was to be
determined by the numerical strength of the tribe to which it was
given. Yet immediately after Numbers 26:54, a second law was
named: "Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according
to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between
many and few." That is to say, the disposition of the inheritance was
to be determined by the sovereign will of God, for the lot was
regulated by Him and made known His pleasure.
Those two principles seem to be mutually incompatible, and
we are not acquainted with any attempt to show the agreement of the
one with the other. It is the age-old problem of the conjunction of
the Divine and human elements: in this instance, the human by the
dimensions of the several tribes; the Divine by God’s determining
their respective portions. Yet, in the case now before us, no real
difficulty is presented: the larger tribes would still obtain the biggest
sections, but the "lot" specified the particular situation in Canaan
which was to be theirs. Neither Joshua, Eleazar, nor the heads of the
tribes were free to dispose of the land according to their own ideas
or desires: the final locations were reserved to the providence of
God, to whose imperial will all must acquiesce, howsoever contrary
to their thoughts and wishes. Such an arrangement not only accorded
unto God His proper place in the transaction, but it also precluded
the exercise of any spirit of partiality or favoritism on the part of
Israel’s leaders, and at the same time served effectually to close the
mouths of the people from murmuring.
The more those two apparently conflicting principles be
pondered, the more shall we admire the wisdom of Him who
appointed the same. Obviously, it was most equitable and advisable
that the larger tribes should be accorded more extensive quarters
than the lesser ones, for their requirements would be the greater. Yet,
fallen human nature being what it is, it is equally evident that had
Israel been left entirely unto themselves the weaker tribes would
have been deprived of their rightful portions: for if not entirely
denied a separate heritage, they would most probably have been
obliged to submit unto having the least desirable sections of the land
Nor would there have been any redress, for in such a case
(numerical) might would be right. It was therefore necessary for
there to be a Divine supervision: not only in fixing the exact
boundaries of each allotment, but also in determining their several
locations, so that the mountainous sections and the fertile valleys
should be fairly distributed. This is one of many examples where we
see how the Divine legislation protected the welfare of the weak,
and how the Lord ever manifested a concern for the poor and needy.
Side by side with Joshua 14:1, 2, should be placed Leviticus
25:23-28: "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is Mine;
for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of
your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. If thy
brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession,
and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that
which his brother sold. And if the man have none to redeem it, and
himself be able to redeem it; then let him count the years of the sale
thereof, and restore the over-plus unto the man to whom he sold it;
that it may return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore
it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that
hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go
out, and he shall return unto his possession." That was the Divine
law respecting the real estate of the Hebrews and the transferring of
the same: a law by which the rights of rich and poor alike were fully
and equitably safeguarded. In cases of need, property might be sold
conditionally, but not absolutely so that the same should never again
return to its original owner.
The above passages set forth a remarkable and unique law of
property, displaying a wisdom wherein righteousness and mercy
were blessedly intermingled, encouraging as it did individual
enterprise, and yet also curbing greed. That disposition and
arrangement was the very reverse of "State ownership," for the land
was portioned out to the twelve tribes, and within the territory of
each tribe the land was divided among its families. If hardship and
poverty required a family to mortgage or sell its property, thereby an
opportunity was offered unto the thrifty and ambitious to enlarge
their holdings. But in the jubilee year that property reverted to its
seller, and thus the cupidity of "capitalists" was restrained, and
thereby were they prevented from taking undue advantage of the
distress of others by a permanent acquirement of their estates. Thus
the Bible not only teaches the right of the individual to own his own
house (cf. John 19:27) and possess real estate (Acts 4:34), but, by
clear and necessary implication, condemns State ownership, which
is a manifest violation of the rights and liberties of the individual.
How many-sided and far-reaching is the teaching of Holy Writ!
"The Israelites had acquired the land by conquest, but they
were not allowed to seize upon what they could, nor to have it all in
common, nor to share it out by consent or arbitration; but, with
solemn appeal to God Himself, to divide by lot; for Canaan was His
land, and Israel were His people. This was likewise the readiest way
of satisfying all parties, and preventing discontent and discord"
(Thomas Scott). Yet it should be pointed out that the basic law that
operated here has also obtained all through human history. The Lord
God is the Proprietor as well as the Governor of both heaven and
earth, the sovereign Disposer of all the affairs of the children of
men. He is the One who controls the courses of empires and
determines the lives of dynasties, and has also decided the limits of
each person’s territory. That principle is clearly enunciated in
Deuteronomy 32:8, "When the Most High divided to the nations
their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the
bounds of the people according to the number of the children of
Israel." And none of those nations ever has or will exceed those
"bounds" which the Almighty originally prescribed.
As truly as the Divine "lot" assigned the particular parts of
Palestine which the different tribes of Israel should possess, so has
God predestined the precise portions of the earth which each nation
shall occupy. "When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters
should not pass His commandment" (Prov. 8:29), He gave a similar
edict unto the nations. And military leaders impelled by the lust of
conquest, and aggressive dictators aspiring to world dominion, have
discovered that, like the restless sea (which is the scriptural symbol
of the nations: Daniel 7:2, and cf. Revelation 17:15), God has set a
bound which they "could not pass," "and though the waves thereof
toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can
they not pass over it" (Jer. 5:22, and cf. Job 38:11). Men like
Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler might be dissatisfied with the
allotments of providence, chafe against the restraints it had placed
upon their greed, rage and roar against their neighbors, and attempt
to acquire their Divinely given portions, but vain were their efforts.
Thus will any present or future aspirant yet find out.
Deuteronomy 32:8, informs us that God had before His mind
the children of Israel when He divided to the nations their
inheritance, for, as the apostle told his saints, "all things are for your
sakes" (2 Cor. 4:5). Thus there was a partial reference to the seven
nations whose place and portion were assigned them in Canaan, so
that the Hebrews found it in a high state of cultivation, provided
with towns and houses, all prepared for their use! In like manner, the
favored land in which the writer and the reader live, with all its
natural and national advantages, and the temporal provisions we
enjoy therein, is as much the special appointment and gift of God as
Canaan was to Israel, and as truly demands our gratitude. God has
the sole disposing of this life and the interests thereof, as truly as He
has of the life to come. No man has a foot of land more than God
has laid out for him in His all-wise providence: so whatever of this
world’s goods he obtains let him bear in mind, "thou shalt remember
the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth"
(Deut. 8:18). This world is not governed by blind chance, but by
Divine wisdom. However possessions come to us, they are from
God as the first cause.
God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell
on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26) As
Toplady remarked thereon, "The very places which people inhabit
are here positively averred to be determined and fore-appointed by
God. And it is very right it should be so, else some places would be
overstocked with inhabitants, and others deserted Whereas by God’s
having fore-appointed the bounds of our habitations, we are properly
sifted over the face of the earth, so as to answer all the social and
higher purposes of Divine wisdom." God has appointed where each
person shall reside: the particular country in which he should be
born, and the very city, town, village, and house in which we shall
dwell, and how long he shall remain there; for our times are in His
hand (Ps. 31:15). A striking illustration of that is seen in connection
with both the birthplace and the subsequent abode of the Savior. It
was ordained that He should be born at Bethlehem, and though
circumstances appeared to prevent. God set in motion a Roman
census throughout the whole of its empire, requiring Joseph and
Mary to journey unto Bethlehem, (Luke 2:1-6). Later, they resided at
the appointed Nazareth (Matthew 2:23).
The distribution of Canaan was by lot. To ascertain precisely
what it consisted of and how the mind of God was made known
therein, Scripture has to be carefully compared with Scripture, and
even then we cannot be quite certain of the exact method followed.
The first time (which is always of most importance) the lot is
mentioned is in Leviticus 16:8, "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the
two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat":
i.e. to determine which of them should be used for the God-ward
side of the atonement (propitiation) and which the man-ward (the
removal of sins). Thus the first occurrence of "the lot" associates it
with Israel’s high priest, and shows that it was employed in
determining the will of God. So too "Eleazar the priest" is expressly
mentioned both in Numbers 34:17, and Joshua 14:1, in connection
with the transaction we are here considering. Likewise, when the
claim was made by the daughters of Zelophehad to a portion of
Canaan their case was determined before Eleazar the priest, Joshua,
and the princes of the tribes (Josh. 17:3-6), because the use of the lot
was there involved, as the word "fell," or more literally "came forth"
(v. 5), indicates.
Personally we incline strongly to the view taken by the
author of The Companion Bible (unprocurable today) that God’s
will in "the lot" was obtained by means of the mysterious "Urim and
Thummim," which were probably two precious stones, for there was
no commandment given to "make" them, and which were "put in the
breastplate" of the high priest, (Ex. 28:30). Apparently they were
"put" in a bag in "the ephod" or robe of the high priest, which bag
was formed by doubling a part of the garment—note "doubled" in
Exodus 28:16, and "inward" (v. 26). In Proverbs 16:33, we are told,
"The lot is cast into the lap [Hebrew "bosom," which is put for the
clothing covering it—cf. Exodus 4:6, 7]; but the whole disposing
thereof is of the Lord." Thus "the lot" was for the purpose of giving
a judgment or infallible decision, and the breastplate is designated
"the breastplate of judgment" (Ex. 28:15), because by it God’s
judgment or verdict was given when the same was needed—
compare 1 Samuel 28:6, where the Lord refused to oblige the
apostate Saul.
Thus it seems that when the lot was needed the high priest
placed his hand in the bag or pocket behind his breastplate, and drew
forth either the Urim or the Thummim, the one signifying Yes, and
the other No, for in Joshua 18:11, we are told that the lot "came up,"
in Joshua 19:1, that it "came forth," and in Joshua 19:17, that it
"came out." Joshua 19:51, informs us that this important transaction
took place at the entrance to the house of God: "These are the
inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun,
and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel,
divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation." This casts light upon a
number of passages treating of incidents in the later history of Israel.
Thus, when they were uncertain as to whether or not they should go
up against Benjamin again, they came to the house of God and
inquired of the Lord, and it was Phinehas the high priest who
obtained answer for them (Judg. 20:26-28). In Ezra 2:61-63, no
verdict could be given unless the high priest were present, with his
breastplate of judgment, with "the lot," Urim and Thummim, which
would give Jehovah’s decision—guilty or innocent.
It is to be duly noted that, in addition to Eleazar the priest
and Joshua himself, "the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the
children of Israel" (Josh. 14:1) were also present when the official
distribution of the land was made. This was in obedience to the
Divine injunction given through Moses that "one prince of every
tribe" (Num. 34:18) should be taken to serve as commissioners on
this occasion. They were entrusted with the oversight, to be
witnesses that everything had been conducted fairly and properly in
the distribution of the land according to the size of the tribes and in
the casting of the lot. Thus would they protect the rights of the
tribes, preclude all suspicion that any partiality had been shown, and
be qualified authoritatively to determine any controversy which
might later arise. "Public affairs should be so managed, as not only
to give their right to all, but, if possible, to give satisfaction to all
that they have right done them" (Matthew Henry). It is very striking
to note that God not only selected those commissioners during the
lifetime of Moses, but actually named them all (Num. 34:19-29),
which thereby guaranteed their preservation from death during the
long interval, either from natural causes or from the fighting in
Canaan.
The Inheritance
In our last we virtually confined our attention to a
consideration of the method appointed by God for the distribution of
Canaan among the tribes of Israel—that of Levi being exempted
therefrom. That method was "the lot," and however casual and
contingent the casting thereof might seem to man it was Divinely
certain, for "the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord" (Prov.
16:33), so that His will was infallibly made known thereby. All
important matters of order under the Divine theocracy were thus
determined. Hence we find king Saul making request of the Lord
God, "give a perfect lot" (1 Sam. 14:41). The cities in which the
sons of Aaron and their families were to dwell were determined by
lot (1 Chron. 6:63), so too were the sacred singers of the divine
worship (1 Chron. 25:7, 8). Likewise. in Nehemiah’s day, those who
were to reside in Jerusalem were chosen by lot (Josh. 11:1). In case
of rival claims, the different parties agreed to abide by its decision,
and thus "The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between
the mighty" (Prov. 18:18).
The practical application which is to be made unto ourselves
of the above principle is that God does not leave secondary causes to
their work as an idle spectator, bat interposes and orders all the
affairs of our lives. As an old writer quaintly expressed it,
"Notwithstanding all our blowing, the fire will not burn without the
Lord." "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that
build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in
vain" (Ps. 127:1) As the apportioning of Canaan was entirely by
Divine determination, so are the bounds of our habitation fixed, and
in whatever way our position and portion in this world be assigned
or acquired by us, we should regard the same as coming from the
Lord, and be thankful for and contented with it. One of the secrets of
tranquility of mind and happiness of heart is for us to be grateful and
joyful for what God has so graciously given us, instead of lusting
after and repining over those things which He wisely withholds.
"Godliness with contentment is great gain . . . and having food and
raiment let us be therewith content" (1 Tim. 5:6, 8).
As the portion which Jehovah appointed, promised, and gave
unto Abraham and his descendants, the land of Canaan has, all
through this Christian era, been rightly regarded as figuring the
heavenly Canaan, unto which the members of Christ are now
journeying as they pass through this scene of sin and trial. Rightly so
we say, for in the first place the New Testament refers often to the
everlasting bliss of God’s people as an inheritance. The evangelical
commission which Paul received from the Lord unto the Gentiles
was "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in Me" (Acts 26:18). And therefore did he
bid the Colossians gave "thanks unto the Father, which hath made us
meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Josh.
1:12). In Hebrews 9:15, he termed it the "eternal inheritance"; while
Peter assured the saints that they had been begotten "to an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:4).
In the second place, Canaan was given to Israel on the
ground of the covenant which Jehovah made with Abraham (Ex. 6:4,
Psalm 105:9-11). In like manner, our heritage of blessing and glory
is bestowed upon us in consequence of the everlasting covenant of
grace. God and the Mediator agreed together in counsel for the
accomplishment of a common end: to further the manifested glory
of God and to secure the salvation of His people. In Zechariah 6:13,
we read, "And the counsel of peace shall be between Them both,"
the reference being to Jehovah and the Man whose name is the
Branch of the previous verse. That "counsel of peace" signifies the
compact between Them. Or the fulfillment of certain conditions by
the Mediator, God stipulated to reward Him and His seed. That
everlasting covenant is the foundation of all the good which God
does to His people (Luke 1:68-72; Heb. 13:20, 21). His promises
unto them were made to their Surety, on whose behalf He transacted.
A remarkable proof of this is found in Titus 1:2, "In hope of eternal
life, which God, that cannot lie, promised [not simply "purposed "]
before the world began"—promised Christ that He would bestow
eternal life (another name for the "inheritance"—Matthew 7:14)
upon all His seed.
In the third place, the everlasting portion of Christians is not
only an "inheritance," but an allotted one. This is taught plainly in
Ephesians 1:11, though a careful comparison of other passages is
required in order to discern the real meaning and force of that verse.
Since most of the Lord’s people are unacquainted with the same, it
will be necessary for us to enter into some detail In verses 3-9 the
apostle had spoken of election, of adoption to glory (or an
inheritance), of redemption, and of vocation. Then in verse 10 he
stated that the design of the whole of the foregoing was that God
should head up or gather together in one all things in Christ, both
which are in heaven (the angels) and (the redeemed) which are on
earth. In verses 11-13 this is amplified and explained. First he refers
to Jewish believers, and says, "In whom [Christ, the Head] also we
have obtained an inheritance," or a part in that grand "gathering
together" into one in Christ. Then in verse 13 he alludes to the
Gentiles: "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation," for it is not until his conversion
that any soul actually obtains either an interest in or meetness for the
inheritance.
The "we have obtained an inheritance" is a single word—a
compound one—in the original, and is derived from kleros,
concerning which that eminent Greek scholar and exegete C. Hodge
said, "The word kleros means to cast lots, to distribute by lot, to
choose by lot, and, in the middle voice, to obtain by lot or
inheritance or simply to obtain." Our own study has confirmed that,
First, kleros signifies a part or portion in a thing, to be a partaker
with others therein, and it is so rendered in Acts 1:17, 25. Thus the
saints have a part in that gathering together of all things in Christ.
Second, kleros signifies an inheritance, and is so rendered in
Hebrews 1:4—"heritage" in 1 Peter 5:3. Third, kleros signifies a lot,
being so translated seven times: Matthew 27:35, etc., Acts 1:26.
Thus by combining those three meanings we get a part or portion,
which part or portion is an inheritance, and this inheritance comes to
us by lot, as did that of the Hebrews: "Ye shall divide the land by lot
for an inheritance" (Num. 33:54, and see Ezekiel 45:1). and
therefore it is called "the lot of our inheritance" (Num. 36:3).
It is also to be observed that the verbal noun of Ephesians
1:11 (for a verb it is) is a passive one, importing that the inheritance
has been bestowed upon us, and is not something actively acquired
by us. The word is used in the passive voice when we say a man is
disinherited, but we have no English word that answers thereto to
say a man is inherited, so we supply a word and say he is endowed
with an inheritance. The Christian’s inheritance is not something he
has earned by his own efforts, nor is it even sought by him, but is
conferred upon him gratuitously. We obtained an inheritance in
Christ, were made joint heirs with Him, before we were aware of it.
In some cases this is much more evident than in others, as with those
who are utterly unconcerned about their souls’ eternal welfare being
suddenly and quite unexpectedly apprehended by Christ—like Saul
of Tarsus. Yet in reality it is so in every case, for Christ took the
initiative in seeking out and working upon the ones who became
anxious seekers after Him, for did not God first quicken the dead in
sins, none would ever make a movement towards Him; yet they
know no more about that quickening than a man asleep would of
obtaining an inheritance then bequeathed to him.
Thus it turns out under the preaching of the Gospel and those
who hear the same: the lot falls on some and passes by others. One
may attend out of idle curiosity and be arrested by God the first
sermon he hears; as Zacchaeus, being little, climbed up into a tree,
that he might get a glimpse of the miracle-worker who was passing
that way, yet Christ said unto him "make haste, and come down. . . .
This day is salvation come to this house"; while regular attendees
are left to themselves. "Go ye therefore into the highways, and as
many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage": every saint is Divinely
ordained, yet to human perception things are carried out casually, as
if grace comes to them by lot—even as Saul merely went forth to
seek his father’s asses, but before he arrived back home had been
anointed king of Israel. The hearers of Christ’s forerunner went to
view a novelty, as they would go to a show (Luke 7:24, 25), yet
under his call to repentance many of their hearts were turned to God.
The above remarks receive definite confirmation in 2 Peter
1:1, where the apostle addresses himself to "them that have obtained
like precious faith with us," for the Greek word there used also
signifies "to obtain by lot" (Young’s Concordance), being the same
one as is rendered "his lot was to burn incense" (Luke 1:9). By using
that term, Peter would remind his readers that if they had really
believed to the saving of their souls they were indebted for their
faith not at all to their own superior sagacity but solely to the
sovereign dispositions of Divine grace. In the distribution of His
favors, that blessed portion had fallen to their share. Thus 2 Peter
1:1, is one of many verses which teach us that saving faith is a gift
from God, and not a product of the creature’s will: all room for
boasting is excluded (1 Cor. 4:7): it is the Divine lot which makes
believer differ from unbeliever! It is not simply predestination which
gives a soul a right to the Divine inheritance, but a Divine work—a
work of grace on the heart—which is the effect of predestination. So
teaches the apostle in Ephesians 1:12-14: it was after they heard the
Gospel, "after that ye believed," that they were sealed by the Holy
Spirit of promise, "which is the earnest of our inheritance." It is not
until we are converted that we obtain a personal interest in the
inheritance." This is dear from Acts 26:18, for Christ sent forth Paul
to preach in order to turn men "from darkness unto light . . . that
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them
which are sanctified [set apart from unbelievers] by faith that is in
Me." Simon Magus was told frankly, "Thou hast neither part nor lot
in this matter." And why? because he was an impenitent and
unpardoned soul (Acts 8:21, 22). We have to be made meet by the
gracious operations of the Spirit before we become partakers of the
inheritance (Col. 1:12). Likewise does 1 Peter 1:3, 4, expressly
inform us that we must be begotten of God ere we have a saving and
experiential interest in the heavenly inheritance.
 After stating that those who are converted have obtained an
inheritance or "part" in the gathering together into one of all things
in Christ, the apostle then traced this unspeakable blessing back to
its source: "being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph.
1:11). God has sent forth the Gospel on no uncertain mission, but
whenever and by whomsoever it be preached it shall not return unto
Him void, but accomplish that which He pleases and prosper in the
thing whereto He sent it—all the forces of evil being powerless to
prevent it. It is not left to human caprice, the wills of those who hear
it, and though it comes to men by "lot" (which to the eye of man
appears to be wholly a matter of chance), yet that lot is directed by
God’s eternal predestination; and though the favored ones on which
the lot falls be by nature as alienated from God and as dead in sin as
those whom the lot passes by, nevertheless their effectual calling and
conversion is accomplished by Him who works all things after the
counsel of His own will.
Many of God’s people rejoice and give thanks unto Him for
His bringing them front death unto life, working repentance and
faith in them, and granting them a saving interest in Christ; but fail
to perceive that those acts of the Divine mercy are the consequence
and fruits of God’s eternal choice and foreordination of them unto
eternal life and glory (Acts 13:48; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14). The order of
the Divine procedure is clearly stated in Romans 8: "For whom He
did foreknow, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn [chief] among many
brethren" (v. 29). Foreknowledge there is the knowledge of
approbation, as in "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous" (Ps.
1), "you only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos
3:2, and see Rom. 11:2). The distinction between foreknowledge and
predestination is this: the Divine foreknowledge is of the persons
selected and approved; the predestination is the appointing of the
blessings designed them. The next verse shows how that grand
purpose of God is accomplished: "Moreover whom He did
predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He
also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
 Thus, God’s electing grace and sovereign purpose are the
ground and root of all that follows. Many other passages teach the
same thing. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore
with loving-kindness have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3)—all of God’s
dealings with His people in time are the outworking, of His decrees
concerning them in eternity past. "God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth" (2 Thess. 2:13): He who determined the end also
appointed and provided the means thereto. "Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works [either
actual or foreseen, for we have no good ones except those which He
produces in and through us], but according to His own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2
Tim. 1:9). Now observe how strong and emphatic is the language of
Ephesians 1:11: "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will." Not only predestinated
to that inheritance, but according to Divine purpose, which
expresses the certainty and immutability thereof; and that the decree
of Him who effectually works all things after the contrivance of His
own pleasure, none being able to withstand Him.
In the fourth place the allotment of Israel’s inheritance was
conveyed through the exercise of the priest’s office. "And these are
the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of
Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and
the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel,
distributed for inheritance to them" (Josh. 14:1). Since a solemn
appeal was to be made unto God for the knowledge of His will, the
presence of the high priest with his Urim and Thummin was
necessary. Accordingly, Eleazar, the son and successor of Aaron
(Deut. 10:6), is here mentioned, and that before Joshua. By thus
giving him the precedence, signal honor was placed upon the
priesthood. Therein we behold once more the beauty and the
accuracy of the type, though ours is an age of such spiritual
ignorance that few today perceive this. The careful student of the
New Testament will have observed that the priesthood of Christ is
there given a prominence which is accorded unto neither His
prophetic nor His kingly office. Nor is that in the least surprising, for
it was the very end of His incarnation "that He might be a merciful
and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17).
There was obviously no necessity for the assumption of
human nature by the Son of God if the only results to be achieved
thereby were the publication of truths undiscoverable by the efforts
of human reason and the promulgation of laws invested with the
authority of God, for prophets and apostles were quite competent
(by Divine enduement) to perform such offices. But the mediation of
Christ rendered it requisite and fitting that it should assume the
peculiar form of priesthood, so that His death might be not only a
satisfaction unto justice, but a sweet-smelling sacrifice—a free-will
offering unto God. It is most important to recognize that Christ’s
redemptive work was a priestly one. This has been denied by
Socinians, and it is sad to find some who believe in Christ’s deity
adopting the vain reasoning of "Unitarians" concerning the
sacerdotal nature of the Savior’s oblation. The New Testament
represents Christ not only as priest, but as the great High Priest of
His people, and if the character, purpose and scope of that office be
interpreted in the light of the Old Testament types (as it must be)
there is no room left for doubt as to the meaning of the antitype.
Now it is in the epistle to the Hebrews that the functions of
Christ’s priesthood are most fully made known. There we are shown
that both Aaron and Melchizedek were needed to foreshadow
completely its various aspects: the design of God in appointing
Aaron was to typify the person and work of Christ, as is clear from
"as was Aaron . . . so also Christ" (Josh. 5:4, 5)—an unmistakable
parallel. Hebrews 2:17, makes it quite plain that Christ acted as
Priest here on earth, for He made "reconciliation for the sins of the
people "—as Aaron was priest before he entered the holiest, so also
was Christ. Hebrews 7:26, exhibits the qualifications and
excellencies which fitted Christ to discharge this office, describing
what He was here when brought into contact with sin and sinners.
"Such an high priest became us": was requisite for and suited to
fallen creatures—none other could expiate our sins, procure
acceptance with God, or purchase eternal redemption. Hebrews 8:3;
9:11-15, 25-28; 10:10-12, also prove that Christ discharged His
priestly office on earth, offering Himself as a sacrifice to God.
Conclusive proof of this was furnished by God’s rending of the veil,
thereby setting aside the whole system of the Levitical order, His
priestly oblation having superseded theirs.
As might well be expected from their relative positions in the
Sacred Canon, Hebrews takes us farther than Romans (wonderful as
that epistle is) in the revelation of God’s manifold wisdom and the
unveiling of His amazing grace. In Romans the scene is laid in the
law court; in Hebrews, within the temple. In the former, the
righteousness of God is displayed; in the latter, His holiness shines
forth. In the one, justification is the outstanding provision of the
Gospel; in the other, sanctification is the product of Christ’s
sacrifice. In Romans Christ is seen as the covenant Head and federal
Representative of His people; in Hebrews as their great High Priest.
In the former, believers obtain a secure standing before God’s
throne; in the latter, they are privileged to draw nigh as worshippers
before the mercy seat. As both Aaron and Melchizedek were needed
to set forth the sacrificial and royal functions of Christ’s priesthood,
so both Phinehas and Joshua were required (Josh. 14:1) to exhibit
Him as the Bestower of our inheritance—the Lamb-Lion of
Revelation 5:5, 6. As Priest (and Lamb) Christ purchased the
"eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:11-15), as the antitypical Joshua (and
Lion) His power conducts the heirs into it.
In our last we pointed out some of the principal respects in
which the distribution of the land of Canaan unto the tribes of Israel
adumbrated the blessings and glory which the spiritual Israel obtain
in and by Christ. We saw that, in the first place, our eternal portion is
distinctly termed an "inheritance" (1 Pet. 1:4) Second, that our
inheritance is bestowed upon us on the ground of a covenant (Luke
1:72). Third, that our inheritance too is an allotted one (Eph. 1:11),
and that the very faith which is necessary to give us a personal and
saving interest therein is bestowed upon us by Divine lot (1 Pet.
1:2). Fourth, that our glorious heritage is conveyed to us by the
exercise of Christ’s priesthood (Heb. 9:11-15). Continuing to ponder
the analogies between type and antitype, we note, in the fifth place,
that responsible princes of Israel’s tribes attended when Canaan was
divided, for there were present with Eleazar the priest and Joshua
"the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel" (Josh.
14:1). Nothing is told us of the particular part they played in that
important transaction, but it appears that they were appointed to act
as overseers or supervisors on that occasion.
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye
which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28). That,
in our opinion, is what answers to and corresponds with that
particular detail in Joshua 14:1. If "the saints shall judge the world,"
yea, "judge angels" (1 Cor. 6:2, 3), we need not be surprised to learn
that the twelve shall sit upon thrones judging the tribes of Israel. The
apostles were closest to Christ and shared most in His humiliation,
and therefore in the day of His manifested glory they will be
distinguished from and honored above all their brethren. Since they
were so fiercely persecuted by the Jews, they will be Christ’s
assessors in their judgment. A further dignity is bestowed upon them
by the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb being in the twelve
foundations of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12). In each instance—
Joshua 14:1; Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 the bare fact is
stated without any explanation or amplification, and therefore any
attempt to speculate thereon is not only useless but impious.
In the sixth place, our inheritance is a reward. As we have so
frequently pointed out in these articles, while Canaan was the land
of promise, Israel had to fight for it: even Jacob spoke of one portion
therein "which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword
and with my bow" (Gen. 48:22). It was bequeathed unto Abraham
and his seed, nevertheless it became theirs only by their own
prowess. Notwithstanding its being theirs by Divine donation, in a
subordinate but very real sense their actual entrance into and
possession thereof was the result of their own efforts. Whether or
not we can perceive the "consistency" and congruity of those
different principles, they are the plain facts of the case. Nor should
they present any difficulty to us, for they are complementary to each
other, and not contradictory. God’s sovereignty lies at the foundation
of all things, yet in His dealings with men—His own people not
excepted—He ever treats with them as moral agents, enforces their
accountability, and causes them to reap as they have sown, whether
it was evil or good seed.
Now what pertained to the bestowment and acquirement of
the earthly Canaan holds good in connection with the heavenly
Canaan. It could not be otherwise, for God made the type to shadow
forth accurately the antitype, therefore we read, "And whatsoever ye
do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of
the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve
the Lord Christ" (Col. 3:23, 24). Nothing can be more free or a
matter of bounty than an inheritance. Then since it be an inheritance,
with what propriety term it a "reward"? If a reward, how can it be, at
the same time, an "inheritance "? The two things seem to be quite
incompatible, especially since the inheritance is also designated "the
purchased possession" (Eph. 1:14)—bought with the blood of
Christ. Yet such language is no more antithetical that that of the
Savior when He exhorted the Jews to "labor not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,"
and then added," which the Son of man shall give unto you" (John
6:27); nor that of His apostle, who declared, "For we which have
believed do enter into rest," and then enjoined, "let us labor
therefore to enter into that rest" (Heb. 4:3, 11).
There is much in the Scriptures which appears to the infidel
to be contradictory: as that "the Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut.
6:4), yet is three distinct persons; that "His mercy endureth for ever"
(Ps. 136:1), yet that He will send many of His creatures to
everlasting punishment; that Christ should affirm "I and Father are
one" (John 10:30), yet also declared "My Father is greater than I"
(John 14:28). And though the Christian perceives the perfect
harmony of those statements, yet there are some things which
greatly puzzle him. As for instance, that since God has predestinated
everything which comes to pass, what room is left for free agency
and the discharge of human responsibility? If the fall has deprived
men of all spiritual strength, how can they be justly held
blameworthy for failing to perform spiritual duties? If Christ died
for the elect only, how can He be freely offered to every creature? If
the believer be Christ’s "free man," then why is he required to take
upon him His yoke? If he has been set at liberty (Gal. 5:1), how can
he be "under the law" (1 Cor. 9:21)? If he be preserved by God, then
how can his own perseverance be necessary in order to the
attainment of eternal bliss? If sin does not have dominion over him
(Rom. 6:14), why do "iniquities prevail against" him so often (Ps.
65:3)?
Whatever difficulties may be involved, the fact remains that
Scripture has not a little to say about God’s rewarding the obedient
and crowning the overcomer. "In keeping of them there is great
reward" (Ps. 19:11). "To him that soweth righteousness shall be a
sure reward" (Prov. 11:18). "Then He shall reward every man
according to his works" (Matthew 16:27). "Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many" (Matthew 25:23). "They [the poor]
cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14). There are other declarations
that God will take special note of the fidelity of His servants, and
amply compensate them for the sufferings which they have endured
in His behalf. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,
for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your
reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11). "Be thou faithful unto death, and
I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10). Now all such passages
as these must be allowed their obvious and legitimate force, and be
given a due place in our hearts and minds.
In a brief and incidental statement on this subject, Calvin
beautifully preserved the balance. "The Scripture shows what all our
works are capable of meriting when it represents them as unable to
bear the Divine scrutiny, because they are full of impurity. And in
the next place what would be merited by the perfect observance of
the Law if this could anywhere be found, when it directs us, ‘when
ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say,
We are unprofitable servants’ (Luke 17:10), because we shall not
have conferred any favor on God, but only have performed the
duties incumbent upon us, for which no thanks are due.
Nevertheless, the good works which the Lord has conferred on us,
He denominates our own, and declares that He will not only accept,
but also reward them. It is our duty to be animated by so great a
promise, and to stir up our minds that we ‘be not weary in well
doing,’ and to be truly grateful for so great an instance of the Divine
goodness. . . . Good works, therefore, are pleasing to God and not
unprofitable to the authors of them, and they will moreover receive
the most ample blessings from God as their reward: not because they
merit them, but because the Divine goodness has freely appointed
them this reward" (Institutes, book 3, chapter 5).
If it were "inconsistent" with the Divine perfections for God
to bestow any future rewards on His people both for Christ’s sake
(primarily and meritoriously) and because of their own obedience
(according to the terms of the new covenant and the governmental
principles of God), then it would be equally so for Him to grant any
present ones, for no difference in time or place can make any change
in the essential nature of things. That He does richly recompense
them in this world is clear from many passages. "Great peace have
they which love Thy law" (Ps. 119:165 and cf. Isaiah 58:13, 14).
The peace and joy which are the believer’s now flow originally from
the meditation of Christ, but subordinately from his own obedience
and fidelity—if he pursues a course of disobedience, then peace of
conscience will not be his. Those who deny themselves for Christ’s
sake and the Gospel’s are assured of a grand reward: "an
hundredfold now in this time," as well as "in the world to come
eternal life" (Mark 10:30). "Godliness is profitable unto all things,
having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come"
(1 Tim. 4:8).
He who was outstandingly the apostle of grace declared, "I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14): whatever that "prize" may consist of, the
fact remains that the Holy Spirit moved him to use that term.
Nevertheless, it is evident that our rewards, whether present or
future, are not due to us as a wage is to a hired servant who has
properly fulfilled his duty: rather are they entirely a matter of Divine
bounty. This is clear from the following considerations. First, it is
Divine grace which alone produces our good works: "Thou also hast
wrought all our works in us" (Isa. 26:12). Second, it is Divine grace
which approves of them, despite their defects, for our gifts or
benevolences (Phil. 4:18) and our worship are "acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5): yea, our prayers are heard by God only
because of the "much incense" of Christ’s merits being added to
them (Rev. 8:3, 4). Third, there is no proportion between our
performances or sufferings and the "exceeding and eternal weight of
glory" (2 Cor. 4:17) which they "worketh for us."
Rewards are in no sense the recognition of personal
worthiness, for we can deserve nothing good at the hands of God.
Therein they differ radically from the punishment which shall be
meted out unto the reprobate. The penalty inflicted on the wicked is
an act of strict justice, the paying to them the wages of sin: but the
rewarding of the righteous is entirely a matter of Divine bounty, and
therefore all room for boasting is excluded. It is impossible for any
creature to bring God under obligation to him or make Him in any
wise his debtor. Nevertheless, He is graciously pleased to recognize,
own and recompense all that is done with an eye to His glory.
Promises of reward are among the incentives to industry (Ps. 126:6),
the encouragements of fidelity (Heb. 11:26), and the motives to
inspire us in unwearied well doing (Gal. 6:9)—it was for "the joy set
before Him" that the Lord Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2).
Finally, it is to be pointed out that in signifying His approval of the
services of the saints, God, at the same time, is owning the Spirit’s
work in them, for they are the "fruits" of His gracious operation.
 In the seventh place, there will be degrees of glory among
the saints when they enter into their final inheritance, though there
are those who call this into question. It is objected that, since all
believers are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and are equal
in that respect, all have title to an equal inheritance. But that does
not follow: varying degrees or measures of grace are bestowed upon
one and another of them in this life. But since they all stand in the
same relation to God, and are His dear children, will they not enjoy
the same honors and dignities? Not necessarily, for even in this
world they are not all of the same spiritual stature. Some are babes
in Christ, while others are young men and fathers (1 John 2:12-14),
and, no matter how long they be left here, some of the first-
mentioned never attain unto the level of the others. Some argue that
since all be of grace, distinctions could not obtain. All is of grace,
and every crown will be cast at the feet of Christ, yet it does not
follow that they shall be in all respects alike. Paul’s crown of
rejoicing will greatly consist in the salvation of those among whom
he labored (1 Thess. 2:19), yet that will not be the case with every
inhabitant of heaven.
Others insist that the saint’s title to eternal life is the
meritorious work of the Mediator, being "the gift of God . . . through
Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23), and that since all of His
redeemed have His obedience imputed to them, that must ensure
equality in glory. Not so, for Revelation 14:13, tells us that, from
henceforth, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they
may rest from their labors, and then adds, "their works do follow
them." Note, not "precede" as the ground of their justification, but
"follow" as intermediate causes of their felicity. Since the amount of
their works varies, so will they contribute to different degrees in
augmenting their bliss. But since all be loved with the same love,
called by the same calling, and are heirs of the same inheritance, it
must be concluded that all will possess it in the same degree. If that
reasoning proves anything, it "proves too much," for in such case all
would be on a spiritual equality now; whereas it is an
incontrovertible fact that God distributes His gifts and graces
unevenly among His people.
 All of the redeemed will be entirely content and perfectly
happy in heaven, rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
yet while every cup of bliss will be full, they will not all be of the
same size. All the saints will participate in celestial and eternal
felicity, but not on an equality, "otherwise there would be no
suitableness in God’s dispensations. . . . There are higher degrees of
glory for those who have done and suffered most" (Matthew Henry).
This too was definitely foreshadowed in the distribution of Canaan.
Joshua did not divide the land into twelve equal parts, for the Lord
had given orders, "To many thou shalt give the more inheritance,
and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his
inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him"
(Num. 26:54); and so it came to pass. That also had a spiritual
significance and application to us. "A believer’s state of happiness is
determined by his faith, but the measure of his happiness in that
state depends upon the fruits of faith. Faith alone saves a Christian,
but his crown is brighter according as his faith works more
abundantly by love" (John Berridge, 1774).
As we have shown above, Scripture repeatedly informs us
that the services and sufferings of the saints shall be rewarded in the
day to come: though that reward be not of debt, but of grace, yet it is
a "reward"—which could not be if what is enjoyed in the life to
come had no relation to and bore no proportion to what was done in
this life. As the different portions allotted Israel were determined by
the size of their tribes, so that of the saints will be regulated by the
number of their good works, in proportion as they use their talents.
"Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own
labor" (1 Cor. 3:8): according to the extent to which he exercised his
grace and holiness here. As there are different measures of
fruitfulness among believers, some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, and
some a hundredfold (Mark 4:8), so there will be differences of
reward. Though an eternity of bliss will be the portion of both the
repentant thief and the apostle Paul, it is inconceivable that the latter
will receive no more from the hands of Christ than the former. "To
deny degrees in glory is to say that God will not suit men’s wages to
works" (Thomas Brooks, 1606-1680).
 "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6). "As there is a difference in the kind of crop
according to the kind of seed (Gal. 6:7, 8), so according to the
degree. Some well, others better; so some fare well, others better, are
more bountifully rewarded; for God will deal more liberally with
those who shall accordingly with greater diligence acquit themselves
in well doing. There is a proportionate observance" (Manton).
"Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall
he receive of the Lord" (Eph. 6:8), "that is, shall be particularly and
punctually considered by God for it. He shall receive the same, not
for kind, but for quantity and proportion" (Manton). The moral
government of God will thus be honored, and the equity of His
procedure manifested. All will be of grace, yet then too shall it be
seen that grace works "through righteousness" (Rom. 5:21). "Ye
shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord
Christ" (Col. 3:24), who is not only a bountiful Master, but a faithful
one. "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of
love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have
ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb. 6:10).
It is in His office as moral Governor that the Lord will act in
the day to come, and therein He will display not only His
benevolence, but His righteousness. It will become Him to exhibit
His approbation of holiness, put honor upon virtue, and crown
fidelity. "If heavenly bliss bear any relation to the labors and
sufferings of the present life on behalf of Christ, which the
Scriptures assure us it does, these being diverse, that must also be
the same" (Andrew Fuller). Different degrees of glory accords most
with God’s ways in creation, which is everywhere marked by
diversity rather than uniformity. There are differences and disparities
in everything among men: in wisdom and rank, in abilities and
riches. Among the angels also there are "principalities and powers,
thrones and dominions." It accords with God’s dealings with His
saints here · He gives the greatest spiritual blessings to those who
most eminently glorify Him. Various measures of glory accords too
with different degrees of punishment for the wicked (Matthew
11:22; Luke 12:47, 48: Hebrews 10:29). "Heavenly bliss will consist
in ascribing glory to God and the Lamb: but this can be proportioned
only in proportion as we have glory to ascribe. When Paul
acknowledges ‘by the grace of God I am what I am,’ there is a
thousand times more meaning in the expression, and a thousand
times more glory redounds to God, than in the uttering of the same
words by some men, even though they be men of real piety" (A.
Fuller).
Individual Portions
Our previous articles upon the distribution of Canaan were
confined almost entirely to the typical side of things, adumbrating as
it did that blessed heritage which God decreed and Christ purchased
for His people. But we must now consider briefly some of the literal
features connected with the same. The orderly dividing of the land
was not only a wise provision, but a necessary arrangement, so that
the particular section of each tribe should be clearly defined. In
Joshua 14–19 a full and detailed description is recorded of the
boundaries of each one. That was done by the immediate
appointment and direction of God, and not by any human sagacity
and prudence, still less by the dictates of partiality and greed. All
was regulated by "the lot." This was done long before the whole of
Canaan was actually conquered and possessed by Israel. There was
to be no waiting until all the tribes had secured their respective
portions: instead, they were now informed of the exact section to
which they had been given a Divine title, so that they might go
forward and possess their possessions. Thus were they called unto
the exercise of faith and full confidence in God as they set about the
performing of their respective tasks.
In our last we saw that the method which God selected for
the allocating of Canaan unto Israel combined the principles of
grace, sovereignty and righteousness: of grace, inasmuch as Israel’s
inheritance was a Divine gift; of sovereignty, for all was done by lot
or submitting to the Divine will in the dispositions made; of
righteousness, for the numerical strength of the tribe was taken into
account in the size of the portion allotted it. The plan followed was
thus the very opposite of what would be euphemistically termed a
"Welfare State," for there was no dividing of the land into twelve
equal parts. The whole of Scripture makes it plain that it is the
Divine will that there should be distinctions both among nations, in
the territory which they occupy, and among individuals, in the
property which they possess. Likewise, it is required that each shall
be contented with what the Lord has assigned them and him. "Thou
shalt not covet" is as much a part of the Divine law as "Thou shalt
not kill." When the antitypical Joshua was asked to appoint two of
His disciples to the chief places of honor in His kingdom He replied,
"to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it
shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father"
(Matthew 20:23), thereby acknowledging the sovereignty of the
Father.
The benefits to be derived from the dividing of Canaan to
Israel by Divine lot should at once be apparent. Not only did such an
arrangement exclude the exercise of human avarice and injustice,
but it also precluded any occasion for strife and wrangling between
the several tribes, determining as it did the precise location assigned
unto each of them, with the limits thereof. Thus all ground for
jealousy, misunderstanding and lawsuits about their respective
territories was obviated. But more: Israel were thereby taught to
submit themselves to the good pleasure of the Lord. Therein lies the
chief practical lesson which we should draw from this transaction: to
surrender ourselves wholly to the Divine will and beg God to choose
for us—whether it be in the matter of our earthly vocation, the
selection of a life-partner, or the measure of temporal prosperity
which will be most for His glory and our good. As an old writer
truly remarked, "Such as refer themselves unto God to choose for
them, will never find cause to repent of their lot." No, it is when we
leave Him out, lean unto our own understanding, act by carnal
impulse, that we bring trouble upon ourselves. How we should pray
daily, "work in me both to will and to do of Thy good pleasure."
Before the lot was cast for the determining of the portions of
the respective tribes, Caleb appeared before those who had charge of
that business, and presented his claim unto Hebron for his own
possession. A brief allusion was made to the same at the end of our
October 1951 article, but a closer examination of the incident is now
called for. Ere so doing, it should be pointed out that Joshua 14:5, is
a general statement, which is amplified in Joshua 15:1, and onwards,
the narrative being interrupted by what is now to be before us. "Then
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" (v. 6). Observe here the gracious humility of
the man! Caleb was himself one of those who had been Divinely
appointed to serve as one of the commissioners, to see that the lot
was carried out in a proper manner (Num. 34:17-19); yet, lest it
might appear that he was seeking unduly to use his authority in
furthering his own interests, he brought with him some of his
brethren to act as witnesses. How careful was he to "abstain from all
appearance of evil" (1 Thess. 5:22)! Equally circumspect should we
be in all of our public transactions.
"Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord
sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him
word again as it was in mine heart" (v. 7, and cf. Numbers 13:30).
Those last words are very expressive and blessed. It was in Caleb’s
heart that God was fully able to give what He had promised: that the
gigantic Amorites with their chariots of iron were nothing to Him.
Caleb was strong in faith, and therefore he was quite sure that
Jehovah would make good His word. It was the Lord Himself who
had put such a firm persuasion in his heart: just as at a later date,
when faced with a task that was formidable unto flesh and blood,
Nehemiah declared "neither told I any man what my God had put in
my heart to do at Jerusalem" (Josh. 2:12): that too was something
which burned within and sustained him through heavy trials. David
also had "found it in his heart to build the house of the Lord." How
that language of Caleb’s made it evident that his heart was set upon
the Promised Land! His "treasure" was there, and so was his heart
also. That was his animating hope all through the forty years he had
to spend with his unbelieving fellows in the wilderness. And so it
should be with each Christian: his affections set upon things above
as he journeys through this world to the antitypical Canaan.
"Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the
heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God" (v.
8). His fellows walked by sight instead of faith, and consequently
they were occupied with and appalled by the obstacles which stood
in the way. Full of distrust themselves, they infected the whole of the
congregation with the same, intimidating and discouraging them so
far that their spirits sank. But Caleb refused to be influenced by
them, yea, boldly withstood them. "I wholly followed the Lord my
God" was not the language of presumption, but a plain declaration
that he was neither daunted by the power of the enemy nor swayed
by the skepticism of his brethren. It signified that on that occasion
he had faithfully discharged his duty, remained steadfast in his faith
in God, assured that He would enable His people to overcome the
mighty sons of Anak. That meaning of his, "I wholly followed the
Lord," is made clear by the contrast of Numbers 32:11, where the
Lord complained of his unbelieving fellows, "they have not wholly
followed Me," and from the fact that He there predicated the same
fidelity and perseverance of Joshua. The great value which God set
upon His servant’s steadfastness appears in His having recorded it in
His Word no less than six times: Numbers 14:2; 32:12;
Deuteronomy 1:36: Joshua 14:8, 9, 14.
"And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land
whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy
children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my
God" (v. 9). The sure word of prophecy he had hid—held fast,
treasured—in his heart throughout the lengthy interval. It is to be
considered that probably most of that generation of Israel would be
ignorant of the Divine grant which had been made unto him and his
descendants so long before, and therefore Caleb quoted the Lord’s
promise thereon for their benefit more than Joshua’s, so that it might
appear that he was not now making any selfish or unreasonable
demand. The Divine promise was recorded in Deuteronomy 1:36,
and treasured in the mind of Caleb. His object was to prevent this
particular part of Palestine being put in the lot with the other
portions of the country. He had a definite and valid claim upon the
same, and he here insisted upon his right. Since God’s own mind
concerning it had been plainly made known, then it would be useless
to appeal unto His will respecting it via the lot, as in the case of the
sections for the tribes.
"And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as He said,
these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto
Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and
now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old" (v. 10). What a
God-honoring testimony was this! Passing through all the
vicissitudes of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, during which so
many of his fellows were removed from this scene, engaged in the
five years of fighting in Canaan, when no doubt there was often but
a step betwixt him and death, Caleb here ascribed his preservation
not to "good luck" or "fortune" (heathen terms!), but unto Him
"which holdeth our soul in life" (Ps. 66:9). Caleb had something
more than a general realization that his times were in God’s hands
(Ps. 31:15): his faith had laid hold of a special promise, as his "as He
said" plainly shows. He was resting on the word of One who cannot
lie—as David, at a later date, relied upon God’s changeless veracity
· "do as Thou hast said" (2 Sam. 7:25). We are on both sure and
comfortable ground, my reader, when we take our stand upon God’s
promise, expecting a fulfillment. Caleb’s repeated "and now" was
tantamount to his saying, The time has at last arrived for the Lord to
make good His engagement.
"As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses
sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for
war, both to go out, and to come in" (v. 11). In those words he was
forestalling an objection which might be made against his appeal.
Should the demurrer be advanced, But you are much too old for
such a difficult and dangerous venture as the dispossessing of the
giants from the mountainous district of Hebron, that such a
strenuous and hazardous task called for a much younger man. Caleb
here pressed his physical fitness for the same. The One who had
preserved his life throughout the years had also renewed his youth
like the eagle’s (Ps. 103:5). Ah, my reader, God does nothing by
halves when He appoints a man for any particular work, He also
equips the worker and furnishes him with everything needful. Not
only so, He sustains and animates the heart for the task. Faith
inspires resolution and courage, and He who had enabled His
servant to hold fast for so long to His promise also removed all
hesitation and fear, so that Caleb was just as ready and eager to set
about the task which lay before him as he was in the prime of life.
"Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord
spake in that day; for thou hearedst in that day how the Anakims
were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the
Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the
Lord said (v. 12). The second halt of this verse is very lovely, yet
some have quite misunderstood its force. Though Caleb still retained
his vigor, it was not that upon which he relied, nor yet upon his
military ability and experience; but instead, upon the Lord. Thus his
"if so be the Lord will be with me" was not the language of
doubting, but of self-renunciation. He had no confidence in the flesh
and felt his own insufficiency. There will not be faith in God, nor
even a sincere looking to Him, my reader, while we retain faith in
ourselves. Trust in the Lord is ever accompanied by distrust of self.
No, Caleb was conscious that the successful accomplishment of the
work before him was quite beyond his own powers, but he counted
upon the faithfulness of God to undertake for him. Proof was this
that the Divine promise was no empty theory to him, but a precious
reality. Therein he differed sharply from his unbelieving
companions: they were occupied with the power of the enemy and
their own impotence; he with the omnipotent One and the sureness
of His word.
"And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of
Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance" (v. 13). Thus was the promise
of God through Moses made good by Joshua. This is very blessed,
for it causes us to look beyond the shadow to the substance: the
fulfillment of all the Divine promises is in and through the
antitypical Joshua. "For all the promises of God in Him [Christ] are
yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (2 Cor. 1:20).
Since Christ Himself is the end and chief object of all the promises,
He has become by His mediatorial character both the channel of
supply to all who receive the grace of God in truth and the medium
of their responsive praise. To the certified promises thus declared to
God’s elect, in the person of His Son, the Church now sets the seal
of her Amen, affirming thus adoringly to the glory of the Father
what the lips of Christ have first spoken to her heart. In Christ we
now have by an everlasting covenant of grace whatever good things
God spoke aforetime. In the Lord Jesus the very fullness of God
dwells, and in that holy humanity which He took upon Him for our
sakes. The concentrating of God’s mercies in the living and effective
Vindicator of His promises—"the Amen, the faithful and true
witness" (Rev. 3:14)—is declared to be "to the glory of God by us,"
because of the praise which He receives from His people as they
realize that all is summed up for them in God’s Beloved and in their
Beloved.
"Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb . . . unto
this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba: which Arba was a
great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war" (vv.
14, 15). Hebron signifies "fellowship," and may have been so named
because of the wonderful communion which Abraham had with God
there (Gen. 13:18, first mention). This is the place above all others
which the enemy of souls seeks to prevent God’s people occupying.
What a suitable place was Hebron for Caleb! How appropriate an
inheritance for the one who (we are once more told) "wholly
followed the Lord God of Israel"—who persevered in the
performing of his duty, though opposed by ten of his companions
and menaced by the whole congregation; which shows us that the
ones and twos who are out and out for God must not expect to be
popular, no, not with their brethren. Nevertheless, Hebron or the
place of intimate fellowship with God is ever the portion of such.
Finally, let it be duly noted that upon Caleb was conferred the honor
of the hardest task of all—the overcoming of the mighty sons of
Anak. The next chapter tells us, "And Caleb drove thence the three
sons of Anak" (Josh. 15:14). Of course he did ! God never fails such
a one.
In Joshua 17:3, 4, another case is recorded of claim to an
individual portion being laid before Joshua, which is in some
respects similar to that of Caleb. It was made by the five daughters
of Zelophehad, who belonged to the tribe of Manasseh. Those
women had received promise through Moses that when Canaan was
divided among Israel they should have an inheritance, and now they
came before those who had charge of the allotting, making request
for the implementing of the same. God’s commandment and promise
by Moses is recorded in Numbers 27:1-11. These women appeared
before what might be termed the supreme court, pointing out that
their father was dead and had left no son. Up to that time no legal
provision had been made where the male issue had failed, and thus
these daughters of Zelophehad, having neither father nor brother,
found themselves destitute. Instead of murmuring and mourning
over their hard lot, they wisely came before God’s servants and
asked for arrangement to be made for them to have a portion of their
tribe’s section. Moses did not presume to answer their inquiry
personally, but brought the case before the Lord, and He declared,
"thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them."
In Numbers 36 we learn that the case of those five women
was brought again before Israel’s high court. This time it was the
chief fathers of the families of Gilead, to which Zelophehad
belonged, who appeared. A difficulty was anticipated: should these
five women intermarry with other tribes, then their portion would
pass out of Manasseh’s possessions unto another’s, and that would
probably occasion future strife and confusion. In reply thereto, a
more specific law was enacted: "Let them marry to whom they think
best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from
tribe to tribe" (vv. 6, 7). It is very blessed to see how the Lord
honored the faith of those women by protecting their interests. At
the time when they first appeared before the judges, Israel was in the
wilderness! Canaan had not then been entered, still less conquered
and possessed, yet so sure were these women that God would fulfill
His promise to give that land unto His people that even then they put
in their claim to a portion thereof. As Matthew Henry wittily
remarked, "they were five wise virgins indeed."
In a striking address made in 1918 on the Virgin Birth, Dr.
A.T. Scofield (not the editor of the Scofield Bible) pointed out that
but for the above scriptures an insuperable difficulty had stood in the
way of Christ’s being "the King of the Jews." "Therefore in any case
it seems our Lord could not be the inheritor of the throne of David,
either through Joseph, for he was not born of Joseph, or through
Mary, because a woman could not inherit it: and but for one
remarkable circumstance it would be impossible for Him to be King
of the Jews. In fact, the virgin birth in itself would appear to bar Him
from the throne." Then the doctor went on to show that the
"remarkable circumstance" which removed all difficulty was found
in Numbers 27:8, "If a man die, and have no son [as in the case of
Heli, the father of Mary], then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass
unto his daughter." Thus our Lord, according to the flesh, had legal
title to inherit the throne of David, while Numbers 36:6, shows why
it was necessary for Mary to be espoused to Joseph. From which we
may see that not only in the ceremonial law, but in the civil law of
Israel also, God ever had Christ before Him !
Tribal Portions
We turn now to those chapters (Josh. 15–19) which offer the
least scope to the expositor, the presence, of which has probably
deterred not a few from attempting to write a connected commentary
on this sixth book of the Word. Those chapters contain, for the most
part, a geographical description of the different portions of Canaan
which were allotted unto Israel’s tribes. They consist largely of a list
of places, many of which are never referred to again in the
Scriptures, and which cannot now be identified; nor can we be sure,
in the majority of instances, of the precise meanings of the names of
those towns and villages; though in those cases where such is
obtainable the typical and moral significance thereof is more or less
apparent. That nothing has been recorded in the Bible without
Divine design must be believed by every reverent heart—the
genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1–9 not excepted—and that all is of real
value to the people of God is not to be questioned; yet, so far as we
are aware, the Holy Spirit has not yet "opened" their purport and
spiritual contents to the Church. Acknowledging our ignorance and
refusing to speculate thereon, we can but single out a few of the
more prominent details found in this section, and offer some
remarks thereon.
"This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by
their families" (Josh. 15:1). The first two of the tribes to have made
known to them their allotments were Judah and Joseph: that being
detailed here, the other in the next chapter. Upon which Matthew
Henry said, "Judah and Joseph were the two sons of Jacob on whom
Reuben’s forfeited birthright devolved. Judah had the dominion
entailed on him, and Joseph the double portion, and therefore the
two tribes were first seated: Judah in the southern part of the land of
Canaan, and Joseph in the northern part, and on them the other
seven did attend, and had their respective lots as appurtenances to
these two; the lots of Benjamin, Simeon and Dan were attendant to
Judah, and those of Issachar and Zebulon, Napthtali and Asshur to
Joseph. These two were first set up to be provided for, it should
seem, before there wag such an exact survey of the land as we find
afterward [Joshua 18:9].
"It is probable that the most considerable parts of the
northern and southern countries, and those that lay nearest to Gilgal,
and which the people were best acquainted with, were first put into
two portions, and the lot was cast upon them between these two
principal tribes, of the one of which Joshua was, and of the other
Caleb, who was the first commissioner in this writ of partition; and
by the decision of that lot the southern country fell to Judah, of
which we have an account in this chapter; and the northern to
Joseph, of which we have an account in the two following chapters.
And when this was done, there was a more equal dividend (either in
quantity or quality) of the remainder among the seven tribes. And
this, probably, was intended in that general rule which was given
concerning this partition: ‘to the more ye shall give the more
inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every
man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth’ (Num.
33:54): that is, ‘Ye shall appoint two greater portions, which shall be
determined by lot, to those more numerous tribes of Judah and
Joseph, and then the rest shall be lesser portions, to be allotted to the
less numerous tribes.’ The former was done in Gilgal, the latter in
Shiloh." It should also be pointed out that, as the injunction was
given that when Israel were on the march "these [i.e. Judah] shall
first set forth" (Num. 2:9), so the assigning of Judah’s portion first
was a prophetic intimation of the future pre-eminence of this tribe.
It is to be observed that the description given of Judah’s
heritage is broken into at Joshua 15:13, by mention being made of
Caleb (who belonged to this tribe) receiving Hebron for his personal
portion. This was before us in our last, but a further detail is here
recorded which claims our attention. After informing us that he
drove thence the three sons of Anak we are told that "Caleb said, He
that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah
my daughter to wife" (v. 16). This should not be understood as an
exhibition of any personal sloth on Caleb’s part, still less of fear, but
rather as his affording an opportunity for another to obtain some
laurels as well as himself. It is to be borne in mind that in the East
the father is regarded as having the right to dispose of his daughter,
and it is the regular custom for him to select her husband without
consulting her—compare 1 Samuel 17:25. Kirjath-sepher was a
fortress of the Anakims, one that was difficult of approach, being
situated on a hill (note "went up" in verse 15). The offer made by
Caleb was an incentive to bravery: he knew that only a man of faith
and courage would attack such a place.
In the above we obtain a further insight into Caleb’s
character and see what a well-balanced one it was: he was not only a
man of strong faith, an intrepid warrior, but a dutiful father as well.
It was not only that he desired to stir up Israel generally to set about
the tasks which still required performing (Josh. 16:10, shows that
some of them had already become slack in their duty), but that he
desired to make sure that his daughter obtained a worthy husband.
Caleb’s challenge was accepted by his own nephew, for we read:
"And Othniel the son of Kenez, the brother of Caleb, took it" (v. 17).
It is noteworthy that, years later, this same Othniel who acted so
admirably and valiantly on this occasion became both a deliverer,
and a judge in Israel (Judg. 3:9), and, in fact, the first person who
presided over the nation after Joshua’s death. "It is good for those
who are setting out in the world to begin betimes with that which is
great and good, that, excelling in service when they are young, they
may excel in honor when they are old" (Matthew Henry).
"And he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife" (v. 17). It is
to be borne in mind that there was nothing in the Mosaic Law which
forbade the marrying of cousins. As others before us have suggested,
it is highly probable that Othniel was in love with Achsah before her
father made this proposal. It is also likely that Caleb was aware of it
and looked favorably upon him, but decided thus to put him to the
test before finally committing himself. It was both an honor to wed
the daughter of the man who was the chief of his tribe and a great
privilege for Othniel to marry into a family so marked by faith and
piety, and to be united to one who we cannot doubt had been brought
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord: such a woman is to be
desired far above one who is endowed with the riches of this world,
or possesses little else than a pretty face.
"And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved
him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and
Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?" (v. 18). Here we behold
some of the becoming traits which marked the character of Caleb’s
daughter. The "as she came unto him" means to her husband, her
father accompanying them from his house where they would be
married. First, her meekness appears in the owning of Othniel as her
head—desiring that he should be the one to present her request unto
Caleb. Apparently Othniel considered that the request would come
better from her direct; and though contrary to her own inclination
she deferred to her husband’s judgment. Second, her getting down
from her mount betokened her respect and reverence for her father
(compare Genesis 24:64, where Rebekah did the same when Isaac
approached her), which showed that marriage had not "turned her
head"; she was as ready to honor her parents now as formerly.
Perceiving that his daughter desired to ask him for some
favor, Caleb said to her, "What wouldest thou?" And she answered,
"Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south-land; give me
also springs of water" (v. 19). We do not understand from the first
clause that she meant the paternal benediction, or that he should
supplicate Jehovah for a blessing upon her, but rather an inheritance
over and above what he had already given her. She desired this
bounty because it would add to the comfort of her settlement:
teaching us thereby that it is no transgression of the commandment
"Thou shalt not covet" to desire those conveniences and comforts
which may be obtained in an honest and honorable way. Caleb had
already given her some land which was much exposed to the sun
and poorly watered: having married according to his orders, she felt
he would the more readily grant what she now petitioned him for.
Her modesty appears in the simplicity of her request, namely some
field with springs of water in it. She might have asked for jewels to
adorn her person, or servants to make her lot easier in the home;
instead, she confined herself to bare necessities, for land without
water could not be very productive.
"And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs,"
probably bestowing upon her more than she had asked. Plain is the
celestial lesson illustrated for us here: if earthly parents are ready to
bestow upon their children that which is good for them, how much
readier is our heavenly Father to give both spiritual and temporal
blessings when we ask Him in faith! This is indeed a lovely
domestic picture, and each of its features claims our admiration and
imitation. Here we see the wife in subjection to her husband, and he
declining to take advantage of his authority. When husbands and
wives mutually advise and jointly agree about that which is for the
common good of the family, the domestic machinery will run
smoothly. Here we see a married woman despising not her father
when he was old, and she lost not by honoring him. Here we see
how wise parents will not deem that lost which they bestow upon
their children for their real advantage, especially when they are
dutiful ones. "When the character of parents, the education of their
children, and the children’s consequent prudent and pious conduct
combine, there is the fairest prospect that they will be settled in life
to the mutual comfort and advantage of all the parties concerned" (T.
Scott).
There is one other detail recorded here of the tribe of Judah,
and it is in marked contrast with the above. "As for the Jebusites the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them
out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem
unto this day" (Josh. 15:63). It is to be recalled that in the tenth
chapter we saw how that the king of Jerusalem persuaded four of his
fellow monarchs or chieftains to join him in launching an attack
upon Gibeon (which made peace with Israel), and how that Joshua
completely vanquished their combined forces, slew the five kings (v.
26), and took all their land (v. 42). Judges 1:8, supplies an additional
detail, informing us. "Now the children of Judah had fought against
Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the
sword, and set the city on fire." However, it would appear that
during the next few years, while Israel were occupied in conquering
other parts of the country, the Jebusites recovered the fort of mount
Sion at least, which remained in their hands till the time of David (2
Sam. 5:7). Matthew Henry suggested: "It may, therefore, be justly
looked upon as the punishment of their neglect to conquer other
cities which God had given them, that they were so long kept out of
this." So today, if the Lord’s people be slack in performing their
duties, they need not be surprised if some important centers of
Christendom remain under the control of the enemy, having the
management of the same—how many of the denominational boards,
seminaries, etc., are now governed by modern Jebusites!
"And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by
Jericho, unto," etc. (Josh. 16:1). The order of procedure among the
tribes of Israel was always Judah first, the sons of Joseph second,
which is in full accord with that parenthetical but important
statement in 1 Chronicles 5:1, 2. "Now the sons of Reuben the
firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he
defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of
Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned
after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of
him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s)." As
Ellicott pointed out, "Accordingly, in the division of the land of
Canaan under Joshua, there are three successive stages. First, the
settlement of the tribe of Judah in the strongholds in the south of
Palestine. Second, the estating of Ephraim and Manasseh in the
center of the country, and in some strong positions in the north.
Third, the settlement of the remaining tribes, so as to fill up the gaps
between Judah and Joseph, and also upon the outskirts of their
territory, so as to be, as it were, under the shelter of their wings."
Reuben’s portion was much inferior to that of Joseph, for it
lay on the wilderness side of the Jordan (Josh. 13:7, 15-21),
separating them from the tribes on the western side, thereby
exposing them to be attacked more easily by enemies. As a matter of
fact, this tribe, with that of Gad (which adjoined it) was sorely
stricken by Hazael (2 Kings 10:32, 33), and afterwards carried into
captivity twenty years before the general seizure of the ten tribes by
the king of Assyria (1 Chron. 5:26); whereas Joseph and his
posterity were highly favored in their lot, for their position lay in the
very heart of the land of Canaan, extending from the Jordan in the
east to the Mediterranean in the west. It is therefore very striking
indeed to note how that on the one hand we behold in Reuben’s
heritage and its history a solemn demonstration of God’s "visiting
the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate" Him; and on the other hand we see in
the case of Joseph’s posterity a blessed exemplification of the
Divine promise "showing mercy unto thousands of them that love
Me and keep My commandments" (Ex. 20:4, 5). The disposings of
Divine providence are not capricious or arbitrary, but regulated by
moral and spiritual considerations which accord with the principle of
sowing and reaping.
 "And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were
among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities
with their villages" (Josh. 16:9). This was because the tribe of
Ephraim was now much more numerous than that of Manasseh.
Matthew Henry appropriately called attention to the fact that
"though when the tribes were numbered in the plains of Moab,
Manasseh had got the start of Ephraim in number, for Manasseh was
then fifty-two thousand and Ephraim but thirty-two thousand (Num.
26:34, 37); yet, by the time they were well settled in Canaan, the
hands were crossed again (Gen. 48:13, 14) and the blessing of
Moses was verified: ‘They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and
these are the thousands of Manasseh.’" Since the Ephraimites were
much more plentiful than the Manassites, additional cities were
given them besides "the lot" which fell to them. Those cities were in
the heritage of Manasseh, God having assigned them more than their
own needs required. No doubt that was to test them, to afford an
opportunity of showing kindness to their brethren, by giving of their
abundance to those who lacked. This is one reason why Providence
so orders things that "ye have the poor always with you" (Matthew
26:11): note that "always"—sure intimation that Socialism, the
Welfare State, will never become universally and permanently
established.
"And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer"
(Josh. 16:10), which marked the boundary of this tribe, and was
close to the sea (v. 3). Their failure to do so was much worse than
that of Judah to recapture Jerusalem (Josh. 15:63), for they made an
attempt to do so, whereas these did not. No specific reason is given
for their wanting in duty, whether it was because of cowardice,
slothfulness, or something else; but the fact remains that they
disobeyed the commandment in Deuteronomy 20:16. There is no
intimation that these Canaanites renounced their idolatry and
became worshippers of Jehovah. But the second half of the verse
seems plainly to indicate that their disobedience was due to the spirit
of greed: "But the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this
day, and serve under tribute." Since the Ephraimites were strong
enough to subject the Canaanites and compel them to play tribute,
no excuse can be made for allowing such to live with them. They
considered their financial gain more than submission to God or the
good of their country, which was in keeping with their general
character—compare Hosea 12:8. They soon followed the ways of
those heathen, and became idolators themselves (Judg. 17:1-5). The
Canaanites continued to dwell in Gezer until the days of Solomon,
when the king of Egypt took and gave it to his daughter who had
married Solomon (1 Kings 9:16, 17).
 Joshua 17:1-19:51
Indolence in Final Possession
The Danger of Partial Victory
Before turning to the next chapter an incident recorded in
Joshua 17 requires our attention. It may be recalled that the
fourteenth chapter closed with the words, "And the land had rest
from war." At first sight that seems to be a blessed statement, but in
view of several later ones it should rather be regarded as the striking
of an ominous note. The fact is that Israel had, temporarily at least,
become weary of well-doing, and were resting on their oars, for they
had failed to complete the task which God had assigned them. There
were many places yet unsubdued, numerous companies of the
Canaanites which were still unconquered. That resting from war was
fraught with evil consequences, for soon after we are told, "As for
the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah
could not drive them out" (Josh. 15:63). And again, it is recorded of
the Ephraimites, "they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in
Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this
day, and serve under tribute" (Josh. 16:10). And once more, "yet the
children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those
cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in the land" (Josh. 17:12). Sad
blemishes were those in the account given of the general success of
the nation.
The above failures are to be accounted for by God’s
withholding of His power and blessing upon their efforts. And why
did He not show Himself strong on their behalf? Because they had
failed in their duty, for, instead of finishing the work which the Lord
had given them to do, they became slack and took their ease, and
later, like poor Samson when he awoke out of his sleep, said, "I will
go out as at other times," but "wist not that the Lord was departed
from him" (Judg. 16:20); thus it happened with them—they were
shorn of their strength. For God to have given success unto those
Israelites would be countenancing their indolence. Never does He
place a premium upon slothfulness, but, instead, leaves those who
yield thereto to suffer the painful effects thereof. The lessons for us
to learn therefrom are obvious. God grants His people no furloughs
in the "good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12) to which He has called
them, and should they take one, then their enemies will inevitably
prove too strong, nor will the Captain of their salvation fight their
battles for them. Our commission is, "Watch ye, stand fast in the
faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13), and if we heed
not, most unpleasant will be the outcome.
It is important to note carefully the order of those four
precepts, for the first three must be obeyed in order to the realization
of the fourth. Unless we be vigilant in guarding against the
temptations and dangers on every side, are faithful in holding the
truth of the Gospel both doctrinally and practically, are undismayed
and undaunted by those who oppose us—conducting ourselves
boldly and bravely—we shall have no strength with which to
overcome our foes. Nor is there to be any cessation in the discharge
of those duties: the Divine command is "always abounding in the
work of the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58) i.e., striving against sin, resisting
the Devil, bringing forth the fruits of holiness. But note well the
precise point at which the great failure of Joshua 14:15, occurred: it
was immediately following the most notable successes which had
attended their arms, so that they probably thought they were now
entitled to a respite. Here too the lesson is plain for us: it is right
after some signal victory which grace has given us over our lusts
that we are most in danger—tempted to relax our efforts. Ah, my
reader, forget not that it is the "fool" who says "take thine ease"
(Luke 12:19), whereas God enjoins us, "Let not thine hands be
slack" (Zeph. 3:16).
In Joshua 17:14-18, an incident is recorded which afforded a
further opportunity for Joshua to display yet another striking quality
of his character. There we read of the children of Joseph coming to
Israel’s leader with a complaint:
"Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to
inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the Lord hath
blessed me hitherto?" (v. 14). The tribe of Joseph was, of course, a
double one, comprising the descendants of both Ephraim and
Manasseh, nevertheless we consider that avowal of their greatness
had reference to something more than their numerical strength,
namely their honorable parentage—their being the descendants of
the man whom Pharaoh had made lord of Egypt—and thus it was
the breathing of pride. This is borne out by the subsequent history of
this tribe, in the light of which their complaint unto Joshua was
thoroughly characteristic of the haughty spirit that possessed them.
Thus we behold their arrogance again in their murmuring against
Gideon (Judg. 8:1), in the conduct of Jephthah (Judg. 11:9, 30, 31),
and later still in the days of David they were constantly asserting
their claim to superiority in Israel without exhibiting any
qualification for it.
"And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then
get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in
the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too
narrow for thee" (v. 15). Thus did Joshua turn their argument against
themselves, rebuking their pride and discontent, as well as their
unbelief and indolence, for there was plenty of room for their
expansion if they possessed the necessary enterprise and courage.
Ellicott pointed out that it is plain from what is here stated that a
large part of the country of Palestine then consisted of uncleared
forest, that the inhabitants of that district were far fewer than those
in the valley of Esdrealon and of the territory assigned to Judah in
the south. Also that this fact justifies the strategy of the attack of
Israel upon the center of the country, so that the forces of the
Canaanites were necessarily divided, and thus Israel could strike
first with their whole force at the southern armies, and then turn
round upon the enemies in the north. This serves to explain the ease
with which they set up the Law at Ebal (Josh. 8:30) at the
commencement of the invasion, and the selection of Shiloh for their
capital afterwards.
"And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for
us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have
chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and
they who are of the valley of Jezreel" (v. 16). Here we behold their
covetousness, for Joshua 17:5, informs us that "there fell ten
portions to Manasseh, beside the land of Gilead and Bashan, which
were on the other side Jordan," while another and separate
inheritance had been allotted unto their brethren the Ephraimites.
But though they had been given the largest share of Canaan they
were not satisfied, while the reference they made unto the "chariots
of iron" possessed by the Canaanites, who occupied the adjacent
valleys, at once revealed the unbelief and timidity of their hearts and
disproved their pretensions to being "a great people." See here again,
my reader, the evil results of allowing ourselves an intermission
from the warfare to which the Christian is called: as surely as he
ceases therein and takes his ease, so will a spirit of discontent with
his lot come upon him, and so too will unbelief occupy him with the
might of his enemies and dispirit him.
"And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and
to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power:
thou shalt not have one lot only: but the mountain shall be thine: for
it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall
be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have
iron chariots, and though they be strong" (vv. 17, 18). We do not
regard that as the language of satire, but rather as pressing upon
them the discharge of their responsibility, and calling upon them to
trust in the Lord and go forward in His name. Joshua pointed out
that there were extensive tracts of wooded country which could be
cleared for agricultural use, so that, if they continued to multiply,
land would be available for their families True there was the menace
of the powerfully armed Canaanites in the immediate vicinity, but if
they bestirred themselves and performed their duty, looking to the
Lord for protection and help, they might assuredly count upon His
enabling them to drive out those who then possessed that land which
He had given unto the seed of Abraham, and be granted strength to
vanquish all their enemies. Thus from Joshua’s reply it is clear that
they were lacking in diligence and enterprise.
There can be little doubt that the Ephraimites and
Manassehites expected to receive preferential treatment from
Joshua, since he himself belonged to the tribe of Ephraim (Num.
13:8); but Joshua refused to show partiality unto his brethren,
thereby demonstrating his fidelity unto the commission Jehovah had
given him. Blessed is it to behold in that refusal still another
adumbration in the character of his Antitype, for when the Savior
was asked to assign the seats on His right hand and on His left unto
those who were nearest and dearest to Him (James and John), He
declined to show any favoritism (Matthew 20:20-23). In his
Practical Observations on this passage Thomas Scott well remarked,
"Alas, professing Christians are often more disposed to murmur,
envy and covet, than to be content, thankful, and ready to distribute.
Indeed, we are more prone to grasp at what belongs to others, than
to manage our own to the best advantage; and many complain of
poverty, and encroach upon the benevolence of others, because they
rebel against the sentence of Divine justice, ‘Thou shalt eat thy
bread in the sweat of thy brow.’
"Men excuse themselves from labor on any pretense, and
nothing serves the purpose better than having rich and powerful
relations, though by providing for them, these are often partial and
unfaithful in disposing of those funds with which they are entrusted
for the public benefit. But there is more real kindness in pointing out
to men the advantages within their reach, that they may be excited to
improve them, than in gratifying their indolence and profusion. True
religion gives no sanction to these evils: ‘we commanded,’ says the
apostle, ‘that if any man would not work, neither should he eat’; and
many of our cannots are only the language of sloth, which magnifies
every difficulty into an impossibility, and represents every danger as
inevitable destruction. This is especially the case in our spiritual
work and warfare; but even our professed relation to the Captain of
the Lord’s host will not avail us if we be indolent and self-indulgent.
Our very complaints that comforts are withheld, frequently result
from negligence and fear of the cross; and when convinced that we
can do nothing, we are apt to sit still and attempt nothing." Such has
been poor human nature throughout the ages: either spurred on by
the feverish energy of the flesh, so that we run without being sent, or
lazing and repining instead of doing with our might what God has
bidden us to do.
"And the whole congregation of the children of Israel
assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the
congregation there. And the land was subdued before them" (Josh.
18:1). The commentators are unanimous in supposing that this
moving of Israel’s camp and headquarters was by Divine
appointment. They surmise that Joshua had received some message
from Jehovah, either direct or through the Urim and Thummim of
the high priest, bidding him remove the tabernacle from Gilgal to
Shiloh; and they also point out the advantages of this new location.
Gilgal was at the extremity of Palestine, being situated on the bank
of the Jordan; whereas Shiloh was in the heart of the land, and thus
would be much more handy for the males to visit (Deut. 16:16) after
the tribes had departed to their separate sections. Personally, we
consider that is assuming too much. There is not the slightest hint
that God had given any orders for them to leave Gilgal, where they
had been encamped ever since their supernatural entrance into
Canaan, and we regard the absence of any record of God’s revealing
His will for them to do so as ominous. It seems to us much more
likely that this move was dictated by what the flesh terms
"prudential considerations"—their own convenience. "Shiloh was in
the lot of Ephraim, the tribe to which Joshua belonged, and it was
expedient that the sanctuary should be near the residence of the chief
governor" (Scott). But if that was the reason which prompted Joshua
to act, then he was leaning to his own understanding, instead of
having his paths directed by the Lord (Prov. 3:5, 6).
Gilgal was the place of circumcision (Josh. 5:9)—typically
the mortifying of the flesh and separation from the world—and so
long as Israel returned thither after each campaign the power and
blessing of the Lord rested upon them. They should, therefore, have
been very slow in leaving Gilgal, even though what it signified
spiritually was very unpleasant to nature. Nothing is said of their
waiting upon the Lord for guidance, no mention made of their
seeking His mind via the high priest. Let it be carefully borne in
mind that what is here said in Joshua 18:1, follows right after the
record of a number of sad failures. Observe too that the Holy Spirit
does not here designate the sacred tent "the house of the Lord" as He
did in Joshua 6:24, or "the Lord’s tabernacle" as in Joshua 22:19, but
merely "the tabernacle," as though to indicate that He did not
endorse or associate Himself with the move made—cf. "the Jews’
Passover" and "a feast of the Jews" (John 2:13; 5:1), rather than "the
Lord’s Passover" (Ex. 12:11) and a feast "of the Lord" (Lev. 23:2). It
is also solemnly significant that in the opening chapters of Judges
(which record Israel’s failures after the death of Joshua) we are told
"there arose another generation after them, which knew not the
Lord" (Josh. 2:10), so apparently they had forsaken the angel of His
presence, who had remained at their true base.
During several generations of Israel’s spiritual poverty and
powerlessness the tabernacle remained at Shiloh (1 Sam. 4:3), but in
centuries later, when God through Elijah and Elisha was granting a
revival unto Israel, those prophets made Gilgal and not Shiloh their
headquarters (2 Kings 2:1), the Holy Spirit thereby intimating that if
in a dark day of declension we make the place of circumcision
(devotedness unto God) our camping ground or center, then the
Divine blessing will be upon us. But Gilgal is not at all popular,
making demands which are unwelcome to flesh and blood. Thus in
the type itself: Gilgal lay at he very extremity of the land, a long and
tiresome journey being entailed for the men of war to return to
camp, and therefore a more convenient headquarters—easy to the
flesh—would be far more acceptable. The commentators dwell upon
the fact that "Shiloh" was one of the names by which the Messiah
was fore-announced (Gen. 49:10), and conclude that it was with an
eye to Him that Israel so designated the place to which the
tabernacle was now taken and erected. But we very much question
such a view, for Joshua 18:1, reads as though this place was already
known as Shiloh when they arrived there, and not that they gave it
such a name on this occasion. The word itself means "rest," and that
was what appealed to them now that so much of Canaan had been
subdued.
 We have pointed out above that what is recorded in Joshua
18:1, comes right after several marked failures on the part of three of
Israel’s tribes, and now immediately following it we find Joshua
upbraiding seven of the other tribes, saying "How long are ye slack
to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath
given you?" (v. 3)! Thus, the whole context is directly against a
favorable construction being placed on this mention of moving their
headquarters to Shiloh. Instead, we consider that they acted
precipitately, that they walked by sight instead of by faith, and
consulted too much their own convenience. Viewed thus, there is
pointed another practical lesson unto which we do well to take heed.
Not only is it our bounden duty, but also for our good both
spiritually and temporally, that we heed the Divine precept "he that
believeth shall not make haste" (Isa. 28:16). To act by impulse or
passion is unworthy of a rational creature, yet it is only by definite
prayer, constant watchfulness and strict self-discipline that we shall
be preserved from the frenzied spirit of this foolish generation,
which makes a god of speed.
More specifically, the above incident cautions us to be slow
when contemplating a change of our location. Only too often the
Lord’s people are regulated in this matter by material considerations
rather than by spiritual ones, thinking more of improving their
position than of glorifying God; and many of them are made to
smart for their pains. "Ponder the path of thy feet" (Prov. 4:26) is
wisdom’s counsel, and failure to do so results in many a fall. Those
who act hastily usually have reason to repent at their leisure. "The
prudent man looketh well to his going" (Prov. 14:15). The Christian
should do more than that: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also
in Him; and He shall bring it to pass! "Nor is that all: "Rest in the
Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Ps. 37:5, 7) to make His way
plain before your face, and remember that He guides us a step at a
time, rather than making evident the whole of our path at once. Lean
not unto your own understanding, nor confer with flesh and blood:
instead, beg the Lord to work patience in you, and let your attitude
be that of David’s, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from Him" (Ps. 62:5). "The way of the righteous [the
one whose heart is right with God] is made plain" (Prov. 15:19):
until it be so, remain where you are.
Indolence
Not a very appealing title for an article ! Quite so, but the
Bible does not flatter human nature, nor should God’s servant do so.
However unpleasant, realities should be faced, and not shunned or
denied. But though our theme be unattractive, it is surely a timely
one. Does not indolence stare us in the face on every side? Is there
not a spirit of sloth and apathy apparent in all classes? Has there
ever been such a generation as ours for loathing work and loving
pleasure? The expression "organized labor" has become almost
synonymous with "the shirking of duty": it is a holding out of the
nation to ransom in order to extract the maximum amount of money
for the minimum expenditure of energy. On the other hand, any fair-
minded man who is really acquainted with the social and economic
conditions which prevailed a century ago must acknowledge that,
because of the merciless greed of far too many employers, labor was
virtually forced to organize itself to secure bare justice. But human
nature being what it is, the pendulum has now swung to the opposite
extreme, so that in many cases the employer can no longer obtain a
fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.
As the Lord God informed man at the beginning, one of the
consequences of his falling into sin was, "in the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Gen. 3:19)—a
sentence from which men have sought to escape by their "labor-
saving" devices: generally to the promotion of indolence, the
impairing of health, and often the loss of life. Yet it is a mistake to
suppose that all work has been entailed by the fall: not so. In his
sinless condition man was put into the garden of Eden "to dress it
and to keep it" (Gen. 2:15). Whereas work was then a pleasure and
easy, now it is distasteful and burdensome. Never more so than in
our day, when shorter hours and bigger pay is the demand—much of
the pay being spent not in wholesome re-creation, but in injurious
dissipation. And how few there are who realize and recognize that
this manual and industrial blight is traceable to a spiritual and
religious evil. As we have pointed out more than once, social
conditions are the repercussions of ecclesiastical ones; the state of
the world is largely a reflection of the state of the churches. As the
breakdown of parental authority in the home was preceded by lack
of discipline in the assembly, the disregard of law in the state by the
jettisoning of God’s Law by the pulpit, so the apathy of artisans is
but a shadowing forth of the indolence of the majority of professing
Christians.
It is true that perfection has never been found among the
Lord’s people, yet a relative healthiness and vigor have frequently
marked them. But during the past century there has been a steady
and noticeable deterioration in spirituality and a sad decline in
practical godliness. Power has diminished, love has cooled, less and
less of the fruit of the Spirit and works of righteousness has been
produced. Instead of "always abounding in the work of the Lord"
(rendering universal obedience unto Him), the majority of those
bearing the name of Christ were "at ease in Zion." Instead of going
forth to meet the Bridegroom with lamps trimmed and burning, the
wise virgins, equally with the foolish ones, slumbered and slept.
Instead of running the way of God’s commandments (Ps. 119:32),
too many sat still; waiting for God to "apply" the promises to their
hearts. Instead of engaging in aggressive evangelism, most of the
churches petted and pampered their own members. Instead of
contending earnestly in the world for the Faith, other churches
turned aside to bitter wrangling and profitless contentions among
themselves. The Lord’s cause languished, and Satan was well
pleased.
Among the contributing causes which have produced and
promoted a generation of spiritual sluggards may be mentioned the
following. First, the slackness of preachers. An ever-increasing
number of men who sought a soft and easy job were attracted to the
ministry, and few indeed burned the midnight oil in their studies and
spent themselves in the service of Christ. Second, unfaithful
preaching, where there was an entirely one-sided emphasis: a
concentrating upon blessings and privileges and a neglecting of
duties and obligations, a magnifying of the gifts of Divine grace, but
a minimizing of the requirements of God’s holiness. Third, the
inculcation and encouragement of a spirit of fatalism, through
failing to preserve the balance of truth between God’s sovereignty
and man’s responsibility, between human ability and accountability,
with the result that a race of do-nothings was produced—waiting for
God to give them more grace, instead of using what He had already
bestowed. Fourth, being too readily discouraged by the difficulties
in the tasks assigned by God, walking too much by sight rather than
faith, their zeal abating because they could perceive so little fruit
produced. It is not without good reason that the Holy Spirit repeated
in 2 Thessalonians 3:13, the exhortation of Galatians 6:9: "Be not
weary in well doing"!
"And there remained among the children of Israel seven
tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance" (Josh. 18:2).
Why was this? Because some Divine decree had blocked the way?
Because "God’s time" for them to do so had not yet arrived? No
indeed, from a very different cause. It was due to their own
indifference. The immediate sequel makes it very evident that there
was no unwillingness on God’s part: the indisposition was in them.
Thus, this statement is more than an explanatory reference, namely a
word of reproach. In view of what is recorded in Joshua 15:63, and
Joshua 16:9, 10, we see how infectious is the spirit of sloth: the evil
which affected Judah and Ephraim had spread to the remaining
tribes. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," more especially
so where the leaders are involved: when the principal tribes of men
be dilatory, those of lower rank will quickly emulate them. These
tribes were heedless of their privileges, too unconcerned to avail
themselves of their advantages.
"And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are
ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your
fathers hath given you?" (v. 3). Thus did their leader reprove them
for not bestirring themselves and securing their portions of Canaan.
Such a reproof supplies confirmation of our remarks on the previous
verse: it was due entirely to their own laziness, and not to anything
in God, that they were not yet in happy possession of their
possessions. True, the language of Joshua did not signify that those
tribes could have occupied their portions before the same had been
assigned them by the lot, but rather that they were to blame for not
applying to the high court of Israel for the same. They had witnessed
the allotments of the other two and a half tribes, yet had been too
unconcerned to ask for theirs. This laxity was not confined to a
single tribe, but had, like a dry rot, spread through the body politic.
Not only is such an evil very contagious, but when it has gripped a
person or people it cannot be easily and quickly thrown off, as
Joshua’s "how long? "shows.
How like the vast majority of modern church members were
those Israelites! They had crossed the Jordan and set foot in Canaan,
but they had become slack and failed to make their own the fair
prospects before them. In like manner, countless thousands make a
profession, join the Church, and, imagining that their sins have been
forgiven and their souls delivered from the wrath to come, are
satisfied with their case and complacently rest on their oars. They
make no conscience of mortifying their lusts, no serious efforts to
perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, no progress in the Christian
life. They are drones, yea, stumbling-blocks to those who seek to be
diligent in making their calling and election sure. They are deceived
by Satan. Persuaded that they were saved some time in the past, they
delude themselves into thinking that, however slack they be in
resisting the Devil and overcoming the world, they are eternally
secure. They shirk the cross, yet imagine the crown is sure. They
engage not in the good fight of faith, yet suppose they have laid hold
of eternal life. They do not make the pleasing and obeying of God
their daily concern, yet think to obtain the reward of the inheritance.
The fatal mistake made by so many is to think that, once
assured their names are written in heaven, they may, with complete
safety to themselves, lapse into a state of utter carelessness.
Whereas, so long as he remains in this world, the Christian is
required to "continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel" (Col. 1:23), to take heed
that there be not in him an evil heart of unbelief in departing from
the living God, and be on his guard against being hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 6:12, 13), to work out his own
salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), and to hearken unto
the solemn warning of Christ, "No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke
9:62). It is he who "endureth unto the end" that shall be saved
(Matthew 24:13), and not those who yield to their lusts and tempt
Christ (1 Cor. 10:10, 7-9). Christians are called upon to build up
themselves on their most holy faith (Jude 1:20), and that is a work
which demands labor and industry. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye
shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the
body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:13).
"How long are ye slack to go to possess the land?" No longer
meeting with any open opposition, they had settled down to rest,
though more than half of Israel had not yet obtained their
inheritance. Those Israelites were "too well pleased with their
present condition, liked well enough to live in a body together, had
no mind to be scattered abroad. The spoil of the cities they had taken
served them to live plentifully for the present, and they banished the
thoughts of time to come. They were slothful: it may be they wished
the thing done, but had no spirit to set about it or move toward the
doing of it, though it was so much for their own advantage. The
countries that remained to be divided lay at a distance, and some
parts of them in the hands of the Canaanites. If they go to take
possession of them, the cities must be built or repaired, they must
drive their flocks and herds a great way, and carry their wives and
children to strange places; and this will not be done without great
care and pains, and breaking through hardships" (condensed from
Henry). Again we say, how we like unto their religious descendants:
more than fifty per cent of professing Christians fail to fix their
affections on things above and continually set themselves to the
appropriation and enjoyment of them.
And Joshua said, "Give out from among you three men for
each tribe, and I will send them, and they shalt rise, and go through
the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and
they shall come again to me" (v. 4). Once more we see that there
was a human side, as well as a Divine one, to this important
transaction. This detail also serves to illustrate, and in a clear
definite manner, the important truth that the fact of God’s
sovereignty (in the "lot") does not set aside the exercise of human
responsibility: they were required to discharge their moral agency
and act intelligently. Alas, how many hyper-Calvinists have sought
to excuse their apathy by perverting and sheltering behind the
Divine decrees! How fearfully deceitful is the human heart in
persuading not a few that they are displaying a commendable spirit
of humility and meekness in "waiting God’s time" before they act,
when instead they are guilty of shirking their duty. There is a terrible
amount of humbuggery under a seemingly pious guise. There is no
unwillingness on God’s part to give: the unwillingness to seek and
take is always on our side. Then let us be honest, and place the
blame where it belongs.
Joshua did not wait for a reply from the people to his
reproving question, "How long are ye slack?" but at once set them
upon their duty. In the injunction which he gave them we may
perceive again that blessed balance which marks all the ways of God
and of His servants when directed by Him—in this instance,
between the exercise of their freedom and the discharge of their
responsibility (in "give" [or "choose"] out from among you three
men for each tribe") and the acting of his authority: "and I will send
them." The spiritual lesson for us therein is that the Christian is not
to engage in any self-appointed tasks, but be directed in his service
by the authoritative instructions of the antitypical Joshua. Their
leader did not take it upon him to appoint the different individuals
who were to serve in this maturer, but left the selecting of them to
the tribes; but when chosen, he gave them their commission. The
same principle is to be observed under Christianity: "look ye out
among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and
wisdom, whom we may appoint [by setting them] over this
business" (Acts 6:3).
 Though Joshua set these men to work, yet it was far from
being either a difficult or an unpleasant task which he assigned
them: "they shall rise and go through the land, and describe it
according to the inheritance of them: and they shall come again to
me. And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in
their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their
coasts on the north. Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven
parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for
you here before the Lord our God" (vv. 4-7). It was virtually an
appeal to their cupidity, a stirring of them up to recognize their
advantages and privileges. It was a project by which they might
behold for themselves what a goodly inheritance God had given
them: By thus surveying the same, they would obtain a better
knowledge of what awaited them, and then they would be more
disposed, to bestir themselves and take possession thereof. If the
believer’s faith were more occupied with the "far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory," then he would be less dispirited by his
"light affliction, which is but for a moment" (2 Cor. 4:17). They
were not to encroach upon the portions of Judah and Joseph, but
rather to confine their attention unto what was available to them.
Thus a spirit of covetousness was disallowed.
"And the men went and passed through the land, and
described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to
Joshua to the host at Shiloh. And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh
before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children
of Israel according to their divisions" (vv. 9, 10). Aroused from their
stupor, shamed by their leader’s rebuke, they performed his bidding.
As he had given them orders (vv. 4, 8), they delivered the results of
their commission not to their tribes, but to himself—just as the
disciples made their report unto Christ (Luke 10:17), and as each of
us must yet render an account unto Him (Rom. 14:12). From this
incident it seems clear that while the relative positions or general
locations of the tribes were determined by the "lot," yet the
proportion of land assigned to each one was decided (in some
measure) by other considerations: as Joshua 17:17, 18, shows, the
lot did not preclude the exercise of individual enterprise and
industry to improve the same—as everlasting glory is sure to all the
redeemed, yet the degree thereof will be decided by their own zeal
and fidelity.
Final Possession
In our last we dwelt upon the rebuke by Israel’s leader unto
those seven tribes which were slack in going up to possess that land
which the Lord God of their fathers had given them. How that he
bade them appoint three men of each tribe to go and make a
thorough survey of those sections of Canaan which had not yet been
distributed. They were required to furnish something after the order
of a map, supplying a detailed description of the country, fully
sectionalized, and return unto the commander with their report. They
duly performed their task: "the men went and passed through the
land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came
again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh." And we are told, "And Joshua
cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua
divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their
divisions" (Josh. 18:9, 10). The order of their allotments accorded
neither with their seniority nor with their numerical strength.
It is to be borne in mind that two and a half of the tribes,
namely the Reubenites, the Gaddites, and half of Manasseh, had
been assigned their places and portions by Moses on the eastern side
of the Jordan (Num. 32:33), and in Joshua 13, the boundaries of the
same had been carefully defined and stated. After Caleb had put in
his lawful claim to mount Hebron, and had been granted the same,
the tribes of Judah, Joseph, and the second half of Manasseh were
given their allotments, a full enumeration of the places which they
were to occupy being furnished in Joshua 15, 16 and 17; at which
we have already glanced. What was done for them by Eleazer and
Joshua at Gilgal was now done for their fellows at Shiloh. We shall
not attempt any detailed examination of their respective territories,
for there is little in the geographical description which lends itself to
the making of edifying comments thereon. On the other hand, it
would be improper for us to ignore the same entirely. We shall
therefore content ourselves with an occasional remark thereon.
 First, "And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin
came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came
forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph"
(Josh. 18:11). Two striking predictions had been made concerning
this tribe, which, though the one almost appears to clash with the
other, were manifestly fulfilled, as the verses now before us and the
subsequent history of this tribe demonstrate. The earlier one was
made by dying Jacob: "Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the
morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the
spoil" (Gen. 49:27). It is evident from this language that the
patriarch followed not his natural inclinations on this occasion, for
Benjamin was his youngest and most dearly beloved son. No, it was
under Divine impulse that he uttered this remarkable prophecy. Yet it
is to be observed that while the wolf is characterized mainly by its
ferociousness it is also marked in its fortitude and courage.
Benjamin was indeed the fiercest and most warlike of the tribes. The
reference to what he should do "in the morning" and "at night"
intimates that there is a distinct reference here to both the earlier and
later history of the tribe.
The fierceness and cruelty of the men belonging to this tribe
appeared conspicuously in the horrid treatment which they meted
out to the Levite’s concubine. Their warlike character and ability
and tenacity in fighting were seen in their singly withstanding the
combined forces of all the other tribes in two pitched battles, in one
of which 20,000 of them defeated the opposing army of 400,000,
and later refused to yield until they were almost completely
destroyed (Judg. 19:14-30; 20:12-14). King Saul, who so fiercely
persecuted David, was of this tribe. Other examples of their
fierceness and valor are found in 2 Samuel 2:15, 16; 1 Chronicles
8:40; 10:2; 2 Chronicles 17:17. In their later history Benjamin allied
himself to Judah, and thus "divided the spoil," sharing in their
privileges. Esther and Mordecai were also of this tribe, and through
them the enemies of Israel were destroyed. But the most renowned
and honorable of them all was Saul of Tarsus (Phil. 3:5), and most
remarkably were the terms of Jacob’s prophecy made good in him,
for in the morning of his career, when persecuting the early
Christians, he ravened as a wolf: but at the close, by his evangelistic
labors, he delivered the Devil’s prey.
The later prediction concerning this tribe was made through
Moses: "Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell
in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and
He shall dwell between his shoulders" (Deut. 33:12), which had
reference chiefly to the favored and honored position or portion
which that tribe would occupy. As others before have pointed out, it
was here intimated that the temple, in which Jehovah would dwell,
would be situated within the territory of this tribe. And such was
indeed the case, for Jerusalem, the holy city, was in the lot of
Benjamin (Josh. 18:28)—"though Sion, the city of David, is
supposed to belong to Judah, yet mount Moriah, on which the
temple was built, was in Benjamin’s lot. God is Himself said to
dwell between his shoulders’ because the temple stood on that
mount as the head of a man upon his shoulders" (Matthew Henry).
Thus Benjamin was under the protection of the Divine sanctuary,
adumbrating the grand truth that "As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth
even for ever" (Ps. 125:2).
"The coast of their lot came forth between the children of
Judah and the children of Joseph" (Josh. 18:11). Herein we behold
the gracious ruling of Divine providence in arranging for "little
Benjamin" (Ps. 68:27) to be located between two of the most
powerful of the tribes. It is to be observed that in the prophetical
benedictions of Moses that of Benjamin came right after that of
Judah and immediately before Joseph’s (Deut. 33:7-17)—Levi
having no separate portion or lot in Canaan—so that there may be
("as frequently in Scripture) a double meaning in the words "He
shall dwell between his shoulders" (v. 12)—the place of strength
(Isa. 9:6) and of security (Luke 15:5). There was also a peculiar
propriety in this appointment, for Benjamin was Joseph’s own
brother, and later was the tribe which united with Judah in adhering
to the throne of David and the temple at Jerusalem. Finally, we see
in this arrangement the wisdom of God in the lot, for nothing was
more likely to secure a united Israel than to make Benjamin ,the link
between the two most powerful and naturally rival tribes—it was
through the mutual affection of Judah and Joseph for Benjamin, as
their father’s youngest and dearest son, that the brethren were
reconciled in Genesis 44:18 – 45:24.
"And the second lot came forth to Simeon, for the tribe of the
children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance
was within the inheritance of the children of Judah" (Josh. 19:1).
The portion which had been given to Judah was more extensive than
was required by that tribe. "It seems that, without murmuring, Judah
renounced his claim, at the instance of Joshua and those who had
been nominated to the work of dividing the land" (Scott). This is
borne out by what is stated in verse 9, "Out of the portion of the
children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for
the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore
the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance
of them"—there were more cities than they could fill, more land
than they could cultivate. It is worthy of note that this is the only
recorded instance of their portion being too large for any of them,
and it is surely significant that it was Judah’s which proved to be the
exception, for it was the tribe from which according to the flesh our
Lord sprang. Thus we have here adumbrated that grand truth of the
fullness of Christ, that in Him there is an abundance of grace,
inexhaustible riches available for the saints to draw upon!
It is striking to note that this second lot fulfilled the prophecy
of Jacob. He had linked together Simeon and Levi in judgment, who
earlier had been united in wickedness (Gen. 34:25), saying, as God’s
mouthpiece, "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel"
(Gen. 49:5-7). Because of his noble conduct subsequently, the curse
upon Levi was revoked and displaced by the blessing of the Lord,
and he who was originally joined to his brother in sin and cruelty
was eventually joined to the Lord in grace and honor, so that there
was made with his seed "the covenant of an everlasting priesthood;
because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the
children of Israel" (Num. 25:6-13). Nevertheless, the terms of the
patriarch’s prediction were accomplished, for the Levites had as
their portion in Canaan forty-eight cities, which were scattered
throughout the inheritance of the other tribes (Num. 35:8; Joshua
14:4; 21:3). So too in the case of Simeon: his descendants received
not a separate territory in the promised land, but had their portion
within the allotment of Judah, and, as Joshua 19:2-8, shows, the
tribe of Simeon was widely "scattered," being dispersed among
many different cities.
"And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun
according to their families" (Josh. 19:10). The part played by
Zebulun in the history of the nation was not a prominent one, but
though referred to rarely as a tribe, each time that mention is made
of them it is of a highly creditable nature. First, we read of them in
Judges 5 where Deborah celebrates in song the notable victory over
Jabin and Sisera, and recounts the parts played therein by the
different tribes. In verse 18 we read, "Zebulun and Naphtali were a
people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of
the field." In I Chronicles 12 where we have enumerated those who
"came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him," we
are told, "Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war,
with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank:
they were not of double heart" (vv. 23, 33). So too they were among
those who brought a rich supply of provisions for the feast on that
occasion. But that which mainly characterized it was the maritime
nature of this tribe.
Jacob foretold, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea;
and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be unto
Zidon" (Gen. 49:13). Moses also, "And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice,
Zebulun, in thy going out; and Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call
the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of
righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and
of treasures hid in the sand" (Deut. 33:18, 19). And so it came to
pass, for Joshua 19 goes on to say of the lot of Zebulun "and their
border went up toward the sea"—a statement of seemingly little
importance and easily overlooked by the casual reader; yet one
which announced the literal fulfillment of prophecies made centuries
before. The expressions "thy going out" and "they shall suck of the
abundance of the seas" received their accomplishment in their ocean
life and trading in foreign parts.
But that which is of interest to the Christian in connection
with Zebulun’s portion is the honorable place which it receives in
the New Testament, for if the character of the people was
praiseworthy, even more notable was the position they occupied in
Palestine. Matthew 4:15, 16, informs us that "the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali" (which adjoined it) was none other than
"Galilee of the Gentiles," concerning which it is said, "The people
which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the
region and shadow of death light is sprung up." Nazareth, where the
Savior spent so much of His time when He tabernacled here among
men, was in its borders, and it was also on the shores of its sea that
He did so much of His preaching and wrought so many miracles.
Well might the voice of prophecy bid Zebulun "rejoice" (Deut.
33:18). Therein also we may perceive the deeper and spiritual
allusion in the words "Rejoice in thy going out. . . . They shall call
the people unto the mountain," i.e. the kingdom of the Messiah (Isa.
2:2), which was done by the preaching of Christ and His apostles—
which means those who go out It is remarkable that, with the lone
exception of Judas, all of the twelve apostles were men of Galilee!
Zebulun was also "for a haven," and it was in its borders that Joseph
and Mary, with the Christ child, found a haven after their return
from Egypt, and it afforded Him shelter when the Jews sought to kill
Him in Judea (John 7:1).
"And the fourth lot came out to Issachar" (Josh. 19:17).
Since this tribe was united with Zebulun in blessing (Deut. 33:18,
19), there is the less need for us to offer separate remarks thereon.
The "in their tents" was in apposition to the "ships": they would be a
pastoral people rather than a sea-going one cultivating the land.
Their inheritance was the fertile plain of Jezreel, with its
surrounding hills and valleys, afterwards known as lower Galilee—it
extended from Carmel to the Jordan, and in breadth to mount Tabor.
Shunem (1 Kings 4:8, etc.) was one of its cities, and Naboth’s
vineyard was within its lot. Matthew Henry pointed out how that we
may see both the sovereignty and the wisdom of Divine providence
in appointing not only the bounds of men’s habitations, "but their
several employments for the good of the public · as each member of
the body is situated and qualified for the service of the whole. Some
are disposed to live in cities, some in the countryside, others in sea-
ports. The genius of some leads them to the pen, some to trading,
others to mechanics. ‘If the whole body were an eye, where were the
hearing?’" (1 Cor. 12:17).
"And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of
Asher" (Josh. 19:24). It was pointed out in the opening paragraph
that the order in which the tribes are here mentioned is not that of
seniority: rather is it a spiritual one, according to the meaning of
their names as given in Genesis. Benjamin signifies "the son of the
right hand" (Gen. 35:18), Simeon "hearing" (Gen. 29:33), Zebulun
"dwelling" (Gen. 30:20), Issachar "hire" or "reward" (Gen. 30:18),
Asher "happy" (Gen. 30:23), Naphtali "wrestling" (Gen. 30:8), Dan
"judging" (Gen. 30:16). Combined we get: The son of the right hand
(the place of honor and power) is the hearing one (the new birth
precedes believing!), dwelling (no longer tossed about like the
restless sea) in Christ; great is his reward, for he is happy or blessed.
Such a one is marked by wrestling against (instead of submitting to)
the powers of evil, and by unsparingly judging himself. And of what
does the happiness of the spiritual Asher consist? The meanings
(taken from Young’s concordance) of the towns mentioned in Joshua
19:25, 26 (omitting the second, "Hall," which is unknown), are:
portion, height, dedicated, the king’s oak (strength and durability), a
station, depression (mourning for sin), fruitful place, glass river
(Rev. 22:1).
"And the sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali"
(Josh. 19:32). This is also of most interest to us because of its New
Testament connections. Its territory adjoined that of Zebulun
(Matthew 4:13), yet each had its own distinct interest. Jacob likened
Naphtali to "a hind let loose" and foretold, "he giveth goodly words"
(Gen. 49:21): while Moses spoke of him as "full with the blessing of
the Lord" (Deut. 33:23). In the title to Psalm 22 our Lord is likened
to "the hind of the morning," because of His swiftness to do His
Father’s will and work. The cities of Capernaum and Bethsaida were
in the borders of Naphtali. which were indeed filled with the
blessing of the Lord, for it was there that Christ and His apostles did
most of their preaching and gave forth "goodly words."
"And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of
Dan" (Josh. 19:40). Genesis 30:1-6, records his lowly origin. As this
tribe brought up the rear of the congregation when they were on the
march, so they were the last to receive their inheritance. Jacob
likened Dan to a serpent, Moses to a "lion’s whelp." Samson was of
this tribe, and in him both characters were combined. Dan was the
first tribe to fall into idolatry (Judg. 18:30), and apparently remained
in that awful condition for centuries, for we find the apostate king
Jeroboam setting up his golden calves in Bethel and Dan (1 Kings
12:28, 29, and cf. 2 Kings 10:29).
"When they had made an end of dividing the land for
inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance
to Joshua the son of Nun among them: according to the word of the
Lord they gave him the city which he asked, Timnath-serah in
mount Ephraim; and he built the city, and dwelt therein" (Josh.
19:49, 50). Blessed is it to see that, though the greatest and boldest
among them, the one who had led Israel to the conquest of Canaan,
instead of seeking first his own portion, he waited till all had
received theirs. Thus did he put the public good before his private
interests, seeking theirs and not his own. "Our Lord Jesus thus came
and dwelt among us, not in pomp, but in poverty, providing rest for
us, yet Himself not having where to lay His head" (Matthew Henry).
Nor did Joshua seize his portion as a right, but, like his grand
Antitype, "asked" for it (Ps. 2:8). And as Christ built the Church and
indwells it, so Joshua built his city.
 Joshua 20:1-9
The Cities of Refuge
"The Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the
children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge,
whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: that the slayer that
killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and
they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he
that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of
the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the
elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and
give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger
of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up
into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated
him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand
before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high
priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and
come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from
whence he fled." (Josh. 20:1-6).
In that passage we are furnished with a condensed account of
the statutes with regard to murder which the Lord gave to Israel for
the maintenance of righteousness in their midst. On the one hand,
there must be a strict enforcing of justice; on the other, the
exercising of mercy. The guilty were not to be cleared; the innocent
must not be executed. Due and orderly investigation must be made,
and each case tried on its own merits before a court of law. Where
guilt was established, malice aforethought being proved by
witnesses, the death penalty was to be inflicted upon the murderer.
But when a neighbor had been inadvertently killed extreme
measures were not to be taken against the one occasioning his death.
Nor was the next-of-kin to the one slain permitted to take matters
into his own hands and wreak vengeance upon him who by
misadventure had tragically terminated his life. Instead, there was a
sanctuary provided for the innocent, to which he could fly, shelter
afforded for one who had involuntarily committed homicide.
 The original statute pertaining to the subject was, "Whoso
sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the
image of God made He man" (Gen. 9:6). There is nothing whatever
"Jewish" about that injunction, for it was given centuries before the
nation of Israel had any existence. It needs emphasizing today that
capital punishment as the penalty for murder was ordained by God
Himself long before the giving of the Mosaic law, and, since it has
never been repealed by Him, that precept is binding until the end of
time. It is important to observe that the reason for this law is not
here based upon the well-being of human society, but is grounded
upon the fact that man is made "in the image of God." That
expression has a twofold significance; a natural and a moral—the
moral image of God (inherent holiness) was lost at the fall, but the
natural still exists, as is clear from 1 Corinthians 11:7, and James
3:9. Thus, the primary reason why it is sinful to slay a man is
because he is made in the image of God. "To deface the king’s
image is a sort of treason among men, implying a hatred against
him, and that if he himself were within reach, he would be served in
the same manner. How much more heinous, then, must it be to
destroy, curse, oppress, or in any way abuse the image of the King of
kings!" (A. Fuller).
Whereas that original statute of God has never yet been
repealed, it has been more fully explained, amplified, and
safeguarded in later passages; and to them we now turn. The first
one having a direct bearing upon our present subject is found in
Exodus 21:12-14: "He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be
surely put to death." There is the general principle, but it is qualified
thus: "And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his
hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a
man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him with
guile; thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die." A sharp
distinction was thus drawn between deliberate murder and
involuntary manslaughter. In the former instance, when one smote
his fellow intentionally, whether from premeditated malice or in the
heat of sudden passion, so that he expired from the injury, then the
deed must be regarded as murder, and the death penalty be enforced.
But where one unwittingly and unwillingly inflicted an injury upon
another, even though it proved to be a fatal one, he was not to be
executed for the act. Instead, there was a place appointed by God to
which he might flee, and where he could be sheltered from any who
sought vengeance upon him.
We have been much impressed by the fact that the above
passage is found in the very next chapter after the one which records
the Ten Commandments. Let those who have such a penchant for
drawing invidious and odious comparisons between that which
obtained under the old covenant and that which pertains to the new
take careful note that this gracious provision was made by God
under that very economy which dispensationalists are so fond of
terming "a forbidding and unrelieved regime of stern law." It was
nothing of the kind, as any impartial student of the Word is aware. In
all ages God has tempered His justice with mercy and caused His
grace to reign through righteousness. Let it not be overlooked that
such declarations as the following are found in the Old Testament
scriptures. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth
them that fear Him" (Ps. 103:13). "Great are Thy tender mercies, O
Lord" (Ps. 119:156). The putting forth of His wrath is spoken of as
His "strange work" (Isa. 28:21). "Thou art a God ready to pardon,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Neh.
9:17). "He restraineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth
in mercy" (Mic. 7:18), and most evidently did the cities of refuge
testify to that fact.
Ere passing on from Exodus 21:13, 14, let us also duly attend
to the wording of verse 13. It is not "And if a man lie not in wait, but
accidentally slay another," but instead, "And if a man lie not in wait
[having no intention to injure his neighbor], but God deliver him
into his hand." In full accord with the uniform teaching of Holy Writ
concerning the Divine superintendence of all events, such a calamity
as is here supposed is not ascribed to "chance" or "ill fortune" (for
there is nothing fortuitous in a world governed by God), but instead
is attributed to an act of God—i.e., the Lord being pleased to take
away in that manner the life which He had given. "Unto God the
Lord belong the issues from death" (Ps. 68:20). The gates of the
grave open unto none except at the command of the Most High, and
when He gives the word none can withstand it. "My times [to be
born and to die: Ecclesiastes 3:2] are in Thy hand" (Ps. 31:15), and
not in my own. "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his
months are with Thee, Thou hast appointed his bounds that he
cannot pass" (Job 14:5). Not only is the hour of death Divinely
decreed, but the form in which it comes. "Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone Him" (John 10:31), but in vain, for God had
ordained that He should be crucified. No matter in what manner
death comes, it is the Lord who kills and "bringeth down to the
grave" (1 Sam. 2:6).
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the
children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan
into the land of Canaan; then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities
of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any
person at unawares" (Num. 35:9-11). That which is mentioned in
Exodus 21 had reference to God’s merciful provision for Israel
during the time they remained in the wilderness. There was, even
then, "a place" appointed by the Lord to which the manslayer might
turn for sanctuary. We are not told where that place was. Some of the
ancient Jewish writers suppose that it was located "outside the
camp," but, since all the cities of refuge were cities which pertained
to the Levites, we consider it more in keeping with the Analogy of
Faith to conclude that the "place" was within that part of the camp
assigned to the priests. That temporal provision wag to give way to a
more permanent arrangement after the children of Israel became
settled in their inheritance.
"And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye
have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and
three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities
of refuge" (Num. 35:13, 14). Two and a half of the tribes, namely
the children of Gad, the children of Reuben, and half the tribe of
Manasseh, had been assigned their place and portion on the eastern
side of the Jordan (Num. 32:33), in the fertile valley which had been
occupied by Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan,
who, refusing Israel’s request to pass through that country, had been
slain in battle and their territory seized by the conquerors (Num.
21:21-31). The remaining three were to be situated in convenient
sections in Palestine, where they would be accessible at short notice
unto those who might have need of the same. Nor was their use
restricted to those who were of the natural seed of Abraham: "These
six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the
stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that
killeth any person unawares may flee thither" (v. 15). Thus, even
under the Mosaic economy, Divine mercy was extended unto those
who threw in their lot with the people of God!
In the verses that follow various cases are described in detail,
so that there might be no miscarriage of justice when the magistrates
were adjudicating thereon: "And if he smite him with an instrument
of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be
put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith
he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely
be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood,
wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer
shall surely be put to death. The revenger of blood himself shall slay
the murderer: when he meeteth him he shall slay him. But [or "and"]
if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he
die; or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote
him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of
blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him" (vv. 17-21).
Thus those cities of refuge were not meant to afford shelter for
murderers as such. Therein they differed noticeably from the sacred
precincts of the heathen gods, which provided a safe asylum for any
violent or wicked man. The Divine statute insisted on the sanctity of
life and the inflexible maintenance of righteousness.
Equally express were the instructions on the other side. "But
if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any
thing without laying of wait; or with any stone, wherewith a man
may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was
not his enemy, neither sought his harm: then the congregation shall
judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to
these judgments. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of
the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore
him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide
in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the
holy oil" (vv. 22-25). Shelter and security were provided only for
one who had brought about the death of another without deliberate
design, yea, with no intention of inflicting any injury upon him.
Murder, strictly speaking, involves more than the overt act: it
includes the spirit behind the act, the motive prompting it. If the act
be performed "without enmity" and with no desire to harm another,
then it is a case of involuntary manslaughter and not of murder.
To prevent any guilty one taking advantage of this provision
for the innocent, the accused must "stand before the congregation in
judgment" (Num. 35:12): that is, he was to be brought before a court
of justice, where the magistrates were to give him a fair trial. Full
and formal investigation was to be made, so that the accused had
every opportunity to prove his innocence. "Then the congregation
shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according
to these judgments." Once the manslayer had been received into the
city of refuge, the avenger of blood could act only as prosecutor
(previously he had the right to be the executioner—v. 19), and his
case had to be determined by the rules God had specified. If it were
proved that death had ensued where no malicious attempt upon life
had been made, but, instead, the injury had been inflicted casually,
"unawares," then the death penalty was not to be visited upon him.
It is highly important in the administration of law that that no
innocent person should be made to suffer, and equally so that the
guilty should not be exempted from the due reward of his iniquities.
In the case of murder, the Divine law required proof of previous
malice, a laying in wait to slay the victim, deliberate measures taken
to encompass his death, an assault with some weapon of violence to
accomplish the fell deed. "Whoso killeth any person, the murderer
shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness
shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye
shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of
death: but he shall be surely put to death" (Num. 35:30, 31). Thereby
did the Lord manifest His abhorrence of this crime: no atoning
sacrifice was available for it, nor could any ransom be accepted for
its perpetrator. Justice must be administered impartially, the law
strictly enforced without fear or favor. Very solemn and impressive
is it to note what follows.
"So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it
defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is
shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not
therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the
Lord dwell among the children of Israel" (Num. 35:33, 34). Such
shedding of blood not only defiles the conscience of the murderer,
who is thereby proved not to have eternal life abiding in him (1 John
3:15), but also pollutes the land in which the crime was committed,
being abominable to God and to all good men. Nor can that land be
cleansed from the blood of murder but by executing condign
judgment upon the murderer himself. Thus we are informed that
there was far more involved in the enforcing of these statutes than
the maintenance of righteousness between man and man. As another
has pointed out, "the glory of God, the purity of His land, and the
integrity of His government, had to be duly maintained. If those
were touched, there could be no security for anyone."
The same things are taught, substantially, in the New
Testament, particularly in Romans 13:1-4. There the civil ruler or
magistrate is twice denominated "the minister of God": first, in
protecting the law-abiding; second, in penalizing the law-defiant. He
is Divinely appointed to maintain civic righteousness, for if the
restraints of government be removed, a state of anarchy and bedlam
at once ensues. The "sword" is the symbol of the ultimate power of
life and death (Gen. 3:24; Zechariah 13:7), and the "he beareth not
the sword in vain" signifies that God has invested him with the
authority to inflict capital punishment—the common method of
which in olden times was by decapitating with the sword. It is an
essential part of the governor’s office to be "a revenger, to execute
[God’s] wrath upon him that doeth evil." Nothing is said about its
being his duty to reform criminals, rather is it his business to redress
wrongs and to instill fear into those who contemplate doing wrong.
Romans 13:1-4, is silent upon any efforts being required to reclaim
the refractory, the emphasis being placed upon his alarming them
and imposing the full penalty of the law: compare 1 Peter 2:14. It is
a sure sign of a nation’s moral degeneracy, and a dishonoring and
incurring of God’s displeasure, when capital punishment is
abolished, or magistrates become lax and yield to sentimentality.
Reverting to the case of the one who is not guilty of
deliberate murder, there are four other details which require to be
noticed. First, when one unintentionally killed a neighbor, there
must usually have been in such cases a culpable degree of
carelessness, and therefore, though his life was spared, his freedom
was curtailed. Second, accordingly he was required to leave his
home and family, and take up residence in the city of refuge. Third,
if he forsook that city, he forfeited legal protection, and then, should
the revenger of blood find him without its borders, he was entitled to
kill him (Num. 35:27). Fourth, it was required that he remain within
the city of refuge until the death of the high priest, and then he was
free to return to his home and reside there unmolested (v. 28). By
limiting the time of his banishment by the high priest’s death, honor
was put upon the priesthood—as it had been in selecting those cities,
for they all belonged to the Levites. "The high priest was to be
looked upon as so great a blessing to his country, that when he died
their sorrow upon that occasion should swallow up all other
resentments" (Matthew Henry).
Further reference is made to our subject in Deuteronomy
4:41-43, wherein we see illustrated the law of progressive
development. First, bare mention of an unspecified "place" is
referred to (Ex. 21:13). Next, instructions are given for the
appointing of six cities of refuge, without stating more than that
three of them are to be on the wilderness side of the Jordan, and
three within Canaan (Num. 35:14, 15). Then the first three are
actually named (Deut. 4:43), while in Joshua 20:7, 8, the locations
of all six are given. In Deuteronomy 19, more definite instructions
were communicated as to the precise situations of those cities; the
land was to be divided into three parts, so that one of them would be
the more readily accessible for those in any particular section (vv. 2,
3). A "way" which led to each city was to be prepared (v. 3) so as to
guide the fugitive who was fleeing unto it. Joshua 20:4, supplies the
additional information that when the manslayer arrived at the gate of
the city of refuge he received a preliminary hearing from the elders
ere he was admitted, which was followed by a fuller and more
formal investigation of his case in a court of justice (v. 6).
In his comments upon Numbers 35, T. Scott well remarked,
"This remarkable law, expressive of the deepest detestation of
murder, yet providing most effectually against the innocent being
punished with the guilty, is likewise an instructive typical
representation of the salvation of the Gospel. ‘The wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men (Rom. 1:18). If it is appointed unto men once to die, and after
death the judgment, with the eternal consequences, in the meanwhile
a Refuge is provided and revealed in Christ Jesus. His ministers
warn sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and instruct and exhort
them to ‘flee for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them.’
All things are prepared for the reception of those who obey this call.
By faith they discern both their danger and refuge. Then fear warns
and hope animates. Should death, like the avenger of blood, find
them without, destruction is inevitable." The fact that the cities of
refuge are described at more or less length in no fewer than four of
the Old Testament books—Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and
Joshua—denotes the importance of them, as well as adumbrating the
delineation which we have of the antitypical Refuge in the four
Gospels.
When we bear in mind how much the Holy Spirit delighted
in shadowing forth the Lord Jesus under the Old Testament, in type
and figure, and when we observe how closely and strikingly the
various things said of the cities of refuge point to the Savior, we
must conclude that they were Divinely designed to foreshadow Him.
In seeking to understand and interpret the types, two dangers need to
be guarded against: first, the giving way to an unbridled
imagination; second, ultra-caution and conservatism. On the one
hand, we must not indulge in the fanciful allegorizing of Oregon; on
the other, we must eschew the rationalizing of the Higher Critics. In
the past, too many have been chargeable with the first: but today,
when the Divine element is either denied or pushed into the
background, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme. To
assume that we are unwarranted in regarding anything in the Old
Testament as possessing a spiritual significance unless the New
Testament expressly says so is as unjustifiable as to insist that there
are no prophecies there except those specifically termed such in the
New Testament—for instance, Genesis 3:15.
Concerning the subject now before us there are, in the
judgment of this writer, at least two passages in the Epistles which
confirm the view that the cities of refuge are to be regarded as
having a spiritual meaning and reference. The first is in Philippians
3:9, where the apostle, after announcing and then renouncing all his
natural advantages as a Hebrew, counting them but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, expresses the
desire that he might 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." There the
proud Pharisee forsook his own righteousness, which was
condemned by the law—as the manslayer fled from the avenger of
blood—and he betook himself to the righteousness of Christ as the
homicide did within the city of refuge from the sword of justice. The
second passage is a still more manifest allusion to this Old
Testament figure, for there the heirs of promise are assured that God
has provided strong consolation unto those who have "fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us" (Heb. 6:18), i.e. in
the Gospel: reminding us of the prayer of David, "Deliver me, O
Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me" (Ps. 143:9)
The manslayer is an apt representation of the sinner, who is a
soul-slayer: "thou hast destroyed thyself" (Hos. 13:9). But more
particularly: he sets before us the awakened sinner. Previously, the
man had lived in quietness and comfort, but when he slew another,
though unintentionally, his peace was shattered. Everything was
suddenly changed: there was danger without, and fear within. He
now discovered himself to be in a very evil case. There lies the body
of another, dead by his own carelessness. Who can conceive the
distress and dismay which overwhelm his mind? He knows that the
next of kin has the right to take vengeance and slay him. He is no
longer safe in his own home; he is unable to find security in any
building of his own hands; he must perforce flee for his life. Thus it
is with the unconverted. In his natural condition, a false serenity is
his, and he finds contentment in the things of this world and the
pleasures of sin. Then, unawares, the Holy Spirit arouses him from
the sleep of spiritual death, convicts him of sin, makes him realize
that the wrath of God is upon hint, and his soul exposed to eternal
death. Oh, what unspeakable anguish is his as he now realizes
himself to be a rebel against the Most High, lost and undone.
Intolerable dread now fills him as the fire of hell is felt in his
spirit and the undying worm gnaws at his conscience. What must I
do? How shall I escape? are his urgent inquiries. Proud reason can
furnish no answer. His outlook appears to be hopeless, his case
beyond the reach of mercy. Now it is that the message of the Gospel
receives welcome attention. He has heard it, perhaps, many times
before, but without any personal interest or deep concern. So with
the manslayer. Hitherto he gave little or no thought at all to what he
had read or heard about the cities of refuge: having no need of them,
they possessed no special interest for him. But matters are very
different with him now. Having become a homicide, those places
become of the utmost importance in his esteem, and he is greatly
relieved by the knowledge that a merciful provision has been made
with God to meet his desperate case, that shelter is available from
the avenger. Thus it is with the sinner. He may be informed about,
God’s way of salvation, but he never sets his heart upon it, labors to
understand it clearly, and appropriate it unto his own deep need,
until he is made sensible of his ruined condition.
 "Men do not flee for refuge when they are in no distress. The
vessel puts not into the harbor of refuge when winds and waves all
favor her. A man does not escape out of a city, like Lot from Sodom,
unless he be persuaded that the city is to be destroyed, and that he is
likely to perish in it. Ah! Indeed, we who are saved confess with
gratitude to Him that has delivered us that we were once in danger.
In danger, my brethren; is the word strong enough? In danger of
eternal burnings! It was worse than that, for we are brands plucked
out of the fire; we already burned with that fire of sin, which is the
fire of hell" (Spurgeon). It is one thing to be in deadly danger—as
are all who lie under the condemnation and curse of God’s broken
law—but it is quite another to have a feeling sense of the same in
our souls. A man is satisfied with his condition until he sees his
vileness in the light of God’s holiness. He has a good opinion of his
own character and righteousness until his eyes be Divinely opened
to perceive that he is a moral leper. He is self-complacent and self-
confident until he is given a terrifying sense of the wrath of God
pursuing him for his sins, and that there is but a step between him
and eternal death.
But mark it well, my reader: it is not sufficient for the
manslayer to recognize his peril, nor to have the knowledge that
God has provided relief for him: he must flee to the city of refuge
and personally avail himself of its shelter. Not until he actually
passed within the portals of that sanctuary was he safe from the
avenger of blood. His case was so desperate that it admitted of no
delay. If he valued his life he must flee in haste. A dilatory and
trifling spirit would evince that he had no real sense of his peril. So
it is with the sinner. No matter how deep or long-protracted be his
convictions, until he really betakes himself to Christ and closes with
His gracious offer he is a lost soul. He is either under the wrath of
God or under the atoning blood of Christ. There is no middle place
between the two. He is this very day "condemned already" (John
3:18), waiting for execution, or he is absolved, so that vengeance
cannot strike him. As it was something more than a momentary
alarm, which could easily be shaken off, that seized the manslayer—
deepening in its intensity the more he pondered it so something
more than a temporary fright that soon passes away is required to
make the sinner come to Christ.
"The manslayer left his house, his wife, his children,
everything, to flee away to the city of refuge. That is just what a man
does when he resolves to be saved by grace: he leaves everything he
calls his own, renounces all the rights and privileges which he
thought he possessed by nature; yea, he confesses to having lost his
own natural right to live, and he flees for life to the grace of God in
Christ Jesus. The manslayer had no right to live except that he was
in the city of refuge, no right to anything except that he was God’s
guest within those enclosing walls. And so we relinquish, heartily
and thoroughly, once and forever, all ideas arising out of our
supposed merits; we hasten away from self that Christ may be all in
all to us. Fleeing for refuge implies that a man flees from his sin. He
sees it and repents of it" (Spurgeon). There has to be a complete
break from the old self-pleasing life. Sin must be made bitter before
Christ will be sweet. Fleeing for refuge implies earnestness, for the
manslayer dared not dawdle or saunter: he ran for his life. It implied
unwearied diligence, so that he loitered not till shelter and safety
were reached.
It is just at this point that the convicted sinner needs to be
most careful. When Satan cannot prevail with a person to reject
wholly the imperative duty of his fleeing to Christ, his next attempt
for the ruination of his soul is to prevail with him at least to put off
the performing of it. Many who have been shaken from their
unconcern are easily persuaded to defer a wholehearted seeking of
Christ until they have taken their fill of the things of this world, until
they are warned by serious illness or the infirmities of old age that
soon they must leave it, hoping that a season of repentance will be
given them before they die. But such postponing shows they are
unwilling to repent and believe until they be forced by necessity, and
that they prefer the world to Christ. Thus they unfit themselves more
and more for this urgent duty by continuing in sin and wasting the
time which is now theirs. Others persuade themselves they are not
yet sufficiently convicted of sin, and must wait till God assures them
more fully that the Gospel is suited to their case; and thus those who
are wrongly termed "seekers" misspend their day of grace.
It is quite evident from what has been before us that in this
type there is an enforcing of the sinner’s responsibility. A merciful
provision had been made to meet the dire need of the homicide, yet
he was required to exert himself in order to benefit thereby. The city
of refuge was graciously available for him, but he must flee thither
and enter it if he would be safe. If under any pretext he failed to do
so, and was slain by the next of kin, his blood was upon his own
head. As another has stud, "It is not at all likely that anyone would
be so blind or so infatuated as to fold his arms in cold indifference
and say, If I am fated to escape, I shall escape: my efforts are not
needed; for if I am not fated to escape, I cannot escape, my efforts
are of no use. We cannot fancy a manslayer using such silly
language, or being guilty of such blind fatuity as this. He knows too
well that if the avenger could but lay his hand upon him all such
notions would be of small account. There was but one thing to be
done, and that was to escape for his life—to flee from impending
judgment, to find his safe abode within the gates of the city of
refuge."
The cities of refuge were a manifest type of Christ as He is
presented and offered to sinners in the Gospel.
1. They were appointed by God Himself. They were not of
man’s devising, as the Gospel is no human invention. They were an
expression of the Divine mercy: and how rich the grace thus
evidenced, for it provided not merely one, but no less than six, of
these cities! They anticipated the urgent situation. The Lord did not
wait until an Israelite had unwittingly slain one of his fellows, and
then arrange for his deliverance from the sword of justice. No, He is
ever beforehand in supplying what we lack. Those cities were
available ere they were made use of. In like manner, God’s
appointing of Christ to be the Savior of sinners was no afterthought
to meet an unlooked-for emergency: in the Divine purpose and plan
Christ was the Lamb "slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev.
13:8).
 2. Those cities were given to provide shelter from the
avenger. That was the outstanding feature in this lovely evangelical
picture. Sought by one who was determined to execute judgment
upon him, the manslayer turned unto this haven of peace. To attempt
to brazen things out was futile: equally so is it for the sinner to
imagine he can successfully defy Him whose justice is even now
pursuing him. Thus there was no other alternative but death. In like
manner "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved" (Acts 4:12). To delay was madness: "he shall flee unto one of
those cities, and live" (Deut. 19:5) was the peremptory requirement.
It was dangerous for Lot to linger in Sodom, lest fire and brimstone
destroy him (Gen. 19:17). So God bids us, "Today if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3:7, 8).
3. Those cities were placed on an eminence, being built upon
hills or mountains, as several of their names and the locations of
others plainly intimate. This made them the more readily seen and
kept in sight by those who were fleeing to the same. As such they
blessedly prefigured Him whom "God exalted with His right hand to
be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). So too when the Gospel is
faithfully preached the antitypical Refuge is held forth, so that it
may be said of the hearers, "before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath
been evidently [plainly] set forth" (Gal. 3:1). For the same reason,
the ministers of Christ who lift Him before their congregations are
likened to "a city that is set on an hill" (Matthew 5:14).
4. The road to the city was plainly marked out. "Thou shalt
prepare thee a way . . . that every slayer may flee thither (Deut.
19:3). Jewish writers say it was a law in Israel that one day in every
year there were persons sent to repair the roads leading to them, to
remove all stumbling-stones which might by time have fallen in the
way, and to see also that the signposts which were set up at every
corner leading to the city were carefully preserved, and the name
Miklac (that is, refuge) legible upon them. Whether or not that was
the case, certain it is that in the Gospel God has fully and plainly
made known the way of salvation, so that "wayfaring men, though
fools, shall not err therein" (Isa. 35:8). See also Romans 10:6-8.
5. They were easy of access. Those cities were so situated
that when a person had need of such, one was near at hand. Express
instructions were given that they were to be "in the midst of the
land" (Deut. 19:2, 3), and not in remote corners which had been
difficult to approach. The land had to be divided "into three parts,"
one city of refuge in each, so that it could be reached within a single
day’s journey, no matter where the manslayer resided—what a
touching proof of God’s tender mercy! Everything was done to
facilitate the homicide’s escape. The application is obvious: "The
Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart" (Ps. 34:18). Unto
such He says, "My righteousness is near" (Isa. 51:5). The way to
Christ is short: it is but a simple renunciation of self and a laying
hold of Him to be our all in all.
6. The city of refuge provided protection only for the
homicide from the revenger of blood. The deliberate murderer was
excluded, to teach us that there is no salvation in Christ for
presumptuous sinners who still go on deliberately in their trespasses.
Those who persist in willful sin, and continue to defy God and
trample upon His law, bar themselves from His mercy. There is no
shelter in a holy Christ for those who are in love with sin, but unto
those that flee to Him from their sins there is "plenteous
redemption." In Christ the penitent and believing sinner is secure
from the curse of the broken law and the wrath of God, for the Lord
Jesus endured them in his stead. In Christ he is safe also from the
fury of a raging Devil and is delivered from the accusations of a
guilty conscience.
7. Nevertheless, the one who took refuge in that city had to
remain there. If he was foolish enough at any time to forsake its
bounds, the revenger of blood had the right to slay him (Num. 35:26,
27). As it was his duty to flee into it, so he was obliged to continue
therein. That imports the responsibility of the believer to make use
of Christ not only at the time of his conversion, but all through his
life. There is as much emphasis placed upon our abiding in Christ as
there is upon our coming to Him (John 8:31; Colossians 1:23;
Hebrews 3:6, 14; 1 John 2:28).
8. They were available for Gentiles as well as Jews (Num.
35:15). How thankful we should be that "there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon Him" (Rom. 10:12).
9. It was the death of the high priest which secured full and
final deliverance (Josh. 20:6). It is indeed striking to observe how
the procuring cause of the believer’s redemption was prefigured in
this many-sided type, though some expositors experience a self-
created difficulty in connection therewith. All the days that Israel’s
high priest lived and the manslayer abode within the city, no
condemnation could come upon him; and since the Christian’s High
Priest is "alive for evermore," they are eternally secure. Still, it was
upon the death of Aaron or his successor that the homicide was
made free, as we owe our emancipation to the death of Christ—thus
the double figure of the city (safety) and the high priest’s death
(propitiation) was necessary to set forth both aspects, as were the
two goats of Leviticus 16:7, 8. There may also be a designed
dispensational hint here: saints were saved of old, but not until the
death of Christ was the full liberty of son-ship enjoyed (Gal. 4:1-7).
10. The names of these cities (Josh. 20:7, 8) spoke of what
the believer has in Christ. Kadesh signifies "holy," and Jesus Christ,
the Holy One of God, is made unto the believer sanctification as
well as righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)—how deeply suggestive that this
is the first mentioned, that in the Redeemer we have a sanctuary of
holiness. Shechem means "shoulder," which is ‘the place of strength
(Isa. 9:7) and of safety (Luke 15:5)—under the government of Christ
the believer finds security. Hebron means "fellowship," and through
Christ His people are brought into communion with the Father and
with the holy angels. Bezer means "a fortified place" and "The Lord
is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble" (Nah. 1:7); therefore "I
will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in
Him will I trust" (Ps. 91:2). Ramoth means "height" or "exaltation":
in Christ we are elevated above the world, made to sit in heavenly
places (Eph. 2:6). Golan means "exultation" or "joy," and "we also
joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:11).
 Joshua 21:1-45
The Levitical Cities
The residence of the Levites. On this occasion it will be the
cities which were Divinely appointed them for residence which will
engage our attention. Since it has pleased the Lord to devote a whole
chapter, and a lengthy one, to the subject, it is evident that—whether
or not we can discern it—there must be that in it which is of spiritual
importance and practical value for us today. Nor shall we experience
any difficulty in ascertaining its central message if we bear in mind
that the ministers of the Gospel are the counterparts of the Levites of
old. In that chapter we find it recorded that the heads of the tribe of
Levi came before the assembled court of Israel and presented their
claim for suitable places where they might settle with their families
and possessions. Their petition was received favorably, and their
request was granted. Forty-eight cities with their suburbs were
assigned them—appointed by the "lot," as had been the case with all
the other tribes.
"Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto
Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the
heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel; and they
spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord
commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with
the suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave
unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the
Lord, these cities and their suburbs" (Josh. 21:1-3). Aaron was a
descendant of Levi, and in his official capacity as the high priest of
Israel he foreshadowed the Lord Jesus, who now, as the Son of God
consecrated for evermore, is "a minister of the sanctuary, and of the
true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 7:28—
8:2, and cf. Rev. 15:3-5). The sons of Aaron, by natural generation,
are types of Christians who are given to Christ to serve Him (Num.
3:63), the brethren of Christ sharing by grace His double title of both
king and priest (Rev. 1:6, 7). The priestly sons of Aaron and the
ministering Levites were also a figure of the public servants of the
Lord in the present dispensation, as is clear from 1 Corinthians 9:
"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of
the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are
partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they
which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (vv. 13, 14).
In stating that ministers of the Gospel are present-day
counterparts of Israel’s priests and Levites, it must be borne
carefully in mind that (in keeping with the radical differences which
characterize the old and the new covenants) there are marked
features of dissimilarity as well as resemblance between them. It
was the failure, or refusal, to recognize that fact which laid the
foundation for the Judaizing and paganizing of public Christianity
and the erection and development of "mystery Babylon," with all its
sacerdotal and ritualistic pretensions. While there is, as 1
Corinthians 9:13, 14, shows, an analogy in the provision made for
the support of the ministers respectively in both dispensations, there
is none whatever in the services they render. The priests had no
commission to go forth and evangelize (that fell more to the lot of
the prophets—Jonah 1:2, etc.), nor is the preacher today called of
God to act as an intermediary between others and himself, or in any
way to offer satisfaction for their sins—only on the essential ground
of his being a Christian (and not in an official character as a
clergyman) may he intercede for his brethren or present a sacrifice
of praise on their behalf.
Israel’s priests and Levites were, by their birth and calling,
nearer to God than were those for whom they acted, and by virtue of
their office holier than they. But both nearness to God and
sanctification are conferred in Christ, without any distinction, upon
all who are called of God unto the fellowship of His Son, so that,
fundamentally, saved ministers and the believers to whom they
minister are equal before God. "There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female [and
we may add, there is neither clergy nor laity]: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). Whatever vital privilege and spiritual
dignity Christ purchased for one He secured for all His redeemed
alike. It is most important that we should be quite clear upon this
point, for it gives the death-blow to all priest-craft. There is
absolutely nothing of a sacerdotal character in true Christian
ministry, and therefore the whole system of Romanism is
antichristian. Again, the Jewish priesthood was restricted to the
limits of a single family—the Aaronic—whereas in the selection of
those whom He calls to preach the Gospel of His Son God is no
respecter of persons, but acts according to His sovereign grace and
power.
Stating it in its simplest terms, Joshua 21 sets forth the
gracious provision which Jehovah made to meet the temporal needs
of the Levites. They were the ones who served Him in the tabernacle
and ministered to the congregation in holy things, and as such
suitably adumbrated the Divinely called ministers of the Gospel,
whose lives are devoted to Christ and His churches. Unlike all the
other tribes, no separate portion of Canaan was allotted to the
Levites upon the distribution of the land (Deut. 10:8, 9; Joshua
13:14). In like manner, the good soldier of Jesus Christ is forbidden
to entangle himself with the affairs of this life (2 Tim. 2:3, 4), for it
would ill become one who was the messenger of heaven to occupy
his heart with earthly avocations. He is called upon to practice what
he preaches, to be a living exemplification of his sermons, denying
all fleshly and worldly lusts, and be "an example of the believers, in
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." He is
required to walk in entire separation from the world, and give
himself "wholly" to the things of God and the welfare of souls, that
his profiting may appear unto all (1 Tim. 4:12, 15). What
mortification of corrupt affections and inordinate desires of earthly
things and what spiritual mindedness are necessary if the preacher is
to give a just representation of Him in whose name he ministers.
But though no separate portion of Canaan was to be
apportioned to the Levites, that was far from signifying that they
must in some way secure their own interests, or that they were left
dependent upon the capricious charity of their brethren. It was not
the Divine will that they should earn their living by the sweat of the
brow, or that they should beg their daily bread. Not so does the Lord
treat His beloved servants. He is no Egyptian taskmaster, demanding
that they make bricks but refusing to provide them with straw;
instead, He is "the God of all grace," who has promised to supply
their every need. Thus it was with the Levites. Full provision was
made for their temporal sustenance. The Lord had not only
appointed that a liberal part of the heave and wave offerings was to
be their food, as well as the best of the oil, and the wine, and the
first-fruits, with the tithes of the children of Israel (Num. 18:9-19,
24); but He had also given a commandment that the other tribes
should give unto the Levites, out of their own inheritance, cities to
dwell in and the suburbs round about them (Num. 35:2-5). In like
manner, God has stipulated that those of His people who are
indebted to the spiritual ministrations of His servants should, in turn,
minister to their temporal subsistence. This is clear from 1
Corinthians 9:13, 14, and, though it may be somewhat of a
digression, we will take a closer look at that passage.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul was vindicating his apostleship (v.
3), which his traducers denied. They objected that he had not
personally seen Jesus Christ (v. 1), as had the twelve. That he did not
live like other men, going without the ordinary comforts of life (v.
4), being unmarried (v. 5). That he and his companion Barnabas
were obliged to support themselves by their own manual labors (v.
6), and therefore that he knew they were not entitled to count upon
the gifts of believers for their sustenance (v. 12). The main drift of
his reply was that, though he acted voluntarily on the principle of
self-denial, yet that by no means disproved that he was sent of God,
or that he had not a right to be maintained by the saints. So far from
that being the case, he was clearly and fully warranted in claiming
their support. This he demonstrates by a number of plain and
irrefutable arguments, educed from a variety of cogent
considerations. Those arguments lay down principles which are
applicable to the servants of Christ in all generations, and therefore
are pertinent for today, making known as they do the revealed will
of God on this practical matter. It therefore behooves the Lord’s
people carefully to weigh the same and be regulated by them.
 He began by asking, "Have not we power to forbear
working?" (v. 6). The word "power" there signifies right or authority,
being used in the same sense as it is in John 1:12. Though in the
interrogative form, it has the force of an emphatic affirmative: such
is our legitimate prerogative, if we choose to exercise it—to abstain
from earning our own living, and to count upon the saints
ministering to our bodily needs. This he proceeded to prove by three
obvious analogies. First, this accords with the universally
recognized rule: "Who goeth a warfare at any lime at his own
charges?" (v. 7): as it is the bounden duty of the State to provide for
its defenders, equally so of the churches to care for the soldiers of
Christ. Second, this is in keeping with the well-established principle
that the workman is entitled to remuneration: "Who planteth a
vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?" Third, this is
exemplified by the law of nature: "Or who feedeth a flock, and
eateth not the milk of the flock?" (v. 7): the husbandman by virtue of
his calling has a right to a livelihood from the same. But, conclusive
as was such reasoning, the apostle did not conclude at that point.
Paul then proceeded to show that the duty he was contending
for—the temporal maintenance of Christ’s servants—was not only
required by the law of nations, and the dictates of nature, but was
urged by the law of God: "For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou
shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn (cf.
Deuteronomy 25:4)—an example of the humanity which marks the
statutes that God gave to Israel (cf. Exodus 23:19, twice repeated;
Deuteronomy 22:6). Laboring for its owner, the ox was worthy of its
food, and must not be deprived thereof. Upon which the apostle
asks, "Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith He it altogether [i.e.
assuredly] for our sakes?" (v. 9). If He be so solicitious about the
welfare of animals and requires that they be treated justly and
kindly, is He indifferent as to how His honored servants be dealt
with? Surely not. "For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he
that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope
should be partaker of his hope" (v. 10). The Mosaic precept was
designed in its ultimate application to enforce the principle that
labor should have its remuneration, so that men would work more
cheerfully. In the next verse the obvious conclusion is drawn.
"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing
if we shall reap your carnal things?" (v. 11). If it be right and meet
that those who cultivate the earth should be encouraged to do their
work diligently by the assurance that they shall themselves be
permitted to enjoy the fruit of their labors, then surely those who
engage in the far more important and exacting task of toiling in
Christ’s vineyard, endeavoring to advance His cause, proclaim His
Gospel, feed His sheep, should be recognized and rewarded. The
same precept is enforced again in 2 Timothy 2:6, "The husbandman
that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits." Still more plainly is
the exhortation given, "Let him that is taught in the word
communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:6, 7). Thus it is laid down as an
unchanging principle that spiritual benefits demand a temporal
return. Not that any price can be put upon the invaluable ministry of
the Gospel, but that those whom God has set apart to preach it have
a just claim for generous compensation. And that not in the way of
charity or gratuity, but as a sacred debt—a debt which professing
Christians fail to discharge at the peril of their souls. For let none be
deceived: if they fail to support the Gospel, God will severely
chastise them.
Such a statement as that in verse 11 rebukes and shames any
spirit of miserliness or stinginess on the part of those who participate
in the privileges of a Gospel ministry but fail to do their fair part in
supporting the same, If God’s servants have been used of Him to
bestow one class of benefits, is it unreasonable or unequal that they
should receive another class of benefits in return? Why, there is no
proportion between the one and the other. They dispense that which
is spiritual and concerns the eternal interests of the soul, whereas
you are required to contribute only that which is material for the
needs of the body. If they have faithfully executed their office, will
you consider it burdensome to discharge your obvious obligations?
Shame on you if you feel that way. Instead, it should be regarded as
a holy privilege. "On every principle of commutative justice the
minister’s right to a subsistence must be conceded" (Hodge). But the
apostle did not conclude his appeal even at this point, but clinched
his argument by citing scriptural proof that God had ordained this
very thing.
"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things
live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are
partakers with the altar?" (v. 13). Here the testimony of God’s own
institution is quoted, linking all that has been before us in 1
Corinthians 9 with the theme of Joshua 21, for the reference has
directly in view the provision made by the Lord for the maintenance
of Israel’s priests and Levites. They were supported in their work by
the offerings of the people, being Divinely permitted to eat a portion
of the animals which had been presented to God in sacrifice. The
priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor
inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made
by fire, and His inheritance" (Deut. 18:1, and cf. Num. 5:9, 10). "A
part of the animal offered in sacrifice is burned as an offering to
God, and a part becomes the property of the priest for his support;
and thus the altar and the priest become joint participators of the
sacrifice. From these offerings the priests derived their maintenance"
(A. Barnes, to whom we are indebted for not a little of the above).
Thus, that for which the apostle was contending was sanctioned by
Divine authority.
"Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the
gospel should live of the gospel" (v. 14). Here, by Divine
inspiration, the apostle declares that Christ has made the same
ordinance for this dispensation as obtained under the old one. He
who provided that those who served Him in His earthly temple
should be partakers of the altar has also willed that those who
minister His Gospel should be duly cared for. This is not optional,
but obligatory. It is a Divine command, which demands obedience.
If on the one hand the minister is entitled to support, on the other
hand his hearers are not at liberty to withhold the same. It is both a
duty and a privilege to comply. It is not a matter of charity, but of
right, that the preacher should be compensated for his labors. "The
maintenance of ministers is not an arbitrary thing, left purely to the
good will of the people, who may let them starve if they please; no,
as the God of Israel commanded that Levites should be well
provided for, so has the Lord Jesus, the King of the Church,
ordained, and a perpetual ordinance it is" (Matthew Henry).
Devotion to the Lord, the spirit of gratitude, the claims of love, and
the workings of grace should make the duty a delight. The honor of
Christ’s cause, the usefulness of His servants, yes, and the happiness
of His people (Acts 20:35), are bound up in heeding this rule.
A beautiful illustration of compliance with the Divine
requirement is found in Philippians 4. There we have the apostle
expressing his appreciation and gratitude unto an assembly of the
saints for the practical way in which they had manifested their love
to him and their fellowship in the Gospel: "But I rejoiced in the Lord
greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again;
wherein ye were also careful [solicitous], but ye lacked opportunity"
(v. 10). They were not among that large class of professing
Christians who deem themselves willing to profit from a Gospel
ministry, but who have very little concern for the temporal welfare
of Christ’s servants. On the contrary, they had been mindful of His
minister, and as occasion arose and opportunity was afforded they
had sent of their substance to him while he was away laboring in
other parts. This brought back to his memory similar kindnesses
which they had shown him years before: "Now ye Philippians know
also, that in the beginning of the gospel [when he commenced his
evangelistic career], when I departed from Macedonia, no church
communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye
only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my
necessity" (vv. 15, 16). So far from being a case of "out of sight, out
of mind," he was constantly in their thoughts.
During Paul’s extensive travels the Philippians had lost touch
with him—though not their interest in him, as the "wherein [i.e.
during the lengthy interval] ye were also careful" attests, but they
had no "opportunity" to communicate with him. But now that they
learned that he was a prisoner in Rome for the Truth’s sake, they
sent to him a further token of their affection and esteem by
Epaphroditus (v. 18). Most blessed is it to mark the spirit in which
the apostle received their gift. First, while gratefully acknowledging
their present (v. 14), he looked above them to the One who had put
into their hearts the desire to minister unto him: "I rejoiced in the
Lord greatly (v. 10). Second, he was made happy too on their behalf:
"Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to
your account" (v. 17)—it furnished proof of the workings of the
spirit of grace within, evidencing that they were in a healthy
condition spiritually. Third, he declared that their gift met with the
approval of his Master, that it was "an odor of a sweet smell, a
sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God" (v. 18). Fourth, he
assured them that they would be no losers by caring for him: "But
my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory
by Christ Jesus" (v. 19).
"Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto
Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the
heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel" (Josh.
21:1). There are one or two details here which call for a brief word
of explanation. First, each of the tribes was divided into or was
grouped under its leading families: they being the descendants of the
original sons—the heads, or chiefs, being designated "fathers."
Second, Eleazar is mentioned here because this transaction involved
the use of "the lot," and he was the one who bore the sacred bag
containing the Urim and the Thummim, by which the Divine will
was made known. Joshua was also present as Israel’s commander, to
see that all was done in an orderly manner. Third, the additional
reference to "the heads of the fathers of the tribes" clearly intimates
that they were now formally assembled as a court, to examine the
petitions of claimants and determine their cases.
The careful reader will observe that the chapter opens with
the word "Then." That time-mark is more than a historical reference,
pointing an important practical lesson which we do well to heed.
Historically, the incident recorded here occurred "when they had
made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts,"
and when "the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the
son of Nun" (Josh. 21:49). Then Joshua was bidden by the Lord,
"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of
refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses" (Josh.
20:2). Now the Lord had previously given orders that those cities of
refuge (six in number) were to be "among the cities which ye shall
give unto the Levites . . . and to them ye shall add forty and two
cities. So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be
forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs" (Num.
35:6, 7). Those cities of refuge had now been specified (Josh. 21:7,
8), but as yet the remaining forty-two had not been assigned them.
"And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan"
(v. 2), for that was where the tabernacle was now situated, and
therefore the place where the mind of the Lord could be
authoritatively ascertained. It is blessed to see that the Levites
deferred their appeal until all the other tribes had been provided for,
thereby setting an admirable pattern before all the official servants
of God, to suppress everything in themselves which has even the
appearance of covetousness. How incongruous and reprehensible it
is for those who profess to be the ministers of grace and truth to
exhibit a mercenary or greedy demeanor! It was "an instance of their
humility, modesty, and patience (and Levites should be examples of
these and other virtues) that they were willing to be served last, and
they fared never the worse for it. Let not God’s ministers complain if
at any time they find themselves postponed in men’s thoughts and
cares, but let them make sure of the favor of God and the honor that
comes from Him, and then they may well enough afford to bear the
slights and neglects of men" (Matthew Henry).
It should also be carefully noted that these God-honoring
Levites made known their claim openly and publicly, instead of
secretly and privately. They did not engage in a "whispering
campaign," going around sowing the seeds of dissension among
their brethren, or of criticism of Joshua, complaining at their being
neglected—for as yet no provision had been made where they
should reside with their families and flocks. No, they applied in an
orderly and frank manner before the Divinely appointed court,
saying, "The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us
cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle" (v. 2).
Their petition was brief and to the point; their language firm but
reverent. They came not as beggars, and asked for no favors. Their
appeal was neither to charity nor to equity—as being due them on
the ground of fairness. They used no claim of worthiness or fidelity
to duty. Instead, their appeal was made to the word of God, that
which He had commanded by Moses; and thus they acted on the
basis of a "Thus saith the Lord."
It is quite evident, then, that on this occasion the Levites
were far from being actuated by a spirit of either discontent or
covetousness. Had they been moved by avarice they had not waited
until now, but had either taken matters into their own hands or had
put in their claim much earlier. No, it was an orderly request that
they should now receive that to which they were entitled by Divine
grant. Most commendable was their meekness and patience. How
different the character and conduct of so many ecclesiastics during
the Christian era, whose love of money and lust for power knew no
bounds, scrupling not to employ the most tyrannous measures and
heartless methods to impoverish their members while they lived in
luxury and resided in their "palaces"! And the same spirit is by
nature in every preacher, and against its least indulgence he needs to
be on his guard. Unspeakably solemn is it to note that the oft-quoted
words, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows," occur in one of the pastoral
epistles! They are succeeded by, "But thou, O man of God [i.e.
servant of Christ], flee these things; and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Tim. 6:10, 11).
Nor is it without reason that the injunction "having food and
raiment, let us be therewith content" is found in the same epistle
(Josh. 6:8), immediately preceding the above warning and
exhortation. Few realize the sinfulness of discontent, which is
nothing but a species of self-will, a secret murmuring against
Providence, a being dissatisfied with the portion God has given us.
Contrariwise, contentment is a holy composure of mind, a resting in
the Lord, a thankful enjoyment of what He has graciously bestowed.
Hence, contentment is the spiritual antidote to covetousness: "Let
your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with
such things as ye have" (Heb. 13:5)—the former vice can be avoided
only by assiduously cultivating the opposite virtue. If the preacher is
to magnify his office and glorify his Master, he needs to mortify his
fleshly lusts and carnal ambitions, abstaining from all extravagance,
and living frugally: evidencing that his affections are set upon things
above and not on things below. When Socrates the pagan
philosopher beheld a display of costly and elegant articles for sale,
he exclaimed: "How many things are here that I need not!" Such
ought to be the attitude and language of every child of God as he
passes through this "Vanity Fair," pre-eminently so in the case of His
servants.
"Giving no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not
blamed: but in all things approving [commending] ourselves as the
ministers of God" (2 Cor. 6:3, 4). What an exalted standard of piety
is that! Yet nothing less is what the Holy One requires of His
representatives. The unbelieving are ever ready to charge the Gospel
itself with having a strong tendency to encourage the carnalities
which disgrace the character of so many professors, and especially if
the same appear in the lives of those who preach it. Nor is that a
thing to be wondered at. What can be expected from those who have
no experiential acquaintance with the things of God than to conclude
that those who preach salvation by grace through Jesus Christ are
the products of the same? In their judgment, the daily life of the
preacher either commends or condemns his message. Hence it is
that, among other reasons, the minister of Christ is bidden: "In all
things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech [and not the slang of
the world], that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary
part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you" (Titus 2:7,
8).
 Returning more directly to the Levites in Joshua 21. In their
"The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to
dwell in" they were, in reality, pleading a Divine promise! It was
recorded in Numbers 35:1-8, that Jehovah issued definite orders to
that end, and therefore they were asking only for that to which they
had a right by Divine authority. Here too they have left an example,
which needs to be followed not only by God’s servants but by all of
His people, for it is the use which we make of His promises that, to a
considerable extent, regulates our spiritual prosperity, as well as the
peace and joy of our hearts. First, we should labor to become well
acquainted with the same, for while we, remain in ignorance no
benefit can be derived from them. Those Levites were informed
upon that which concerned their interests. So should we be. We
should daily search the Scriptures for them, and make an inventory
of our spiritual wealth. The Divine promises are the peculiar treasure
of the saints, for the substance of faith’s inheritance is wrapped up in
them. Second, they should be carefully stored in our minds,
constantly meditated upon, and every effort of Satan’s to rob us of
the same steadfastly resisted.
Third, God’s promises are to be personally appropriated and
pleaded before His throne of grace. This is one reason why He has
given them to us: not only to manifest His loving-kindness in
making known His gracious intentions, but also for the comfort of
our hearts. Had He so pleased, our Father could have bestowed His
blessings without giving us notice of His benign purposes; but He
has ordained that we should enjoy them twice over: first by faith,
and then by fruition. By this means He weans our hearts away from
things seen and temporal, and draws them onward and upward to
things which are spiritual and eternal. Thus are we to make His
promises the support and stay of our souls. Not only are they to be
the food of faith, but the regulators of our petitions. Real prayer is
the making request for those things which God is pledged to bestow:
"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any
thing according to His will, He heareth us" (1 John 5:14): that is,
according as His will is made known to us in His Word—anything
other than that is self-will on our part (Jam. 4:3).
 While on the one hand God has promised to bestow, on the
other hand we are required to make request—that He may be duly
owned and honored, that we express our dependence upon Him.
"Ask, and ye shall receive" is the Divinely appointed way. In
Ezekiel 36:36, God makes most definite promise to His people,
adding, "I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it." Yet immediately
after, He declares, "Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet
[nevertheless] for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it
for them." Such inquiry is designed for the strengthening of our
faith, the quickening of our hope, the development of our patience.
Cities had been Divinely assured unto the Levites, yet they received
them not until they appealed for them by pleading God’s word to
them through Moses! And that has been recorded for our instruction.
One wonders how often it is the case that "ye have not, because ye
ask not" (James 4:2)—always so when faith be not in exercise
(James 1:6, 7). Observe well how Jacob pleaded the Divine promise
in Genesis 32:18; Moses in Exodus 32:13; David in Psalm 119:58;
Solomon in 1 Kings 8:25, and go thou and do likewise.
"And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their
inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord, these cities and their
suburbs" (Josh. 21:3). Thus was the priestly tribe fully provided for
through its brethren by Divine ordinance; and it is blessed to mark
how particularly the Holy Spirit has placed it upon record that they
discharged this obligation as an act of obedience unto God. They
might have demurred at being called upon to relinquish some of the
places which they had fought hard to obtain, but they raised no
objection and duly performed their duty when reminded of the
Divine will. In like manner, Christians are bidden to communicate
unto those who care for their spiritual interests, and to do so at
God’s commandment. Equally striking is it to observe how that the
portion received by the Levites was a gift—so referred to in both
verses 2 and 3. This act of giving was designed by the Lord to
counteract that selfish spirit and attachment to a present world which
is common to all of us. The same principle is illustrated again in
Romans 15:27: "their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of their [Israel’s] spiritual things, their duty is also to
minister unto them in carnal things."
The principle which was to regulate the allocating of the
Levitical cities by their brethren was clearly defined in Numbers
35:8, "And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession
of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give
many: but from them that have few ye shall give few; every one
shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance
which he inheriteth." Thus was each tribe accorded the opportunity
of making grateful acknowledgment unto the Lord of what He had
so graciously bestowed upon them, for what they gave unto the
Levites was accepted as given to Him, and thereby were their
possessions sanctified to them—some of the best and largest of the
cities being freely donated. The several tribes were not assessed
uniformly, but according to the extent of their possessions. The
equity of such an arrangement is at once apparent. The same was
duly executed, for out of Judah’s and Simeon’s lots (the most
extensive) nine cities were given, whereas out of the other tribes
only four cities were taken from each (Josh. 31). In like manner,
New Testament saints are exhorted, "Upon the first day of the week
let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him"
(1 Cor. 16:2), i.e. a definite proportion of his income.
If it be true on the one side that a mercenary priesthood has
been notorious for its greedy grasping of wealth and temporal
power; on the other side, only too frequently many of the most
devoted and self-sacrificing of Christ’s servants have received the
scantiest acknowledgment. As Barnes remarked, "The poor beast
that has served the man and his family in the days of his vigor is
often turned out in old age to die; and something like this sometimes
occurs in the treatment of ministers of the Gospel. The conduct of a
people, generous in many other respects, is often unaccountable in
their treatment of their pastors: and one of the lessons which
ministers often have to learn, like their Master, by bitter experience,
is the ingratitude of those in whose welfare they have toiled and
prayed and wept." Yet that is far from being always the case, as this
writer can thankfully testify. For upwards of forty years the Lord has
moved His stewards to minister freely and liberally to his temporal
needs: so that we too can reply to His question "lacked ye anything?
Nothing" (Luke 22:35). No good thing has He withheld from us.
The method followed by Israel in selecting the Levitical
cities appears to have been something like this. First, the court, after
duly considering the size of its inheritance, appointed how many
cities should be taken out of each tribe. Then the "fathers of the
tribes" agreed among themselves which cities were most suitable.
After that had been settled, the forty-eight cities were divided into
four groups, for the four branches of the Levitical tribe. Lots were
cast to determine the distribution of them. The sons of Levi were
Gershom, Kohath, Merari. From Kohath descended Moses, Aaron
and Miriam (1 Chron. 6:1-3). The "children of Aaron" (Josh. 21:4)
were not only Levites, but priests too, whose more immediate work
was to serve at the altar. It should be duly noted that though this was
the least numerous of the four branches, yet, in keeping with the
prominence of the priesthood throughout the book of Joshua, "the
first lot" (v. 10) was for the children of Aaron, and thus was honor
placed again upon this Divine institution. It is further to be observed
that more cities were assigned unto them than to any other branch of
Levi.
It should perhaps be pointed out that the term "city" in
Scripture does not signify (as it does with us today) a large town
having a corporation, but simply "an enclosed space "—see Genesis
4:17, for the first mention. The "suburbs," as pastures for the cattle,
extended for nearly a mile in every direction (Num. 35:5). In
appointing the larger number of cities for the children of Aaron we
see a proof of the Divine foreknowledge, for those who have made a
thorough study of this detail judge that they increased more than any
of the other three families, therefore larger accommodation would be
required for their descendants in the future. That their cities were
taken from that part of Canaan which had been given to the tribes of
Judah, Simeon and Benjamin (Josh. 21:4) was also profoundly
significant, illustrating as it did the wise disposings of Providence,
for that was the territory which lay nearest to Jerusalem, which
centuries later was to be the site of the temple, and the headquarters
of Judaism. That was the place which had been chosen in the Divine
counsels where God should put His name. "Known unto God are all
His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18)!
In verse 8 the statement is repeated, "And the children of
Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as
the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses." This is to intimate that
all was done by Divine appointment and in obedience unto God’s
will. There is a touching detail recorded in verse 11 which we must
not overlook, for there we are told that the city of Hebron became
the possession of the children of Aaron. It will be remembered that
this was the city which had been given to Caleb by the
commandment of the Lord (Josh. 15:13). It seems, then, that he had
personally made it a voluntary present unto the priests, thereby
setting an example before his fellows of noble generosity and
devotion to the cause of Jehovah. How he puts to shame many
church members of today who are so neglectful of the maintenance
of Christ’s servants! Those who are indifferent to the temporal
welfare of His ministers cannot be in communion with Him who
notices the fall of every sparrow, or recognize the holy privileges of
being "fellow-helpers to the Truth" (3 John 1:8). May writer and
reader ever act in this manner "according to the commandment of
the Lord."
 Joshua 22:1-34
Demobilization
Pledges Honored
"Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the
half tribe of Manasseh" (Josh. 22:1). The opening "Then" looks back
to 21:43-45, where there is a brief but blessed summing up of all
that is recorded in the foregoing chapters: "And the Lord gave unto
Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and
they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest
round about, according to all that He sware unto their fathers: and
there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord
delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of
any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel;
all came to pass." Therein thankful acknowledgment was made of
the inviolable integrity of Jehovah, for there had been an exact
performance of everything He had promised. Therein we behold His
unchanging faithfulness: notwithstanding their wilderness
provocations, He brought them into Canaan. Therein we have
exhibited the perfect harmony which there is between God’s words
and His works, which are wonderful not only in contrivance, but
equally so in their execution. Therein we learn how sure is the
fulfillment of Divine prophecy; every detail predicted was literally
accomplished.
The Lord had promised to give the land of Canaan unto
Abram’s seed for a possession (Gen. 12:7), and He had now done so.
He promised to make Abram’s seed a prolific and numerous one
(Gen. 13:16), and they "multiplied and grew" (Ex. 1:12), so that by
the time they left Egypt a single family had become "about six
hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children" (Ex.
12:37). The Lord promised to preserve them in all places whither
they went (Gen. 28:15), and He had done so—in Egypt, at the Red
Sea, and throughout all their wilderness journeyings. He promised to
bring into Canaan the fourth generation of Abram’s descendants
after their sojourn in Egypt (Gen. 15:16), and a close examination of
Exodus 6:16-28, proves that so it came to pass. The Lord promised
to give them success in their fighting:
"I will send My fear before thee (cf. Joshua 2:9), and will
destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all
thine enemies turn their backs unto thee . . . for I will deliver the
inhabitants of the land into your hand" (Ex. 23:27, 31), and so their
sons acknowledged (Ps. 44:3). He promised to deliver "kings" into
their hands (Deut. 8:24), and Joshua 10:24, 40, attests that He did so.
He promised to give them "rest" in the land (Deut. 12:10), and we
are told "the Lord gave them rest" (Josh. 21:44).
There were indeed some of the original inhabitants still left
in the land to test and try God’s people; but at the close of the seven-
year campaign all open conflict had ceased. The whole of Canaan
had now been given by Divine lot unto Abram’s descendants: the
greater part of it was then occupied by the different tribes, and they
were peacefully settled in their heritage. If they continued to obey
the Lord and count upon His enablement, they should still more
completely possess their possessions. "There failed not ought of any
good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel."
Such will be the triumphant testimony of the whole Church
collectively and of every Christian individually. In due season shall
all that God has promised the spiritual Israel come to pass, with
regard both to their present comfort and future felicity. All will be
accomplished, exactly and perfectly, as God has declared, for all His
promises are in Christ yea and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). At the last, when
the whole company of the redeemed will have entered their eternal
rest and inheritance, they will bear joyous witness that "He hath
done all things well."
"Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the
half tribe of Manasseh" (Josh. 22:1). The passage which opens with
those words contains the sequel to what is recorded at some length
in Numbers 22. There we read, "Now the children of Reuben and the
children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they
saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead that, behold, the place
was a place for cattle . . . came and spake unto Moses, and to
Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation,
saying . . . the country which the Lord smote before the
congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have
cattle; wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let
this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us
not over Jordan" (vv. 1-5). They referred to the land which had
formerly been occupied by Sihon and Og, whose forces Israel had,
under God, completely destroyed, and whose territory they then
seized by right of victory (Num. 21:21-35). Lying in the Jordan
valley, the ground was well watered, and ideal for pasturage.
For several months the camp of Israel had remained
stationary on the plains of Moab: looking backward to the house of
bondage from which they had been delivered; looking forward to the
land of Canaan which had been promised them for their inheritance.
Behind them lay the dreary desert, before them was the river of
Jordan. In view of the mentioning of "the princes of the
congregation" in addition to Eleazar, it would appear that an official
conference of the Sanhedrin, or chief counsel of the nation, was
being held—perhaps over the disposing of the territory which had
been acquired by their recent victory. The language used by the
spokesman of the two tribes also conveys the impression that their
request was of the nature of a formal petition. It was to the effect
that they should be given the title to settle in the luxurious valley of
Jazer and Gilead. There was nothing underhand or stealthy in the
appeal which they. made, but an honorable and open approach unto
the heads of authority; and in a meek and modest spirit, as their "if
we have found grace in thy sight" evinces. Notwithstanding, the
commentators generally condemn their action.
It is concluded by some that their conduct was very
blameworthy: that they showed contempt of Canaan, or, if not that,
were following the line of least resistance in wanting to remain
where they were, and thus escape the hardships and fighting which
the crossing of the Jordan would involve. Others see in their
proposal a display of covetousness, a greedy desire to make this
fertile portion their own. Still others charge them with being lacking
in public spirit, putting their own private interests before the
common good of the nation. Personally, we see nothing definite in
the narrative to support such views, but rather some things to the
contrary. Had their request been as reprehensible as these critics
make out, they had been promptly informed of its unlawfulness, and
there the matter would have terminated. Most certainly the Lord had
never confirmed it! God had already delivered this land into the
hands of Israel, and someone must inherit and inhabit it. It was
particularly suited for pasturage, and that was what these tribes, with
their "very great multitude of cattle," most needed. Nor were they
despising the Lord’s inheritance, for the boundary of Canaan was
not the Jordan, but rather the mountain-range of Gilead, which
separated it from the desert lying beyond. Thus, as Joshua 22:9,
shows, the section desired by these tribes was as much within
Canaan proper as was the land on the farther side of the Jordan.
Moses was thoroughly displeased with their suggestion,
placing the worst construction upon it. He supposed that their
request proceeded from a spirit of cowardice and sloth. He
considered that they were giving way to unbelief, distrusting God’s
power, seeking to shelve their responsibility (Num. 35:6). In any
case, it would mean the weakening of Israel’s army by a reduction of
at least one fifth of its manpower. Moreover, they were asking him
to establish a dangerous precedent, which others might desire to
follow (v. 7). He recalled the faint-heartedness of their fathers, and
the disastrous sequel which had attended the same (vv. 8, 9). He
feared that their attitude would bring down the Lord’s wrath upon
the whole congregation (v. 14). But his suspicions were
unwarranted, and his fears unnecessary.
"And they came near unto him, and said, We will build
sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: but we
ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we
have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in
the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not
return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited
every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on
yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to
us on this side Jordan eastward" (Num. 32:16-19). Thus did they
show how grievously Moses had misjudged them, and how
unfounded were his surmisings. They had no intention of sitting still
while the other tribes went to war. Without murmuring or disputing,
they expressed a willingness to share their brethren’s burden. So far
from being afraid to enter the field against the enemy, they were
prepared to take the lead and go "before the children of Israel." They
would remain with their fellows until all of them were duly settled.
Nor would they require any compensation or expect to receive any
share of the spoils.
Satisfied with their explanation and assurances, Moses
conditionally granted their request. Holding them to their promises,
he agreed to the proposal 6n their fulfillment of its terms. If they
carried out their part of the contract, the land of Jazer and Gilead
should be their "possession before the Lord" (Num. 32:22). But if
they went back upon their word, then they would be offending
against God Himself, and in such an event their sin was certain to
find them out (v. 23), which signifies that bitter and inevitable would
be the consequences, and not discovered or brought to light. "Thy
servants will do as my lord commandeth" (v. 25) was their ready
response and solemn vow. Thereupon the agreement was formally
and publicly ratified before Israel’s supreme court, Joshua (who was
to succeed him) being expressly informed of the compact (v. 28),
according to the terms of which the coasts and cities of Sihon and
Og became the possession of the two and a half tribes (v. 33). Thus
did they strikingly prefigure the Old Testament saints, who entered
into their spiritual inheritance during the Mosaic economy.
When Joshua took over the leadership, he addressed himself
to the two and a half tribes thus: "Remember the word which Moses
the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God
hath given you rest, and hath given you this land," and then detailed
the stipulated conditions of this provisional arrangement (Josh. 1:12-
15). As we pointed out in the ninth article of this series, Joshua was
acting here not on the ground of natural prudence, but in obedience
to his Master’s will. The Lord had bidden him to "observe to do
according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee"
(Josh. 1:7), and this was one of those things (Num. 32:28)! Thus, the
new head of the nation did not take it for granted that they would
carry out their agreement, but definitely reminded them of the same
and held them to it. It is blessed, too, to observe the ground upon
which he appealed to them: it was neither as a personal favor to
himself for their co-operation nor as an encouragement unto their
brethren, but as an act of obedience: "Remember the word which
Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you."
Equally blessed is it to hear their response: "And they
answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do,
and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we
hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee:
only the Lord thy God be with thee" (Josh. 1:16, 17). Thus did they
solemnly and explicitly renew their agreement; and, as the sequel
demonstrates, it was no idle boast that they made. It is ever God’s
way to honor those who honor Him: Joshua had given Him His
proper place by complying with his commission and magnifying
God’s Word, and now the Lord graciously inclined these two and a
half tribes willingly to serve under him. In his "until the Lord have
given your brethren rest . . . and they also have possessed the land"
(v. 15), he expressed his unwavering faith in the successful outcome
of the campaign; and here the Lord moved these men to give him
their full support. They averred their willingness to accept him as
their commander and yield full obedience to his authority.
Faithfully did they fulfill their part of the agreement: "And
the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of
Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses
spake unto them: about forty thousand prepared for war passed over
before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho" (Josh. 4:12, 13).
How the Holy Spirit delights to record the obedience of saints! And
now we come to the happy sequel to the whole of the above: "Then
Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of
Manasseh, and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the
servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in
all that I commanded you: ye have not left your brethren these many
days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of
the Lord your God" (Josh. 22:2, 3). A real tribute of praise was that,
and a signal proof of the magnanimity of the one who paid it.
Though they had only discharged a manifest obligation and fulfilled
their part of the contract, it cost Joshua nothing to acknowledge their
fidelity and commend their obedience, and such a word from their
general would mean much to them.
They had given further proof of the sterling quality of their
character by submitting to the authority of Joshua. They might have
pleaded that their agreement had been made with Moses, and that,
since death cancels all contracts, his decease relieved them of their
engagement. But having put their hand to the plough, they refused to
look back (Luke 4:62). Or, to change the figure, they conducted
themselves in a manner that was in every respect the very opposite
of that of the Ephraimites at a later date, of whom we read that they
"turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God,
and refused to walk in His law" (Ps. 78:9, 10). Alas, how the
courage of many who enlist under the banner of Christ fails them in
the day of testing, so that they retreat before the foe: and in the hour
of temptation prove false to their good resolutions and solemn
promises and vows. Different far was it with these Reubenites and
Gadites. Not only did they begin well, but they also endured unto
the end; yea, their wholehearted devotion to the cause of God and
His people increased, for a comparison of Joshua 1:16, with
Numbers 32:31, reveals that the promise which they made unto
Joshua went beyond that which they had pledged unto Moses.
For seven years they had served obediently under Joshua,
had disinterestedly put the welfare of the nation before their own
private comforts, had made no attempt to rejoin their families, but
had remained by the side of their brethren until Canaan was
conquered. Most commendable was their meekness in waiting for
their dismissal. They did not chafe at the delay, but were submissive
to their leader’s will. Instead of seeking out Joshua and complaining
that it was high time for them to return to their homes, they quietly
tarried for Him to take the initiative in the matter. As another
remarked, "Like good soldiers they would not move till they had
orders from their general. They had not only done their duty to
Joshua and Israel, but, which was best of all, they had made
conscience of their duty to God: ‘Ye have kept the charge,’ or, as the
word is, ‘Ye have kept the keeping,’ that is, Ye have carefully and
circumspectly kept the commandments of the Lord your God: not
only in this particular instance of continuing in the service of Israel
to the end of the war, but in general, you have kept up religion in
your part of the camp—a rare and excellent thing among soldiers,
and which is worthy to be praised" (Matthew Henry).
"And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your
brethren, as He promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you
unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses
the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan" (v. 4).
How careful was Joshua to place the crown of honor where it rightly
belonged, and ascribe the glory of their victory unto the Author of
the same! At the same time, he considered it meet that thankful
acknowledgment should be made to those who had assisted him
therein. "God must be chiefly eyed in our praises, but instruments
must not be altogether overlooked" (Matthew Henry). Equally
definite was Joshua in here magnifying the fidelity of Jehovah,
reminding Israel that the successful outcome of their military efforts,
and the resultant rest for the whole nation, was the fulfillment of the
sure word of the Lord. Having faithfully performed their part of the
contract by sharing the hardships and dangers of their brethren,
Joshua now made good the assurances which Moses had given to the
two and a half tribes, publicly and solemnly granting them an
honorable discharge from the army and authorizing them to rejoin
their families.
"But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law,
which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord
your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His
commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all
your heart and with all your soul" (v. 5). Ere dismissing the two and
a half tribes, Joshua gave them salutary counsel. No instructions
were furnished for the fortifying of their cities or for the cultivation
of their land, the whole emphasis being placed upon the regulating
of their spiritual lives. Nor was there any lowering of the rule to
meet their "moral inability," but a strict maintaining of God’s claims
upon them. "Perfect obedience to the Divine Law was no more
practicable in the days of Joshua than at present, yet his exhortation
takes no notice of this, for the standard of obedience cannot be too
high (Matthew 5:43-48), nor our aim too high, as we are sure to fall
very far short of what we propose for ourselves. But the
consciousness of our imperfections subserves the purposes of
humiliation, and the feeling of our insufficiency dictates prayers for
forgiveness and assistance" (Thomas Scott). It is not sufficient that
we know God’s Law, we are required to do it: in order to obedience,
we most "take diligent heed": we shall only walk in God’s ways to
the extent that we serve Him wholeheartedly, for love to Him is the
spring of all acceptable obedience and worship.
Demobilization
Attention has been called to the conflicting opinions relative
to the actions of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of
Manasseh in seeking their inheritance on the wilderness side of
Jordan. The opinion of some is that they did wrong; while, of
course, the opposite opinion is shared by others. In these studies this
second opinion has been sustained. Where in Scripture there is no
direct statement to clarify a matter, it is well not to dogmatize but to
love as brethren and to be courteous (1 Pet. 3:8). One thing is sure,
they returned to their possessions on the east side of Jordan with the
commendation and blessing of Joshua.
Frequently the Apostle Paul opens his epistles to the
churches, as did Joshua his address to the two and a half tribes, with
a word of praise. To the saints with the bishops and deacons at
Philippi, he wrote, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of
you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with
joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now"
(Phil. 1:3-5). Christians should seek to maintain the attitude of
"honor to whom honor is due, and all the glory to God."
While Joshua released the two and a half tribes from present
military obligations, he imposed upon them other obligations of both
a spiritual and a material character; they were to be mindful of the
Lord and of their brethren.
Joshua reduced the content of the divine commandment to
five important statements: to love the Lord, to walk in His ways, to
observe His commandments, to cleave to Him and to serve Him.
These would engage the entire personality and demand an
unreserved response of the whole being to the divine claims. Their
meaning to those for whom they were intended would be very
similar to that of the Apostle’s words to the saints at Corinth and, of
course, to us: "Ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
It would be difficult for these faithful war veterans not to feel
a sense of pride in their accomplishment, especially after the eulogy
of Joshua; and to feel that the much riches, much cattle, silver, gold,
brass, iron, and very much raiment, with which they returned were
their own, the remunerative spoils of the battles they had fought and
won, their possessions purchased with blood. Notwithstanding,
Joshua instructed them, saying, "Divide the spoil of your enemies
with your brethren" (v. 8), those that had remained at home to guard
their belongings.
Moses had set a precedent years before when he had avenged
the children of Israel of the Midianites. The Lord spoke to him, and
said,
"Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of
beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief of the fathers of the
congregation: And divide the prey into two parts; between them that
took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the
congregation" (Num. 31:26-27). Centuries later this was the
principle upon which David commanded his men, "As his part is
that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the
stuff: they shall part alike" (1 Sam. 30:24).
While this is not the only principle underlying David’s song
of triumph, Psalm 68, it is one of them. The victor who had led the
former captor into captivity gave gifts unto men, apparently from the
spoils of the battle (v. 18), sharing his victory with others. The Spirit
of God applies this conception to our Lord Jesus in Ephesians 4:8,
11: "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men. . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." As
the men who remained on the east side of Jordan were enriched by
the spoils of the war fought by their brethren, even so the Church
has been enriched by the spoils of Calvary where Christ, "having
spoiled [stripped] principalities and powers, . . . made a shew of
them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Col. 2:15). Our blessed
Lord shares with His Church His glorious victory.
The Memorial Altar
"Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1
Cor. 10:12). God’s people must learn to act in the spirit of Hezekiah,
who said, "I shall go softly all my years" (Isa. 38:15). There is
always need of caution lest, having earned a commendation, we
imprudently and inadvertently bring upon ourselves and others
unnecessary troubles. God would have His own abstain from every
appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). The plans we formulate and
execute may veil the true intention of the heart, and result in
misunderstandings.
Shiloh had become the headquarters of Joshua (Josh. 18:8-
9). Gilgal was the place associated with the conquest of the land
(Josh. 5); it was from his military position there that Joshua directed
the invasion of Canaan. When the conquest was assured, obviously
he moved to Shiloh, a good choice because of its central location,
and from there supervised the distribution of the territory. It was
from here that these heroic soldiers were demobilized and sent back
to their families.
 A memorial marked that earlier extraordinary episode in the
history of the nation, the crossing of the Jordan. Moses had built it
when first they entered the land. Representatives of these very tribes
had carried the stones out of the river and piled them as a cairn on its
bank (Josh. 4), stones which were to be a sign to future generations.
They had carried out the instructions of the Lord, "This may be a
sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to
come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer
them, That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the
covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of
Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto
the children of Israel for ever" (vv. 6-7).
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and those from Manasseh
apparently felt that as a memorial witnessed before their posterity to
the miraculous entering into Canaan, so a memorial should also
witness to their children why they recrossed the Jordan, and why
they had their inheritance on the east side. No matter how plausible
the argument for the altar seemed, there was a great difference
between the cairn of stones and the altar as they stood on the bank of
Jordan; the one was there in obedience to the Word of God, the other
because of human reasoning and planning. Any departure from the
divine will as it has been revealed, whether by an addition to it or a
subtraction from it, must ultimately involve us in difficulties.
The intention of the two and a half tribes may have been
sincere enough, but the appearance of the altar certainly seemed to
violate the Word of God given by Moses, "And it shall be on the day
when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy
God giveth thee, . . . there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD
thy God" (Deut. 27:1-10). Their brethren viewed it in that light. The
motive may not have been wrong, but the method was not right.
From the reading of Joshua 22:11 in the King James Version,
it would appear as if the two altars were very close together; but
since the phrase, "at the passage of the children of Israel," might also
be rendered "at the side of them" the actual position of this second
altar is not given.
 This memorial of sacred appearance might easily have been
a trap for future generations instead of a witness. The brazen serpent
which brought life to many dying in Israel (Num. 21), eventually
became a snare and the people worshiped it. Good King Hezekiah
destroyed it along with other idolatrous objects when he instituted
his reforms in the nation (2 Kings 18:4).
We read that it was "a great altar to see to"; that is, to look
upon. It was large so as to attract attention. How very human! An
accomplishment by man generally results in a large celebration and
display, an ostentatious reminder of successful performance. The
classic example of this is Nebuchadnezzar and his massive image
through which he sought worship. With pride he exclaimed, "Is not
this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by
the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?" Even as
he thus spoke, divine judgment was decreed against him (Dan. 4:30-
31). Surely, "a man’s pride shall bring him low" (Prov. 29:23).
"Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
Alarm spread quickly among the other tribes. "When the
children of Israel heard of it [the building of the altar], the whole
congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together
at Shiloh, to go up to war against them" (v. 12).
Shiloh, as we have noticed, was the center of government.
Israel met there in a general and solemn assembly. This was not a
movement resulting from mass psychology, nor was it a rash act that
might burst into mob violence. The Lord through Moses had
legislated already how apostasy was to be punished. Israel,
therefore, in formal assembly gathered for consultation and
investigation. This wise and firm action stands in vivid contrast to
that of the men of Gilead who indiscriminately slew forty-two
thousand of the tribe of Ephraim (Judg. 12). The rash words of the
Ephraimites on that occasion indubitably were provocative, but the
harsh and cruel deeds of Jephthah and his followers were not
justifiable.
 The Spirit of God differentiates between righteous
indignation and cruel anger and malice. Of the first He says, "Be ye
angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath"; but of
the second He says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice"
(Eph. 4:26, 31).
The thoroughness with which the governing body of Israel,
probably the Sanhedrin, studied the matter is admirable. They
conducted their investigation according to the will of the Lord which
stipulated, should certain men arise and attempt to lead the people of
their city into idolatry: "Then shalt thou enquire and make search,
and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain,
that such abomination is wrought among you; Thou shalt surely
smite the inhabitants of that city" (Deut. 13:12-18).
The procedure they were to follow required both caution and
patience. They were to enquire; that is, seek the answer to the
difficulty. They were to search; that is, more intensely examine the
evidence for proof. They were to ask diligently; make direct
interrogations. They were to adopt a process of justice which would
lead them to a righteous decision. Spiritual discretion and
discernment will "prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1
Thess. 5:21). The church at Ephesus was commended by the Lord
because she "tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and
found them liars" (Rev. 2:2). It was the failure in the Corinthian
church to practice a judicial caution, a failure to investigate certain
discrepancies, that brought upon them the severe reproof: "Do ye not
know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be
judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? . . . I
speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among
you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?"
(1 Cor. 6:2-5).
This enquiry in Israel revealed certain fundamental
principles which should be observed in dealing with rumors of a
detrimental nature: consultation, representation, declaration, and
recommendation. When these are strictly adhered to, they will result
either in exoneration or condemnation.
At the solemn assembly the elders of Israel decided to make
representation to their brethren: "The children of Israel sent unto the
children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe
of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar
the priest, And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince
throughout all the tribes of Israel" (vv. 13-14). A large degree of
wisdom is evinced in the choice of Phinehas. It was during a sad
period of apostasy that he first distinguished himself. The Lord said
concerning him: "Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while
he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the
children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto
him my covenant of peace" (Num. 25:11-12). Their sending
Phinehas was the outcome of his forceful resistance to apostasy and
the consequent confidence this produced in the minds of his
brethren. They knew that without doubt Phinehas would maintain
the honor of Jehovah’s name, and that he would defend the
monotheistic testimony of the nation. Furthermore, no more
favorable choice could have been made for the two and a half tribes.
To be exonerated by so zealous an individual as Phinehas would be a
complete justification of blamelessness, and would result in an
immediate restoration of confidence and national unity. The entire
course of action proves the truth of the thrice repeated proverb, "In
the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Prov. 11:14; 15:22;
24:6).
Phinehas and the princes which accompanied him, with
candor and concern stated their suspicions of idolatry and rebellion,
and from the bitterness of national disaster at Peor presented the
case from the perspective of the tribes gathered at Shiloh. If such
sins were permitted, the entire congregation would suffer. Since "a
little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," and there were still some
among them so tainted (v. 17), all would be implicated and exposed
to divine displeasure. Had the men of Reuben, of Gad, and of half
Manasseh forgotten? "Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a
trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation
of Israel?" (v. 20).
Nevertheless, with this stern reprimand of what to them
seemed a grievous error, there was a gracious recommendation for
peaceful settlement. "If the land of your possession be unclean, then
pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein
the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but
rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an
altar beside the altar of the LORD our God" (v. 19). There are those
who see in this appeal an allusion to indiscretion on the part of the
two and a half tribes choosing to remain on the east of Jordan. They
look upon the altar as another instance of indiscreet action arising
from a selfish and covetous attitude.
The carrying out of the advice given by the heads of Israel
might cause considerable inconvenience, might require relocation of
territory, might result in overcrowding in some areas within the
original boundaries. Whatever a recrossing of Jordan might involve,
it would be an insignificant consideration if only the secession be
abandoned and the nation be spared. The words of the princes were
mellowed by grace and truth; they spoke the truth in love (Eph.
4:15). Truth alone will make one too intolerant; love alone will
make him too tolerant. Where these are properly combined, they
produce a maturity that will express itself in vigor and kindness, in
discernment and sympathy, in righteousness and compassion, in
stability and flexibility. The firm yet gentle manner in which the
men from Gilead were treated probably helped them to be courteous
and humble.
As there were serious internal difficulties within Israel, early
in her history, there were also internal difficulties within the Church
in her early history. The same firm and gracious principles which led
to the solution in Israel were applied in the Church. Errors in
practice, like those propagated in Antioch, led to a council at
Jerusalem where, after a careful and prayerful examination of the
difficulties under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, proper
recommendation was made to Gentile believers, a recommendation
made by capable representatives (Acts 15). The Church would have
been spared many a heartache had she followed the example set by
the apostles and elders on that occasion.
The reply and the denial of the men of Reuben, Gad, and
Manasseh were characterized by simplicity and sincerity. Their
appeal to the witness of God (v. 22) as a proof of their blamelessness
is forceful. In this they employed three distinct names: El, Elohim,
and Jehovah, God in His power, in His trinitarian nature, and in His
eternal essence. Furthermore, there is a suggestion in this appeal that
God alone, as He had revealed Himself, was acknowledged by them,
and that they claimed Him as their covenant-keeping Lord. God was
their witness, and should they be prevaricating, so they asserted,
then let God require it of them, let Him not spare them.
In their repudiation of all evil intentions, they made
reference to the anxiety that had motivated their action: "For fear of
this thing, . . . In time to come your children might speak unto our
children, saying, What have we to do with the LORD God of
Israel?" (v. 24). Whether or not some in Israel had manifested an
attitude that caused them this concern is not known. It may have
been the product of evil surmisings on their own part. Many of the
fears of the human heart are self-imposed. In spite of the excellent
arrangement made between Moses and themselves (Num. 32), they
may have experienced a guilt complex over deflecting from the
original plan.
Their fear was not over the attitude of their own posterity but
that of others. If they had doubts about the behavior of the
descendants of the other tribes, they seemed quite self-assured. The
future history of these two and a half tribes (1 Chron. 5:25-26) leads
to the conclusion that they had more to fear in their self-
complacence then they had in the imaginary attitude and action of
others. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).
Apparently unconscious of self-complacence, these men
from Gilead presented their explanation with sincerity and clarity.
Yes, they had built an altar patterned after the brazen altar in the
Tabernacle, only larger. They may have thought that the pattern
itself would have been a link between them and their brethren on the
west side of Jordan. They may also have thought that in an altar of
such shape, they would have a reminder of God’s demands, the
demands of the one and only true God. They may likewise have
thought that its presence would confirm in their lives, and in those of
future generations, that God could be approached only on the basis
of atonement. One thing was sure, it was not to be used for animal
sacrifices. They averred their plan: "Let us now prepare to build us
an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for sacrifice: But that it may be a
witness between us, and you, and our generations after us" (vv. 26-
27). Following their explanation they disclaimed any attempt to
rebel against the Lord, or to depart from the service of the
Tabernacle at Shiloh.
The reply of Phinehas expressed pleasure, not in that they
had built an altar, but in that they had not trespassed against the
Lord, and consequently the nation had been saved from God’s wrath
against apostasy. The absence of any reference to the altar by
Phinehas at this time might be interpreted as a disapproval. It was
the fact that the two and a half tribes had not transgressed that
pleased the children of Israel when Phinehas and his associates on
their return reported the matter. A civil war to extirpate the evil from
the congregation had been averted. The joy that was Israel through
this clear understanding expressed itself in worship. "The children of
Israel blessed God." Open strife and armed conflict had been
avoided, and so praise ascended to the Lord.
"And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called
the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is
God" (v. 34). How long the altar Ed remained is not stated, but in
little more than four centuries, its witness to God was forgotten. We
read: "And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and
went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God
destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of
Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria,
and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and
the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor,
and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day" (1 Chron. 5:25-26).
Such are the good intentions of men. They do not have the
strength to implement their good resolutions. The tendency of man
is downward. The very generations for which the altar was intended
despised its testimony and plunged into idolatry. Apart from the
grace and power of God deterioration is stamped on all human
plans.
A New Priest
Any scriptural reference to the believer’s walk is an allusion
to his public habit of life; his walk is his manner of living before
men by whatsoever influence directs him. According to the New
Testament various powers control the walk of the child of God. He
may walk after the flesh (Rom. 8:4), and thus be directed by sensual
desires; or he may walk in darkness (1 John 1:6-7), and thus respond
to ignorance. Instead, he may walk after the Spirit (Rom. 8:4), and
follow the inward impulses of God the Holy Spirit; and he may walk
by faith (2 Cor. 5:7), and live in reliance upon the Lord.
Furthermore, he may walk in light (1 John 1:6-7), and enjoy the
atmosphere of purity and holiness; and he may walk in truth (2 John
3; 3 John 4), and be guided by divine revelation. It is true that at
times he may be called upon to walk through fire (Isa. 43:2), and
experience in the trial the presence of the Son of God as did the
three Hebrew youths (Dan. 3). The highest form of public living is a
demonstration of the results of constantly walking with the Lord. To
walk with God would be to hold communion with Him, and that
communion would result in pleasing Him personally and glorifying
Him publicly.
This high plane of spiritual living apparently is a very rare
experience among men. As far as actual biblical records are
concerned only a very few men have received commendable
mention in regard to this form of intimate, enjoyable, and spiritually
successful living. The life of Enoch is summarized in these words:
"Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen.
5:24). Noah received a similar commendation: "Noah was a just man
and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Gen.
6:9).
David is given credit for walking before the Lord (1 Kings
3:14), but there seems to be a difference. Walking before the Lord
would involve the ideas of walking in His presence under His
scrutiny and fulfilling His will. It lacks the thought of
companionship and pleasure expressed by the use of the preposition
"with."
In Malachi 2:6, the Lord declared of a descendant of Levi,
"He walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away
from iniquity." The prophet, in the immediate context, deplored the
carnal state of the priesthood in his day. When its incumbents should
have been the living exponents of the law, alas, such was their sin
that God’s curse had descended upon them. In contrast to what they
were, a reference is made to one of their ancestors, presumably
Phinehas. (Compare Numbers 25:12 with Malachi 2:5.) It is
believed by many that the Lord here recalled the zeal of Phinehas in
the matter of Zimri and Cozbi (Num. 25).
Phinehas was the man who walked with God in peace and
equity; consequently, the absence of inward conflict was well
reflected in the uprightness of his behavior. In his relationship with
God’s people, this man who walked with God in peace and equity
was strict in discipline and keen in discretion. In all probability he
had learned of the divine discipline that had consumed his two
uncles, Nadab and Abihu, in their sin (Lev. 10:1-7), and had been
thereby warned. At any rate, he did not hesitate to vindicate the
holiness of God with a javelin (Num. 25:7). With him the wages of
sin were death. Righteousness demanded the punishment of evil, and
justice the execution of the guilty, so in his zeal he justified the
character of God.
Phinehas was not only a severe disciplinarian, but he was a
discreet negotiator; that we saw in his plenipotentiary work for
Israel as they dealt with the two and a half tribes which made the
great altar. How true are the proverbs, "Most men will proclaim
every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? The
just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him"
(Prov. 20:6-7). Phinehas was a humble and faithful man of much
ability.
The name Phinehas suggests one of bold countenance; if this
trait is to be added to what has been already noticed, he was a man
of courage, peace, and uprightness. How much are men of this type
needed in the Church today! He was the third high priest of Israel in
the line of direct descent, and some historians claim that he
functioned as such for nineteen years.
While we admire zeal, it becomes necessary,
notwithstanding, that we differentiate between spiritual and carnal
zeal. Phinehas drew a javelin, and was approved of God; Peter drew
a sword and in the flesh sought to defend his Master, and suffered
the Lord’s rebuke (John 18:10-11).
The Book of Joshua closes with a reference to the death and
burial of Eleazar, the high priest of Joshua’s day. His natural
successor was Phinehas. It is recorded, "And Israel served the
LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that
overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD,
that he had done for Israel" (Josh. 24:31). Phinehas would be the
high priest to these elders. From what has been learned of his
character and actions, his influence would be beneficial.
Attention is frequently called to the progressive spiritual
deterioration evident in certain family lines. In the case of Eleazar
and his son Phinehas the opposite is obvious. Aaron, their father and
grandfather, was influenced by the people for ill (Ex. 32:19-24);
Phinehas, conversely, influenced the people for good (Josh. 22:32-
34).
 Joshua 23:1-16
Farewell at Shiloh
The Council Called
Inasmuch as the negotiations recorded in the preceding
chapter were directed from Shiloh, it seems reasonable, in spite of
the fact the exact location is not stated, to assume that the summons
which called together the elders of Israel instructed them to meet
there. Gilgal was the point at which the reproach of Egypt had been
rolled away and the place at which were established the army
headquarters from where the invasion of the land was conducted.
Shechem was the center for national convocations; but Shiloh,
where the tabernacle stood, was the seat of government in Joshua’s
day (Josh. 19:51).
There are noticeable differences between the events narrated
in chapters 23 and 24; the places of gathering apparently were not
the same, nor were the audiences.
Joshua, first of all, called for Israel representatively in the
nation’s leaders: elders, heads, judges, and officers. He sent for the
entire parliament. The elders would be the successors to the seventy
men chosen by Moses (Ex. 18:13-26; 24:1-11), the forerunners of
the Sanhedrin, eventually established at the time of the Maccabees.
The name elder may have been a generic one for all, and the others
may merely indicate the respective offices these filled in a declining
gradation as suggested in Exodus 18:13-26, "Rulers of thousands,
and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."
At the time Israel was encamped around Sinai, Joshua,
servant to Moses, was called "a young man" (Ex. 33:11). About
eighteen months later Israel reached Kadesh-barnea from where
Joshua and others were sent to search the land of Canaan (Num. 13).
When the people listened to the evil report of the other ten men, and
talked about returning to Egypt, "Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb
the son of Jephunneh . . . rent their clothes: And they spake unto all
the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we
passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD
delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a
land which floweth with milk and honey" (Num. 14:6-8). In making
reference to that experience, Caleb said, "Forty years old was I when
Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to
espy out the land" (Josh. 14:7). From these particular statements, it
is assumed that Caleb probably was senior to Joshua by several
years.
In view of this deduction it is very interesting to contrast
Joshua’s physical condition as reported in chapter 13 with that of
Caleb stated in chapter 14. "Now Joshua was old and stricken in
years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in
years" (Josh. 13:1). "Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said
unto him . . . I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am
as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my
strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go
out, and to come in" (Josh. 14:6-11). What made the great difference
in the appearance of these two former spies of Israel? Why does the
younger look older, and the older seem stronger? There is no doubt
that God had promised to keep Caleb alive (Josh. 14:10), but he was
very much more than just alive. Could it be that the weight of
responsibility, the burden of government, the duties of
administration, had all so aged Joshua?
The Apostle Paul was called "a young man" at the time of
Stephen’s death (Acts 7:58), but in the year A.D. 64, he wrote to his
friend Philemon and called himself "Paul the aged" (Philem. 9). At
the time he could not have been more than sixty years of age, but
because of toil and suffering in his service, and because of solicitude
and anxiety toward the churches of the saints, he possibly felt and
looked as he described himself, "Paul the aged." Suffering for the
Lord, bearing responsibility in His service, pastoring the saints of
God, supporting the testimony of Christ before the world, and
patiently enduring the trials and the disappointments and
disillusionments of life, all take their toll on both physical health and
appearance. No doubt, there have been some who so expended their
strength in the work of the Lord, they, humanly speaking, filled a
grave prematurely. How many years had passed between the Lord’s
statement in Joshua 13:1 and Joshua’s admission of the fact at the
opening of chapter 23, we do not know; but definitely, age and his
approaching decease prompted this heroic leader to call the elders of
Israel to him at Shiloh.
Had this aged warrior wished to speak of himself to the
august gathering, he could have employed the language of Samuel,
who on a similar occasion said: "Behold, here I am: witness against
me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I
taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom
have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to
blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said,
Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou
taken ought of any man’s hand" (1 Sam. 12:3-4).
The purposes of Joshua in calling this council at Shiloh in
certain aspects correspond to the intentions of the aged Peter when
he wrote to them of like precious faith: "Wherefore I will not be
negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though
ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it
meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you
in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my
tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to
have these things always in remembrance" (2 Pet. 1:12-15). Joshua’s
primary interests were in the people of God and their safety.
The time at which the summons was sent forth is most
interesting: "And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD
had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about." It is
gratifying that Joshua was permitted a period of rest, God-given rest.
He had fought and won many battles; he had faced difficulties in the
distribution of the territories, as he did in the previous chapter; he
had arranged the execution of the guilty like Achan; he had smarted
under defeat as well as exulted in victory; but, eventually, God gave
his faithful servant rest, and with him the entire nation.
 From the Epistle to the Hebrews, it is learned that this rest is
the symbol of the believer’s present rest in Christ, not, of course, his
rest in Heaven. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of
God" (Heb. 4:6-9). It is well, therefore, to examine the facts and
features of this rest in Canaan in the light of New Testament
Scripture.
That this rest of Israel in the land of Canaan was given
divinely is distinctly stated (Josh. 23:1), and that God instrumentally
through Joshua guided the nation into it is also clearly obvious (Heb.
4:8). Furthermore, from a careful reading of the valedictories of
Joshua and the details of the subsequent history of the nation, it is
seen that this rest was only temporary and conditional; there were
several factors which could disturb it. In many parts of the land there
still existed numbers of opposing, idolatrous Canaanites. Moreover,
Phinehas himself was apprehensive of deep-rooted evils which
could quickly develop and disrupt the peace of the nation. According
to the Epistle of the Hebrews the most disquieting element did not
lie in their enemies nor in their compatriots, but within themselves;
"They . . . entered not in because of unbelief" (Heb. 4:6).
Christ is both the rest and the guide into rest for all in this
present day. He offers rest to the sinner, "Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew
11:28). He also offers rest to the saint, "Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest
unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"
(Matthew 11:29-30). To the one He offers rest in conversion, and to
the other He offers rest in consecration. Of the first, we read, "We
which have believed do enter into rest" (Heb. 4:3); and, of the
second, we read, "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest
any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Heb. 4:11).
While expositors differ in their interpretation of Hebrews
chapter four, some claiming that the rest refers to a present
experiential rest, and others that it refers to a full and final rest, a
keeping of an eternal Sabbath, there is no question but that both
aspects begin with conversion. The rest of the Christian in verse nine
is called "a Sabbath of rest" in the Greek in order to identify it with
God’s rest on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2). Such a rest does not denote
inactivity, but rather the completion of labor, a cessation from toil. It
should be remembered that even God’s rest on that first Sabbath was
broken by man’s sin; it cannot, therefore, picture an eternal rest.
Disobedience on the part of a believer not only mars the tranquility
of the soul but produces in its stead inward conflict and distress.
Joshua’s Appeal
The spirit in which Joshua addressed this council of national
representatives and the text of his speech remind one of Paul’s
discourse before the elders from Ephesus: "Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath
made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away disciples after them. . . . And now, brethren, I
commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to
build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which
are sanctified" (Acts 20:28-32).
The warnings, admonitions, and counsel of Israel’s great
military commander seem to be echoed in the words of the Church’s
great Apostle.
The rulers of the people whom Joshua soon expected to
leave were certainly cast upon God. In his discourse, Joshua made
some twelve references to the Lord in His dual distinction of
Jehovah (LORD) and Elohim (God). Let us consider briefly these
two names in order that we ascertain just what Joshua sought to
emphasize in this farewell speech.
The name Jehovah is a derivative of the Hebrew verb "to
be," and implies that God is the "I Am," He who always is, the
absolutely existent One (Ex. 3:14). It was the name by which God
made Himself known especially to His ancient people. "And God
spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD [Jehovah]:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the
name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not
known to them. . . . Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am
the LORD [Jehovah], and I will bring you out from under the
burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage,
and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great
judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to
you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD [Jehovah] your
God, which bringeth you from under the burdens of the Egyptians"
(Ex. 6:2-7). As Jehovah, God kept to them the covenants He had
made with their forefathers.
Eventually, this name was considered by the Jews as too
sacred to express in the public reading of the Scriptures. The reader,
consequently, on encountering this name, either substituted or
remained silent.
The name Elohim is the plural form of the Hebrew word
Eloah, meaning God. When it appears with a singular verb, it
expresses not only greatness and supremacy but also triunity.
Furthermore, in such a construction it emphasizes that God is one in
the divine unity of a threefold distinction: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit (See Deuteronomy 6:4 and Mark 12:29).
This is the name of God which occurs almost thirty times in
Genesis chapter one. It is used of the Lord in His creative power and
infinite wisdom.
Joshua, conscious of an imminent, inevitable change,
directed the attention of all those who ultimately would have to
assume leadership to the Lord as the great "I Am" who fulfilled His
covenants, and as God who performed all His works. These very
names that he employed were in themselves reminders of divine
grace and divine power.
In this important message, the aged speaker not only focuses
the minds of his hearers upon the Lord their God, but he commends
to them a consideration of God in His many activities on their
behalf. He mentioned God’s actions in the past (v. 3); he predicted
God’s actions in the future (v. 5); and he noticed God’s actions in the
present (vv. 9-11).
Joshua called upon these elders as witnesses of God’s grace
to their nation throughout the past: "Ye have seen all that the Lord
your God hath done unto all these nations because of you." The
words "because of you" cannot fail to arrest interest. Some might
expect to read, "All that the Lord your God hath done unto these
nations because of their wickedness." Did the Lord not predict in
His promise to Abraham a time when the iniquity of the Amorite
would be filled (Gen. 15:16)? Was not Israel’s presence in the land a
proof of the fullness of the wickedness of the former inhabitants? It
surely was.
The command against the Canaanites was clear: "When the
LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to
possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites,
and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations greater and
mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them
before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou
shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: . . .
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and
break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their
graven images with fire" (Deut. 7:1-5).
The total war, the complete extermination of these peoples,
were because of their grievous sin. It was the execution of God’s
punitive government. Not only is there a proof of divine government
over the nations (Dan. 4:32), but also an evidence of divine patience
and grace. He expelled from Canaan a people whose idolatrous
iniquity was full, and re-peopled that land with Israel in her
monotheistic testimony to Himself. It was because of Israel in that
regard that the Lord had expelled the Canaanites. Joshua’s retrospect
demonstrated both God’s government and God’s grace upon the
nations.
As Joshua contemplated the future and the certain fulfillment
of God’s promise, he reviewed in one verse his own service of many
years. He did not indulge in self-eulogy, nor did he seek the praises
of men. In his allusion to the dividing of the land, he spoke of "these
nations that remain" and "the nations that I have cut off."
Apparently, the thought here is "even all the nations that I have cut
off," those that remained as well as those that had been
exterminated. All alike were cut off and had no national status.
There were pockets of resistance, but all opposition on a national
level had been overcome. Consequently, the entire land, whether
occupied or otherwise, was a divine inheritance from the Lord. Their
responsibility was to possess this inheritance in full accord with the
promise of the Lord: "I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even
unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for
I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou
shalt drive them out before thee. Thou shalt make no covenant with
them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they
make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely
be a snare unto thee" (Ex. 23:31-33). God would, little by little,
expel, drive out, dispossess the enemies in order that they claim all
territories as the fulfillment of His promise. Such was the future
before them. What they had witnessed of the power of God in the
past was sufficient to strengthen their faith for the future.
Since the past cannot be retrieved and the future cannot be
revealed by man, the present is of paramount importance, for in it
the mistakes of the past may be amended and the actions of the
future be arranged. The greater part of Joshua’s speech had to do
with the time then present. His appeal to the elders was to each in
his particular capacity and position. It was as if, like Paul to
Timothy, he were saying, "Take heed to thyself,.. For in doing this
thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Tim. 4:16).
Personal faithfulness to the Word of God does not assure one of only
individual preservation, but it wields a beneficial influence upon
those committed to one’s care. Furthermore, an elder, in fact a
Christian leader in any capacity, ought to be the living example of
God’s Word.
 In his appeal to the elders before him, Joshua gave three
forceful exhortations. The first was, "Be ye therefore very
courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the
law of Moses" (v. 6). The word courageous suggests more than
bravery; it intimates that which makes one brave. The word in its
various usages implies the confirmation of truth that produces
strength of conviction. These elders were to derive strength by
observing and performing all that was written in the law of Moses,
what would be called the Pentateuch.
Courage is frequently thought of by some as the absence of
fear in the presence of danger. By others it is looked upon as the act
of bravery in spite of a sense of fear. In this exhortation courage is
the manifestation of a strength derived from an adherence to the law
of God. The divine Word when it is kept and obeyed builds a
spiritual fortitude into character.
The second imperative exhortation by Joshua is found in
verse eight’ "But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done
unto this day." The verb "to cleave" used here means to adhere, not
to cling. There are times when in his weakness the believer cleaves,
clings, to the Lord for support. Such is not the idea here as will be
seen by taking notice of the alternative. In verse eight the elders are
exhorted to cleave to the Lord; in verse twelve, they are warned of
the consequences of cleaving to the remnants of the idolatrous
nations about them.
The exhortation of Joshua embraced an appeal to the elders
that they firmly attach themselves in willing practical obedience to
the Lord, and that they detach themselves from the immoral and
idolatrous peoples not yet expelled from the land.
The third exhortation appeals to the affections. "Take good
heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God" (v.
11). "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the
judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, . . .
Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy might" (Deut. 6:4-5). The Lord demanded the supreme place
in the hearts of His people, especially in the hearts of the elders
among His people.
The bridegroom in the Song of Solomon (Song 8:6-7) asked
that he might seal the heart of his bride against all intruders. The
reason for his request was the character of his own love for her. He
indicated that his love was as strong as death in that it overcame
every obstacle to make its claims. His jealousy (the zeal of a
husband for his wife) was as the grave in that it refused to relinquish
what it once had possessed. Furthermore, he added, his love burned
as a fire kindled by the flame of Jehovah; therefore, it was
unquenchable.
To love the Lord with all the heart is to reciprocate. "We love
him because he first loved us." Such should be the character of our
love that it will close the heart to every object unworthy of the Lord
Jesus.
Throughout his appeal, Joshua with tender warmth reasons
with these elders of Israel as to why they should cleave to the law
and love the Lord. There seem to be at least four reasons, the first of
which might be considered the snare of the enemy. "Turn not aside
therefrom to the right hand or to the left; that ye come not among
these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of
the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve
them, nor bow yourselves unto them" (vv. 6-7).
Idolatry has been defined as the worshipping of a material
image which is held to be the abode of a superhuman personality.
The wisdom of this world asserts that idolatry was one of the stages
through which religion passed in its evolution. The Word of God
declares that idolatry with its resulting immorality is the evidence of
man’s departure and decline from God. "Because that, when they
knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but
became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things" (Rom. 1:21-23).
God called Abraham from such idolatry. "Your fathers dwelt
on the other side of the flood [the river] in old time, even Terah, the
father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other
gods" (Josh. 24:2), Joshua told Israel. God called Abraham to
Himself that he might become a testimony to the one and only true
God. Such is the depravity of the human heart that it does become
ensnared by heathenism. Throughout its early history, Israel was
constantly falling into this evil. In fact, the nation was not finally
cured from this tendency until the Babylonish captivity. Since then
the Jews have resisted all encroachments of idolatry, their house has
been swept and garnished (Matthew 12:43-45), but when the Beast
will set up his image in the future temple, most will bow and
worship it (Rev. 13:14-15); and the last state of the nation will be
worse than the first.
Joshua realized that preservation from such evil lay only in
obedience to God’s law: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of
anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself
to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me" (Ex. 20:3-5).
The Apostle John declared that God is fully revealed in Jesus
Christ. He closed his first epistle with a most emphatic affirmation
to the effect that God, whom Christ has revealed, is the true God. He
then exhorts the children in the faith to reject all superstition and all
carnal opinion in regard to God; yea, and to reject everything and
anything which may divert the heart and mind from God and His
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. He ended that epistle with the terse
admonition, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."
The second reason Joshua gives for his insistence upon
loyalty and love to God is seen in the propensities of human nature:
"Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord
your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the
remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and
shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to
you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive
out any of these nations" (vv. 11-13).
There are some who feel that there is a constant struggle
between a lower self and a higher self, and they become discouraged
because that victory is seldom on the side of righteousness. It is
difficult for man to face realistically his own moral state. Only
occasionally in despair does he raise the question, "How can he be
clean that is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4). Or state honestly, "I
know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing"
(Rom. 7:18). There is in each an evil heart of unbelief that ever
departs from the living God (Heb. 3:12). And the sooner man
acknowledges that and admits his own weakness, the sooner is there
hope of blessing and stability.
There is only one deterrent from this proneness to wander
away from God, and that is occupation with God and His Word. The
Psalmist realized this and wrote, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee" (Ps. 119:11).
The child of God today must recognize that the Word of God
is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It should also be
remembered that these statements relative to the value and benefit of
the Holy Scriptures were made in direct reference to the Old
Testament; the New Testament canon had not yet been formed.
Joshua alluded to the faithfulness of God as another reason
why they should love and serve Him. How could they possibly
depart from Him and resort to the vain idols of the heathen
remnants? Joshua declared, "Ye know in all your hearts and in all
your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things
which the Lord your God spoke concerning you; all are come to
pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof" (v. 14).
He made reference to the kindness of God in the next chapter
as he addressed the entire nation. He reviewed some of these kind
acts of the Lord which in His grace He had bestowed upon the tribes
of Israel. His mercy spared them repeatedly from the punishment
they deserved, and His grace lavished upon them the kindnesses that
they did not merit. The words of 1 Corinthians 13:4 could be written
over their entire history: "[Love] suffereth long, and is kind."
His statement also emphasized the faithfulness of God. "Not
one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord God
spake concerning you." "Great is Thy faithfulness," wrote Jeremiah
(Lam. 3:23); and David said, "Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens,
and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds" (Ps. 36:5).
God’s mercy and God’s faithfulness were in full evidence
because of His power. "All are come to pass unto you, and not one
thing hath failed thereof." What He had promised, He was able also
to perform (Rom. 4:21). How could they possibly turn their backs
upon God, and turn to gods who had eyes but could not see; ears,
but they could not hear; and mouths, but they could not speak? Oh,
the wickedness of the human heart! How quickly man forgets! "And
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord died, . . . And also all
that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose
another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the
works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did
evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim" (Judg. 2:8-11).
The fourth persuasive argument Joshua advanced in his
appeal for steadfastness in the law and fidelity to God was that of
divine discipline. Do we not read, "Whom the Lord loveth he
chasteneth"? (Heb. 12:6). As Moses at the close of his life blessed
Israel, he expressed himself thus in regard to God’s attitude toward
the nation: "Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand:
and they all sat down at thy feet" (Deut. 33:3). Earlier in his ministry
he had told them, "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for
ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you"
(Deut. 7:7-8).
Such was God’s love for Israel that He could not allow them
to wander away from Himself. Centuries later than the point of their
history now under consideration, He lamented over them, "Why
should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more."
There had been strong resistance against His disciplinary actions.
Notwithstanding, He pled with the nation, saying, "Come now, and
let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet
they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool" (Isa. 1:18).
Such, then, is God’s love for Israel that He will, even
through discipline, draw her back to Himself: "I will heal their
backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away
from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily,
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon" (Hos. 14:4-5).
How solemn were the words of Joshua to these elders! How
gratifying to know that these elders who over-lived Joshua
responded to these words of warning! Joshua charged the elders over
the people; he encouraged them, counseled them, and admonished
them, in order that not only they themselves might be preserved, but
that through them the entire nation might be guarded from and
sanctified in the presence of evil influences.
 Joshua 24:1-33
Valedictory
Shechem
Three geographic points were of vital importance to Israel
during their early years in the Land of Promise: Gilgal, Shiloh, and
Shechem. Gilgal was the military headquarters of the invasion;
Shiloh, the religious center of the people; and Shechem, the political
cradle of the nation. These might illustrate different periods in the
life of a Christian, periods not altogether consecutive, for what these
represent may transpire also concurrently. They illustrate the stages
of spiritual preparation, revitalized devotion, and progressive
consolidation.
GILGAL: This military bridgehead where Israel raised the
memorial of twelve stones was near Jericho. It was not only used as
a headquarters by Joshua in the early days; it became a center of
administration some 350 years later, and was thus used by Samuel.
We read, "He went forth from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, and
Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all these places" (1 Sam.
7:16). It was there that Samuel anointed Saul as king (1 Sam. 10:1),
and there he slew Agag (1 Sam. 15:33).
During the Israelitish invasion of the land, Gilgal was the
place to which Joshua frequently returned to reorganize his forces,
to replenish his supplies, and to strengthen his men. This place may
illustrate for us the many privileges and experiences of the child of
God in the heavenly places. "God, . . . even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,...And hath raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
(Eph. 2:4-6). Israel had entered into her promised possessions by
descending into and ascending out of Jordan; Gilgal, therefore,
figuratively speaking, was the place of resurrection, illustrating the
present spiritual position of the believer as risen with Christ and
seated in heavenly places.
Gilgal was not only the place of resurrection, it was also the
place of responsibility. The enemy was near, and any apparent
failure of his strength was only temporary (Josh. 5:1). He soon
mobilized his military strength and presented a united resistance to
Israel (Josh. 11:1-5).
The Christian faces an array of invisible offensive powers.
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12). We need
therefore to put on the whole armor of God and to stand and
withstand in an evil day.
The reproach of Egypt was rolled away at Gilgal for it was to
the nation a place of recovery. There Israel accepted again the sign
of the Abrahamic covenant, circumcision. This act was by the law of
God (Gen. 17:10-14; Leviticus 12:3). It became a rite so distinctive
of Israel that their oppressors tried to prevent its observance. There
is a reference in the writings of the Maccabees to this wickedness of
Antiochus Epiphanes, who decreed that every one in his realm
should forsake his former laws, as these were keeping the people
apart and from acting as one. He forbade the Jews the right to offer
burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and drink offerings, in the temple. He
decreed that they should profane the Sabbath and feast days, and
that they should also leave their children uncircumcised. It may have
been that the Egyptians did likewise, and that this humiliation was
rolled away on a national basis at Gilgal.
During the years in the wilderness, circumcision, for one
cause or another had not been practiced; it was, therefore, necessary
in order to claim the promises and presence of God in a fuller
measure to comply with His law. "Joshua made him sharp knives
and circumcised the children of Israel." According to Jewish
tradition, these knives were buried with Joshua. Some, considering
the highly spiritual and typical significance of circumcision (Deut.
10:16; Romans 2:27), make the burying of these knives the symbolic
cause of the spiritual decline and lawlessness recorded in the Book
of Judges.
 SHILOH: How deeply emotions are stirred by the very
mention of the name Shiloh! This city situated east of the main road
from Jerusalem to Bethel, and about nine miles north of Bethel, was
the place chosen for the sanctuary. The religious life of the people
revolved around this center all during the years of occupation, and
throughout the days of the Judges. It was there that Israel
replenished their spiritual strength, and, so it seems, it was there that
they eventually lost it.
Since the sanctuary was at Shiloh, God’s people resorted
there to enjoy His presence; the godly Elkanah "went up out of his
city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in
Shiloh" (1 Sam. 1:3). Furthermore, in the early days of national life
with its difficulties, it was there that Israel sought the mind of the
Lord (Josh. 22). As has been suggested, it may have been at Shiloh
that Joshua addressed the elders, heads, judges, and officers of the
nation as he anticipated his departure from them (Josh. 23:1).
Young Samuel was given to the Lord at Shiloh, and served
Him there in his youth; his prophetic ministry actually began there.
Apparently the ark was taken there shortly after the
occupation of the land by Israel, and it remained there until it was
carried into the camp of Israel from whence it was captured by the
Philistines. Eli’s wicked sons lived at Shiloh and by their deeds
profaned the place where the Lord had put His name.
Excavations by archaeologists at the site of Shiloh sustain
the contention that at the time the Philistines captured the ark, they
destroyed the city and the sanctuary. Such evidence explains why
the ark, when returned to Israel, was not set up at Shiloh. This
destruction of Shiloh, while probably carried out by the Philistines,
was the disciplinary act of God because of the sin and declension of
His people. Of this the Psalmist wrote centuries later, "When God
heard this, he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he
forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among
men; And delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the
enemy’s hand" (Ps. 78:59-61).
 The Word of the Lord through Jeremiah recalled the spiritual
departure which characterized Israel in the early days of Samuel, the
weakness of Eli, the gross sins of his sons, and the consequent
judgment of God upon the nation at large and upon the place of the
ark and the tabernacle, Shiloh. Furthermore, in this way the Lord
draws a parallelism with conditions in Jeremiah’s day, and refers to
the destruction of Shiloh as a warning of impending doom (Jer.
7:12-15; 26:6-7).
Shiloh was indeed the spiritual pivot of national life. God’s
grace, guidance, and power had all been manifested there. The
devout of the people had made pilgrimages to the sacred city, and
their leaders had received indications of divine purposes at the
sanctuary within its area; but, alas, there had been at Shiloh so great
a departure from God, that seven centuries later, it was remembered
and used to warn God’s apostate people.
Similar spiritual conditions, with the corresponding
punishment, have been seen in the lives of more than one professed
believer. Where grace has been abundantly bestowed, responsibility
is increased; where this responsibility is not assumed in all humility,
where indolence and neglect result in a conformity to the things of
this present evil age, nothing can be expected but acts of divine
displeasure.
SHECHEM: This ancient city was situated on the floor of a
valley near its entrance, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal forming the
respective walls. The contour of the land resulted in a natural
amphitheater, the acoustics of which were so good that the human
voice carried to exceptional distances. Shechem was not only the
geographic center of Canaan; it was in some respects the moral heart
of the nation. It was at this city that Abraham built the first altar to
the Lord within the land, and it was here that God appeared to him,
and promised, "Unto thy seed will I give this land" (Gen. 12:7).
Near this same city the patriarch Jacob purchased a field
(Gen. 33:18-20), and settled there for a while on his return to his
father’s home. His two sons, Simeon and Levi, displayed their
subtlety and cruelty here, acts which forced him to withdraw in
shame and fear from the area.
Not only had the two great patriarchs of the nation been there
but the nation itself had previously visited this vicinity. Joshua, after
final victory at Ai and in compliance with the prediction of Moses,
in faith called the nation together. As they stood, six tribes on Mount
Gerizim and six tribes on Mount Ebal, he raised a cairn of stones,
upon the plaster of which he wrote the law. Moreover, he read to the
nation the curses and the blessings of the law to which the nation
replied, "Amen." In that manner he renewed the covenant of God
with Israel.
Now at the close of his full and active life, Joshua calls all
the tribes back again to Shechem, to present themselves there before
the Lord.
It may have been that the gathering together of the
representatives of the nation at Shiloh was a regular administrative
council and that he took that occasion to address himself to the
national leaders; but the mighty convocation gathered before God at
Shechem was extraordinary. Thirty years before, the same people
had gathered in the same place in order to renew their covenant with
God; they now gather to say farewell to the talented and noble
leader, and to listen to his last words of encouragement and
admonition.
A mental picture of Joshua addressing the tribes of Israel
positioned on the slopes of Gerizim and Ebal suggests similar
scenes. One is reminded thereby of aged and grieved Samuel,
disappointed by the behavior of his own sons, and displeased by the
desires of Israel for a king, standing among the elders of the nation
praying to the Lord on their behalf, and repeating in their hearing the
divine message of God to them (1 Sam. 8:1-10).
A New Testament scene in like manner comes to mind. Peter,
an aged apostle, sitting in a room away in the city of Babylon,
dictating a letter to the churches of the saints, passes on to their
younger leaders the commission which he had himself received from
the Lord: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof" (1 Pet. 5).
Joshua was a soldier and an administrator; Samuel a judge
and a prophet; and Peter a servant and an apostle of the Lord Jesus;
but all had one burden in common: the welfare of the people of God.
In Joshua’s case the opposing influence was mostly external; in
Samuel’s case, it was mostly internal; but, in the case of Peter the
adverse influences were both external and internal.
The voice of Joshua that resounded throughout the valley
and over the slopes of Gerizim and Ebal was not the last to be heard
in the great amphitheater. Jotham stood on the top of Gerizim and
told his parable to the men of Shechem. His attitude was one of
defiance and fear, for we read, "And Jotham ran away, and fled, and
went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother"
(Judg. 9:21). In the case of Joshua at Shechem there is dependence
upon God, not defiance; there is quietness, not fear; there is
authority, not weakness; there is clear instruction, not parabolism.
With authority "Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to
Shechem . . . they presented themselves before God" (Josh. 24:1).
Oh, that Israel had remained submissive to divine authority, and
receptive to the Word of God! This they were throughout the period
of the elders that overlived Joshua (Josh. 24:31); but lawlessness and
idolatry invaded their hearts. We read, consequently, "There was no
king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own
eyes" (Judg. 17:6; 21:25). Hope for a theocracy in the nation
vanished with the up-surging disregard of authority and the
disrespect of divine revelation.
The Church of God might well learn from the sad history
recorded in the Book of Judges. Departure resulted in discipline;
reprobation in partial recovery. In spite of the deterrents placed in
the way, the decline was progressive until Eli’s daughter-in-law
exclaimed, "The glory is departed from Israel!" The Lord apparently
withdrew His presence and allowed His people to suffer the
consequence of their own folly. In this Laodicean period of the
Church’s history when the Lord seems to be on the outside, on the
outside appealing to the individual, oh, that wills might be brought
into subjection to divinely constituted authority, and hearts made
receptive to the Scriptures of Truth!
There is a belief among some Christians that the gifts of the
apostles and prophets have forever passed away, and that these gifts
have no important influence upon the Church of God today. True,
the persons who were the embodiments of those gifts have gone
home to Glory and, unlike the other three public gifts—the
evangelist, the pastor, and the teacher—these were not transferable
from one generation to another. When a great evangelist dies, God
raises up another; when a pastor or teacher passes away, these gifts
are entrusted to other persons. This was not so with the two
important gifts, the apostle and the prophet. These men in the early
Church were fitted for a special ministry, and when that ministry
was fulfilled, they were removed and not replaced. Undoubtedly,
there is a succession of evangelists, pastors, and teachers; certainly
not of apostles and prophets.
While this is true, we must maintain a proper and scriptural
perspective. The apostles themselves have passed to their eternal
reward, but we have their authoritative writings. In these writings
we still hear the apostles speaking with a power which was invested
in them exclusively. No man today possesses the authority of, say,
the Apostle Paul. Only such an one could write to the church of God
at Corinth and say, "What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod
[a scepter of authority], or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?" (1
Cor. 4:21). The divine authority conferred upon Paul (and of course
the same is true of all the other apostles) ended with his death.
In contrast to the temporary investment of the persons, the
sacred Writings given by inspiration through them possess a
permanent authority. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost" (2 Pet. 1:21). The words of the New Testament possess
for the Church of God today all the authority of faraway apostolic
times.
 There are four important verbs used in apostolic writings
which emphasize the divine authority of the New Testament
Scriptures. These are: "to command," "to charge," "to ordain," and
"to will." There, no doubt, are others, but these will suffice for our
present consideration. These verbs do not all possess the same force
and power: in fact, their power seems to decrease in the order in
which they have been listed. "To command" is to demand obedience.
This verb is used in connection with the words of Christ and with
the words of His apostles. Both Paul and Peter use it. Paul’s
commands are given in connection with domestic affairs (1 Cor.
7:10); public ministry (1 Cor. 14:37); church fellowship (Col. 4:10);
and personal holiness and behavior (1 Thess. 4:2). Peter uses it in
relation to the entire ministry of all the apostles (2 Pet. 3:2).
The attitude of lawlessness so prevalent in the world
frequently infiltrates the congregations of the Lord’s people. Such a
spirit resents authority and refuses all commands. While the verb "to
charge" is weaker than the previous one, nevertheless, it imposes
responsibility. Paul not only did this himself, but he authorized
Timothy to do likewise. Paul charged the elders at Thessalonica to
read his epistle to the entire church (1 Thess. 5:27). He charged
Timothy to observe the instruction concerning the qualifications of
elders (1 Tim. 5:21); to keep the divine command relative to moral
standards (1 Tim. 6:13-14); and to perform the ministry that he had
received from the Lord (2 Tim. 4:1).
"To ordain" suggests the making of an appointment or
arrangement with some authority. The idea of ordaining or
appointing was used by the Lord, by His apostles, and by certain
apostolic delegates. Paul used this verb in regard to marital
relationships (1 Cor. 7:17), certain abuses existing within the church
at Corinth (1 Cor. 11:34), and overseers (Titus 1:5). It was also used
by Paul and Barnabas at Galatia (Acts 14:23), and by the elders and
apostles at Jerusalem in connection with Christian liberty (Acts
16:4).
The last verb suggested, "to will," while being the weakest of
the four, expresses the idea of a preference made by conviction. Paul
thus uses the word asserting that the males should pray publicly (1
Tim. 2:8); that younger women should marry (1 Tim. 5:14); and that
believers should maintain good works (Titus 3:8).
Jesus marveled at the humility of the Roman centurion who
said, "I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers,
and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he
cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it" (Luke 7:8).
While possessing authority to command others, he himself was
under superior authority. In reading the New Testament, we must
ever remember that while the apostles with authority commanded,
charged, ordained, and willed, they were under the supreme
authority of Christ. As the authority of the Roman centurion, an
officer over one hundred men, was only the expression of the
authority of his general; even so, divine authority expressed in the
writings of these holy men is but the transmission through them of
the absolute authority of the risen Christ and Lord, the supreme
authority to be obeyed.
May the Lord’s beloved people learn from the history of the
nation of Israel that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
Joshua’s Review of Israel’s History
We are not much concerned with the actual mechanics of this
meeting at Shechem. Whether Joshua was able to make himself
heard, or whether he relayed his message to each tribe through an
elder, is not important for our purpose. The acoustics of the valley
are reputedly good, and it is wonderful what the human voice
accomplishes under favorable circumstances. Benjamin Franklin
asserts that on one occasion, with ease and comfort, he listened to
George Whitefield preach in the open air to an estimated crowd of
twenty thousand persons.
Our primary concern is with the speaker himself. His first
words are very important, for they indicate the actual source of the
message. We allude frequently to this chapter as being Joshua’s
valedictory speech, but literally this was a direct word from God.
"Joshua said unto the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel."
This great national leader was only a mouthpiece for God.
One recalls the timidity of Joshua’s predecessor, Moses, and
his acknowledgment of inability to speak in public: "O my Lord, I
am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto
thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the
LORD said unto him. Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh
the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what
thou shalt say" (Ex. 4:10-12).
Forty years before, Moses had learned how ineffective were
his persuasive powers. He no doubt recalled the challenge of his
fellow Hebrew, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?" (Ex.
2:14). Moses had learned the futility of human endeavor exerted
without divine sanction. How gracious the Lord was with His
servant! He, first of all, assured him that all the functions and
capabilities of the human senses: speech, sight, and hearing, were
fully known to Him, their Creator. He was not, therefore, assigning
to Moses an unreasonable task. In second place, He allayed the fears
which beset Moses’ heart, stating, "I will be with thy mouth, and
teach thee what thou shalt say." Joshua in all probability did not
have such an experience of fear and timidity. From the opening
words of his speech we learn he knew that God was merely using
him as a mouthpiece to accomplish His own purpose. Moses was
possessed by a feeling of inability; Jeremiah with a sense of
immaturity. Said Jeremiah, "Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak:
for I am a child" (Jer. 1:6). Although probably forty-five years of
age, Jeremiah lamented his limitations and inexperience.
In the case of Moses the ability apparently already existed,
but required stirring. Moses was encouraged to use what God had
already given him. In the case of Jeremiah the Lord put forth his
hand, and touched his mouth, and said, "Behold, I have put my
words in thy mouth" (Jer. 1:9). Here a divine impartation seems to
be implied. Similar language is used in connection with Daniel, who
had gone through such an experience that his mouth was closed, his
lips sealed. Daniel records, "Behold, one like the similitude of the
sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake"
(Dan. 10:16). Whether in the servant of the Lord it is as in the case
of Moses, the sanctification of some latent ability; or, as in the case
of Jeremiah, the endowment of special powers; or, as in the case of
Daniel, the recovery of lost capabilities; one and all must result from
divine intervention and imposition. It was only when so fitted that a
prophet could write, "Thus saith the LORD." Furthermore, it was
only after such an experience from the Lord that the Apostle Paul
could write, "I command, yet not I, but the Lord" (1 Cor. 7:10).
If it were necessary that these holy men of old needed the
divine touch upon their lips and personalities, how much greater is
the requirement today! "If any man speak, let him speak as the
oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). The Old Testament Scriptures are
called the oracles of God (Acts 7:38; Romans 3:2), and without
doubt the New Testament may thus be described; it is referred to as a
sacred writing (2 Pet. 3:16). Men who profess to be servants of
Christ today must speak in perfect accord with what has already
been written in that which is acknowledged as "the oracles of God."
There is an imperative need in the Church for men who like Joshua
can face the congregation of the Lord and solemnly assert, "Thus
saith the Lord GOD."
Joshua, like many of the great orators of Israel, began his
speech with a review of national history: Israel’s divine call,
preservation, establishment, and hope. Moses reviewed their history
as he anticipated their entrance into the land of promise, and he did
so to impress upon them the grace of God that had elevated them
from a very lowly origin (Deut. 26). Here Joshua follows this usual
method, but does so to manifest God’s determined intention to
firmly implant Israel as a nation in Canaan. The Psalmist in like
manner examines the details of national history for the proof of
divine immutability in the fulfilling of the covenants made by God
to His people (Ps. 78). In the days of Nehemiah a great and holy
convocation met for the reading of the law and for prayer. At that
time the entire history of the nation was considered from its
beginning to demonstrate the mercy of God. Israel had declined and
had departed from the Lord and because of this spiritual and moral
defection had endured His discipline. As a nation His people were
obliged to confess, "Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou
didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a
gracious and merciful God" (Nehemiah 9:31). It would be difficult
to think of the history of Israel without recalling Stephen’s brilliant
address before the Sanhedrin, an address through which the accused
became the judge, and the judges became the accused.
Stephen surveyed the different stages of the national story
from its earliest days to indicate the rebellious spirit against the Lord
that had always characterized Israel, a rebellion that had reached its
climax in the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah (Acts 7). What
tremendous lessons may be learned from history: lessons of God’s
faithfulness, lessons of man’s complete failure!
The many activities of the Lord since the beginning of His
dealings with Israel are here set down in order. Such clauses as the
following prove the power of God to accomplish what He had
intended: "I took," "I gave," "I sent," "I brought," "I have brought,"
"I have done," and "I destroyed."
When Pharaoh and his taskmasters increased the burdens of
the Israelites and made them serve under greater rigor, God made
promise to His people saying, "I am the LORD, and I will bring you
out," "I will rid you out," "I will redeem you," "I will take you to
me," "I will be with you," "I will bring you in" (Ex. 6:6-8). God is
not using here the simple future of our grammar; these promises are
predetermined by the sovereign fiat of God. Through Joshua God is
asserting that what He purposed to do for the nation, He has done.
Israel now possessed the land of Canaan, not because of their own
strength, nor because of wise leadership. The Lord claims the credit
of the mighty accomplishment for Himself. "I brought you into the
land of the Amorite, . . . I gave them into your hands. . . . I destroyed
them before you."
A contrast is seen between the words of Jethro to Moses and
those of the Apostle Paul. Said Jethro, "Thou art not able to perform
it thyself alone" (Ex. 18:18). The Apostle wrote of Abraham’s
attitude toward the Lord, that he was fully persuaded "what he [God]
had promised, he was able also to perform" (Rom. 4:21). All this
illustrates what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Philippians,
"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you [ten years previously] will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).
In this review of their history the Lord refers to their call in
Abraham and his descendants, their redemption at the Red Sea, their
preservation in the wilderness, and their inheritance of the land.
The purpose of God in directing their minds to their ancestor
Abraham, whom He had called from a land of idolatry, was to
remind them of His abhorrence of this wickedness, and that, in the
separation of their forefathers from such an environment and from
such a practice, they were to consider themselves separate from it as
well. "Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood [beyond the
river Euphrates] . . . and they served other gods." They who thus sat
in darkness saw a great light. Stephen says, "The God of glory
appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia,
before he dwelt in Charran" (Acts 7:2). The conversion of Abraham
from polytheism to monotheism was complete. The former idolater
became a worshipper of the only true and living God. He left Ur of
the Chaldees, a great political and religious center in which Sin, the
moon-god, was worshipped, to look for "a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
During his pilgrimage between these two cities, God led him
through a land in which he was a stranger, and gave him Isaac. And
to Isaac, God gave Jacob, and multiplied his seed. Thus the
foundation of the nation was laid in God’s calling of Abraham, and
in His gift of Isaac and Jacob. There was nothing here that happened
by chance; all was according to the sovereign will of God.
Many events in Israel’s history are not referred to in this
address; it is the high points only that the Lord would employ in the
farewell of Joshua.
God plagued Egypt through the hands of Moses and Aaron.
Here again the Lord reminds His people of His disdain for the gods
of the heathen; these are the evidence of departure from Himself.
"Professing themselves to be wise, they [men] became fools, And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like
to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and
creeping things" (Rom. 1:22-23). Part of Moses’ message in regard
to the Passover was, "Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgment: I am the LORD" (Ex. 12:12). The objects venerated by
Israel’s oppressors fell under the judgment of God; He destroyed
them one by one. Since idolatry was a snare into which Israel might
fall, she would not be seduced without warning; she would know
God’s concept of this grave sin, and his hateful judgment upon it.
The last word of the speaker in this connection refers to the
overthrow of the idolaters, and possibly their deified king, Pharaoh.
"When they [Israel] cried unto the LORD, He put darkness between
you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered
them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt" (Josh.
24:7).
Almost every object was considered the habitation of some
spirit; consequently, reptiles, insects, animals, birds, and humans
became deities in the life of the Egyptians. They considered many of
their pharaohs as the incarnation of one of their favorite gods. "Upon
their gods also the LORD executed judgments" (Num. 33:4).
The many years spent in the wilderness are passed over in
silence. The Lord is not narrating the events of human failure, "the
provocation in the wilderness." He, rather, is stating His own
glorious exploits. In Hebrews chapter 11 much of the sin and failure
in the lives of the heroes of faith is eliminated in order to magnify
the grace of God in responding to their confidence in Him; but here
the deletions are to demonstrate the mighty power of God in the
important events of history.
The next reminiscence is that of the defeat of the Amorites
and the experience with Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam. What is
recorded in the Book of Numbers, chapters 22 to 24, might not be
considered as war by some. But God declares, "Balak the son of
Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel." There are
different methods of conducting a war. We are well acquainted with
the expression "the cold war," which in reality is a war on the nerves
of the opponent rather than against his military force. Balak’s
strategy was the use of divination by means of demon power. In the
law, God insisted, "There shall not be found among you any one . . .
that useth divinations, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a
witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard,
or a necromancer" (Deut. 18:10-11). These were the very means
which Balak tried to employ against Israel. The Lord through Joshua
says, "I delivered you out of his hand."
The closing part of Joshua’s review of their past treats the
crossing into the land of promise and the resistance they
encountered at that time. The entire confederacy of seven nations is
mentioned, not only to remind them of the forces of opposition they
had faced, but to prove again that not with their own accoutrements
had they gotten the victory. How true the assertion of Joshua at his
earlier meeting with the representatives of the people, "Ye have seen
all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because
of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you"
(Josh. 23:3).
What an encouragement for the Christian! A great array of
enemies would hinder him in the enjoyment of his inheritance in
Christ. There are principalities and powers, the rulers of the
darkness, and spiritual wickedness (Eph. 6:12) to hamper his
progress. Israel armed herself with obedience and faith and followed
the instructions of the Lord: with the result that God delivered these
enemies in Canaan into her hand: she relied upon the power of
God’s might, not upon her army and strategy.
In the struggle against opposing powers in heavenly places,
those powers would rob the Christian of his spiritual possessions.
May he, yea all of us, be strong in the power of God’s might, and
put on the armor He has graciously provided, every whit of which
speaks of our blessed Lord Jesus, Christ-imputed and Christ-
imparted. Let us ever remember that we have an adversary the devil
as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. We
are enjoined to resist him steadfastly (1 Pet. 5:8-9), and if we do,
God affirms, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jam. 4:7).
The hornets to which Joshua refers were one of the means
the Lord employed in this fierce combat against the Canaanites.
There are different viewpoints in regard to these. Some Bible
students believe that the hornets may have been literal plagues of
stinging creatures, of which there seem to be different species in
Palestine. It is believed that these scourges infested certain areas and
attacked the Canaanites. If we are to accept them as literal, then we
must also believe that the Lord wrought a miracle in protecting the
people of Israel from similar attacks.
There are other Bible students, equally careful in their
exegesis, who believe that the reference here and in Exodus 23:28
and Deuteronomy 7:20, is to figurative hornets; that the Lord is
referring metaphorically to the stinging terrors which gripped the
Canaanites as they watched the advance of the children of Israel into
their territories. The promise of the Lord in the Exodus passage
would rather substantiate this contention: "I will send my fear before
thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, . . . I
will send hornets before thee."
God fulfilled His prediction. He drove out the Canaanite.
Whether by literal hornets or merely figurative ones is not too
important; His was the victory.
The final statement in this immediate context suggests to the
reader the words of Jeremiah: "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in
his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that
glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I
am the LORD which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and
righteousness, in the earth" (Jer. 9:23-24). Israel could not boast of
her prowess; she could not correctly speak of her conquest of the
land; but she could glory in her God who gave her richly all these
things to enjoy: a beautiful country, established cities, and fruit-
bearing vines and olive trees which they had never cultivated.
Joshua’s Exhortation
The Apostle Paul generally in the first part of his epistles
teaches doctrine, and, then, in the second part exhorts to
corresponding duties. He first gives the reason for Christian conduct,
and then logically insists upon commendable behavior. There is
something similar here, not that Joshua was teaching doctrine, but
he was reviewing the grace and goodness of God throughout their
past in order to appeal to the hearts of the people for an attitude of
holiness, fear, and love toward God.
Nothing moves the heart, and therefore the will, like
recollections of the grace of God in hours of need, like the guidance
of the Lord in difficulties, the power of God in victories, and the
patience of God in periods of weakness and temptation. These in
themselves are sufficient to produce a response to the claims of God
upon us.
The Spirit of God makes an entreaty to the saints at Rome,
and, of course, likewise to us. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom.
12:1). This appeal rests upon the tracings of the mercies of God in
the earlier chapters. In these it is demonstrated how patiently and
mercifully God deals with man who has come short of glorifying
Him, and how He so changes this unregenerate man and eventually
glorifies him. Man, who fails, because of his depravity, to glorify
God, by God in His mercy is ultimately glorified. What tender
mercies! Well might the Spirit, on the ground of the grace that
justifies and glorifies, appeal for unreserved devotion and sacrificial
living for the Lord. Through Joshua the Lord in like manner entreats
Israel on the ground of His wonderful accomplishments and
benevolence.
 The appeal of Joshua was primarily against idolatry.
Obviously he had reason to fear further and deeper defection.
Among them there were some who venerated the gods which
Abraham once served on the other side of the Euphrates, some who
still worshipped the gods of the Egyptians, and some who seemed
very susceptible to the worship of the gods of the Canaanites. The
leaven of pagan idolatry was already at work.
One cannot think of this appeal by Joshua without recalling
the earnest pleadings of Elijah some centuries later: "How long halt
ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him. . . . And
the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21). It was only
after the dramatic proof that Baal was nonexistent, and that the Lord
was indeed the living and true God, that the people fell on their
faces, and said, "The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the
God" (1 Kings 18:21-39).
Until the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon, the inclination
on the part of Israel, and of Judah as well, was toward idolatry. Since
then the house has been swept and garnished, but in the future days
of the antichrist, this evil will return with sevenfold intensity, and
the last state will be worse than the first (Matthew 12:43-45). Thank
God, the day will come when under the benign rule of the true
Messiah, Ephraim shall say, "What have I to do any more with
idols? I have heard him, and observed him" (Hos. 14:8).
The aged Apostle John knew the tendencies of the human
heart to depart from the living God. He closes his first epistle with
the exhortation, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." There
is not the danger of a Christian indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God
falling into the wicked practices of heathen worship; but there is the
danger of his esteeming altogether too highly some much-liked
object, and allowing it a place in his affections which the Lord asks
for Himself alone. As Israel was admonished to put away all strange
gods, and to fear and serve the Lord alone, so the Christian is
responsible to rid from his heart all carnal idolatrous love; to keep
himself from idols (1 John 5:21), and to keep himself in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life
(Jude 21).
With the background of a national weakness and a propensity
toward idolatry, Joshua avers his own determination. "Choose you
this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the flood [beyond the
Euphrates], or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but
as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15).
These were words of knowledge and wisdom. Joshua knew the
futility and degeneracy of idolatry, and, furthermore, he knew the
reality and supremacy of God. Observation and experience fully
equipped him to so challenge the nation. Idolatry was obnoxious to
him, but God was very personal and true.
That the whole nation felt the impact of these words is
obvious in their reply. They were also to feel the force of other
charges by Joshua before they were finally dismissed. To this
challenge based upon the reality of God, "The people answered and
said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other
gods; . . . therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God"
(vv. 16-18). How little they knew of the wickedness of their own
hearts! They would be influenced for good throughout their own
generation by the example and power of Joshua. Consequently we
read, "Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the
days of the elders that over-lived Joshua" (v. 31). Notwithstanding,
we read of a sad change: "And also all that generation were gathered
unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them,
which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for
Israel" (Judg. 2:10).
How miserably that first generation had failed! Had they
served the Lord, had they obeyed the command of Moses, such
dreadful ignorance would not have prevailed. Before Israel had
crossed the frontier of Canaan Moses had said, "Only take heed to
thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things
which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all
the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; . . .
The LORD said . . . Gather me the people together, and I will make
them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that
they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children"
(Deut. 4:9-10).
Joshua received their reply, but such was his knowledge of
this insidious evil that he declared the infinite holiness of God and
the sure and dire consequence of their sin. God would not forgive
"the great transgression," as David called idolatry. To indulge further
in this evil would only result in the severest possible divine
punishment. For presumptuous sin there would be no remedy.
This solemn assertion of divine holiness might well be
thoughtfully considered. "The LORD . . . he is an holy God; he is a
jealous God" (v. 19). The Apostle Peter made an impressive appeal
to the strangers of the dispersion, and, of course, makes it also to us:
"As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation [mode of living]; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for
I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of
persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of
your sojourning here in fear" (1 Pet. 1:15-17).
The second reply of the people reveals how vain they were in
themselves and, at the same time, how ignorant they were of the true
character of God. The words of the Decalogue had not deeply
impressed them. "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation" (Ex. 20:5).
The words of Joshua on this occasion remind one of the
words of Paul to the Corinthians as he draws lessons from the
behavior of Israel in the wilderness. He describes how many of them
fell under the disciplinary hand of God because of sin, and asserts,
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples," and then
gives the word of warning, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall." That is, let him be careful lest he too
fall under divine discipline. The congregation gathered before
Joshua thought that it stood well, but their leader knew them
thoroughly, and for them he feared lest eventually they too would
fall under punitive measures by the Lord.
There had been a time in the life of their forefather Jacob
when he said unto his household, "Put away the strange gods that are
among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us
arise, and go up to Bethel: and I will make there an altar unto God,
who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the
way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods
which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their
ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem"
(Gen. 35:2-4).
On this occasion his descendants did not follow the example
of Jacob. There was no such practical response to the appeals,
warnings, and admonitions of Joshua. He therefore took them at
their word, and made a covenant that day. Alas for their self-
confidence! It has been pointed out that Joshua actually made a
covenant for the people rather than with the people. What he wrote
in the Book of the Law is not certain, but one might assume that he
recorded the proceedings of the day: the instructions, entreaties, and
warnings, as well as the bold answers of the people. Moreover, he
set up a stone as a witness of all the transactions of the convocation.
This means of preserving the evidence of an agreement was
very common in patriarchal times. Jacob used a heap of stones to
mark the arrangement between himself and his uncle Laban (Gen.
31:43-55). We have noticed in chapter 22 that the tribes of Reuben
and Gad erected an altar as a witness between themselves and the
other tribes. Here Joshua uses a great stone as the evidence of the
promise of Israel to God.
It is rather interesting to notice that the first time we see
Joshua in service with Moses was during the battle with Amalek. At
the close of the conflict we read, "And the LORD said unto Moses,
Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of
Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from
under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it
Jehovah-nissi" (Ex. 17:14-15). The public service of this remarkable
soldier and administrator closes, as it had opened, with the keeping
of factual records and the sealing of these by a permanent witness in
stone.
Throughout the life and service of Joshua the influence of
Moses may be traced. Typically there are some contrasts. Moses
represents the law which cannot give the believer that liberty in
Christ that is his through faith; Joshua typifies our Lord Jesus in
whom we are seated in heavenly places and through whom we enter
into our inheritance. Notwithstanding, as historical characters, we
see how the elder influenced the younger. Joshua, like his worthy
predecessor, was a very humble man; he sought little for himself; he
was a faithful man and executed the will of God as he understood it;
and he trusted the Lord implicitly. Furthermore, like Moses, he kept
records, and made covenants, and used means to permanently fix
these in the minds of the people. It would seem that God fits a
younger man through association with an older one. This is seen in
the case of Timothy. The Apostle Paul wrote to him saying, "Hold
fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith
and love which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:13). "Continue thou in
the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,
knowing of whom thou hast learned them" (2 Tim. 3:14).
The work for which Joshua was so well trained and
equipped, the service which he endeavored to do in faithfulness for
God, had come to an end. "So Joshua let the people depart, every
man unto his own inheritance."
 In Memoriam
There have been various conjectures as to what Joshua wrote
in the Book of the Law of God. Some assume that he added the book
that bears his name to those already prepared by Moses, and that the
Book of Joshua forms a necessary link between the Pentateuch and
the historical books of the Old Testament. In one sense at least, it is
the complement to the Pentateuch, for it demonstrates the power of
God to bring the children of Israel into the land as He had promised
when He brought them out of Egypt. This Book of Joshua received
divine endorsement through the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
There is in that epistle a direct reference to Joshua himself (Josh.
4:8), and another to the history recorded in his writings (Josh. 11:30-
31).
It seems logical that Joshua be considered the author of this
work. Many military leaders and many governors have sketched for
future generations the events and details of battles in which they had
directed the main movements. Nevertheless, there is some
reasonable doubt as to his writing the entire book on the occasion
referred to in this the last chapter. The amassing of all the details, the
organizing of the material, and the compilation would require much
more time. It could have been commenced at Shechem and
completed after Joshua reached his home. This work of history
could have been the last service he performed for the Lord and his
beloved people.
Because of his character and service, Moses, the servant of
the Lord, earned for himself the distinctive title, "Moses the man of
God" (Ps. 90). Joshua in like manner seems to have earned the
appellation, "the servant of the LORD" (Josh. 24:29; Judges 2:8).
Both of these remarkable men had lived a God-centered life. In fact,
the Lord was the circumference as well as the center; He controlled
the entire area of daily experiences. In language similar to that of the
Apostle Paul, both of them could have said, "Be ye followers of me,
even as I also am a follower of the Lord."
 Obviously, the closing two paragraphs of the book were not
written by the hero. Who appended the account of Joshua’s death
and burial we do not know, but they seem a necessary close to the
work.
In his death he was ten years younger than his predecessor,
Moses; but of Moses at the time of his death it is written, "His eye
was not dim, nor his natural force abated" (Deut. 34:7). But of
Joshua it is recorded, "Joshua waxed old and stricken in age" (Josh.
23:1). Whether the Lord preserves a man in a miraculous way, as in
the case of Moses, until his service is completed; or whether He
allows nature to take its course, as in the case of Joshua, is entirely
within His own wisdom and power. May we learn to say, as
suggested by James, "Ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live,
and do this, or that" (Jam. 4:15).
It was a sad day when the nation gathered to honor and bury
their great warrior governor. They gathered in the city which he had
asked and which they had given him according to the word of the
Lord (Josh. 19:50). We have noticed the influence that Joshua had
wielded during his lifetime; it is gratifying to notice also that the
beneficial influence remained upon that generation. "Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit . . .
that they may rest from their labors." "Surely . . . the righteous shall
be had in everlasting remembrance." That Joshua should have been
honored by the nation, and that the people he had taught, and before
whom he had been such an example, should have walked in the
ways of the Lord, all will agree. But do all practice this proper
attitude? There are leaders among the congregations of the saints
today. Do we revere their name, and do we emulate their exemplary
lives? The writer to the Hebrews admonishes to remember the
leaders of the past as well as those of the present: "Remember them
which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word
of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their
conversation." "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you" (Heb. 13:7 and 17).
Two other burials are mentioned here: that of Joseph and that
of Eleazar. Joseph died in Egypt, but under oath the children of
Israel arranged to carry his bones with them when they left Egypt.
Joseph did not want to remain in a permanent grave until his people
had a permanent rest in the land of promise. His final resting place
was in the area where his father Jacob had bought a property from
Shechem’s father for an hundred pieces of money (Gen. 33:19-20),
and where Jacob built an altar after his return to the land from
Haran.
It is assumed by many that the bones of Joseph were buried
much earlier than the time covered by this chapter, probably at the
time of the renewing of the covenant mentioned in Genesis 8:30-35.
They were laid to rest near to the place where his grandfather
Abraham first entered the land, and where he built his first altar, and
where God appeared to him—the place of Shechem and Moreh.
The other burial mentioned is that of the high priest Eleazar.
He had succeeded to the office on the death of his father Aaron, and
had been very closely associated with Joshua during the conquest of
the land and the administration of the tribes. In fact, he had
conducted the inaugural ceremony for Joshua. Furthermore, he had
assisted Joshua in the division of the land among the tribes.
Scripture is silent as to the time of his death. Josephus, the Jewish
historian, says that he died about the same time as did Joshua.
The account of the burial of these three wonderful leaders
forms a very befitting close to this Book of Joshua. One by one they
had served their generation and had fallen asleep, but their very
names direct the attention to the One who remains forever. The
name Joshua means "Jehovah is salvation"; Joseph, "Jehovah may
add"; Eleazar, "God is help." History is ever in the making; times
change as do conditions and people. Amidst all that is mutable, how
stabilizing and strengthening to know that there is One who never
changes, and to hear His own word, "I Jehovah change not" (Mal.
3:6), and the New Testament revelation, "Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8).