Greetings in the Hope of
Sorry this took so long to
get to you, but I had a full schedule when I returned from the Bibleschool this year.
Exhortations, leading Bibleclass, work,
etc. I also wanted to review the
material and make some additions and changes (plus fix a few typos). What I’ve sent is the whole class, from start
to finish, in case you wanted to reference some of the information that we
discussed throughout the week. I also
tried to answer some of the questions that you had that I was unable to answer
at the time! It may look very lengthy,
but everything is in 1.5 space so that it’s easier to
read. I’ve also included some maps in
there. Hope you enjoy this study as much
as I have! Thanks for being such a good
class. I appreciated your input and
willingness to contribute your thoughts all week. As I mentioned on the last page of this,
please feel free to call, write, or e-mail any questions or discussion items to
me. I’d love to hear from you. Hope to see you all soon!
On the last night, Todd had
asked if I had any advice to young people (I still consider myself fairly
young, Todd!). After considering this,
my answer would be to WRESTLE FOR THE PRIZE!!
Remember, we considered the account of Jacob wrestling the angel through
the night in order to gain a blessing.
What else is this teaching us than the fact that WE must FIGHT and
The world views our
humbleness and service to the Lord as weakness, doesn’t it? But who is stronger? The world, who allows sin to overcome them
and dictate their actions daily, while they don’t even have the courage to
FIGHT against sin?
Or the faithful believer, who wages war EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE while
combating his or her own desires and showing the courage and strength to
overcome our sinful impulses?
Furthermore, we know who will ultimately obtain VICTORY, don’t we? It will be that faithful, humble, obedient
believer that puts the will of the Almighty before his own. HE will CONQUER! HE will gain VICTORY AND GLORY in the kingdom
age! We must WRESTLE AND FIGHT to
achieve that glory and prize!
Hope to see you all soon,
Art
2001
The Book of
Joshua
The book of Joshua gives us a clear vision to the future. A time when sin will ultimately be conquered and vanquished by Christ and the saints. A time when the sinful nations that oppose Christ’s righteous rule will be destroyed, and only those who submit to the Lord’s will be cleansed from sin and given an inheritance into the Promised Land that we long for: the Kingdom age.
This is the second generation of Israelites
that came out of
Background of Joshua:
1)
General of the Israeli Army that conquered Amalek when
2)
Accompanied Moses when he went up to
3)
Was chosen as one of the spies that went to search out
the
4) Was one of two men over the age of 20 (the other is Caleb) who were spared death in the wilderness. All others over the age of 20 lacked the necessary faith in God to enter into and conquer the Promised Land. (Num 26:65)
5) At about the age of 80, he was chosen by God to succeed Moses and lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land (Num 27:18-23; Deut 31:14)
Joshua (Jehovah-Savior) is a type of Christ in that:
1) The name, “Jesus,” is a form of the name, “Joshua”
2) Comes after the Law (Moses), just as Christ followed and perfected the Law of Moses
3) Conquers the nations that refuse to submit to the Lord
4) Leads
Gen
Gen 36:2 (Esau takes wife of Canaanites) We know that Esau is an enemy of God in that he despised his birthright and the opportunity to become part of God’s plan. His descendants constantly opposed the Israelites, in the same manner that sin is an enemy of God’s, and is in constant strife with Him.
Gen 24:3 (Abraham to Isaac: no marriage to Canaanite) The Canaanite would entice God’s chosen people with their sinful ways, and cause them to sin.
Zech 14:20-21 (Holiness to the Lord; NO MORE CANAANITE) Context: the kingdom (vs. 16) No more sin or opposition to righteousness in the kingdom. What is that which is in opposition to God? SIN!
Deut 20:16-18 (Conquering the land: destroy the Canaanites) They were to be completely destroyed (just like sin will be completely destroyed in the kingdom age) so that they would not entice the Israelites with their sinful ways.
Ezra 9:1-2 (Failed to separate from them)
We have established the following:
Now that we have this guideline, we
can proceed through the book of Joshua and understand the spiritual meanings
that it bears out. It gives us a vision,
or insight to the coming time when Christ, with the Saints, will completely
conquer sin (
After the death of Moses (vs
1)
Moses is indicative of the Law of Moses. It was given to him by God, and he was responsible for administering it to the people. Just as Joshua succeeded Moses, Christ succeeded the Law. This points toward the transition from being in bondage to the Law of Moses to the new covenant in Christ. Why is a person under the Law of Moses under, “bondage?” (Heb 2:14-15) Could the Law of Moses by itself provide salvation? The answer, of course, is NO! If it could, then there would not have been a need for the Christ. It could not provide salvation and an entrance into the promised land (kingdom), and it was weak because of this. The release from the bondage of sin and death could only be obtained through Christ and his perfect sacrifice.
Vs 6-9
Remember the types that we have
already borne out before reading these verses.
This is what they tell us: Following their leader, Joshua (Jesus), those
believers who would be saints (Children of Israel) are about to about to become
baptized (
If they do these things, and sincerely strive to do the will of the Lord always, then they would have no reason to be afraid or dismayed, as it says in verse 9, because the Lord will be with them always. In type, this assurance of victory over the world and sin by the Lord should be very comforting to all believers, but especially to those who are newly-baptized. Victory is assured, so long as the believer does his/her absolute best in serving Him.
Vs 14-15
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and
Manasseh had already received their inheritance prior to this. However, as shown in these verses, they were
still required to fight along-side their brethren to assure victory over the
Vs. 16-17
“All that thou commandest us we will do…….”
Isn’t this in essence, what those who enter into the covenant of baptism vow to the Lord? By entering into the covenant of baptism, we make a vow to the Lord that we will follow all of His commandments to the best of our abilities. We chose to submit to His will and worship Him with our heart, soul, and mind.
This is the second time that the
Children of Israel made this covenant with the Lord. When was an earlier time when they made this
same covenant? Exodus 19:5-8. There is a contrast in the results of these two events. At this time in Joshua, the Children of
Israel succeed in doing the will of the Lord by humbly and faithfully
submitting to the authority figure that He has put in place and by striving to
do the will of the Lord. As a result, the Lord gives them
the Promised land and an inheritance by conquering the nations therein. What happened the first time they entered
into a covenant with the Lord? They soon
after made a Golden Calf, thereby breaking their part of the covenant that they
had made with the Lord. They continually
murmured against Moses and the Lord throughout the wilderness wanderings, and
never gained the necessary understanding and faith that the Lord required. This fact was transparent by the fact that
they, because of their lack of faith that God could give them the
OUR promised land is the kingdom! That which was promised to Abraham and his seed—those who faithfully do the will of God. This Promised land that the Israelites were about to inherit is symbolic of those who are able to overcome sin in this world and gain the REST and inheritance of the kingdom age! Those who, like the unfaithful Israelites, choose to enter into the covenant of baptism with the Lord, thereby vowing, “all that the Lord has said we will do,” and then break that covenant through sin and unfaithfulness, will die in the wilderness of life. Which brings us to another type: water is symbolic of the living word of God. What makes a wilderness a wilderness? The lack of water! The wilderness is a type of our probationary walk in this evil world, which lacks the living word of God! The Israelites’ wilderness wanderings were meant to be a test, just as our time in this world (wilderness) is meant to be a test. Will we succeed and enter into the kingdom (Promised land)? Or will we, as the Israelites under the first covenant, fail, and die in the wilderness? The choice is ours to make! Heb 3:7-4:11
Moses sent spies: Num. 13:17-20; 25; 30-33
There are some important
differences between this account and the first time that spies were sent by
Moses when they were to enter into the
Background on
Also known as,
“The city of
Palm trees are symbolic of victory
and life. Remember that palm trees were
used by the people in regards to Christ when they wanted him to be king. They are also used in the feast of
tabernacles, which is symbolic of the time when man will be allowed to dwell,
or have a lasting habitation, with God.
When is that time? In the kingdom age.
So when we look at what
“The baptized believer that follows the will of the Lord will, through OUR leader, Jesus, conquer and overcome sin and inherit our Promised land, the Kingdom, which like the Palm tree, is indicative of VICTORY and LIFE!”
The Woman Rahab:
Harlot: OT:2181
zanah (zaw-naw'); to commit; figuratively, to commit idolatry
The account of Rahab
is an excellent example of sinners in the world that are called to
repentance. Her profession shows her to
be a physically immoral person. However,
the Lord knows the heart and intent of man, and saw characteristics in Rahab that were useful to His plan. Remember that it is through Rabab’s lineage that Christ was born (Matt: 1:5, 16), and
she is declared faithful in Heb
In the spiritual sense, a harlot is
an obvious representative of sin.
When considering that the overall theme of Joshua is an instruction to
the people of the Lord to go out and conquer the
In our efforts to overcome sin while in this world and to obtain that promised blessing of the kingdom, we must always be willing and prepared to preach the gospel to those who are in the world around us. We never know when the Lord is using us as a tool to bring someone out of the world and into His plan for salvation. We never know whom the Lord has called to be a part of this plan and should not rely on our own prejudices and human understanding to determine these things, but should instead, “let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify the Lord in heaven.” It would have been easy for the spies to dismiss Rahab because of her immoral profession. However, look at the holiness and goodness that she brought to the world. Christ, the savior of the world, was of her lineage. Matt 21: 21-32
This account of Rahab can also give us insight about how the nations will be treated when Christ returns to the earth to conquer it and set up his kingdom. When Christ and the Saints go out to conquer the hostile and unrepentant nations at his return, there will certainly be some who recognize that the Lord God is leading this people, and although may not have a complete understanding of the whole plan (such as Rahab), they still understand that the Lord’s will is not to be resisted. If they do not rebel against the Lord’s will, then aren’t these the people who will most likely be the mortal subjects in the kingdom? Surely the Lord will not allow those who have rebelled against Him into that glorious kingdom! It must be those people like Rahab that submit to the rule and authority of Christ, even though the people and nations around them war against him and the saints. Those people will then, like Rahab, eventually be grafted into God’s people and receive an everlasting blessing. Isa. 2: 2-5; Zech 8:20-23
From a natural sense, the idea to lodge in a harlot’s house would have made sense from the spies’ point of view. They would have been undetected due to the fact that this would have been a place that harbored many strange men. Their intentions were not those of immoral behavior, but of doing the will of God. This is also a great lesson to us as we strive to conquer sin at this time. We must realize that our involvement with the world must only be a means to an end. That we must not partake in the world’s immorality, but remain separate to God, with the intention of doing His will only.
Vs. 2-3
The city of
The fact that the king of
Vs. 4-5
“took the
two men.” This shows the concept spoken
of throughout the New Testament. Faith
without works is dead! Rahab showed her faith in the power of God by her words in
verses 10-12. But had she not acted upon
this faith, she would have been destroyed with the rest of the city, and God
would have found another way in which His will would be accomplished. But her actions showed the extent of her
faith. She willingly
but herself in danger to accomplish the will of the Lord. This is always a good lesson to us. How strong is our faith? It is easy to talk about our faith, but much
more difficult to demonstrate it when we face adversity. Like we discussed previously, this may also
give us an idea of those who will come out from among the nations at the return
of Christ and align themselves with him and the saints when he conquers the
nations. Surely these people will have to demonstrate faith and a willingness
to forsake the nations and serve Christ and God, just like Rahab
does here. She put her own life in
jeopardy in order to secure a place among the people of
Is this wrong? Is it wrong to do this when one is trying to
accomplish the will of God? This has
always been a difficult question, as we have seen it before in the account of Jacob
and Esau. The theme seems to be that we
are to first and foremost, “Seek first the
Anyway…….not only does Rahab hide the men, but she also allows time for their escape. She sends the army out of the city to track the men down, therefore allowing the spies to sneak out unnoticed. Otherwise, the army may have stayed and searched the city to find them.
pishteh (pish-teh'); linen (i.e. the thread, as carded):
dikaioo (dik-ah-yo'-o); to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent; be righteous.
Remember our discussion on this topic? We know from Revelation 19:7-8 that fine linen is a representative of the righteousness of saints. We also know from James that Rahab was justified, or was made righteous through her faithful actions. When looking at these two things together, we see an interesting meaning, don’t we? We also see how divinely consistent the Bible is. These stalks of flax are what linen is made from. They are the raw materials that are used to make fine linen. In the same manner, we could say that Rahab had the raw materials to become a righteous saint. At this time in Joshua, Rahab was neither righteous nor a saint. However, just as flax can be made into fine linen, Rahab’s faith and character was eventually refined and completed so that she became, as James tells us, justified, or righteous. Through her faith, she will become a saint, even though she was once a harlot.
This is a great lesson to us as
well, isn’t it? We all have the
potential to become justified and righteous.
We are all like Rahab and these stalks of
flax. We have the opportunity and
ability to become righteous saints, but we must demonstrate our desire to
follow God’s will in the face of adversity and show our works during our
probationary walk. Like this flax, we
have the raw materials to become fine linen, or righteous, but we must refine
our character and our walk in order to become saints in the
Vs. 7
“they shut the gate”
In symbol, this heathen nation that
did not fear Yahweh the God of Israel, “shut the gate,” to the people of God,
thereby sealing their fate. Just like
all of the heathen nations that have excluded God, refusing to hear and do his
commandment, and thereby assuring the judgment that will come upon them, these
people of
As we discussed, this, “shutting of
the gate,” also reminds us of when the door of the
Rahab
identifies the Lord as, “Yehovah,” or, “the
self-existent or eternal.” This shows
not only a degree of faith in the true Lord God, but also a degree of understanding
as to his attributes and power. This
does not mean that Rahab’s understanding was
complete. But it shows the beginning
stages of belief. Rom
When projecting some of these
thoughts into the soon-approaching end times, we see that Rahab
is also an example of those in the world who recognize Christ and the Saints
and seek to align themselves with them rather than fight against them. Although these people, like Rahab, may have limited knowledge, if they recognize the
authority of Christ at that time, they will have the opportunity to be grafted
into the plan of salvation as subjects in the kingdom age. They, like Rahab
will have to come out of their respective nations, no matter what hardships
that may entail (showing their works) so that they may be aligned with
spiritual
When considering the later day
fulfillment of this type, this could very well be the words spoken by those
people who refuse to fight against Christ and the Saints and recognize his
authority over all of the world. Read these two verses and project this into
the time of Christ’s return: Upon hearing the news of the utter and complete
defeat of the Gogian host (like
Acts 16:30-32
When a person outside of covenant hears and believes the word of God that leads to eternal life, it is only natural that he also seeks this benefit and blessing for those of his household, whom he loves. In the same manner, Rahab shows this desire to save those of her own household from impending death, and seeks to include them with her alignment with the Children of Israel and life.
This example of one man or woman’s
faith saving all of those in the house is a consistent theme that we recognize
throughout the Bible.
Gen 19:12-14
Because of
Gen 6:18; 7:1
Because of the righteousness of
Noah, those in his household were saved from the destruction by the flood. Were they all righteous? Ham, the father of
Ex
Those who entered into a household that was protected by the blood of the slain sacrificial Passover lamb on the doorposts were spared from the impending death that passed through the city at that time. We know the implications of this: that only those who are covered by the blood of the sacrifice of Christ will be spared from permanent death. Those who voluntarily enter into the household of Christ will have a chance for salvation. Those who did not follow the will of God at this time and refused to avail themselves of this opportunity for life would have been included in the death that affected the Egyptians. Did ALL of the Children of Israel avail themselves of this opportunity? We don’t know for sure, but there were probably some that did not. Did ALL of the Egyptians’ first born die? Again, we don’t know for sure, but there were probably some that had witnessed all of the plagues and decided to align themselves with the Children of Israel at this time. Were all righteous that were saved? Absolutely not, as we see from their later actions and death in the wilderness. However, they DID avail themselves of the opportunity that the Lord presented them at this time and were spared from death.
The lesson that we can gather from this is that we must enter into the household of Christ and God in order to avail ourselves of the opportunity that He has presented us with. We can either enter into this house and establish a covenant with him so that we can escape impending death, or we can choose to remain outside and die. It is that simple. This is the opportunity that you have been fortunate enough to be presented. What will you do with it? Will you succeed and gain eternal life and glory with God? Or will you fail and receive death? The choice is yours to make, and you make that decision NOW!
Vs. 14
“Our life for yours”
Rahab had put her life in danger. The penalty for being a traitor and aiding the spies in their goal to conquer the city would surely meant death for Rahab. Instead, we see that not only was her natural life (as well as her family’s) extended at this time because of her efforts, but she would receive everlasting life in the future because of her faith and subsequent works. This brings to mind the understanding and mindset that we as believers MUST have at this time in this world. We must focus our thoughts and actions on service to the Lord, with the understanding that life eternal is the reward for doing so. Consider the lesson in Matt 10:38-39. This reference is not speaking only of losing one’s natural life, as did the martyrs, but is also alluding to the fact that those who seek to do the will of the Lord must sacrifice the pleasures of this time for the future glory that awaits at the time of the kingdom. Just as Moses voluntarily left Egypt (symbolic of darkness and death) and the physical riches that he would have inherited, WE as believers must voluntarily and happily leave the pleasures that this world offers us to that we may receive a much greater blessing in the kingdom age.
Vs. 21
As we did throughout our class, we know that symbolism becomes much easier if we just break down words and sections in order to achieve the desired understanding that awaits us IF WE MAKE THE EFFORT! With this in mind, we did so in regards to the Scarlet Line. What color is scarlet? Red. What is red synonymous with? Blood. What is blood associated with? Sacrifice. So what did we decide that this act by Rahab symbolizes? That those who will be saved can only do so through sacrifice! Sacrifice of what or whom? By sacrificing their own desires in an effort to serve the Lord. And through Christ, the perfect sacrifice, who provided the way for all sinful people to salvation. Those people (now, and when Christ returns), who will be saved from death must recognize that Jesus is the Christ, and that through his death, reconciliation to God is granted. Who will be the subjects in the kingdom age? Will it be those who fight against Christ and the saints at his second coming?! NO! Won’t it be those who seek to align themselves with Christ, and recognize that it is through his perfect sacrifice that salvation is obtained?
Vs. 24
We contrasted the time when Moses
sent the spies into the
At this time in Joshua, the spies, because they had faith in their ability to conquer through the power of the Lord, brought back the report that, “the Lord hath delivered into our hands all of the land.”
What is the higher spiritual meaning that we can derive from this? Those who lack the faith that, through Christ and the Lord, sin can and will eventually be overcome, will be overcome BY SIN. They will not inherit that Promised Land that we desire: the kingdom. However, those who through faith in Christ and in the Lord, fight bravely against sin, will be victorious and enter into the kingdom age! Without faith and a willingness to war against sin, this inheritance and glory that awaits us is impossible to obtain. Read Heb 9:22.
Vs. 3
As we discussed, the Ark of the Covenant symbolizes CHRIST.
We did not consider this in great detail because of time constraints, but here are a few major points that we considered. The Ark of the Covenant was:
1.
In the
2. Comprised of wood (imperfect material) overlaid with gold (perfection). Christ was made of a woman, and carried the sin of Adam, so that he was not made perfect. However, he achieved perfection through his faithful and sinless actions.
3. The Cherubim. 4 faces, or four aspects of Christ: Lion (King), Eagle (Great Vision; able to soar in the heavens), Ox (Servant), Man (Mortal).
4.
Carried the tables of stone, which had the Law
of Moses on them. Christ perfected the
Law of Moses. Through his death, those
who died under the law were assured a resurrection and possible glory. Contained Aaron’s budding rod,
symbolic of resurrection: both his own, and that which is promised to all those
baptized into his saving name. Contained
the pot
of manna, symbolic of Christ, who is the true bread from heaven (John
So………the Israelites were instructed, “when you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, then ye shall….go after it.” This is an instruction that the Jews at the time of Christ’s first advent would have done well to obey. When you see the Christ, Jesus, then GO AFTER IT! We cannot be stagnant and expect the Lord to GIVE us salvation! We must ACTIVELY PURSUE IT! There comes a time in all of our lives when we must decide whether we really WANT to serve the Lord! That time is NOW for many of you. It is that time when we must PURSUE the will of the Lord and Christ by ACTIVELY seeking to do his will!. How do we show that we are willing to do this? Through the act of baptism. Our discussion regarding how the Israelites symbolically were baptized will follow in a little while.
Vs. 4
“a space between you and it, about 2000 cubits by measure.”
When we considered this phrase a
little closer, it bore out some interesting meanings, didn’t it? A quick synopsis of the 7,000 year plan:
6,000 years in which the Lord allows sin to reign on the earth. After which, the Lord takes back the earth
from sin and it is destroyed. His son,
Christ Jesus, reigns over all until the end of the 7,000 years, when the
kingdom is returned to the Almighty, and He is ALL in ALL. So when we considered this in relation to
this verse, we saw an interesting correlation.
Christ was born at year 4,000.
The kingdom is to begin in year 6,000, and last through year 7,000. So what are the Israelites instructed to do
at this time? Follow Christ (the ark)
into the Promised Land (kingdom). He
will achieve this glory first, and you will be allowed to enter in after 2,000
years! Young people, that time, year
6,000 is upon us! The kingdom and time
of rest and glory is near! We will soon
be able to follow Christ, who entered into glory 2,000 years ago, into the promised land! But we
must try to overcome sin (
Vs. 7
“This day will I begin to magnify
thee in the sight of all
Phil. 2:9-11. What is Joshua preparing to do? Lead those faithful Israelites THROUGH THE JORDAN (BAPTISM), so that they could enter into the Promised Land (kingdom)!
Before they could enter the
The word Sanctify means: “purify, make clean, become holy”
What is the spiritual meaning that
this is teaching us? Those who would
follow Christ (Joshua), and enter into the waters of baptism (
Vs. 16-17
As you recall, this verse holds a
HUGE concept and type. To quote
That was the literal. Now for the spiritual
See the
(1)
(2) The
(3) Snow: white, pure, aka: holiness
We put these pieces together to derive the spiritual significance of this event:
When mankind was
created and life was granted by the Lord, it was very good, being sinless and
clean (like white snow). However, we
know that mankind sinned, and is therefore, “accursed (
Now that we’ve established that this is a type of mankind and his sinfulness from a very good state, let’s look at the rest of this type.
(1) The
(2) From
there, the
(3) It
finally ends its course in the
This
This is the course of
events for those who refuse to hear and do the will of the Lord. Their lives are like the
Through Christ (
Vs. 17
“people were passed CLEAN over the
My Bible translates the
word, “clean,” in this verse as, “completely,” and this is an accurate
translation. However, it is interesting
to consider that this word has a two-fold meaning. Indeed, the people who followed the Ark of
the Covenant across the
CHAPTER 4
The Lord, through Joshua,
instructed 12 outstanding men to take 12 stones from the midst of the
12 outstanding
men: Spiritual
12 stones: Rev. 21:10;19-20. These verses look forward to the New Jerusalem in the kingdom age. The New Jerusalem is not literal. It is composed of glorified Saints that have been made clean from sin and granted immortality. They are now, “precious stones,” in the sight of the Lord, that reflect His glory.
Out of the
Memorial to
the Lord: These 12 smooth, clean
stones were to be a memorial to the Lord, in that he brought them across the
Put this type together from the information that we have identified. Could this be telling us that:
Those faithful believers who
have entered into the waters of baptism (
As shown in verse 7, the
waters of the
Vs 9
In this verse, we read that there was another set of 12 stones that was
taken from the east side of the
§
12 stones: Represents
§
Taken from the
ground on the wilderness side of the
§
Placed into the
So put these concepts together to form the remainder of this type. Could the meaning be……
The 12 rough stones
represent the unclean and sinful believer (
CHAPTER
5
Vs. 1
In light of the types that we have considered, read this verse
again. Remember, these events in Joshua
have a two-fold meaning. It is
representative of the believer who, through baptism into the name of Christ and
strength through faith in the Lord, is able to conquer sin and gain an
inheritance in the kingdom. It is also
indicative of the time when Christ, the conquering king, will vanquish those
sinful nations and peoples of the world in establishing the kingdom here on
earth. It is with THIS type in mind that
you should re-read these verses to derive the spiritual meaning and
significance.
What will be the response of the nations of the world at Christ’s
return when they see Christ and the saints coming with miracles and great glory
to conquer the land? Will it not be
similar to what these nations at this time experienced? “Their heart melted, neither was there spirit
in them any more, because of the Children of (spiritual)
Circumcision
How did one who believed and desired to follow the will of the Lord in the Old Testament enter into a covenant with the Lord? Through Circumcision. (Jennifer—I’m going to stick with my guns regarding how a woman entered into covenant in the Old Testament! After further review, my understanding is STILL that they were justified under their father’s household. In essence, she was in the same position as a male child, even though it was impossible for her to be circumcised outwardly. Through the faith of their parents, the children entered into a covenant with the Lord. Then, they were to gain faith and understanding of the Lord’s plan of salvation in order to be granted resurrection and a hope for salvation, and were to show their faith by the works of sacrifice). Without establishing a covenant with the Lord, either by circumcision in the Old Testament, or baptism in the New Testament, is there any way to please the Lord and ensure resurrection from the dead? Is there any other way to enter into that kingdom age? NO. All those that live and die outside of a covenant with the Lord will die in their sins in this wicked world that we live in. So…….
The fact that the previous generation in the wilderness had neglected the commandment to be circumcised insured that they would NEVER enter into the Promised Land, due to the fact that they were not in covenant with the Lord. Literally, they died in the wilderness. Spiritually, they were died with no hope for resurrection and entrance into the rest promised in the kingdom age.
There is a large lesson that the covenant of circumcision was to teach those who would believe and follow the will of the Lord. By its very nature, it is a, “cutting off of the flesh.” It was symbolic of what each person who desires to do the will of the Lord MUST strive to do. To, “cut off,” his sinful nature, or flesh, and seek the Lord’s ways. Furthermore, when did this covenant of circumcision occur? On the 8th day.
The fact that the previous generation in the wilderness had neglected the commandment to be circumcised insured that they would NEVER enter into the Promised Land, due to the fact that they were not in covenant with the Lord. Literally, they died in the wilderness. Spiritually, they were died with no hope for resurrection and entrance into the rest promised in the kingdom age.
There is a large lesson that the covenant of circumcision was to teach those who would believe and follow the will of the Lord. By its very nature, it is a, “cutting off of the flesh.” It was symbolic of what each person who desires to do the will of the Lord MUST strive to do. To, “cut off,” his sinful nature, or flesh, and seek the Lord’s ways. Furthermore, when did this covenant of circumcision occur? On the 8th day. Remember what the 8th day is symbolic of? The time after the 7,000 year plan of God is completed. After the 1,000-year reign of Christ, when all sin is, “cut off,” from the earth, because the inhabitants of it have all been made sinless and immortal. It is the prophetic time period when the Lord will be, “all in all,” because he is able to dwell with all of those on earth. Why? Because there is an absence of sin. Why doesn’t the Lord dwell on the earth now? Because it is filled with sin, and the Lord WILL NOT TOLERATE SIN in His presence. So to come back to the importance of this covenant of circumcision, that generation in the wilderness that refused to understand this concept and the need for this, “cutting off of the flesh,” died with no hope for salvation. They failed to, “cut off the flesh,” and remained in their sinful state, and were therefore alienated from the Lord forever.
Conversely, the generation
that entered into the promised land WAS circumcised,
thereby re-establishing a covenant with the Lord, both literally (circumcision)
and spiritually (baptism in
To summarize where the
Children of Israel were at this point (spiritually)—they had been baptized in
the
Vs. 9
What is the, “Reproach of Egypt?”
Reproach: OT:2781 cherpah (kher-paw'); disgrace, shame.
Gen. 34:14
The reason for
Their faithfulness to the
Lord surpassed any natural or military strategy, thereby showing that they knew
that the Promised land was not to be conquered by
their own might, but rather through the might of the Lord. Therefore, their faithfulness and obedience
to Him was more important than any military maneuvering that they might be
inclined to do. Demonstrating their
understanding of this Joshua and the people willingly put themselves into
seemingly compromising situations: 1)
crossing the
Gilgal: “a rolling”
When was Christ’s sinful Adamic flesh finally cut off? When was he no longer subject to death that is the result of sin? Wasn’t it at his death? Since he had no personal sins to hold him, he was released from the grave and allowed to partake of the glory of His father. The stone that held him in the grave was rolled away, releasing him from death’s shame and reproach. This is the state that the Children of Israel, and also we, are in at this time. We are no longer bound to the grave by our Adamic heritage because we have entered into a covenant with God. Their covenant was shown through circumcision. Ours is shown through baptism. Luke 24: 1-7
Vs. 10
What lesson was
the Passover to teach the Children of Israel?
The original Passover was instituted to remind the Children of Israel of
the time that they were delivered from death while in
Remember……
This is directly after the
Children of Israel have crossed the
Vs. 11-12
“The day after
Passover they ate what the land produced, matzah and
roasted ears of grain that day. The
following day, after they had eaten food produced in the land, the manna
ended. From then on, the people of
The Children of
Israel were now reaping the harvest of the Promised Land. Therefore, the Lord ceased to send the manna
that had sustained them since they left
When we look at the book of
Joshua as being symbolic of Spiritual Israel in covenant that are waging war
and seeking to conquer sin (
Read Vss. 13-15
This angel is described as, “the Divine Captain.” Who is OUR Divine Captain? Heb 2: 9-11.
Captain: OT:8269 sar (sar) a head person , chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord, ([-taskmaster, prince (-ipal), ruler, steward.
Christ is our captain, or as the definition says, our, “ruler, keeper, and lord.” Just as is stated in Hebrews, he is the head or keeper of our salvation. Without him, our salvation would not be possible. This angel seems to represent two roles that Christ is to fulfill: the future role that Christ will play in conquering the nations, and that role that he has already filled in conquering and vanquishing sin. Without Christ, we would still be subject to the Law of Sin and Death. Through his death, he has provided the means by which death will eventually be destroyed and overcome. Of course, this will not be recognized completely until the end of the kingdom age, when all sin and death is abolished, and all the inhabitants of the earth are made immortal and perfect. Joshua asks, “art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” Who is the adversary of man? Sin which leads to his demise and death. Christ was sent from God to ultimately destroy this adversary that has plagued the earth since Genesis 3:15.
Let’s not forget
the larger type that the book of Joshua seeks to teach us: a holy nation (saints) that have entered into
a covenant with the Lord through baptism (River
Again, as we have discussed in our class, this also points towards the time when Christ and the saints will subdue the nations at his second coming. Those nations who will oppose him will be vanquished and destroyed. Those who will submit themselves to him and his righteous rule will be allowed to live. Revelation 19:11-16
Vs. 14
“Joshua fell on his face……..”
This is the action that all
believers must take when recognizing their duties of serving God. He must display humbleness and a willingness
to do what the Lord requires of us. This
is demonstrated by Joshua when he asks, “What saith
my Lord unto his servant?”
The world views humbleness and service to the Lord as weakness, doesn’t it? But who is stronger? The world, who allows sin to overcome them and dictate their actions daily, while they don’t even have the courage to FIGHT against sin? Or the faithful believer, who wages war EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE while combating his or her own desires and showing the courage and strength to overcome our sinful impulses? Furthermore, we know who will ultimately obtain VICTORY, don’t we? It will be that faithful, humble, obedient believer that puts the will of the Almighty before his own. HE will CONQUER! HE will gain VICTORY AND GLORY in the kingdom age!
Going back to Joshua’s action of falling down on his face in humble worship—when Christ is revealed to us at his 2nd coming, is this not how we will react? By falling on our face before him in reverence, honor, and showing the humility that we should?
CHAPTER 6
Instead of attacking the
Israelites when they had the opportunity, the people of
For 6 days this
principal city in the
In verse 4, we see that Joshua and the people were given specific
instructions regarding the way in which the Lord would have them conquer this
city. Any change in this plan by the
people would result in the Lord withdrawing his power and therefore negate
their ability to conquer the city. Isn’t
this the way in which the plan of God works in our lives? He has given us specific instructions in this
Bible that will enable us to eventually overcome the effects of sin. Are we allowed to deviate from these
instructions and still achieve that eternal life? NO!
Any change or straying from the Lord’s divine instructions will negate
OUR ability to overcome sin and leave US conquered by it.
Read verse 6
Remember what the number 7 is indicative of throughout the
scriptures? Isn’t it symbolic of
perfection or completeness? With this in
mind, let’s read this verse and derive the spiritual meaning.
7 priests bearing the ark and 7 trumpets
A perfect priesthood, with Christ (ark) as their captain. These trumpets, or shofars, signify Trumpets of the Jubilee. Many of you missed this day, which was Saturday, so this is probably new material to you. What was the Jubilee to celebrate and point towards? See Lev. 25:8-14
The scriptures are so intricately intertwined that you can very easily wander off on a new subject, which is exactly what we did in our class! We followed a little, “rabbit trail,” which showed us a deeper meaning for these verses in Joshua. With this in mind, let’s look at these verses in Leviticus a little closer, concentrating on key points from each verse.
Lev. 25:9: “in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.”
Lev. 25: 10: year shall be HALLOWED. “and proclaim
Lev 25: 11: “ye shall not sow, neither reap.”
Lev 25: 12: “ye shall eat the increase thereof of the field.”
Lev. 25:20-21: “command my blessing upon you in the sixth year,” so that the people may rest in the seventh year and give thanks to the Lord for the blessing.
So a quick summary of this Jubilee from these verses would go something like this……….
The Jubilee is:
When we put all of these meanings together, what do you think all of these things point towards? The Kingdom Age, of course, when:
So putting this all together in context to our studies up to this point, we see this meaning so far:
Vs. 5
“all the people shall SHOUT with a great SHOUT.” Is this a shout of fear? What is this a shout of? A shout of VICTORY! In this case, victory over
the inhabitants of
Notice in verse 10 that the Lord, through Joshua, instructs the people that they, “shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day that I bid you shout.” Is it our duty AT THIS TIME to shout in victory? No! Therefore, just as the Israelites were instructed to keep silent for 6 days, the believers are to be humble laborers in the truth for these 6,000 years, until that day arrives when victory over our oppressor, sin, is granted and we SHOUT A SHOUT OF VICTORY!
1 Thess 4:16-17
16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord.
Vs. 17
“city shall be accursed”
This is again
another indication that this city and the entire
Vs. 21
Does it seem a little bit cruel to you that every breathing thing in
the city was killed by the Israelites, who were following the instructions of
the Lord? WHY they were instructed to
destroy not only the men, but also the women, children, babies, oxen, sheep,
donkeys, and everything else? Is it
because the Lord is an incredible cruel God, who wanted to see all in the city
die? Or could it be that he did this for
the preservation of
Vs. 22
Remember what Rahab is a type of? Sinful gentile nations that
conform to the will of the Lord and are saved because of it. Here it shows the natural Children of Israel
taking a Gentile from immanent death and allowing she
and her family to become a part of
Vs. 26
This also has a spiritual meaning.
The man who will dwell in sin (
CHAPTER
7
When we consider the spiritual meanings and what we are to understand
from this chapter, keep this phrase in mind:
SIN FROM WITHIN. Within what? Well,
that is something that you will have to determine after we are finished
studying this.
Verses 1-5
Why was the Lord angry with ALL of
What mistakes were made here?
There are 3 things that the Children of Israel did wrong. They are:
1. Obviously, and most importantly, there is the sin of Achan, for which the entire congregation was held
responsible.
2. The decision to send only a few men, rather than the
entire army, because the city was small.
3. There was no inquiry of the Lord regarding His will
before they entered into battle.
What was the correct way that this should have been handled, and what
are the spiritual meanings that we are to learn from their mistakes?
1.
What is the holy congregation of
Now don’t get me wrong. This is not to suggest that any person that
is known to be sinning must be expelled from the ecclesia when it is
known. If this were the case, then there
would be no ecclesia, since we are all sinners. This harsh and extreme action
must ONLY be taken when all other avenues are exhausted, and the
ecclesia’s efforts are rejected by the
rebellious and belligerent sinner. Look
at Matt. 18:17. Only when an ecclesia is
united in thought and action can it effectively repel and annihilate sin. When it is weakened by members who knowingly
and willingly sin, then that ecclesia, as with
2. This pointed to a little pride on the part of the
Israelites, didn’t it? Did they feel
that it was through their OWN strength that
3. Joshua and the elders of
Joshua appeals to
the Lord
In verses 6-9, we see that Joshua NOW seeks guidance from the
Lord. He is confused as to why the
Israelites were defeated, and is frightened that the Lord has withdrawn His
power from the people and that they will now be destroyed by the inhabitants of
the land. What is the Lord’s response to
Joshua? “Stand up! Why are you lying there face down?
In other words, Joshua should have KNOWN that
Read verses 20-21; 25-26
Why wasn’t mercy given to Achan? Didn’t he confess his sin to the Lord? Does this seem like a harsh punishment for
this offense? Well, first we have to
understand and accept that the will of the Lord is NEVER unjust. It is NEVER unfair. If we look a little closer at this whole
scenario, we will understand why this outcome of death was justified and
holy. In verses 14-15, the Lord
instructs Joshua as to how He will determine who the sinful party is that has
weakened the congregation before their enemies.
The Lord was going to systematically go through the people and expose
the sinner. The next morning, the people
were to be brought according to their tribes.
The Lord identified the sinner as being from the tribe of
Vs. 22
The zeal of the Children of Israel at this time is apparent throughout the next 5 verses. They were of one mind and one purpose with Achan. There was no disagreement or fraction in the multitude. They understood that Achan and all that he had must be expelled from their midst, and they did so with one accord and swiftly. For instance, they……….
“Sent messengers, and they ran into the tent.”
“and unto all the children of
“and all of
“And all
In the same manner, the ecclesia must be unified in its desire to zealously carry out and follow the will of the Lord when that is revealed to us and we understand what it is. There should be no dissention in the ecclesia—only a readiness and willingness to follow the Lord’s will completely.
“laid them before the Lord.”
These goods rightfully belonged to the Lord (Josh
The riches of the
spoils of
The lesson to us
is that worldly gain is not to be sought after.
Rather, we are to, “seek ye first the
What are OUR treasures that we dedicate to the Lord? This can probably be summarized in two words: Time and Effort. As human beings, we are selfish, having a tendency to seek our own welfare, while putting everything and everyone else later. The greatest gift that we can give to the Lord is to seek to do His will rather than our own. This takes time that we’d probably rather spend pleasing ourselves from a human standpoint. And it takes effort that we’d probably rather spend doing things that are self-fulfilling. But this is what is required of us from the Lord. To put Him first, above our family, friends, and most of all ourselves. Achan did none of these things, but sought to fulfill his own desires rather than the will of the Lord.
Achan’s sinfulness was exposed and it led to his death and expulsion from the holy congregation of the Lord. How do we avoid the same penalty that he faced? By uncovering our sin before the Lord and confessing it to Him so that He will forgive us. We do not wish for our hidden sins to be exposed at the judgment, because, just like as with Achan, it will at that time be too late to repent of them and avoid punishment for them. We must take the opportunity NOW to do repent so that the Lord will forgive us NOW. Question: Which sins will prevent us from entering into the kingdom? Those that we can recognized and confessed to the Lord, while trying to overcome them? No! We will be judged for the sins that we tried to hide from the Lord, refusing to confess them, and therefore never being able to overcome them and be forgiven of them. Just as with Achan in verse 23, our unforgiven sins will be, “laid out before the Lord,” and we will be judged accordingly.
Achan’s sinful actions had ruined the great opportunity that he had been given.
1.
He was from the tribe of
2. He was from the family of Zerah, meaning, “a rising of light,” reminding us also of Christ, who is the, “light of the world,” giving the world truth and understanding. Achan was the opportunity to be a part of that, “light.”
3.
He was from Zabdi, whose name
means, “gift.” We know from Rom
4. Achan’s father, Carmi’s name means, “vineyard, or garden,” as we understand from John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman.” Verse two of this chapter goes on to explain the any branch that does not bear fruit is cut off and cast away. Achan had the opportunity to be one of the righteous branches that was nourished from the Tree of Life, or God’s plan of salvation. Yet he chose to be one of those branches who were, “broken off.” Therefore, his name means, “trouble.” Although he had much opportunity, his actions brought trouble upon himself, and he forfeited both his natural life and his eternal inheritance.
Young people, you also have a great opportunity that has been presented to you. Like Achan, YOU have the opportunity to hear the word. YOU have the opportunity to partake of the coming gift in the kingdom! YOU have the chance to be grafted into the Tree of Life and Plan of God. And YOU have the opportunity to become heirs of the promises and a kingdom of priests! Don’t forsake this calling, as Achan did, but embrace it and hold fast to it!
Vs. 24
“and his sons and his daughters……and all that he had.”
Why were Achan’s sons and daughters and all that he had also destroyed with him? Why were they held responsible for his sin? Is this fair? Isn’t this a little harsh that these innocent people were destroyed with him? The answer to all of these questions is, “NO!”
We will find the
answers to our questions if we look in the scriptures for them: Numbers
Those who condone and follow
wickedness will be destroyed. This is
the case in this instance with Achan and his
family. The fact that the stolen goods
were located IN THE MIDST OF THE TENT would indicate that the entire HOUSEHOLD
was guilty of not only knowing of Achan’s sin, but
also condoning it and becoming part of it.
Therefore, they were also part of the judgment against him. This is the same scenario that happened
regarding Korah, Dathan,
and Abiram. As
shown in Numbers
Would the Lord punish and destroy members of Achan’s family if they were righteous? NO! This is inconsistent with the righteous judgments of the Lord. Therefore, we must determine that those who were destroyed along with Achan were wicked, just as he was wicked. The Lord does not punish the children of the transgressor if they are righteous. Numbers 26:9-11; Ezekiel 18:14-17; 19-22
“All
Remember earlier in our class we had contrasted this generation of the Children of Israel with the previous generation that died in the wilderness without inheriting the promised land? This is another difference between that generation that was unfaithful in the wilderness and subsequently died without receiving the inheritance and rest in the promised land and the second generation that faithfully followed Joshua and the Lord, and were therefore allowed to inherit the promised land. This is yet another example of the difference between the two generations and the reason that the first was cursed and the second blessed. The first continually murmured against the Lord. The second humbly, completely, and zealously accepted the Lord’s judgments. The first accepted sin in their midst and condoned it. The second expelled sin from their midst and destroyed it.
By burning Achan, his family, and all of his belongings, this
accentuated the lesson that ALL sin and ALL that is associated with it must be
destroyed completely so that
Vs. 26
This great heap of stones would have served as a warning, not a memorial. A warning that a man cannot steal from the Lord. A warning that sin cannot be hidden from God. A warning that sin will not be tolerated by the Lord. And a warning that those who value the riches of the earth above the riches of the Father will die, and not receive an inheritance in the promised land.
CHAPTER 8
Once sin (Achan) has been removed from the midst of the congregation, then the Lord is again with them in leading them in warfare against their enemies. As we have discussed, the Lord abhors sin. He will not allow it to be in His presence. This is the reason that he does not dwell on the earth at this time and has His angels do His will on this earth. This is the reason that we have a need to be cleansed and sinless before we are able to come near to Him and have a permanent dwelling place with Him. It was only after sin in the multitude was destroyed would the Lord be with the people again.
“Take all the people of war with thee”
Notice that this is in contrast to what the Israelites, through the instruction of Joshua, did the first time. We discussed why this was a mistake, and the Lord affirms that here. The lesson is one that we discussed before. What is that lesson? That it takes ALL of our capacity and strength to war with and overcome sin, both individually and as an ecclesia. Without ALL working in conjunction with one another, then sin will have the upper hand. But with ALL striving TOGETHER to defeat it, sin can be overcome. Forever? No. That will only happen when sin is removed from the earth and the Lord is ALL in ALL.
Vs. 1
“Fear not……”
This encouragement would be necessary at this time, since the earlier defeat. Unlike the first time that they waged war against Ai, this was ordained by the Lord. We talked previously about the fact that it seems that Joshua did not consult with the Lord before sending men to fight against Ai. This time, the Lord, through an angel, leaves no doubt as to whether the Lord is with the people in this campaign.
Deut
20:1-18; Since
the
“lay
ye an ambush.” Why should the Children
of Israel, whom the Lord was with in battle, find it necessary to overcome an
opponent by trickery and strategy? As long
as the Lord was with them, should they have needed such methods? Couldn’t they just, as with
In order to overcome an adversary, a good plan and strategy must be devised. This is also true in the Ecclesial sense, when striving with and seeking to overcome sin. We as individual members and also as a group cannot expect to achieve victory over sin and the world without first planning how we are to accomplish this. So how do we go about accomplishing this? Here are some suggestions: 1) Diligent Study, 2) Prayer, 3) Utilizing one another’s strengths and talents, 4) Supporting and strengthening one another, 5) Being united in thoughts and actions, 6) Investing our time and effort in the ecclesia—WORKING!! Nothing that is worth anything is free. As with anything that we do, if the result is worthwhile, then we must WORK in order to achieve it. It is no different in serving the Lord.
Verses 30-35
Shechem: Burden Bearer
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Well, those were all of the notes that I had for the Bibleschool. As you can see, there were quite a few points that we were unable to get to, but I hope that these notes will encourage you to continue with this study if you find it interesting. I don’t have notes on Chapter 9, but keep this in mind when looking at it: SIN FROM OUTSIDE. We considered Achan as a type of internal sin within our midst and how we must overcome and conquer it. Chapter 9 is indicative of EXTERNAL SIN from outside that tempts us and causes us to fail if we don’t handle it correctly. If any of you have any questions or need any clarification regarding any of this, feel free to call, write, or e-mail me any time. I thoroughly enjoyed having you in the class this year. I’ve made it no secret that I was very impressed with your maturity level and intelligence, as well as your conduct throughout the week. Thank you for making it a very enjoyable week! May God be with you until we meet again, and I hope to see you all next year, wherever that may be!
In the hope of
Bro Art Sankey