The Book of Joshua

You're with me again, if you would, to Joshua chapter one. Joshua chapter one. You've heard me tell the story many times of the aged man The aged man in the gospel telling the young new preacher that his message was poor because Christ wasn't in it. And the young man said, well, Christ wasn't in the text. And the aged man saying, young man, Christ is in every text. In every portion of scripture, there is a road that leads to Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And our business is to find that road and get on it. Well, along with that story, I recently read the words of an old commentary writer who said this. He said, it is the duty of the preacher and teacher. to look for parables and pictures in the scripture and preach Christ from them. That's our duty to look for parables and pictures in the scripture and preach Christ from them. That is becoming more and more clear to me the longer I study and preach this word. That's becoming more and more clear to me. We have one responsibility as preachers and hearers. We have one responsibility. There is one thing specifically that saves. I think about this all the time.

If I could, number one, you know, I speak as a fool, but if I could, I would save myself, but I can't. And if I could, I would save everybody in here. But I can't. There's only one who can. It is my deep desire. I cannot tell you how deeply I desire, as I preach, to not just deliver an outline and not just challenge the mind and, oh, see, this is new. I pray the Lord would save. Save. We pray, Lord send a revival in the midst of our years. I do not want you young people growing up and leaving the gospel. I don't want you old people growing up and leaving the gospel. I pray God might save us.

And there's one thing specifically that saves. Not popular with the world but it doesn't change the fact that there's only one thing that saves. There's only one thing that actually feeds God's sheep. Everybody loves a good tear jerking story every now and then. But there's only one thing that feeds God's sheep. There's only one thing that actually comforts God's sheep and blesses God's sheep.

And that is the viewing. That is the seeing and the hearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work of salvation in the scriptures. That's what it is. Seeing Christ. and his finished work of salvation for his people in the scriptures. God's people love God's word for everything it says, everything that it says. God's people love God's word in every way that we can read it and hear it. And what I mean by that is this, even at face value, even at face value, even if we're only seeing and hearing the demands of God's law. God's law is good and right and holy. And all of God's people say with David, I love that law. I can't keep it. It only condemns me. It only tells me that I'm a great sinner before God. And yet I still love it. I love thy law.

We can read exhortations for us. Tonight, I want this to be a Bible study. It sounds like a Sunday morning message, and I pray the end result is a Wednesday night message. It's the whole goal of this. I have a Bible study that I'm gonna deliver like this morning. Same format as this morning. but I hope it'll be a word of comfort.

But we read these exhortations, how we should act, how we should be as God's people, followers of Christ, we can say amen to every one of them. We don't fulfill anything to the fullest degree, but we say amen to every one of them. But here's the thing about it.

The moment we see Christ in a text, the moment we see Christ crucified in a text, the words come alive. We love this word any way we can read it, any way we can understand it, anything we can see in it. But the moment we see Christ in a text, the words come alive. The moment that we see Christ in the wording, it's like the words stand up on top of the page.

When the Lord really started revealing Christ to me, That's what I felt. I started reading the word and I felt like those black letters started standing up on top of those white pages. They came alive. And the moment that a child of God sees that, that child knows he or she is seeing the true meaning of the scripture. We know it connects with our heart. We know. That's it. That's it. That's the true meaning of the scripture. That is becoming more and more clear to me the longer I study this word.

Now, I had a moment, I've had, you know, quite a few moments like this, but it happened to me two Wednesday nights ago. The men met in my study before the service and a brother read Joshua chapter one to us. two Wednesday nights ago. And as he was reading, immediately my mind and my heart and my eyes and my ears started seeing and hearing Christ in Joshua. Just immediately, I was just listening to him read. And everything he was saying, I was just entering into Christ in these words. Now, we have been through the book of Joshua. We've been through the whole book of Joshua. I know that Joshua is a picture of Christ. I know that. The name Joshua in Hebrew is the same name as Jesus in the Greek. Same name. I know this. I know this. But in that moment, I saw it. I entered into it. I heard that brother reading it to me in that way, and it just blessed my heart. And when he was done, I immediately wrote on a sticky note, Joshua 1.

Because I wanted to preach this to you. I just want to show you this. And this is where the Bible study portion of this comes in. I'm not gonna unveil a big ta-da moment tonight, like, you know, there it is. I want you to experience this just like I did.

From verse one, we're gonna start reading, seeing Christ, and this is my prayer. I pray that the Lord will teach us, I pray he will help us, I pray he will show us to read the scriptures like this every time we read the scriptures. I pray that this will be what we see. I mean this, I would love it if I could stand up here and read a scripture reading and everybody see the picture and may have nothing to teach you.

Ah, I see Christ in that. I see Christ in that immediately. The title of this book right here, it could read the book of Jesus Christ. That's what this is talking about. It says the book of Joshua, but it could be the book of Jesus Christ. So look at verse one.

It says, now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. When this brother read that, the thing that popped into my head is I know that Moses, the man, he really did die. And Joshua, the man, he really was the one who took over leading the children of Israel. But with our spiritual eyes on this, Moses represents the law. When I see Moses, that's the first thing that comes to my mind. Moses represents the law.

God's holy law of his demands. And even though God's holy law of demands has not died, he said, I didn't come to put away the law and to fulfill it. Even though his holy law of demands has not died, any hope of salvation through it has. Any hope of salvation through that law has.

When Christ came, he put away the first in that regard. Any declaration or hope of salvation by way of the law has been put away. And he established the second. He established the declaration or the hope of salvation by grace, by Christ. Salvation for God's people by the saving mercy and grace of Christ. Salvation not by the needed work of man, but by the finished work of Christ, all right? So that's the difference.

Hold your place and turn over to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 56. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 56, it says, the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. Sin brings the sting of death. And the strength of that judgment on sin, the power that carries out that condemnation on sin, is the law. The law is that strength. The law is that power. The law is what rules over the sinner every time. All flesh is under the law.

Under the authority and the reign and the rule and the judgment of the law until Christ delivers us. from the power of the condemnation of the law. And Christ delivered his people from the power of the law by fulfilling it, by satisfying and conquering all of the demands of the law. Thus, putting the law to rest. Thus, leaving nothing that the law could rise up against his people for.

The strength of Christ conquered, it prevailed over the strength of the law, delivering them, setting them free, all right? That's what Christ accomplished for his people in his life on this earth, in his death on the cross. First Corinthians 15 right here, verse 56, it says, 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.

That is exactly what is being said spiritually in verse one of Joshua one. So go back over there to Joshua one. We're going to read the name Moses as being the law and him being dead as the law being satisfied, the law being put to rest. All right. So verse one says now 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.

Christ was the minister of the law. Everything he did was in agreement with the law. He fulfilled all the law. Thus it was written, therefore Christ did it. So verse one says, 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, this river of death. The law, you think about Christ on this earth, everything that he did.

The law has been satisfied. The law has been put to rest. And now it's time for you to go over this river of death. It's all fulfilled. It's all settled. And now it's time to cross that river of death. Now, how did Christ cross the river of death? The cross. The cross of Calvary, by way of the cross. Verse two, Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people. You must cross this river of death and all your people are going to cross that river with you. They're all going to cross it with you. They're all going to cross it in you.

Verse two, 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. I've prepared a place for them. Verse two says, even to the children of Israel, my specific selected chosen recipients of grace. Verse three, now listen to this. Hear Christ right here. Hear the Father speaking to Christ.

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you as I said unto Moses. What I said to Moses was speaking of you. I've given it all to you. What the Spirit of the Father wrote in His law, it was all speaking of Christ. Verse three, every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you as I said unto Moses.

From the wilderness in this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your coast. The uttermost. This will extend to the uttermost, verse five. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.

I just adore that. As I was with Moses, was God with his law? Absolutely. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. The father says to Christ, no man will prevail over you of your kingdom and your throne. There shall be no end. He said, the strength that I gave to the law, I'm going to give that strength to you. I will not fail you. I will not forsake you.

You know, when our Lord cried, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why hast thou forsaken me? He was crying that in his strength. That was his saving strength. That ability to humble himself as low as he did. He said, no man takes my life from me. I lay it down. I have the power, strength to lay it down. I have the power to take it again. He was crying that in his strength. The fact that God could accomplish that was his strength over the law. And even though that's what our Lord had to endure to accomplish that strength, he said, I know you will not leave my soul here.

You will not suffer me to see corruption. Father, you will not forsake me. I know you won't. And he did. Verse five, 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.

Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land. which I swear unto their fathers to give them. They're going to receive their inheritance through you, through your accomplishment at your hand. Verse seven, 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. He said, do not veer from my law.

And Christ didn't. He said, fulfill all of it. And Christ did. He was tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Do not turn to the right hand or to the left hand. He was made sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the very righteousness of God in Him.

Verse seven, 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 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."

And he did, didn't he? Oh, the success of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse nine says, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. And God the Father was with Christ everywhere he went. He said, I'm in my father. My father is in me.

Verse 10, 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 you shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

He said this victory to this inheritance is gonna be a three day journey. It's gonna take three days to accomplish this. And that's exactly how long the accomplishment of the cross took, going over that spiritual river of Jordan, the river of death. Verse 10, Joshua commanded the officers of the people saying, pass through the host and command the people saying, prepare you victuals for within three days you shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.

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, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest and hath given you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan, But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them. until the Lord have given your brethren rest as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them, then you shall return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side, Jordan, toward the sun rising. Spiritually speaking, the people were told to arm themselves.

But he never said they were going to have to fight. He said, go help, that's the wording, go help, and that means succor or comfort your brethren, but he never said they were going to have to fight. And the word of our Lord has told us to arm ourselves with the helmet of salvation. the shield of faith, the sword of the word, the breastplate of righteousness. But our Lord has never said that we're going to have to fight. As a matter of fact, all through this word, he said, you shall not need to fight in this battle. You're not going to need to fight.

The battle is the Lord's. He said the victory is going to be given to you. By grace, verse 13. 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. Your wives, your little ones, your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you. On this side, Jordan, but you shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them. until the Lord have given your brethren rest as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them. Then you shall return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side, Jordan, toward the sun rising.

And they answered Joshua saying, all that thou commandest us, we will do. And whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. We will bow. We willingly, gladly submit to the authority of your word. Verse 17, 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. 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 good courage.

If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. And but for the grace of God, there'll be every man in this room and every woman in this room. Outside of this good and gracious Savior and God, we would be cursed. But by His grace, come we that love the Lord. Those who He loved first and caused to love in return, come we that love the Lord. and let our joys be known. Join in a song with sweet accord and thus surround the throne, the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's what we want to do because of who he is and what he did. The end of verse 18 says, only be strong and of good courage. And that's what we are in him. And it's because that's what he is. Because that's what he is, that's what we are in him. And I pray that God will reveal more and more of that to us in this word. I pray as we read this word, he will cause us to see Christ, see his glory, see his work, see his cross. Amen. All right.

The Book of Joshua

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

The Book of Joshua

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

More from Gabe Stalnaker

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Gabe Stalnaker

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book