These men that we've been studying
in the Old Testament, I'm not picking a text because what I
have to say about these men covers a lifetime, covers their lifetime,
covers their ministry, and covers those things recorded by God
in His Word. And a lot of times they take
up a half a book. So it's actually too long for
me to read to you, but I will tell you what it's based on and
depend on you to go home and read it for yourselves. Now this
morning, I wanna talk about Joshua. Joshua as a type of Christ and
all of the things that I have to say about Joshua this morning,
you can find in the book of Joshua. Just read the whole book. That's
what it is. It's an account of Joshua's life
and ministry. Now Joshua is remembered. As
soon as you say the name Joshua, the first thing that pops in
your mind, if you're a Bible student at all, is that Joshua
led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. He was one
of the original spies that went in to spy out the land, and he
and Caleb were ready to go take it. God gave it to them. God's going with them. God's
gonna make the way. They were ready to go, but the
other 10 spies dishonored God, and they convinced all the people
of Israel to dishonor God, and they wouldn't go in. And God
said that he swore in his wrath that all of Israel that was above
40 years of age, oh, when they numbered Israel, when they come
out, you know, about halfway across the wilderness there,
they numbered Israel. And he said everybody that was
20 years old or older wasn't gonna go in to the promised land. He said their carcasses, will
fall in the wilderness. Only those 20 years and younger
when he numbered Israel would actually go in to the land. So that's what Joshua's remembered
most of all because he led Israel into the promised land to possess
that land and conquer their enemies. But this morning I want us to
concentrate on Joshua as he's a type of Christ. How does Joshua
typify Christ? Well, first of all, he's a type
of Christ in his name, in his very name. Jesus is the New Testament
word for the Old Testament Joshua. It's the same name. Exactly the
same name. It means Jehovah Saved. That's what it means. And what
did he say? Thou shalt call his name Jesus.
for he shall save his people from their sins. His name implies that Jehovah
would save Israel by him. And before Jesus Christ was born,
the angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, Joseph,
thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife,
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. and
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, Joshua, for he shall save his people from their sins. And you can find that again over
in Hebrews chapter four, where he's talking about the promised
rest. And he said if Joshua had given
them rest, if Jesus had given them rest, Joshua, then would
he not have talked about another rest. So all of these things
that Joshua did were typical. Isaiah wrote, and I want you
to understand this, their names are the same, and we're talking
about his name, but unlike Joshua, our Lord had many names. He had
many names. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 9, verses
6 and 7, his name shall be called Wonderful. Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
And then another name by which he was to be called is Emmanuel. He should be called Emmanuel,
which is being interpreted God with us. These were names given
to describe his offices, and then there were names given to
him to describe his work, and names given to him to describe
the character of God. Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will
provide. Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord healeth
thee. Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord our banner. Jehovah Kedesh, the Lord who
sanctifies, and so on. He's given many names, and these
names describe the very character of God. But he has but one name,
and that is the name of God. All of these other names are
incorporated to declare one name, and that is the name and character
of God. That's what's being manifest.
When you talk about whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord, he's not talking about you standing there talking about
Jesus. He's talking about the name of
God revealed in the gospel. And that name is the very character
of God. God is just, God is love, God
is merciful and gracious. That's his name. And we see that
name as it's manifested in Jesus Christ, and we worship him. So Joshua was a type of Christ
in his name. Secondly, Joshua was a type of
Christ in his relationship to the law. I don't know if you've
ever looked at this or not, but the scripture said Joshua was
Moses' minister. He was Moses' servant. And Moses stands for the law,
don't he? He was a servant of the law,
Joshua. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. So Joshua, in a spiritual
sense, was a servant to the law. Now listen to this. He said,
when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. That's Galatians 4, 4 and 5. He tells us in Philippians that
he made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient unto death. Obedient to what? To the law. To the law. And he become obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. In everything that Jesus Christ
did, he exalted and honored the law. That he didn't, not one
jot or one tittle of that law was compromised in the salvation
that Christ brought out. Now the Lord said to Joshua in
Joshua 1.8, he said, 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's written
therein. For then shalt thou make thy
way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success. When Jesus Christ came into this
world to save his people from their sins, he did not compromise
the law, he did not lay the law aside, but he obeyed the law
in every jot and tell. And Jesus Christ was and is a
representative of men. He is the way of salvation, and
the way of salvation is the way of justice and righteousness. In Romans 3, 24, it says, being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. And He did all of this that he
might be just and justifier of all that believe in Jesus Christ. The scripture said justice and
judgment are the habitation of his throne. The salvation of
God's Israel is a salvation that honors and exalts the law and
satisfies the justice of God. And it must be so, God said to
Joshua, to make thy way prosperous and successful. When you hear men talk about
a salvation that dishonors the law of God or a salvation that
lays apart the demands of a holy God, just write it off. There's
no gospel in it. There's no gospel in it. Jesus
Christ obeyed that law. He honored that law. He loved
his Father and kept all his priesthood. And he honored that thing and
exalted it. And then thirdly, Joshua was
a type of Christ in that he was appointed of God to fulfill all
his promises to his people. Was not in the purpose or providence
of God to give his people their promised rest by Moses. We talked about that earlier
in the week. Wasn't in God's purpose. And so it is today. Now the law can shut you up to
Christ. It can shut you up to cry. And
the law can show you the promised rest. You look in that law, in
that tabernacle, and in that mercy seat, and in all those
things, and you can see the rest. The rest is right there. But
the law can't take you in. It can't usher you into the land.
Moses cannot lead those people into the promised land. God said, Moses, my servant,
is dead. He's dead. Now, therefore, arise
and go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the
land which I do give them, even to the children of Israel. It was the spirit of Joshua that
caused the people to effectually conquer Canaan. the spirit of
Joshua. Even so, it is the spirit of
our Joshua, our Jesus, that conquers our enemies. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ? Huh? Salvation is not so much in doing
as it is in following one that you believe is doing and can
do what it takes to accomplish your salvation. Israel followed
Joshua. They didn't just take off running
into Canaan. They followed Joshua. What Joshua
told them to do, they did. What Joshua told them to say,
they said. If he said stand still, they
stood still. If he said go forward, they went
forward. Everything Israel did to conquer
their enemies in Canaan, they did by following Joshua. They
believed in Joshua and therefore obeyed him, believing him to
be the one God had appointed to give them the victory. Now, believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ begins with a hearing, a seeing, and an understanding.
Israel solved Joshua with Moses. Now you're gonna have to go read
this account to understand what I'm telling you. But they saw
him go with Moses to places where nobody else went. Joshua went
with Moses up on Mount Sinai. He didn't go to the top, but
he went up with him. They saw his faithfulness as
a servant to Moses. And God confirmed his calling
with a work in the people that caused them to follow Joshua.
In Deuteronomy chapter 34 in verse 9, you might want to jot
that down if you're taking notes and if you're going to read these
things a little later on. In Deuteronomy chapter 34 in
verse 9, it says, And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the
spirit of wisdom. For Moses had laid his hands
upon him. And the children of Israel hearkened
unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses. God did a work in those people
and caused them to follow Joshua. You know, is that not the very
same thing that Paul said of the Colossians? Is it the Colossians? No, Thessalonians.
He said, I know your election of God. You become followers
of us and the Lord. The Lord does a work in his people's
hearts that causes them not only to follow Christ and to follow
God and his word, but to follow his messengers. Joshua was a
messenger of God. Religion puts the emphasis of
salvation on man. Man's will. That's mostly where
the emphasis goes. Man's will. Man's ability. Man's decisions. Man's determination. It puts the emphasis upon man. The Bible, and the gospel in
particular, puts the emphasis on Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
holder of all the eternal office given to him by God. He holds
every one of them. He's the one mediator between
God and man. He's the surety of God's everlasting
covenant of grace. He holds the eternal office of
our Redeemer and substitute. And he's the head of the body
of the church. The Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus
Christ, our eternal head and mediator, is the creator of all
things. All things were made by him and
for him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19, 10. He's the main subject of the
book of God and he's the object of all the Old Testament prophecies. To him give all the prophets
witness. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
virgin-born son of God. He's the God-man mediator. The
Lord himself shall give you a sign, he told Isaiah. Behold, a virgin
shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. God with us. So Jesus of Nazareth,
he's the promised redeemer. He's the eternal mediator. God
come into the flesh. Now ask yourself this question.
I was studying these things and breaking them down. You can't
teach something until you break it down a little bit. And I was
breaking it down and I asked myself this question. Why must
God himself come into the flesh? Why must God robe himself in
human flesh and be born of a woman and live in this world 33 and
a half years? Why did that have to be? Couldn't the sovereign
God, the almighty God, couldn't he save a people and never leave
heaven? Why must he humble himself and
become a man and be born of a woman? Why must that be? Because all that he ordained
and all that he created and all that he has predestinated is
for the glory of his holy name. That's the main reason. In order
to manifest his glory to men, he must take to himself the flesh
and bones of those he came to save. And God must come into
the flesh because there's nobody else that could do the work.
Who's going to do the work of redemption if he don't come?
Who's going to save if he don't save? Who's going to keep the
law? Who's going to satisfy the infinite
justice of God? Who's going to provide us with
a righteousness? Not us. All our righteousnesses
are as filthy ragged. He must become a man because
nobody else could do the work. You see, that's the whole key
to salvation. When the Holy Spirit shows you
your inability, He shows you that no one else could do the
work. It's the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Our Savior said that when
that rich young ruler, he sent him away, well, his tail took
between his legs. And the disciples looked at each
other and said, this was a rich man, this was a wise man, this
was a man who was a moral man, this was a man who followed the
law of God, who then can be saved? And the Lord, perceiving their
question, said this to them, with man it's impossible, but
with God, all things are possible well you say what about the angels
couldn't they do these things? I'm always seeing TV programs
where angels save men isn't that how they depict it on there the
angels come down I want you to hear the word of God this is
talking about Christ being made so much better than the angels,
as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. To be the savior of men, Jesus
Christ must be tempted in all points, like as we are. Now the angels were tempted,
and what happened? A third of them fell from glory. The angels being tempted, one
third of the heavenly host fell into eternal damnation. No salvation
for them. But there are elect angels and
the reason a whole body of angels didn't fall is because God elected
some and passed by others. That's what Paul says. Christ took not on him the nature
of angels, but the seed of Abraham, that promise seed. And who else
but Christ the God-man could endure these temptations? Peter said, they all gonna go,
but I ain't gonna go. He said, before the cock crows
three times, you're gonna deny me. You're gonna deny me. And God must robe himself in
human flesh to accomplish our redemption. Our redemption must be accomplished.
Somebody has to pay the price. The incarnation of Christ manifests
the eternal oneness or union of the Son of God with his people.
This is God and man in one person. And you can't separate the two.
Now you just, you read the account of Christ. You read all four
Gospels concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, and you tell me if you
can divide the two. You can't see where one stops
and the other starts. They're one. They're one. He said unto the Father, as thou,
Father, and I are one, even so I'm one with them. We're one. were women. And his resurrection,
I want you to think about this, his resurrection was not just
an invisible spirit, some apparition that came out of the body of
Christ and raised, and the body is still laying there. But the
resurrection was that of a man, and as a man he ascended into
glory, and as a man he was seated at the right hand of God. All that he did on this earth
he did in union with his people. His obedience is their obedience. His death is their death. His
resurrection is their resurrection. And we are, as Paul the Apostle
wrote to the Ephesians, seated with him in heavenly places.
That's one. One with him. And I can find
nothing in the scriptures to indicate that this union of man
and God will ever pass away. I believe it's an eternal union.
I believe there's a man in glory. I don't see any other way. Job
could have said, in my flesh I'll see God. The only place
you're going to see God is in Christ. And then the scripture says this,
we'll be like him because we'll see him as he is. And then thirdly,
God must come into the flesh because sin demands the death
of the sinner. God said through his prophet
Ezekiel, the soul that sinneth shall surely die. And again,
he said to Moses, I will by no means clear the guilty. The sinner
must die. But if the sinner himself, apart
from this eternal union, if the sinner himself goes to pay the
price, eternity is not long enough for him to pay the bill. That's
why hell is everlasting. That's what the scripture said.
They go into everlasting torment, everlasting punishment. Why? Because he can never, with all
of his sufferings, satisfy the justice of God. But his obedience is our obedience,
and his death is our death, and his resurrection is our resurrection. As the God-man mediator, he died
upon the tree. And the scripture said God saw
the travail of his soul and was satisfied. I know because I've been there,
religion convinces you that it's so, and you put yourself through
all kinds of miseries after you transgress some open transgression
of the law trying to heal that sore, trying to heal that cut,
heal that sin, trying to get past it. But you can't ever get
past it. But when God saw the travail
of his soul, He was satisfied. And He and
His people are one. That's the only thing that's
going to heal that soul. You're going to have to see yourself
in Him satisfying God. Here's my point, that as sinners
believe on Christ, understanding who He is, and why He came, and
what He did, and where He's at, and what He's doing, they'll
follow Him. They'll follow Him. Because they
see in Him the glory, they see in Him the ability, they see
in Him the wisdom, they see in Him the righteousness. They see
everything that they could possibly want in the way of salvation
in Christ, and so they follow him. They follow him. The people didn't follow Joshua
blindly, but they followed him as they were convinced that God
was with him. When were they convinced that
God was with Joshua? Here's what the scripture says.
When God rolled up the floodwaters, they came to Jordan during the
flood time in the spring. And here's this mighty river,
and it's up over its banks. And here comes Israel, 40,000
warriors with them. And Joshua goes out as the As
God had commanded him, and the priest took that ark, and when
they come up to that river to step into it, God rolled those
waters up into a heap. And they walked across Jordan
on dry land. And they said, this is Joshua,
and God with him will take the land. Will take the land. And we see that in the resurrection
of Christ, don't we? We see the victory in Him. God
raised Him from the dead and He stepped onto a cloud. He was
here for a month after He raised from the dead, proving who He
was. And then He took His beloved
disciples with Him and He walked out there and stepped up on a
cloud with the holy angels and ascended into glory. And they
were just standing there with their mouth wide open. They didn't
know what to say. And the angel said, why stand
you gazing? Why are you standing here gazing?
This same one that you see taken up, he's going to return again
in like manner. Huh? They followed Joshua because
they saw Joshua. And they heard what Joshua had
done and they saw these things. They were convinced of these
things. And then when God manifested His power in Joshua and rolled
those waters back, they followed Him and they did all that Joshua
commanded them to do. Joshua is a type of Christ.