Chapter 1 and verse 5 reads of
Joshua that, 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. And verse 9 reads, 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. For the Lord thy God is
with thee, whithersoever thou goest. And the whole message of the
scriptures, the whole message of all the books of the Old Testament,
as well as the books of the New Testament, the whole book speaks
of Christ. The whole of the Scriptures,
the whole of God's revelation, God's record in the Scriptures.
His whole message to mankind is of His Son and is in His Son. Every book in this Bible, in
these Scriptures, speak of Christ. But of the books in the Old Testament,
the book of Joshua is full of Christ. The very name Joshua,
Jehoshua, Joshua, Jehushua, is that name which in the new testament
is translated jesus the very name joshua is the same name
that is translated jesus and joshua is very much a type and
a figure of jesus the christ the son of god joshua means jehovah
or god saves the name speaks of god's salvation and god's
savior Joshua is a picture of God's salvation, of the Saviour
whom God would save to save his people and to bring them out
of this world into that everlasting kingdom of his Son. And the name
points to the coming of Christ, to Jesus, God's Saviour, Him
who would bring not just the children of Israel as Joshua
brought, but all His people, all that elect company, all that
chosen company that God gave to His Son, Him who would be
the Saviour of His people, Him who would bring His people out
of this world, out of darkness, out of death, out of sin, into
the next world, into the everlasting world in the everlasting kingdom
of God's Son, him who would save, him who would bring his people
from the other side of Jordan through death into everlasting
glory. This is a book full of Christ. This is a book full of Christ. The Son of God, Jesus, is who
is pictured by Joshua. And as we read of the wonderful
account of Joshua and his dealings as God sent him forth as the
servant, as his servant, as him who would lead the people of
Israel through Jordan and into that land which God had promised
them, as we read of him in all his various accounts through
this book. We see the great and the mighty works of God as seen
in his Son, as seen in the Lord Jesus, as he leads his people
through, through Jordan, through into the promised land. And where
we read in our text here of these words which God spake unto his
servant Joshua, they're as applicable to the Lord Jesus as they were
to him who prefigured him. So we read in verse 9 again,
Have not I commanded thee, Joshua? 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. God commanded Joshua and
he promised him, he encouraged him to be strong, for he said
that the Lord thy God is with him, with Joshua, and with the
people with Joshua, whithersoever Joshua went. and whithersoever
they went with him. And was not God with the Lord
Jesus, whom he commanded to go forth for the salvation of his
people? When in eternity past the Son
and the Father and the Spirit covenanted together, they made
that eternal covenant of grace, and the Lord God commanded his
Son to come into this world in the fullness of time, and to
take upon him flesh, and to be made a man, to be made a little
lower than the angels, even for the suffering of death. He sent
him forth at his command, in his covenant, and he could say
to his son, 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. when the Son of God in the fullness
of time came unto His own, came unto His own who would reject
Him, came unto a world who would reject Him, and lived a life
which was set with one goal, with one purpose, even the suffering
of death. As He walked through this world
and this wilderness, with His face set towards that tree, with
His face set towards that place called Golgotha, where he would
suffer and die for the sins of his people. The Lord said unto
him, Have not I commanded thee? Be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed, for I am with thee, whithersoever thou goest, whithersoever
thou goest. Yea, even in the suffering of
death, even in the suffering of the cross, Even in the rivers
of Jordan, the rivers of death, where thou wilt go for my people,
to bring them through unto everlasting life. The eternal Son of God,
covenanted with his Father, to do all this for his people. Joshua
is spoken of here in verse one of Joshua, he's spoken of as
the son of Nun. Joshua the son of Nun. Now the
son of Nun, Nun means continuation, he's the son of continuation.
We have here as it were a picture of he's coming from eternity
and going to eternity. Here is that son without beginning
and without end. Here is Joshua the son of continuation,
the eternal son. We have here a picture of that
eternal son of God. that one without beginning and
without end, that's only begotten of the Father, the eternally
begotten, the eternal Son, the Son of none, that one who came
from all eternity and came into time to come from the suffering
of death for his people, to lead them and to deliver them from
sin, from death, from the law, from condemnation, and to bring
them into eternal life. for it is written of him the
Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Well let us consider
a little bit in this book in this book of Joshua a little
bit about Joshua and considering what God did in his servant Joshua
with his servant Joshua let us consider and see him of whom
he figured the Lord Jesus see a little bit in this account
of Joshua of us of our great savior the Lord Jesus and what
he did to bring his people through from this world through the river
Jordan into that eternal inheritance promised for them. Firstly we see that Joshua was
sent forth when Moses the Lord's servant had died We read in verse
1 of chapter 1, 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, saying, Moses, my servant is
dead. Now therefore arise, go over
this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I
did give to them, even to the children of Israel. When Moses,
my servant, was dead, God sent forth Joshua. And he didn't send
him forth until Moses had died and until Moses' work was complete. Moses had brought the children
of Israel out of Egypt, out of the world, out of bondage, and
he'd led them forth, and he'd led them forth as God's servants.
And God gave to Moses in the wilderness at Mount Sinai. He
gave to his servant, he gave him the law of God. And he said
unto his people that he'd given them this law to prove them.
And the people said, oh, let the Lord have commanded, we will
do. And God gave this people a law to prove them. And he gave
it to prove to them that they were sinners. and that they were
dead in trespasses and sins and that they were without strength
and without help and that they were sin through and through
and that this law which God gave them was spake of righteousness
was spake of righteousness which man must have before he can be
brought into salvation before he can be brought into that land
which God promised his people. This law which God gave to Moses
and to his people demonstrated to them that though they with
boldness said all that the Lord has commanded we will do, that
they could not do, that it condemned them, that it found out their
sins from the very beginning, that it proved them to be sin
through and through. And they wandered in the wilderness
for many, many, many years. The children of Israel wandered
in the wilderness for 40 years. And they wandered in that wilderness
because that law which God gave them did indeed prove them. It
proved that they were without strength and that they were dead
and that they had no ability to keep this righteousness which
God demanded of them. No ability to bring forth righteousness. that they were sinners and that
they were dead and whilst they were dead they were kept in the
wilderness they were shut in the wilderness and they would
remain in that wilderness until that law approved them until
it had shown them that they had no strength and until that law's
work was done and until Moses's work was done they would never
come through through Jordan and it was only when that law's work
was done It was only when Moses' work was done that God sent forth
his servant Joshua. When Moses was dead, God brought
his people through Jordan. In chapter 4, when Joshua recounts
in his latter days to the people all that God has done for them,
all that he has done for this people throughout his years in
leading them, He begins by reminding them where they came from, that
they came from the other side of Jordan, that they came from
the other side of the flood in old time, and that God raised
up their father Abraham, who had served other gods, and he
led him forth, and he brought him into Canaan and multiplied
his seed, and he promised Abraham many things. But then the people,
then Jacob and his children, were taken down into captivity
into Egypt. and out of captivity Moses led
that people forth he brought them through through the red
sea and then in the wilderness having brought them forth when
they cried out he put darkness between them and the egyptians
and brought the sea upon the egyptians and covered them and
he took the egyptians away but then he brought the people through
into the wilderness and he says in chapter in chapter 24 and
verse 7 he says to this people and ye dwelt in the wilderness
a long season a long season. For he would not bring them through
Jordan until Moses was dead, and until that law had had its
work and had proven them. And Joshua will not lead you
through Jordan. Jesus will not lead us through
Jordan until Moses' work is done. Moses' work and that law's work
must be done before we'll ever know what it is to be brought
to salvation by Jesus Christ. Are you done with Moses? Are
you done with the law? Has he had his work fulfilled
in your hearts? Or are you still turning to that
law? Still turning to your own work?
Still turning to your own strength? Still trying to do something?
something to make yourselves pleasing unto God? Are you still
striving to enter into the promised land your own way? Are you still
striving to come up to that standard of righteousness which God demanded
of the people in the law of God? Are you still walking with Moses?
It can take a long time to be done with Moses, The people were
in the wilderness for 40 years. They were in the wilderness a
long season. A long season. It took them a
long time before they were done with Moses and his law. It took
them a long time before God proved them that they had nothing with
which they could fulfil that law. That in the heart of man,
in that dead, barren fallen heart there is nothing which can bring
forth righteousness not just that it can't bring forth full
and perfect righteousness but that we can't bring forth any
righteousness we can't bring forth any righteousness and we
must be brought to see that before ever we'll see Joshua before
ever we'll see Joshua for who he is and for what he does for
when Joshua comes on the scene in this book when Moses is dead
and when Joshua comes on the scene everything that is recorded
here is about what God does by his servant Joshua this whole
book of Joshua and everything that Joshua recounts in chapter
24 as he reminds the children of Israel of what God has done
It's all about what God has done to save his people. It's all
about what God did to bring them out of Egypt. He reminds them
that God did it, not Moses. And that God proved them in the
wilderness. And they were there in the wilderness.
And when they learnt that they were dead, then he sent forth
Joshua. And Joshua led them through the
river Jordan. And God destroyed all their enemies
before them. And God gave them an inheritance.
And the whole message is of what God has done for them. It's what God does to save the
people. Yet if we ever walk with Moses
still, we'll know nothing of this. We'll know nothing of this
salvation by the Lord alone. will know nothing of what it
is that God saves, and God saves by his hand and by his might
and by his strength and by his grace. And that he'll have none
of our works, none of our strength, none of our adding ourselves
to his work. It's either all his work, all
through Christ, all by Joshua, or none at all. So I ask, are
you done with Moses? Is Moses done with you? Or are
you still returning to him and to his law? For you'll never
see Joshua until Moses is dead. But God says, now Moses, my servant,
is dead. Now therefore, Joshua, arise. Go over this Jordan, thou and
all this people. Answer the language I do give
to them, even to the children of Israel. For this is what Joshua
was sent forth, to bring forth this people over this Jordan,
to bring them through Jordan into that promised land, into
Canaan, into that land which the Lord had promised them. 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 and
this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all
the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the
going down of the sun shall be your coast. 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 enough a good courage
for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the
land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. Yes here
we see that Joshua came to bring this people through Jordan and
to bring them into this land which the Lord had promised unto
their fathers. Now what a picture we see of
Christ here, what a picture we see of Jesus, of our Joshua,
of the Saviour, who came and who was sent forth at the commandment
of his Lord, of his Father. When the Lord sent him to do
his will, and when he said, Lo, I come to do thy will, he came
into this world. He came, the only begotten of
the Father, born of a virgin, taken upon himself flesh, the
seed of David, he came into this world. made a man, the Son of
God made man, and he came to lead a people, and he came to
lead a people through death into a promised land. He came to enter
that river Jordan, and he came to lead that people through Jordan,
dry shod, to the other side. And his father said unto him,
his father said unto Christ as it were, 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. He
says unto Christ, 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. When Christ came for the salvation
of his people there was not any man who was able to stand before
him and there shall not be any man able to stand before this
Savior, this Joshua, this mighty conqueror, this one that goes
forth as the anointed for the salvation of his people, there
shall not be any man who can stand before him all the days
of his life. For he came from eternity and
he goes to eternity. He is the son of none, the son
of continuation, the eternal son, the eternal son of God.
And he comes as that mighty conqueror to lead his people forth through
death, through Jordan, into everlasting glory, into that everlasting
inheritance that God promised for him and his people. No man
shall stand before him. The Lord will not fail him. nor
forsake him. And the Lord will not fail those
who are in him, whom he leads forth, nor forsake him. In chapters three and four of
Joshua, we read of how he comes to bring his people through that
river. We read of how he leads the people to the river and organizes
the people and organizes the priests with the ark of the covenant
to lead them through. in chapter 3 and verse 16 we
read of how he how the lord wrought a mighty miracle as he led that
people through the rivers of jordan came to pass that verse
15 as they that bear the ark were come unto jordan and the
feet of the priest that bear the ark were dipped in the brim
of the water for jordan overflow all his banks all the time of
harvest that the waters which came down from above stood and
rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam that is beside
Zaretan and those that came down towards the sea of the plain
even the salt sea failed and were cut off and the people passed
over right against Jericho And the priest that bared the ark
of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst
of Jordan. And all the Israelites passed
over on dry ground until all the people were passed clean
over Jordan. Joshua led the people through
Jordan on dry ground. And the waters rose up and they
stood up and rose up upon a heap very far from the city adam the
city adam we read of here here as the people were led through
the rivers of death we have this reminder of adam of man of man
in the flesh of all the descendants of man of what man is in adam
The waters rose up and stood side by side. And all that was
of Adam when he fell in the garden, when he brought in sin and condemnation
and death into this world and brought in death upon every man.
When Joshua brought the people through the river, we're reminded
of Adam. We're reminded of what the people
were in Adam and what God's people are in Adam. but we have here
in this in this account a picture of the sufferings and death of
our Lord Jesus as he went and he brought his people through
the rivers of death through the rivers of Jordan and he brings
them through that river and through that death on dry ground and
the waters are separated as he entered death for his people
the waters were separated either side by the city Adam and all
that was of Adam all that was in Adam all that All that sin,
all that condemnation, all that death which was in Adam. All those waters which speak
of sin and of death. The waters were separated and
they were separated either side. And when Joshua our Jesus, the
Lord Jesus Christ, went into death for his people, the waters
were separated. And he made a way through death
for his people. And when he drank the cup of
God's wrath, against that people and against their sins. When
he drank as it were the waters of death, when he drank as it
were the condemnation of God, those waters of death for his
people. None of those waters touched
that people. They were brought through the
river on dry ground. Not a drop touched them. As with Noah, in the ark when
God sent that flood and when he rained down the waters upon
the earth and when he destroyed this world with waters those
waters of judgment those waters of death those waters of condemnation
against the sins and the wickedness of mankind the people in the
ark sailed through those waters dry in the ark which spake of
Christ covered by his blood. And so when Joshua, when Christ
led his people through those rivers, through Jordan, they
were led through dry, on dry ground. He did it. He saved them. He did everything necessary to
save them. When his people were brought
through death by Christ, He did everything to save them. He was
the one that suffered that they might not suffer. He was the
one that died that they might live. He was the one that judged
that they might not be judged. He was the one that drunk God's
wrath that they might be spared God's judgment and God's wrath.
He did everything to save his people. Everything. He drank that cup to the uttermost. He drank every drop of God's
condemnation against their sins, that they might be delivered
and they might be brought through. And when in the depths of his
agony, in the depths of his despair upon that cross, when God forsook
him and when God beat him and bruised him, and when God rained
down the fires of his anger against the sins of his people, God would
say by Spirit to his Son, have not I commanded thee? Be strong
and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.
For I am with thee, whithersoever thou goest, even here, even in
death, even in the river, even here, I am with thee. There shall not any man be able
to stand before thee all the days of thy life. I will be with
thee, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. Be strong enough
for good courage. And we read in chapter 4 and
verse 14 of Joshua that on that day when Joshua led the people
of Israel through Jordan, God said on that day the Lord magnified
Joshua in the sight of all Israel. He magnified him. And when Christ
suffered the death that his people should suffer. When he led his
people through the rivers of death, God magnified his son,
the Lord Jesus, in the sight of all Israel, in the sight of
all his people. He magnified him. And when he
led his people through, he led them through to that promised
land, to that land of inheritance, Christ suffered that he might
bring his people through to that promised land of inheritance.
As we read in chapter 11, Joshua gave that land for an inheritance
unto Israel. God gave them an inheritance.
Joshua reminds the people of all these things in chapter 24.
He reminds them what God has done in bringing them through
Jordan. He reminds them of what he has
brought in for them. And he says of this inheritance
that he brings in through them. He says in 24 and 12, I sent
the hornet before you, which drave out your enemies before
you, even the two kings of the Amorites, but not with thy sword,
nor with thy bow. And I have given you a land for
which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not. and
ye dwell in them of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted
not do ye eat. God gave them this inheritance,
this land which they did not labour for, these cities which
they built not, these vineyards which they did not plant. He
brought them in and he did it all through Joshua, through his
servant. And this is what he brings in
through Christ for his people. He brings them to a land and
an inheritance for which they did not labor. A land and an
inheritance which they did not build and which they did not
plant. he gives it to his people, he
gives it to them, he's provided it for them, he's built it, he's
provided it, it's not by their strength, not by their bows,
not by their swords, it's not through their works, but it's
all because of his son, all because of Joshua, all because of what
he did in his death to bring them through, and he brings them
to this land flowing with milk and honey, this wonderful inheritance,
Yes in chapter 24 Joshua in his latter days reminds the people
of all that God has done for them. He delivered them from
all their enemies. He brought them into the inheritance.
He drove out all their foes before them. He brought down the walls
of Jericho before them. He conquered Jericho. He conquered
all these cities upon which they came. this company, this company
that came into this strange land where there were many nations,
many peoples, many cities, many great enemies before them, many
whom they would naturally fear, whom they would think that they
had not the strength or the ability to conquer. Yet God went before
them and Joshua led the people forth and God destroyed their
enemies before them. conquered this whole nation he
gave them cities and he gave them land and he divided the
land amongst all the tribes he brought in what he had promised
for them and here in this chapter 24 Joshua reminds this people
that it wasn't they that did it it wasn't their strength that
brought the victory they didn't bring the victory it wasn't their
swords and their bows and their strength that did it but he did
it God did it. God did everything. And he gave
it to them for an inheritance. And here we have this picture
of the gospel. And of what God has done for
his people in Christ. What God has done for his people
in his Son. It's not them that brings in
salvation. It's not their striving at Moses'
law. It's not their works and their
will and their strength in the flesh. salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of God. And what
a picture we see in Joshua and in these reminders of what God
did by his servant Joshua for the people. That salvation is
of the Lord. That he saved, that he brought
in the victory, that he sent his son in death to take away
everything that was set against his people. that he drank that
wrath of God against their sins, that he took their every sin
away, that he made every conquest for them, that he took away every
stronghold, that he went to those Jericho's that were before them,
that he went to those great walls and he destroyed those walls,
he destroyed those cities, the walls came down before them.
everything that is set before his people, everything that was
set between them and eternal glory, and everything that is
set in this world, that they may face in this world, that
they may face in this pilgrimage in this world. The Lord goes
before them, the Lord in Joshua goes before them and he conquers
every stronghold, every foe, every enemy, every people that
are set before them, everything that's set before them. He has
the victory. He conquers every stronghold. As we read in 2 Corinthians 10,
verse 4, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They're not of
our doing, they're not of our strength, they're not our bows,
they're not our swords, they're not our arm that does it, it's
not our flesh that brings in these victories. It's not our
flesh that brought in the victory at the cross by which we were
saved. It's not our strength that can
take our sins away. It's not our will or our strength
that can make us right before God. And it's not our strength
that can fight all the enemies and all the powers which are
set before us in the world and in our own flesh and in everything
that is set before us. It's not our strength which will
bring the victory. No, our weapons are not carnal,
but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Ephesians 6, 12. For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. How do we wrestle? Through Christ,
through Joshua, by the power of God, by the power of the gospel. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, but it is the power of God unto salvation. The power of God. When the people
came to Jericho, how were the walls of Jericho brought down?
Did they fight? Did they use weapons to destroy
the walls? Did they burn it down with fire?
No, they marched around it quietly. Quietly they marched around the
walls. They were led by the priests.
And the trumpets were blown. And on the blowing of the trumpets
and the shout of the people, the walls came crumbling down. By the power of God. What power
is this blowing of the trumpets? It's the power and the might
in the gospel. when that gospel trumpet is blown,
and when Christ and his salvation is made known, and when the grace
of God that bringeth salvation is made known, that salvation
which is found in Christ alone, when that sound is trumpeted,
when the gospel is made known, then the greatest of foes, and
the greatest of wars, and the greatest of strongholds are brought
down, are brought crushing down. So Joshua reminds the people
of this salvation, he reminds them of all that God has done
for them, all that he has done for them. And in chapter 24 he
says, now therefore, this God that's brought you out of Egypt,
this God that brought you through the Red Sea, this God that brought
you through the wilderness, this God that brought you through
Jordan, this God that brought you through every enemy and every
foe, and brought an inheritance to you, this God, who will you
serve? Now therefore fear the Lord and
serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods
which your father served on the other side of the flood and in
Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. Serve ye the Lord. He reminds
them of how great their God is. Then what will they serve? Will
they turn to other gods? Will they turn to idols? Will
they turn to their own strength, their own might? When it is evident
that it was God that brought them the victory, will they turn
to their own strength? Or will they turn to these other
gods that they once served, these useless gods of the Egyptians,
these useless gods of the Amorites, of the Hittites? Will they serve
them? Or will they serve the true and the living God who brought
them every victory? Who will you serve? Who will
you serve? Will you serve the Lord Jesus?
Who went forth for the salvation of his people? Or will you turn
to an idol? Or will you turn to other gods? This God that
has done everything? But if it seemed evil unto you
to serve the Lord, if it seems if it seems a trial if it seems
troublesome if it doesn't seem well to you if it seems evil
unto you to serve the lord then all right then choose you this
day whom you will serve whether the gods which your father served
up were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the
amorites in whose land you dwell go on then if you will serve
them serve them but as for me joshua says and my house we will
serve the lord We will serve the Lord. But what are these other gods?
What were these other gods? They clearly were different from
this God of whom Joshua reminds the people, this God that saved
them. They're clearly different to
this God, the living God. God saved his people. He saved
them by grace. He saved them by his might, not
with their bows, not with their swords. He saved them. He did
it. Joshua said unto all the people,
sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among
you. Joshua 3.5. That all the people
might know the hand of the Lord that it is mighty. Joshua 4.24. He reminds them of who God is
that he would do wonders among them and in chapter 24 he reminds
them that he did do wonders among them. This is there the living
God. Then where are these other gods?
Where are these other gods? Well, those gods are helpless
gods. Those gods could do nothing.
Those gods had no strength in themselves. These gods that men
worship, that still men still worship today, they're helpless.
These idols that men make, these dumb idols that men made in those
days, what is it about idols? Idols were just done things made
by man they could do nothing men bowed down and worshiped
them but they did nothing everything that they were and everything
that they did was in man himself it was man's strength that brought
forth anything from the idol it was man's desire to worship
the idol man's desire to worship these gods if they did anything
it was because men did it and men had to work in their strength
But the idols and the gods did nothing. It was all about man. What a contrast with this God
who did everything to save his people. All the strength in these
idols is of man. And men have similar idols today.
They make up their idols in the churches. They have their idols
and most of them they call Jesus. They have their free will Jesus.
And they have their Jesus that demands the works of people.
They have their legalism. They have their liberalism. They
have their philosophy. They have their pride. They have
their modernism. They have all their different
gospels that they bring forth and all their idols that they
call Jesus. But all of these Jesuses and
all these gods require us to do something. They require us
to decide to follow. They require us to have the faith.
They require us to be obedient, us to go, us to do. All is of
man. All is in the strength of man. And men will follow this Jesus,
and they will follow these gods, and they will follow these idols.
But Joshua reminds the people of the power in the gospel, and
the power of God. And he says, fear the Lord and
serve him. in sincerity and in truth. Choose
you this day who you will serve. Will you serve these other gods
or will you serve the living and the true God that brought
his people through Jordan? Now Joshua really isn't presenting
much of a choice here. He's reminding the people, he's
demonstrating to them that really there is no choice. That it would
be foolish and folly to follow any of these other dumb gods
that they once served. He shows them the overwhelming
convincing picture that God, the living God has saved and
has done so much. Then it would be foolish to follow
any other God. And yet by nature men do. By
nature men go after anything and everything but the true and
the living God. As we read in Galatians, the
Galatians so soon turned from that which they should have followed.
Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now made
perfect by the flesh? Having begun in faith, do you
now so soon turn away from it? But we worship the true and the
living God, who's done everything to save us, everything to save
us. This is the God that saves, by
grace. And Joshua tells the people,
well then you choose. but I presented to you the works
of the living God, what he has done. And as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord. Joshua and his house will serve
the Lord, the living God. He will worship the God of grace,
the God who by Joshua, who by Jesus saves all his people, by
his will, by his mercy, by his strength, by his power, that
God who brings his people through Jordan. This is the God that
Joshua serves and all his house. What a saviour. Surely there
shall no man be able to stand before this Joshua, before this
Christ, before our Joshua, all the days of his life. No man
will be able to stand before him. Is this your God? Is this your God? Is this your
Joshua? For there's salvation in none
other but in Christ. And all Joshua's house will serve
the Lord, all his house and all his people will serve the Lord,
all Christ's people will serve. Israel served the Lord all the
days of Joshua and they will All the true Israel, all God's
people, all Christ's house, all Jesus and his house, will serve
the living God, for he lives forever. Yes, the Lord God was
with Joshua, and he was with his people. He was with them
as they went through the river. He was with them as they went
through death in Christ, as he took away their sins. He's with
them through all the battles as they as He takes away and
destroys all the enemies before them. He is with them, with us
wherever they go. And if you're in Christ this
day, if you're in His house, if He's your Jesus, if He's your
Joshua, I say to you this day that it is true of Christ and
true of all that are in Him. Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed. For the Lord thy God is with
thee, wheresoever thou goest. For he says of Christ and his
people, I will be with thee, I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee. Amen.