A treatise on the Book of Joshua

Front matter

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Preface

It is in my mind to write a series of chapters on the Book of Joshua. May the Spirit of Jesus our Spiritual Joshua lead and guide my heart and pen, and may the writings be blessed of God to the reader that loves this laud flowing with milk and honey.

The text for the entire series is recorded in the first three verses of the first chapter of Joshua, as follows :

" 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 do give to them, even to the children cf Israel

Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses."

INTRODUCTORY,

Not much need be said by way of introducing a work. If the production is good it speaks well in its own behalf: if it is not good the introduction if truthful should be an apology, and whatever needs an apology is more honored in being unknown.

Nor needs one a preface to tell his reader beforehand what he will, or will not do ; but rather that is told in the opening and reading of each page. It is not therefore my purpose to keep the reader lingering in the porch to this little structure, but at once to open its chambers, and invite him to walk in and gather and eat of whatever he may find on its table

P. D. Gold.

MOSES.

Chapter. 1

The Old Testament is the figure of the New Testament. Its symbols foreshadow the gospel substance. The law having a shadow of good things to come, yet not being the very ima^e of the things, does not make any thing perfect ; still it points through faith which is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, to Jesus, and gospel liberty. Moses receives the law from God ; for although the law came by Moses, God gave to his servant Moses every word of the law, and Moses as a servant was faithful in all his house for a testimony or witness of those things which were to be spoken after. Moses is a leader of the people out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, and in the wilderness. He delivers the law to them. He makes supplication for them, he bears with them. He sees their murmurings and hears and bears them. He smites the rock and brings them water. He speaks unadvisably with his lips, and for their sake he cannot enter the promise land, though he sees it. His natural force is not abated, nor his sight dim, nor does any bodily infirmity afflict him, even at the age of one hundred and twenty years, after he had gone through the great and terrible wilderness, and borne all that people.

God spake to him as lie never did to another man, face to face, as a man talks with his friend. He dies at the mouth of the Lord, and God buries him, and no man knows to this day the place of his burial.

While Moses is a type of Jesus in many respects, yet he represents the law, for the law came by Moses.

The children of Israel were led by Moses into the wilderness, and there received the law. They were God's people before they received it, and therefore they did receive it. Indeed they were God's people while in Egypt, therefore they were redeemed from the house of bondage. An Egyptian was not a subject of this redemption for he was not in bondage. No man is in bondage while he is in his own country, and among his own people, and enjoying what his heart desires. But Israel went down aforetime and sojourned in Egypt, and afterward were evil entreated by the Egyptians, for another king rose up who knew not Joseph, and imposed heavy burdens on the Israelites, and enslaved them, and subjected them to servile labor.

Moses was sent to deliver them from this bondage. When this was done by destroying the power of Pharaoh and of Egypt, the Israelites were brought under the leadership of Moses, and were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, in the passage of the Red Sea. When brought into the wilderness they passed into a desert land of burning wastes, a great and terrible howling wilderness. Amid the sterile wilds and rocky cliffs of the desolate and barren mountains of Sinai, and in awful displays of consuming wrath, God gave the law to them by Moses accompanied with such devouring wrath that tliev could not endure the sight.

Though they promised strict obedience to this law, yet in heart they often turned back to Egypt and departed from the living God, and worshipped idols of men's hands.

It was in this wilderness that they showed such rebellion and heart murmuring, and manifested that there was not a single good thing in them, and that they had no power of themselves to endure the passage of the wilderness, or to overcome their enemies. They were kept in that wilderness that they might see and know that they were corrupt and murmurers against God and Moses his servant. Hence the law was to discover their corruption and to make it manifest that they were sinful. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. The terrible barren wilderness that was without houses, homes, fields, fruit, water, or any substance or comfort, that yielded them no fruit or food, rest or comfort, represents the utter barrenness, sterility and insufficiency of the flesh to yield any stood fruit to God. When therefore the law is sent into the heart and the quickened sinner is brought under its power he is in the wilderness of sin where it shows that no good thing dwells in the flesh. He also learns that the law is weak through the flesh, that the law cannot pardon nor forgive, but can only condemn. For by the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified, because by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The falling of the Israelites in the wilderness, and their perishing under the judgments of God shows the weakness and sinfulness of the flesh. Their being kept in the wilderness forty years, until all those that came out of Egypt, and that did not believe the Lord, nor would obey him, fell and perished in the desert, shows that the corrupt principles of the flesh, not one of them, can enter the promise land, nor the rest that remains to the people of God. Nothing that came out of Egypt entered Canaan, except that represented and led by faith.

Nor could Moses himself enter Canaan, because he must bear the guilt of the people in the figure. For while he represents the law that abates none of its force — that lessens not its demands, whose eye of justice is undimmed by age, and where the convicted sinner cannot please at all, let him strive and suffer ever so much, but whose demands remain so firm on the sinner till death that it may truly be said, Moses (the law) is strong to the last moment, hence nothing a convicted sinner can do betters his case, nor lightens his burden, still Moses must die, nor is he suffered to enter Canaan himself. But he dies at the mouth of the Lord. The Lord takes him away and buries him, and no man knows his grave to this day. For the word of the Lord only can remove the load of guilt and the fountain of sin raging with unabated power in the sinner. The Lord only removes that burden and makes an end of it, and takes it away, and we never feel it again. No man to this day therefore knows where Moses is buried, nor where his burden of sin is gone. Moses could not lead the people to the promise land, but he led them to death, and at death they are near at that goodly land, and prepared to enter it. If there had been a law given that could have oiven life then righteousness had been by the law.

Yet Moses was a true servant of the Lord and was faithful as a servant, as the law is holy, just and good: and by as much as it is holy by so much does it show the sinfulness of the flesh.

The work of Moses was to bring them to the border of the goodly land, but there is death, and in the death of Moses then is the time for the rising up of Joshua, at the good word of God, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, &c.,"

JOSHUA.

Chapter II

It was after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, &c,

We come now to consider Joshua, who is a type of Jesus, and means that his help comes from Jehovah. He is said in Heb. 4 : 8, to be typical of Christ; "For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." For there can be no such rest as Jesus Christ gives; but Joshua who is a figure of Jesus leads the Israelites into the land of Canaan, a place figurative of gospel rest, though not that true rest.

It was not until after the death of Moses the servant of God that the Lord commanded Joshua to arise and lead the people over Jordan into the promise land.

As Jesus is the end of the law, and is not revealed as the Saviour until the law has accomplished its work, so Joshua cannot appear as the leader until Moses is dead. For so long as Moses lived the people could not enter the goodly land. We are shut up under the law, our school-master, until faith comes, but when faith is come we are no longer under a school-master. The servant Moses must fulfill all that is appointed for him to accomplish and be dead before Joshua can rise up as the resurrection life entering into the fruit and joy of the

•ffootllv land: so the law must finish and fulfill all its task or work of death before we are freed from it in the death and resurrection of Jesus, who fulfilled the law in every jot and tittle, honoring it

in all things, and then rising from the dead to lead all Israel into the possession of the goodly land of promise.

In the song of Moses just before his death we see the happy estate of Israel set forth in strains of sublime truth. For Jesus is made a curse for his people and dies for them, to give them their godly inheritance. Moses had told the people that for their sakes he could not enter the promise land, so that their sin was in the type borne by him. But how fully and truly in reality was Jesus made sin for us, and bare our sin in his own body on the tree, and was made a curse for us. As Moses smote the rock (Christ) in the wilderness, and it gave them water as it followed Israel in all their wanderings; so Jesus is smitten by the law or justice and wrath of God, and the fountain is opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncieanness.

Xow in the death of Moses they were free from the law of works in the sense that faith springs up; for Joshua who had been in the goodly land and brought back the good report of faith, now, after the death of Moses, rises up; for he had been the faithful servant of Moses in the trilderness. The faith of Joshua appears to move the people, and they are enabled to follow him, for they too are free now from the sin that kept them out of Canaan. For ye are dead indeed to the law by the body of Christ. As Moses was dead and the people were free to serve Joshua, so the church is dead indeed to the law by the body of Christ, and is not now to serve in the oldness of the letter but in the newness of the Spirit.

The charge given bv the Lord to Joshua is most notable and wonderful. It gives him the fullest assurance of the conquest of Canaan, and the complete triumph of Israel, and commands him to be strong in the might and power of God. (see Joshua 1: 5, 10;) God tells him there shall not a man be able to stand before him all the days of his life, and that as he had been with Moses so he would be with him. Therefore he must be strong and of good courage to observe all that Moses commanded in the law. He was not to turn to the right nor to the left. The book of the law should not depart out of his mouth; but he should meditate in it day and night. He was not to be afraid of his enemies, but be of good courage and he should divide the inheritance to the people.

How fnllv was the law written in the heart of

Jesus, and how he delighted to do the will of God. For the law is holy, iust and good. Therefore Jesus delights in it. How full of courage and zeal was Jesus, and he was not discouraged, nor did he faint by the way. He shall not fail nor be discouraged. His own arm hath gotten him the victory. His fury upheld him, and in his fury he trampled the enemies under his feet. Every enemy came out of him. "Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battlebow, out of him every oppressor to-gether." Jesus broke the rod of the oppressor: "For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor as in the day of Midian," "For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and with garments rolled in blood ; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. "Isa. 9: 4, 5. In other battles the issue is doubtful, and the conquering army has wounds and losses, garments rolled in blood, confused noises, sometimes one side shouting then the other, so that it may be doubtful about the issue. But not so in this battle, for Jesus shall destroy every enemy even death itself, and lead captivity captive, and give gifts to men even to the rebellious. Because this child born unto us, and this son given us is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of peace, and the government shall be on his shoulder. Of the increase therefore of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and his kingdom, and to establish it with judgment and justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand, and he will give him the throne of his father David, and he shall rule over the house of Jacob forever. God said to him when he set him on his holy hill of Zion, "ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."

He is the one of the people raised up and made strong for this purpose. God exalted one out of the people, even Jesus of the seed of David according to the flesh, but declared the Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. God gave him power over all flesh that lie should give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him. This eternal life is to know God and his son Jesus whom he hath sent, who has all power in heaven and in earth.

He delighted to do the will of His Father, and knew that will, for he came out from heaven, not to do his own will, but the will of the Father that sent him. The volume of the book of the law was written in his heart. He shall see of the travail of his soul. God will divide him a portion with the great. All for whom he laid down his life shall be saved. For Jesus shall see the fruit of his labor, the travail of his soul, so that he shall be satisfied. To be satisfied is to want no more. For all the Father givetli to him shall come to him, and him that comethto him he will in no wise cast out. He shall divide therefore to every man according to the will and purpose of God.

Joshua was faithful and valiant, and executed the will of God in leading the people to that goodly land. There is no record of any defalcation of Joshua at all. The solemn charge that God gave him he faithfully kept. How much more shall not

Jesus who is the Son of God and the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his person be faithful as the captain of the host of the Lord

God.

Joshua did divide the land of Canaan to the tribes of Israel, as it was purposed of God, and in this shadows forth Jesus the Captain of our salvation made perfect through suffering, and who is the author of eternal life to all that obey him.

With what joy Jesus leads his people to living fountains of water, and rides prosperously because of his enemies.

AEISE.

Chapter. III

The command to Joshua was that he and all this people should arise and go over this Jordan. A new order, a new dispensation was being ushered into Israel. They are to leave the wilderness forever, and change their mode of living. They are 10 arise and come up out of the wilderness leaning upon the arm of their beloved, perfumed with all the powders of the merchant, enriched with all the trophies of victory, and riding upon the high places of their enemies. They are to arise and cross over Jordan into the goodly land. The most splendid and wonderful victories are to crown their arms and proclaim the glory of their king.

First, two men are sent out by Joshua over Jordan to Jericho, to spy out Jericho, and bring word to Joshua. There is to be no failure in this passing over Jordan, and entering the goodly land. The men go over and learn the condition of Jericho. But it is told the king of Jericho that men have come in as spies, and he sends to have them arrested and slain. For spies are considered as nothing but enemies, and they hazard their lives in such undertakings if apprehended.

That which the Lord sends out is opposed by Jericho, (figure of the world with all its power,) but God takes care of his servants.

A woman dwells on the wall in that city that has the spirit of Israel, yet she is an harlot. Just where and how the Spirit of faith dwells is always a matter of astonishment to the self-righteous and to the worldly-wise. The pride of Jericho was the enemy of Israel. The spirit of Jericho was as much opposed to the spirit of Israel as darkness is to light. Every power that was of Jericho and all its principles stood arrayed against Israel.

But Rahab has the faith or principle that loves Israel, and believes that the God of heaven is the leader of that wonderful people, and is with them, and she believes that Jericho is to be destroyed. She believes the truth and loves it. She therefore receives the spies, and in, that sense receives the power of Israel. She hides these spies kindly entreating them, and tells them that the hearts of all the men of Jericho, from the king down to the humblest, are melted for fear of Israel. But the difference is they hate Israel while she loves that people. They seek to destroy the spies, while she seeks their safety and comfort.

She imperils, or lays down her life for these men, so great is her love for Israel, and she obtains their pledge that she shall be saved and her father's house. She obtains witness that she has found mercy, and she believes the promise of the men.

They tell her to abide in her house, and bring all her people in her house when Israel comes over to take Jericho, and not to utter their business, and bind the scarlet line they gave her in the window of her house through which they escaped. All of which she did. How carefully she fastened that scarlet line in the window, and obeyed in all things, thus showing her faith by her w r orks. How vigilantly she holds and watches the token they give her, and to see that the scarlet thread hangs in the window of faith and hope. All of which is the product and proof of her faith in the God of Israel w r ho is the Lord God of heaven and earth, and disposes of mankind as it seems good to him. Was it a matter of chance that these men went to her house? No, it was of purpose, and stands inseparably connected with all the fore-ordained events embraced in that holy and wise purpose of Gocl concerning the salvation of all Israel, and all things needful to affect that salvation. How came this faith in Rahab, the harlot ; and why did not others of Jericho believe ? Why were not the men sent to others ? Did not the powder of God move the hearts of these spies to go to her house, as he moved all those men concealed in ambush behind the city of Ai to arise simultaneously and move against Ai as Joshua stretched his spear ? although none of them saw him do this, nor heard any order, saw any sign that guided. God that turns the rivers of water as it pleases him turns the hearts of kings and of other men as it pleases him whithersoever he will.

Rahab is blessed with faith to believe and love the truth and cleave unto Israel. She is a. poor sinner, dwelling not in the center of the city, but on the wall much exposed and needy.

This is a good token that God has a people among the Gentiles. For Ruth comes from Moab a polluted land, and Rahab from this city of Jericho that is to be destroyed, and each becomes a mother in Israel. So does Tamar, and each is of the wonderful and royal line of which Christ sprang according to the flesh.

When those spies return they bring good news to Israel of the cast down condition of the men of Jericho. This encourages Joshua and Israel to arise and cross the River Jordan, the most noted of all streams of water that flow on earth.

UNITY.

Chapter IV

It is wonderful to behold how God put honor on Joshua, and how the people were led to honor him.

The first command he gave to Israel was, "Prepare victuals, for within three clays you shall pass over this Jordan to possess this land which the Lord God giveth you." Within three days you shall pags over this Jordan ; within three days you shall enter the promise land. How near the blessings are we when Jesus commands. There had never been an order under the law of Moses while they were in the wilderness to prepare food for the march. But here is a command to prepare food, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan. Here we have a type of what in the gospel is done for Israel. Jesus the bread of life is given for the people by his death and resurrection, and the three days and nights he is in the grave insure the triumphant passage of every Israelite across the Jordan of death into the land of promise or liberty in the gospel. It is a three days' journey or is all crossed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. When that death and resurrection is revealed by the Holy Ghost to the hungry or thirsty soul that has been in the great and terrible wilderness of conviction for sin, and in the land of death, then victuals are prepared, or food is given in the flesh and blood of Jesus crucified and risen, and at once this Israelite passes over Jordan.

This comes after the death of Moses. How different the very first command of Joshua from any that Moses had given; yet it is just what is embodied in the law of Moses. For when Moses had finished his work namely in death then Jesus appears with gospel order and resurrection comfort of power and glory, and the people prepare to pass over Jordan and enter the goodly land they had so longdesired.

The two and a half tribes that stop on the north side of Jordan, taking their inheritance and dwelling there, are required also to pass over Jordan, and fight for their brethren on the south side of Jordan, and fight for and with their brethren until the land is occupied and their brethren have possessions also. What may this represent? Itmay shadow forth this among other things that the people of God must labor together, tarry together, and reign together, that they without us cannot be made perfect.

Jerusalem was on the South side of Jordan, there was the temple or place of worship, there the king reigned, and there every male must go to worship God. Even under the first dispensation every worshipper must pass over into the South country of the gospel to worship- God. Abel by faith looked beyond the law to the gospel, or passed over the Jordan to the coming of Jesus and saw that blessed day of redemption, and here he worshipped. Noah entered that goodly land when he worshipped and God smelled the sweet savor of his offering, and made a covenant with him and all flesh that he never would again destroy this earth with a flood of water, and confirmed the same by setting his bow in the clouds. Abraham saw the day of Christ and was glad. It was by faith that Sarah herself conceived seed — that Moses was hid — that he refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter, or it was by coming into the South country and crossing the Jordan that all true worship is done. The people of God come together to worship at Jerusalem. They see eye to eye and speak one and the same thing in Christ Jesus. They must tarry one for another. They must fight one for another. One shall not get the pre-eminence over another. All the dispensations come together in the gospel. We set down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God and w r orship together in the Holy Mount at Jerusalem.

The other tribes helped the two and a half tribes in destroying their enemies on the North side of Jordan, and now in turn they must go forward and help their brethren on the South side in destroying their enemies, and so bearing one anothers burdens they shall fulfil the law r of Christ. We that are alive and remain shall not prevent or get ahead of those that sleep, in the resurrection at the last day. But the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we that are living shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, so shall we be caught up together (all at one time) and shall Ave thus be ever with the Lord.

Jesus when he dies for his people and rises brings them all up out of their graves. The bones of Joseph shall not be left in Egypt, The body shall come forth. The leaven shall leaven the whole lump, and Jordan shall not divide Israel, nor shall death, plague, nor famine, nor things j)resent, nor things to come separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Though some may enter in first and get some of the sweets of home before the others, or get their penny a day, yet there shall be no difference. For if some do enter into their possession first they must yet go forth in front of battle and exposure, of labor and privation until others also enter into rest, and thus an equality reigns in Israel.

JOKDAN— ARK.

CHAPTER. V. "Arise and pass over this Jordan."

The report of the spies, the preaching and hearing of faith, prepares Israel to arise and pass over Jordan against Jericho.

The river Jordan is the most classic and famous of all rivers on earth. It is the river of Palestine or Canaan. The word means flowing or descending, and represents cleansing, or separation. It is a very rapidly flowing river, rising among high mountains and falling many hundreds of feet, and is buried or lost in the Salt or Dead sea; for no visible outlet has ever been found to this Salt sea. It is remarkable that as much water as flows through the Jordan should empty into the salt sea, yet this* sea never increases its water, nor fill to over-flowingj especially as it has no communication with any other water.