Lesson Nine
Heirs of Promise, Prisoners of Hope

God provides a perfect home for the newly created human race, which we refer to as the Garden of Eden. God gives them dominion over the whole newly created earth (See Genesis chapter one and two) Yet, God is still the supreme owner and sustainer of all!

Adam and Eve sell out. They choose to follow the suggestions of the enemy and doubt and disobey the One Who had given them everything, including life itself. They loose their perfect home.

God, however, has a plan of hope. Promises.

Israel being given the land holds many very interesting and helpful illustrations of God's plan of restoration of the lost "home" and inheritance.

As the historical account of Joshua begins we see the promised land is under the control of evil. Satan has had his way with the inhabitants of Canaan, leading them into all manner of false worship, immorality and violence.
The Canaanites have heard -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob have lived among them. The true God has revealed Himself to them. They were warned that their life style had consequences -- Abraham actually rescued them when an invading army which had conquered their cities, including Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham freed them and the Canaanites went back to their cities (Gen. 14)
But they didn't learn, Sodom and Gomorrah and that whole area in the Siddim Valley which is now the salt sea, (Gen. chapters 14, 18 and 19) were destroyed by fire and brimstone.

They had heard, they had been warned.
But they did not repent and turn, but continued to follow Satan, the enemy of the true God. The prince of evil only led them deeper into darkness of sin.

OUR WORLD
Our world is also "the promised land"! But at present Satan is much of what is going on in this world. We are longing for the time when God's saints inherit the "new earth" with Christ, cleansed and recreated in it's Eden glory and perfection.
But right now this world is inhabited by evil. Satan claims the dominion belongs to him, and he is leading people deeper and deeper into an existence that rejects the true God and His commandments.

JOSHUA AND ISRAEL
They were promised the land. It was God's gift to them. They didn't earn, God gave it to them. Now, they were commissioned by God to clear out the evil. First it was a more general "clear out" enough for Israel to take root in the land.

OUR WORLD
God called forth a church, where people can find escape from a world largely rejecting God.
With the church Christianity takes root in the land.

JOSHUA AND ISRAEL
The territory was divided by tribes, and within each tribe's territory families were given their territory. The land was not only given them as a gift from God, but also responsibility rested on each family and individual to clear out their property.

IN OUR DAY
By God's grace we are brought into the faith, and given individual titles to the promised land. Yet we also (by God's grace and strength) have the responsibility to clear out (not dislocate people) but clear out sin in out hearts and minds, and lead our families in worship and faith in God.

Heirs of Promise, Prisoners of Hope

The already is, but not yet, paradox.

When we read Joshua 11 and 12 we can get the impression the war of conquest was all over, the land was all free of opposing forces and Israel could just move in and settle down.

Yet as we continue reading in the book of Joshua (chapter 13) it soon becomes apparent there is still a lot of conquering to do! In Joshua 18:3 Joshua reprimands people " How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? "

How like the experience of Christianity.
Christ confirmed the covenant, the enemy was defeated, the power of evil broken, at the cross!
It is reality!

Yet the battles are only beginning, the defeated foe will not relinquish his claims on the land and the people without a desperate fight. The human race are still prisoners, many without hope, others with hope because they have full faith that the battle has been won, the promises are sure, and Jesus is and will deliver them from the cords of evil that seek to bind them.

So why is the world in such a mess?
And why did ancient Israel experience so many invasions, and so much trouble, famines, and sinking into idol worship and other abominations? God had given them the land with many promises of blessings, protection, and happy, peaceful living, a light to the world?

Maybe the question is the same as Joshua's question:
How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?

"The Lord has a great work for us to do, and he invites us to look to him, to trust in him, to walk with him, to talk with him. He invites us to make an unreserved surrender of all that we have and are to him." (June 6 1901 YI)

While some give in to slackness and pull away from "a great work", others have thought their own endowments sufficient for an enterprise.

Christ says, "Without me you can do nothing." "Follow me, abide in Me, then you will bring forth fruit".
Jesus says. "Follow where my footsteps lead the way. Then you will not meet the armies of Satan alone. Let me go before you, and you will not be overcome by the enemy's planning to deprive you of your crown which I have laid in store for you".

Lesson Ten
The True Joshua

Joshua as a "type" of Christ.

"Typology is one of the main ways the NT authors use the OT. In the OT, types are like historical previews that anticipate the realities brought about by Jesus."

A type being "an example" or "likeness".
An anti-type being the corresponding reality of the type.

The wilderness sanctuary was a type or likeness of the heavenly sanctuary, with it's priests, furniture and ceremonies being a type of Jesus as both our sacrifice and our High Priest in His work in the heavenly sanctuary.
Hebrews 8:2 (Jesus) a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 8:5 (The earthly priests) served as the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished by God when he was about to make the tabernacle: to see, that he make all things according to the pattern showed to him in the mount.

Joshua's most obvious "type"
Joshua 's mission was to cause Israel to inherit the land of Canaan.
Jesus' mission is to enabling spiritual Israel to inherit the antitypical heavenly land of Canaan.

Also
Joshua sought to do God's will with steadfast perseverance. He was in contact with the "Lord of Hosts" Jesus.
Jesus came to do the Father's will. (John 6:38) And did it perfectly. He was in constant contact with God His Father.

Hebrews gives a clear connection between Joshua and Jesus.
4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then God would not afterward have spoken of another day. 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

The contrast of Joshua and Jesus in these texts in Hebrews indicates that Jesus is the anti type or reality of Joshua who represents a limited preview of Jesus.
Jesus will fulfil the task that Joshua only partially accomplish.

Though, we may ask, why didn't Israel find rest? Joshua could only lead them in battles to possess the land and disperse it to them according to God's direction. Israel did have some temporary rest.
Hebrews links their failure to unbelief.
The true rest can only be found in personal connection with Jesus Christ, a connection of faith and trust. Christ is the Prince of Peace.

He calls us:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

We can experience that rest now, finding peace even in a world of turmoil. Yet, the final, ultimate rest is still future, with Jesus in the glorious kingdom.
But we are to seek that living faith and belief in Him, now, we can enter into rest with Jesus now.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." John 14:27

Going out to conquer.

What is another way to look at those battles of Israel as a "type"?
We have discussed them as the battle of evicting sin (which God's power and grace enables us to do) from our lives.

But there is another way to see them as a "type".

In this world, we too, like Israel as they were entering Canaan, are surrounded with many well fortified cities filled with people who were not connected with God or His ways.

We are commissioned to go forth to conquer!
Not with metal swords or modern weaponry, but with the Word of God in our hands and in our minds and hearts.

In Rev. 6.2 the early Christian church rides forth on a white horse.
Rev. 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

What beautiful symbolism.
The church of Christ, justified and full of the joy and enthusiasm embracing the wonder of the newly ratified gospel, ride forth in white purity to spread the good news to all the nations as a rescue mission, of those lost in their sin.
They have bows and arrows.
In DA 255, we read of " arrows of truth pierce to the soul, breaking through the barriers of selfishness, and working contrition, and finally gratitude to the Saviour.
And GC 90 "As arrows from the Lord's quiver, the Reformer's words pierced their hearts.
GW 151 Although no human eye can see the path of the arrow of truth, who can say that the arrow has not sped to the mark, and pierced the souls of those who listened?.. the truth has silently cut its way to the heart. God has spoken to the soul..

Then there are crowns! Symbolizing victory in Christ.

God has given the gift of salvation, to all who by faith, trust and faithfulness claim that gift. It was bought by the blood of the Lamb!

It is only through Him that we are dressed in white righteousness, and enabled to go forth to proclaim the gospel news to others