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Joshua and the name Jesus are the same (see Heb. 4: 8, margin), and we are immediately
aware of the foreshadowing of a greater "Captain" (Heb. 2: 10) and a greater "High
Priest" (Heb. 4: 15) who is to lead many sons, not only into the land of Canaan, but to
"glory".
The covenant made by God with Abraham, and repeated to Isaac and Jacob, is
concerned with a "Land" and a "Seed", the Seed including the literal descendants known
as Israel, and "Thy seed which is Christ" (Gal. 3: 16). The book of Joshua is particularly
concerned with the entry into the land promised to the fathers.
Although the land of promise is spoken of in glowing terms in the Scriptures, we must
admit that in its largest extent it is by no means a great country, and if we limit our survey
to the extent of Palestine itself, its size is small indeed, being not much greater in area
than the Principality of Wales. There must be something above and beyond the territory
itself that justifies all that is written around those few square miles.
Considered as a single fact of history, the entry into Canaan is insignificant when
compared with other migrations and conquests. Nevertheless this exodus of people and
this conquest are accompanied by most wonderful miraculous interventions, not only
miracles affecting the immediate surroundings and limited to the earth, but also extending
to the sun and the moon (Josh. 3: 14-17; 10: 12, 13).
The peopling of the promised land with the chosen race is one of the chief factors in
the salvation of the nations of the earth, and it is because this spot of earth is the chosen
geographical centre from which light and blessing, rule and law shall flow out to the ends
of the earth that it occupies such an important place in the Divine plan. And further,
Joshua is pre-eminently a type of the Lord Jesus Christ; and the experiences of Israel as
recorded in this book have been "written for our learning". The whole history
foreshadows the present experience of the redeemed, and their entry into the inheritance
in God's own time. While, therefore, we shall give attention to the actual historic facts
that are here recorded, we shall be more concerned with the light they throw upon the
purpose of the ages and our association with it. Of course the dispensation of the mystery
finds no foreshadowing in O.T. types; it was hid in God until revealed through the
apostle Paul. But the walk and warfare of the redeemed in all ages have much in
common, and though the paths trodden lead to widely different destinies, they are
nevertheless in many respects parallel.
The first lesson, and one that is fundamental for us all, is contained in the first two
verses 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
do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Josh. 1: 1, 2).
The word "Now" with which the book opens is in the Hebrew vav, and is but one
letter, in the form of a hook. It links the book of Joshua to the preceding books of Moses.