~ A Picture of Jesus Christ ~
Joshua
is one of the most striking men in the Bible and is a “type” of our Lord Jesus
Christ. A type in the Bible is a picture of something else. While much of what
we learn about Joshua is found in the book of Joshua, we also learn about him in
many other places in Scripture. Here are some examples of how Joshua is a type
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
His Name ~ It was Moses who
renamed Hosea as Joshua. In Hebrew Joshua (Yehoshua
or Yeshua) means “the Lord saves” or
“Jehovah is Salvation.” In Greek his name is translated “Jesus” and the message
of the book of Joshua is that “Jesus saves.” Note, however, that Joshua was a
temporary savior and Christ is the only true Savior who saves eternally.
The Succession ~ Moses was “a
friend of God” who gave the Law and Joshua is his replacement. The Bible
teaches that the Gospel of Jesus Christ succeeds the Law. But first Joshua was
a servant to Moses, and we find that Christ came to earth under the law and was
obedient to it in every way. Joshua replaced Moses—Christ fulfilled the
requirements of the Law (Romans 8:2-4; Galatians 3:23-25). Joshua led the
people into God’s promised covenant blessing—Christ gives us the blessing of
salvation.
His Destiny ~ Joshua was born
a slave in Egypt and knew he was an ordinary man. The Exodus occurred when he
was about 40 years old. For the next 40 years he wandered in the desert with
the Israelites. Joshua’s life was remarkable as he received direct
encouragement from God. “Be strong and of good courage” occurs multiple times
in the opening chapter of Joshua (verses 6, 7, 9, 18). He witnessed the
miraculous crossing of the Red Sea (Joshua 4) and saw the incarnate Christ (Joshua
5:13). While Jesus was no ordinary man, He too spent time in the wilderness. He
relied on and gained His strength from God His Father. While on earth He
performed many miracles.
His Life ~ Scripture
declares that only One man was sinless, but Joshua is one of very few Biblical
personalities with little sin recorded in Scripture. His recorded life was nearly
unblemished. Jesus was the One who actually lived a sinless life.
His Character ~ Joshua was
clearly a servant-leader, which is the essence of true spiritual leadership. In
so many of his virtues (trustworthy, diligent, courageous, wise, a man of
integrity, etc.) he was a foreshadowing of Jesus who was to come. Perhaps most
importantly, Joshua carried out the will of his master—Christ was devoted to
the will of His Father (John 6:38). Consider just a few of Joshua’s character
traits:
Humility ~ There is no
record of Joshua ever promoting his self-interests or seeking honor—he knew he
was God’s servant and relied on God for his strength. He wanted victory for the
Lord—Jesus said, “Father, glorify Thy name” (John 12:28).
Obedience ~ Joshua’s
diligence to follow the law of Moses was a key factor in his personality and success.
The concept of blessing following obedience is a common theme throughout the
Old Testament. Jesus displayed ultimate obedience during His life, culminating
in obedience even unto death (Philippians 2:8).
Consistency ~ As Joshua
followed the will of God for him, he was willing to take an unpopular position.
For example, it was only Joshua and Caleb of the twelve spies who recommended
obedience to God (Numbers 13:17-14:10). Joshua’s consistent acknowledgement of
truth even when it was unpopular is another parallel with Jesus Christ (Isaiah
53:3; Mark 14:50).
Faith ~ During the time
of the wilderness wanderings Joshua was a faithful aide to Moses as he observed
faith in action. Later faced with overwhelming odds, Joshua by faith led the
Israelite army in its conquest of the promised land. Joshua’s great
accomplishments were largely due to his unwavering faith and commitment to his
God. Jesus Christ maintained complete faith in His Father and acted on that
faith.
His Strength ~ Knowing God’s
will provides great confidence and strength for whatever task God has given.
Joshua knew what God desired of him (Joshua 1:9) and obeyed God’s will. Jesus
Christ and the Father are one, but it is clear that Jesus always obeyed the
Father’s will (Hebrews 10:7-9; Luke 22:42).
His Fellowship ~ Joshua was
intimate with God—he thrived on fellowship with God. He sought opportunities to
be in God’s presence (for example Exodus 24:13). In the Gospels we find that
Jesus often left the crowds in order to find solitude in prayer and communion
with His Father. As Joshua led the Israelites in the Old Testament, Jesus leads
God’s people in the New Testament.
His Ministry ~ Joshua and Jesus
were both servants. Both were willing to do whatever it took to accomplish
God’s purposes on earth. Both were givers rather than takers. Both were
channels of blessing from God.
His Task ~ Joshua was told,
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good
courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with
you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Jesus tells us today, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). We can have confidence in the Great
Commission because of the example of Jesus on earth being empowered by the
Father.
His Leadership ~ Joshua governed
Israel as their commander-in-chief with God-given wisdom, courage, and integrity.
Jesus, our commander-in-chief, displayed the ultimate in all virtues and is the Captain of our Salvation.
His Power ~ Joshua led the
people through the power of the Holy Spirit operating in his life. Jesus Christ
as a member of the Trinity was empowered by yielding to the Spirit as He went
about doing the will of His Father.
His Deeds ~ Joshua’s
accomplishments were due to his trust in God for all aspects of his life.
Joshua led the Israelites through the river Jordan—Jesus leads us through the difficult
places in our lives. Joshua saved the prostitute Rahab—Jesus saves the worst of
sinners. Joshua accepted the Gibeonites—Jesus receives all who come to Him.
Joshua conquered the kings of the Canaanites—Jesus conquers sin, our flesh, and
the world’s influence in our lives (Romans 8:37).
The Final Result ~ The biggest
accomplishment of Joshua and perhaps the place where he is the clearest type of
our Lord Jesus is that he brought the people into the land of Canaan—a place of
rest! Jesus brings us into the place of true rest both in this life and for
eternity. Joshua brought a temporal rest (Hebrews 4:8)—Jesus brings an eternal
rest. Canaan is a type of the kingdom of God which ultimately will be the New
Jerusalem (Revelation 21). We have a spiritual rest while on earth—our
permanent and complete rest will be in the New Jerusalem. Our rest was accomplished and finalized by
Jesus on the Cross when He declared “It is finished!” (John 19:30.)
Key Observation ~ During Joshua’s
day many Israelites died during the wilderness wanderings because they refused
to listen to and obey the commands of God. Even though they saw His mighty
works on their behalf, they did not yield to His authority. They failed to
enter into the promised land and rest from the journey. There is a parallel
situation today. Many refuse to listen to the Gospel message and accept Jesus
Christ as their only source of salvation. Unless their hearts are softened, they
cannot enter into spiritual rest and eternal salvation (Hebrews 4:6-12).
Salvation comes by faith in Christ—not by our own good deeds. The result of
faith in Christ is rest both now and eternally. This is the most important
lesson to be learned from Joshua as a type of Jesus Christ.
Summary ~ Joshua is the
key person in the Biblical book of Joshua. But the narrative is more about
Jesus Christ and His great salvation than it is about Joshua and his obedience.
The book is about victorious living on earth. While Joshua was a role model of
victorious living on earth, Jesus was the ultimate supreme example of a life
pleasing to God the Father. We can live on earth in the power of the Holy
Spirit today. The first twelve chapters of the book of Joshua present great
truths and the reality that life on earth is a battle. The rest of the book
illustrates how to deal with life’s difficulties after we have received divine
truth. God has given us everything we need for victorious living now (2 Peter
1:3-4).
ADDITIONAL
COMMENT: Joshua was a human who had his flaws, but because of his overall
desire and pursuit of God, Scripture records little
of his failures. He was a true servant-leader who was a picture of the ultimate
servant-leader, Jesus, who was yet to come. While Joshua was a single
individual, he represents many “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews
11:38).
PERSONAL
COMMENT: My grandson—Joshua—becomes a
teenager today. Josh, this posting is
dedicated to you!
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
