Joshua son of Nun: type of Yeshua ben Elohim

Reading Joshua Chapter 1

Written in Wesley Methodist Church Kampar, Sunday 11May2014

A comparison of the role and authority of Joshua ben Nun in the Old Testament with that of the Master Yeshua ben Elohim (Iesous, Son of God) in the New Testament

(1) Those who Failed and Some who Remain

Joshua, in his commands to the officers of the people, reminded them of the words of Moshe, that YHWH their God is giving them rest and this land.

Joshua 1:10 - 11 NKJV
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which YHWH your God is giving you to possess.’”

Joshua 1:12 - 15
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,  “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘YHWH your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ . . . But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until YHWH has given your brethren rest, . . .” 

The people of Israel, however, failed to receive nor enter into God's rest because of their disobedience. (See Psalm 95: 7 - 11, explained in Hebrews 3: 7 - 11)

Hebrews 4:6,9 tells us that "those" to whom it was first preached did not enter God's rest because of their disobedience and also it remains that "some" must enter it. Verse 9 says,

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God"

Hebrews 4:10 goes on the elaborate that anyone (people of God) who have entered His rest will also have ceased from his own works, just as God Himself also rested from His work. (See genesis 2:2, quoted in Hebrews 4:4) on the seventh day of Creation.

Futhermore, Hebrews 4:11 warns us to be diligent to enter that rest (the rest of God) and to beware of falling in the same way of the Israelites who disobeyed.

(2) The commands of Joshua and the commands of Moshe

Joshua ben Nun was given all the authority of Moshe, and YHWH Elohim was to be with Joshua just as He was with Moshe. (see Joshua 1:7). The people of Israel promised to heed Joshua in the same way.

Of utmost importance, perhaps surprisingly, the people of Israel went on to affirm that whoever does not heed the words of Joshua's commands shall be put to death!

Concerning the commands in the Torah (Law), it is noted in Hebrews 10:28 that, on the testimony of two or three witnesses, anyone who rejected "Moshe's Law" dies without mercy.

It is clear from Joshua chapter One that the words of Joshua, like the words of Moshe, when uttered as a Command or Law, were to be obeyed by the people on pain of death.

(3) Obeying Yeshua and Obeying God

Likewise, just as the people of Israel obeyed Moshe, and subsequently Joshua, as prophets who gave commands from YHWH Elohim, and that disobeying them was disobeying God, today we are reminded to obey the commands of another Joshua: our Master Yeshua the Messiah (the Lord Iesous Christos) as the very commands of Elohim himself.

The Lord Iesous himself told his disciples in John 14:1, "you believe in God, believe also in me".

Again in John 14:21, the Lord Iesous said that anyone who keeps His commands will be loved by God his Father. In fact, the imperative, "keep my commandments" is uttered by our Lord Iesous three times in the Gospel according to St John:

John 14:15
If you love me, keep my commandments

John 14:21
He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me . . .

John 15:10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love

Summary

Joshua ben Nun was the Type (forerunner) of Yeshua ben Elohim (Iesous, Son of God) in the following ways

1.  Joshua ben Nun took over from Moshe. Yeshua likewise takes over the role of being leader, our Messiah (Christos)
2. Joshua ben Nun was given authority as God's prophet. His commands were to be obeyed just as Moshe's commands were obeyed, as God's commands. Likewise, the Master Yeshua's commands are to be obeyed as God's commands.
3. Joshua's mission was to lead Israel into God's rest and into God's promised land. Likewise, Yeshua's ministry is to bring God's people into God's rest.

Conclusion

Brothers and Sisters, let us be diligent today, let us strive to enter the Rest ordained by God our Father in Heaven by keeping the commandments of our Master Yeshua the Messiah, (our Lord Iesous Christos).