Deuteronomy 31:1-8 And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel.… Joshua's taking possession of the land of Canaan is the figure of our entering into the promised kingdom on the descent of the Holy Ghost. But the courage of Joshua speaks of something far more deep and extensive than this; as the apostle in explaining Joshua and Canaan as the true rest to be found in Christ, adds, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help." It is not, then, of boldness in battle that God would teach us by Joshua, but it is altogether a figure of something else, of a brave courage in Christ; for "we wrestle not against flesh and blood," but against spiritual powers; our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God. Such is our Joshua, who hath taken upon Him not the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. But as for all warfare the requisite is courage, so Joshua represents in particular that courage of heart which is a great ingredient in the "faith that overcometh the world," and in that "perfect love" which "casteth out fear." Joshua speaks not of human virtue and affection, but of power; not of man's disposition, but of victory in God. And what is this but of God in Jesus Christ? The one lesson, therefore, is that in all, and beyond all, His saints, we are to look to Jesus, remembering that He is God as well as man; that it is altogether different to that of looking to the example of any man, on account of His Godhead, His atonement, the gift of His Spirit; we look to Him and have power, we have power by looking; nay, by looking, as the apostle says, we "are changed into the same image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." His example, indeed, seems in some sense to set us afar off; for He is all perfection, we full of imperfections. He is at such an infinite distance that we cannot approach Him. But the name of Joshua brings us near; for by that we know He has power to put His own mind into us, and to make us like Himself. And the reason of this is, because we can never look to Him merely as our Example without remembering at the same time that He is in manifold ways unspeakably more. It is when we believe in Him as our God that His example itself becomes profitable to us in a way perfectly different from any example of good men. (Isaac Williams, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. |
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