Moses was the chosen vessel of the LORD to lead HIS children (i.e.; Israel) out of the bondage of Egypt. Every step of their journey from the land of Canaan, given to Abraham, to the confines of Egypt were marked out by the LORD, from the selling of Joseph, by his brothers into Egyptian slavery, to seven years of famine which prompted Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Every event transpired unto the glory of GOD and the ultimate deliverance of HIS people who sold themselves into this bondage for a mess of pottage. Israel was in this bondage according to the purpose of GOD and by their own choice. They were without excuse.
Moses was made the overseer of the children of Israel through the direct call of GOD to him as he tended sheep in the desert. He presided over them as the receiver of the Law which was given to him on Mount Sinai. The promises attached to this Law were all conditional in nature and the benefits of the blessings associated with obedience to this law depended upon their “keeping the law”. “All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.” (Deut 8:1) Also attached to this law was a curse if they did not “keep the law”. “And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deut 8:19-20)
While Moses led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, he could not lead them out of the natural bondage which enslaves the hearts of all men. Over and over these descendants of Jacob, after the flesh, disobeyed these commandments, sought out other gods, and disregarded the precepts which Moses delivered to them. Therefore, all of those who came out of Egypt perished in the wilderness around Sinai where they sojourned for forty years. “Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: ---. And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.” (Num 32:11-13)
From this we learn the folly of thinking that any man born of Adam’s seed shall enter the Kingdom of GOD through the deeds of the Law carried out in their sinful flesh. Herein is the “weakness” of the Law revealed as it is described by Paul in his letter to the Romans, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, “ (Rom 8:3) While the Law serves a very great and needful purpose it can never in any wise enable a man to abide in it. Though it breathes out slaughters to those who are under it, it provides no help and offers no mercy. Paul goes on to describe this inability in his epistle to the Galatians, many of whom seemed to think otherwise. “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: forif there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” (Gal 3:21)
The need of the sons of GOD, as they sojourn through this land of darkness and sorrow, is not the heavy hand of that law nor the dictates of Moses, but rather ONE who is not simply a DELIVERER but an ENABLER of the promise of GOD to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Such a ONE is the LORD JESUS CHRIST who has come to set HIS people free from the Law (i.e.; the principle) of sin and death and to give them ETERNAL LIFE. Thus, we read Paul’s glorious exultation: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom 8:1-3)
As certain as we are that the “promises” which were given to Moses in the Law, were conditional, that PROMISE which was given to Joshua, was yea and amen and its glorious fulfillment rested in the ONE who made the promise and the ONE to whom the promise was made. “He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Gal 3:16) Joshua was called to bring the children of Israel into the promised land. Moses could not so so because the LORD buried him on that hill overlooking this glorious Kingdom. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:24-29)
Because the promise is made to CHRIST, those who are in CHRIST, are caused by HIM to believe, walking in the “FAITH of CHRIST”. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68-69) Can the awakened sons of GOD confess anything else?
As that one who would lead Israel into the land of promise, Joshua is a clear type of CHRIST. In fact the very NAME of our SAVIOR, is the Greek translation of “Joshua”. This is manifested in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 as the one spoken of by the name Jesus is none other than Joshua. So, we can plainly see Joshua receiving a promise from the LORD which illustrates the everlasting promise given to JESUS CHRIST, the only begotten SON of GOD, who is the KING installed upon the Holy Hill of Zion. As the FATHER declares, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” (Psa 2:6-8)
HE made the promise (which could in no wise fail to occur lest the LORD’s word should fail) and then HE swore that HE would perform it. “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (Heb 6:17-20)
HIS promise is absolute and without any possibility of failure. HE will perform it. HE is the SAVIOR of HIS people both by decree and in the demonstration of HIS substitutionary work in their behalf in order to satisfy the Law which rightly condemned each one. HIS death on Calvary’s cross was not an attempt to rectify a problem facing mankind, but was the fulfillment of that same promise given to Joshua, “so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
“There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” (Deut 33:26-29)
Keep silence all created things,And wait your Maker’s nod;My soul stands trembling while she sings
The honours of her God.
Life, death, and hell, and worlds unknown,
Hang on his firm decree;
He sits on no precarious throne,
Nor borrows leave TO BE. (I.Watts, #4, Gadsby’s Hymns)
mam