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HEBREWS, Part 5

Published October 17, 2011 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Faith, Hebrews, hold firmly, Moses, salvation, superior to Moses, the faith

Jesus vs Moses, 3:1—6

For two chapters, the author of Hebrews has developed his argument, using passages from the Old Testament, that Jesus is superior to angels. Jesus is the author of a great salvation and great enough to become a man in order to accomplish it. But the people to whom this letter is addressed are Jews. and who was a very important Jew? Moses, of course. So, as if to head off the notion that among the Jews Moses might have been greater than Jesus, Paul turns his attention to that thorny issue.

The voice of Moses had become synonymous with the voice of God to the Jews. Appealing to Moses stopped any dispute. It may be difficult for us today to understand, but for these Jews, the transfer of faith and allegiance from Moses to Jesus was not an easy thing, and there was the nagging temptation to return to Moses.

So, having demonstrated the greatness of Jesus to angels and the priesthood, it was time to deal with Moses.

1. Don’t get distracted, 3:1

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

The “therefore” is important because it links chapter 3 with what the teacher had just written about the unity Jesus has with His brothers and sisters. Together, we are part of the great family of God. The brothers and sisters to whom this letter was written were made holy by Jesus. The word “holy” is also important. It’s an adjective that indicates these people had been sanctified; the guilt of sin had been removed from them through the suffering and death of Jesus. These folks had been separated from the rest of humanity, as all Christians have been, by an act of Jesus on their part. They belonged to Him.

Not only were these people holy, but, along with the author, they “share in the heavenly calling.” What is “the heavenly calling?” The phrase indicates a number of things. First, it shows that salvation—the creation of holy brothers and sisters—is God’s initiative, not man’s. The decision to save and sanctify comes from heaven. God has called man to become His own and because Jesus has taken on our natures, He is more than able to help us answer that call.

But it means even more than that. The “heavenly calling” is not only a spiritual calling to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but a practical one, as well. Notice what Hebrews 9:14 says:

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

So the “heavenly calling” also has something to do with serving the Lord in the present world; it has to do with “good works.” Not only have we been saved by grace through faith, which is a work of God and not our personal work, but we have been created for good works that God has in mind for us to do. How many Christians know Ephesians 2:8 and 9 by heart but are totally ignorant of verse 10:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

These ideas are followed by the advice to “fix your thoughts on Jesus.” Another way to translate that admonition is to “consider Jesus.” The Greek word means “to bring your mind down on this one” thought; “think carefully about” something. That’s a good advice. It’s far too easy to get distracted by other things and people that take our attention away from Jesus. So, it’s vitally important to stay focused on Him.

But, why is Jesus called “an apostle?” We can understand why He is called a High Priest, but an apostle? This is the only time Jesus is referred to an apostle, and it seems odd. The basic idea the writer is trying to convey to his audience is that God “sent” Jesus; He sent Jesus to accomplish a definite purpose. Like human apostles, Jesus was given the authority to speak for the One who sent Him: God the Father.

But the word means even more than that. If we remove the prefix, apo, we are left with the word stolon. You may not know that word, but biologists do, and they use this word to describe a type of root that descends from a plant having the capability of putting down a new set of roots. You might call that plant “crabgrass.” And if you’ve every tried to get that crabgrass out of your lawn, you see how pervasive that root system can be! Those darn stolons are always establishing new colonies of crabgrass all over your lawn!

So Jesus is like crabgrass in the sense that He was sent by the Father with the authority to establish a new “colony of heaven” here on Earth. Christ in turn has given us that same authority to establish new, smaller “colonies of heaven,” which we call “churches.”

Hence, Jesus is an apostle, as we are. He is faithful to God the Father as we should be.

2. Jesus and Moses were both faithful, 3:2

He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.

The emphasis in this verse is not that Jesus “was faithful,” but that He was faithful to “the one who appointed him.” Part of being both an apostle and a high priest is being absolutely faithful to God. Now, Moses was also faithful in the house of God. Moses was faithful to speak the words God wanted him to speak. He accomplished the things God commanded of him. Moses is the perfect example of a human being who lived a life of obedience to God. No, he was not perfect. Moses made mistakes. But the writer gives Moses his due, comparing our Lord’s perfect faithfulness to his.

Moses ministered faithfully in God’s house—the “church of God in the wilderness”—during the 40 year wilderness wandering of the Hebrews. But, there is a vital difference between Jesus and Moses.

3. Jesus is different, 3:3, 4

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

Jesus is vastly different from Moses because while Moses served in God’s house, Jesus built the house! Jesus is not a mere servant; He actually created the house. So the Son is worthy of more honor than Moses. Now, Moses was certainly an honorable person, but he pales in comparison to Jesus; his honor just can’t measure up to Jesus’.

We may admire a magnificent building, but it’s the architect who gets the award. In that sense, Jesus is greater than Moses. Moses was always just a member of the people of God. He had great honor within that body, but Moses could never be more than that. But not so Jesus; He was more. Yes, Jesus became like those He came to save, but He was always more than those He came to save! And as the Son of God and man, He built the house of God—the Church.

Verse 4 is kind of parenthetical thought. Jesus created the house of God—He founded the Church—but it’s God who is creator of all.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

So, we can see the teacher’s strategy here. There is a relationship between Creator and creature. Christ is the builder but Moses was part of the house being built. Christ is over the house, Moses is in the house. Christ is the Son, Moses a servant.

4. The new is better than the old, 3:5, 6

“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. (verse 5)

The main point in verse 5 is the last phrase. In a sense, Moses functioned as a prophet and was a foreshadow of Jesus, the great Prophet. All that was revealed to Israel through Moses anticipated things yet to come. This is a powerful thought that would hit these Hebrew readers right between the eyes. Jesus is superior to Moses, and the words of Jesus are superior to the words of Moses because those words—the Law—simply foreshadowed what God would speak later on. This simple statement shows how temporary and anticipatory the Law really was. This must have been a big pill for some of the readers of this letter to swallow and digest!

And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. (verse 6b)

This verse tells us that the Hebrew readers of this letter were saved and that obedience to revelation is evidence of the genuineness of anyone’s salvation. The children of Israel by faith accepted the plan of redemption they were given by God through Moses. In obedience, they sacrificed the lamb, put its blood around the door posts of their homes. There was no rebellion at that point. However, after they experienced their redemption—deliverance from Egypt—God’s newly redeemed people continually rebelled against Moses. Sadly, that entire redeemed generation was characterized by complaining and murmuring, grumbling and discontent with everything. No wonder the writer to the Hebrews cautioned his readers to “hold firmly.”

The “people of God as a house” metaphor is seen frequently in the New Testament. The author tells his readers that we, believers, are the house of God. This means that those who confess Christ as Savior, not those who practice Judaism, constitute the household of God. Christians acknowledge Christ as the chief cornerstone. But, the teacher places two limitations on being a part of God’s house.

a. If we hold firmly to our confidence. We can no longer be a part of God’s house if we lose our confidence or our courage. For these Hebrews, backsliding into Judaism was a constant danger, so our writer urges them to hold onto their confidence in the Word of God concerning Jesus Christ in the face of the fierce opposition they must have been facing from their families and friends. Gentile Christians, too, must be faithful in the face of any kind of persecution. The word translated “confidence” in the TNIV is translated “courage” in other versions of Scripture. The Greek word is particularly significant for the Christian because it relates to our boldness and frankness in sharing the Gospel

b. The hope in which we glory. If the readers of this letter no longer hold on to the hope they’ve boasted about in the past, then they are no longer part of the household of God. This “hope” is something the author deals with later on:

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain… (6:18, 19)

The “hope” every Christian has is in God’s unchangeable purpose and the fact that God cannot lie; that He is absolutely trustworthy.

Just as God is true to His purpose and character, so we must be a true reflection of Him as our Creator and Redeemer. If we fail, then we cease to be a part of God’s house. This is why throughout Hebrews the writer urges his readers to be faithful to their calling.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

That’s not easy to do. We want easy things to believe it. But knowing Christ involves a lot more than merely mouthing the right words. It involves a solemn responsibility to live in obedient submission to Him. Because if we don’t, we are in danger of forfeiting His blessings in our lives, and perhaps even life itself.

(c) 2011 WitzEnd

JOHN, Part 15

Published May 17, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: John, Moses, Pentateuch

John 5:31—47

To the Jewish leaders who heard Jesus, His claims espoused throughout chapter 5 must have sounded audacious to be sure. Jesus had claimed equality with God; that the two were united in both substance and purpose. He also claimed that spiritual life was found in only one place: Himself. These claims, of course, could not be accepted by the religious leaders; it was His word against theirs. Because His authority was questioned, Jesus, in this section of chapter 5, enumerated witnesses to vouch for the veracity of His claims.

1. Legal challenge met, verses 31, 32

If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.

Jesus is applying a Biblical principle in His defense:

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ (Matthew 18:16)

These sense of verse 1 is that Jesus is admitting His testimony would not be sufficient in a court of law; therefore He will offer more testimonies as prescribed by the Mosaic Law (see Deuteronomy 17:16 and 19:15).

We should not interpret Jesus as saying that His testimony about Himself was untrue or that His words carried no authority. Just as in previous verses where Jesus admitted His total dependence on God the Father was the result of His own self-limitation when He came to earth and took upon Himself our humanity, so He is seen in verse 31 condescending to use the Law of man in addition to His own word about Himself. In other words, Jesus’ testimony was not valid in terms of Jewish Law, so Jesus would abide by their own Law.

The exact meaning of verse 32 is unclear. Jesus could be referring to God the Father or John the Baptist. The word matryron (testifies) is in the present tense, indicating a continual, non-stop, uninterrupted action. It is hard to apply that to John the Baptist, especially since in the next verse the perfect tense (memartyreken) of the same verb is used of the Baptist. It seems that, while Jesus refers to John the Baptist in the next two verses, here is mentioned a higher Witness, not a human witness, but a second Witness, nonetheless.

2. Witness #1—John the Baptist, verses 33—35

You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

After briefly referring to God the Father, Jesus speaks about the first witness, John the Baptist. The reference is to the testimony of the Baptist back in 1:19—28, which he had given to a delegation sent to him. John the Baptist’s words about Jesus were powerful and taken seriously, as he himself was taken very seriously for a time. We forget that before he was beheaded, the Baptist had a massive following; people hung on his every word about the Messiah. The Jewish religious leaders and the Roman political establishment so feared this man, they were forced to take his life to silence the seditious words of what they considered either a religious heretic or a political rabble-rouser.

Jesus appeals here to John the Baptist’s testimony, not because the Lord needed a mere human being’s testimony about Himself, but to stress to the religious leaders that what the Baptist said about Him was true and that many, many people believed him.

The phrase, you chose for a time to enjoy his light, simply means that even these Jews listened to and accepted the Baptist’s words about the Messiah. If they could believe the testimony of the man John, how could they not accept the words of the Son of God?

What is interesting about the general attitude toward John the Baptist is that it is so similar to that of Jesus. Those who were familiar with the preaching of John the Baptist vacillated between first accepting him and then turning against him when his call to repentance became far to inconvenient for them. This is precisely the effect the words of Jesus had and continues to have on people. People are touched with the Gospel of love; they love Jesus’ messages of compassion and acceptance. But when Jesus’ word calls for repentance and choosing between the old way of life and His new life, they resist and balk and turn away.

3. Witness #2—God the Father, verses 36—40

I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

There are actually two witnesses in paragraph; the works Jesus performed and God the Father, the first is connected to and cannot be separated from the latter.

When John uses the word “work” (Greek erga), he is referring to the miracles Jesus performed, including the healing of the man at the pool. These amazing works could not be duplicated by priests or holy men, so they revealed something of Jesus’ divine nature. These works, while they don’t produce faith in a person’s heart, and while they are not as important as the words of the Lord, could not be ignored for they strengthened and confirmed faith. Remember what Nicodemus said to Jesus—

For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him. (John 3:2b)

Later on, Jesus told His questioners—

The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me. (John 10:25b)

Even though Jesus never performed a miracle to draw attention to Himself, He believed they were valid proofs of His claims. In John’s Gospel, there are a total of seven such works:

Turing the water into wine, 2:1—11
Healing of the official’s son, 4:43—54
Healing of the paralytic, 5:1—15
Feeding of the multitude, 6:1—14
Walking on water, 6:16—21
Curing the blind man, 9:1—41
Resurrection of Lazarus, 11:1—44

Each of these “miracles” was not an end in itself. They all demonstrated something amazing about Jesus: His uncanny ability to confront any need in life, meeting it fully and satisfactorily.

The testimony of God the Father may be distinguished from the works of Jesus, though He is connected to them. Apart from the works Jesus saw His Father doing and that He subsequently did, how did the Father bear witness about the Son? John doesn’t elaborate at all, though we know that at His baptism, God the Father spoke from heaven (Mark 1:11). Perhaps Jesus is also referring to the inner witness of the Father in the hearts of believers (1 John 5:9—10). However, the context of this passage seems to indicate that Jesus is referring to the testimony of the Father throughout the Scriptures.

To the Jews, a voice from heaven would have been testimony enough. Yet they disregarded it. They also disregarded the voice of God in their very own Scriptures. The Jews were truly “blind guides,” blind to any reality that challenged the reality they created in their own minds.

Jesus’ indictment of the Jews is pointed. These holy men studied the Scriptures and read its truths, yet understood nothing of what they read. That is the point of verse 39. Despite how it sounds in the KJV, Jesus was not urging them to search the Scriptures; He is telling them that despite their search of the Scriptures, they came up wanting. If someone has claimed to read and study the Scriptures but has not found Jesus, they have wasted their time.

In light of verse 40, what Jesus had just said takes on a whole new meaning, for in back of the Jews “not seeing,” not hearing,” and “not believing” is the simply the hardness of the heart—

[Y]ou refuse to come to me to have life.

As John Heywood put it in 1546,

There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.

4. No love for God, anywhere, verses 41—44

I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

The amazing thing about the Scriptures is that they are full of God’s truth and reveal His glory. While no self-respecting Jew could disagree with this, the Jews of Jesus’ day were literally incapable of both interpreting and applying the Scriptures correctly.

Though Jesus did not run around yearning for the praise of man, He knew the hearts of every man, and He knew that because the they did not give praise and glory to Him, ignorance abounded in their hearts. There was not an ounce of love for God to be found in their hearts, for if the Jews loved God, they would have loved His Son.

What is truly sad about these Jews was that while they stubbornly refused to accept Jesus as Messiah, they apparently had no problem accepting other men as their Messiah. Verse 43 may be considered a small prophecy which was fulfilled time and again in Hebrew history. The false Messiah’s included such notable men as:

Theudas, who was a follower of Paul and who Josephus wrote about, saying that he was able to sway many people with his messianic claims (Acts 5:36).
Judas of Galilee, was a zealot and led a mass revolt against the high Roman taxes. He was yet another messianic claimant mentioned in Acts 5:37.
Bar Kochba, or Simon Bar Kochba, led a Jewish revolt in 132-135 A.D. He convinced many that he was the messiah, although he eventually disappointed his followers, who started to refer to this would-be messiah as Bar Kosiva, or Son of a Lie.

How sad it is that so many Jews were so quick to support so many mere men in their messianic ambitions but ignored the true Messiah when He appeared in their midst. There have been many, many men accepted as messiah, with the final one will be the Antichrist, 2 Thessalonians 2:8—10.

These Jews to whom Jesus was speaking were incapable of belief and therefore incapable of rendering proper praise to God. The very name Jew, coming from Judah, means praise. These people, with the right name and going through the right actions were, in effect, were wasting their time and effort. A true Jew, wrote Paul in Romans 2:29, is one whose praise is of God, not of men.

5. Reverence for the wrong people, verses 45-47

But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?

Moses was highly revered by the Jews. The people would never do anything that knowingly went against his teachings. Jesus has just rebuked them in the strongest terms possible, but He is not quite finished yet. Jesus, the Son of God, would not need to bring any charges against these Jews, because their very own precious and beloved Moses would do just that! But did Moses write about Jesus?

In fact, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, are called the Books of Moses, and Jesus is all over them. Consider:

Genesis 3:15
Genesis 9:26
Genesis 22:18
Numbers 24:17
Deuteronomy 18:15—18

But the entire Pentateuch points forward to Christ, as does the whole Old Testament, and properly understood without any kind of bias; these Jews would have seen Him. Christ is revealed in four ways throughout the Old Testament:

Historically. Time and again the enemies of God and His people tried to make it impossible for the Messiah to come from the Hebrew people by seeking to eradicate the Hebrews from the face of the earth.
Typologically. Throughout the Books of Moses there are foreshadows of Him and His work. For example, the design of and furnishings in the Tabernacle all point to Christ. The water that came from the smitten rock, the Passover, the lamb and other sacrifices, the serpent lifted up in the wilderness, Melchizedek, Adam, David, and Solomon, all are types and shadows of Christ found throughout the writings of Moses.
Psychologically. During the entire OT dispensation, including the Pentateuch, one truth continually surfaces: man cannot save himself no matter how closely he tries to follow the law. It is not within man himself to save himself, try as he may. The OT makes it plain that man needs a Power outside himself to save him.
Prophetically. The Pentateuch contains prophecies that are fulfilled in the coming of Christ.

Finally, Jesus ends His talk with these Jews with a rhetorical question:

But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say? (verse 47)

This question is unanswerable. The Jews denied the writings of Moses by their actions and attitudes; therefore there was no way they would listen to anything Jesus had to say. The words of the OT and the words of Jesus go hand-in-hand.

(c) 2010 WitzEnd

JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER 3

Published June 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Attitude, Joshua, Moses, Old Testament

Be Strong and Courageous

1. Not strong, not courageous

They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:26—33, NIV)

That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:1—9, NIV)

Very soon after Moses and the House of Israel arrived at the very edge of the Promised Land, plans were made to send in a scouting party ahead of the people. This advanced guard was to be made up of one man of the tribes of Israel. The curious thing about this plan is that it seems so unnecessary. After all, God had already given the people of Israel the land. God had already described the land to them. The assurance of success lay, not in accurate intelligence reports, but in the power of God. All the people needed was faith in God.

This account of the same events in Deuteronomy adds some details that seem to indicate that it was the people, not Moses and not God, that insisted on such a course of action.

Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”

The idea seemed good to me; so I selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. (Deut. 1:19—23, NIV)

So we see this plan was totally unnecessary, yet tolerated by God to appease the people’s complaining and to encourage them to follow on His plan to go in a possess the land.

The scouts went into the land and explored the “hill country.” All together, they explored the country for 40 days. When the scouts returned, representatives of the people all gathered around to hear their report. At first, the report was positive and truthful. They spoke of the abundance of good and seemed to confirm everything that God had already said. However, immediately following the glowing reports, came the report that there were giants in the land living in walled cities. Verse 28 begins with a disturbing phrase, translated “But” in the NIV but means “except that,” indicating a complete opposite. What they were about to say would completely negate the positive report. The size of the grape cluster carried back by the spies now became ominous. It was so lush and big because the people were giants.

Interestingly, the negative report was basically true. There were some good things in the land and some bad. The issue was really one of a lack of faith. On the side of faith, you had two spies, Joshua and Caleb, the minority. On the fearful side, there were the 10 other spies.

A reason to complain was all they needed.

Despite Caleb’s amazing words of faith, “We can certainly do it,” the report of the minority was drowned out by the words of fear. Ten fearful men can out-shout and out-scare two brave men. And human personality being what it is, has a negative bent that believes in a negative report easier than in a positive one.

In verse 31, the people simply said “We can’t do it.” In their strong denial, they not only cast Caleb and Joshua, men of God both, in a bad light, but they were saying that God was not sufficient to get them into the Promised Land. In essence, because of bad report, the people denied the power and presence of God, the promises and assurances of God, their own resources, and even their own names. For their names, given them by their parents, spoke of the blessings of being the people of God, were being denied by their words of faithlessness.

As we read chapter 14, we get the sense that a bad report was just an excuse for the people to complain. In fact, while the negative reports were basically truthful, they were somewhat exaggerated. What the scouts saw was just part of the land, part of the inhabitants. Surely not every person alive in the Promised Land was a giant! What we see in the these spies is a group of men picking the evidence they wanted to emphasize. And the people were all-too willing to see only that evidence.

In fear, the people again whined about wanting to return to Egypt. What we see in the opening verses of this sad chapter in the life of Israel is:

Faithless cowards, verses 1—4. This would be the spies and the people who went along with their assessment.
Faithful four, verses 5—9. This would include Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, seemingly the only men in an entire nation who truly had faith that God would deliver on His promises.

So faithless and fearful had the people become, that not only did the want to forget about the Promised Land and go back to the land of bondage, Egypt, they wanted kill their truly fearless leaders! Unfortunately, such is the reward of many who been the true messengers of God down through the centuries. Fortunately for Joshua and the faithful four, God intervened and they were spared.

2. Strong and courageous

Moses went on and addressed these words to all Israel. He said, “I’m 120 years old today. I can’t get about as I used to. And God told me, ‘You’re not going to cross this Jordan River.’ “God, your God, will cross the river ahead of you and destroy the nations in your path so that you may dispossess them. (And Joshua will cross the river before you, as God said he would.) God will give the nations the same treatment he gave the kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, and their land; he’ll destroy them. God will hand the nations over to you, and you’ll treat them exactly as I have commanded you.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” (Deut. 31:1—6, The Message)

After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant:

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. (Josh. 1:6—9, The Message)

So then, my brothers in holiness who share the highest of all callings, I want you to think of the messenger and High Priest of the faith we hold, Christ Jesus. See him as faithful to the charge God gave him, and compare him with Moses who also faithfully discharged his duty in the household of God. For this man has been considered worthy of greater honour than Moses, just as the founder of a house may be truly said to have more honour than the house itself. Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of everything is God himself. Moses was certainly faithful in all his duties in God’s household, but he was faithful as a servant and his work was only a foreshadowing of the truth that would be known later. But Christ was faithful as a loyal son in the household of the founder, his own Father. And we are members of this household if we maintain our trust and joyful hope steadfast to the end. (Hebrews 3:1—6, JBP)

Moses had reached the age of 120, but that was not the reason he felt compelled to retire from his position of leadership. Because of an earlier sin, God had forbade him from entering the Promised Land. His time was up because the people of Israel were about to enter that Land. Joshua now assumed Moses’s position as leader of the people and he would lead them into the Promised Land.

In his farewell speech to the people, Moses would remind them that not only would God go ahead of them and fight for them, but that God would never leave them or forsake them. That must have been a marvelous word of comfort for these people, who were about enter a new land filled with enemies. Of course, the presence of the Lord among the people was contingent on the people’s allegiance with Him.

God’s admonition to Joshua to “be strong and courageous” was repeated three times. Fear was an ever-present reality to Joshua. Perhaps Joshua felt intimidated by the greatness of Moses; he had some very large shoes to fill. Would the people follow him? Could he keep the Israelites united? Then there was the awesomeness of the responsibility of keeping the people safe in a new and dangerous land.

For those reasons, God encouraged His hand-picked leader to full of courage and to focus on God’s program for success.

Even though God had promised to give the land to Joshua, God still demanded that Joshua “give it everything he had.” The Lord not only showed Joshua the way to succeed, but He also prescribed the state of mind in which Joshua would need to operate: be strong, be courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. We’ve looked at the Keys to Success, now here’s the attitude of success:

God challenged Joshua to give all he had to the Lord’s work
Joshua was to do God’s work with high anticipation (Isa. 35:10)
He was to serve fearlessly. Note what Rev. 21:8 says about the fearful.
He was to be undaunted. He was to serve like the NT Joshua, Heb. 12:2

Joshua discharged his duty admirably. In Judaism, both Moses and Joshua are revered for their greatness. In the book of Hebrews, the author’s purpose is to show how supremely great Jesus Christ is, greater even than Moses. Greater even than the angels. In chapter 3, the writer to the Hebrews, while not belittling Moses, shows that as great as Moses was, Jesus was greater by far. Yet, they were similar. Moses was faithful as head of the House of Israel. Jesus is faithful as Head of the Church. Note verses 5 and 6:

Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Moses was a servant, but Jesus is a Son, a greater position. But notice: In OT times, the people of God were the Jews. But Israel rejected the Son of God when He came, and now the people of God is the Church, and perseverance is one of the marks of being a Christian.

Like Joshua, believers are to hold on to their “courage.” The Greek word is parresia, and means “confidence,” and a feeling of “being at home.” But the real exciting thought in this verse is not “courage,” but rather the phrase, the hope of which we boast. The word used for boast means “something one can boast about,” not the act of boasting. Our position as “God’s house” is something of which believers can be proud. We have an awesome gift from God, and instead of being ashamed of this gift, we should glory in it. “Boast” is connected with “hope.” In the NT, “hope” is used to refer to the certainty Christians have that God will carry out all His promises. The Christian looks forward eagerly, expecting God’s triumph. To be God’s house means to persevere in quiet confidence, knowing that one has a matter for pride in the Christian hope.

JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER 2

Published June 7, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Hebrew History, Joshua, Moses, Old Testament

Holy Ground:

Joshua 1:1-9; 5:13-15

We have glimpses of this man, Joshua, all through the time of Moses. In fact, during every single important event of Israel’s history from the time of the Exodus to the death of Moses, Joshua was present, just off to one side. So loyal to Moses was he, that he was given the title of “Moses’ minister” or “Moses’ servant.” He was a strong and decisive military leader who defeated the enemy of Israel (Ex. 17:13) and maintained his faith in God and commitment to God’s plan while many of his fellow citizens were rebelling.

After 40 years of working together, Moses died, leaving Joshua alone. And yet, he wasn’t alone. Joshua’s faith in God was not dependent on his relationship with Moses; Joshua kept in touch with God despite Moses’ departure.

1. Background, verse 1

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide

The first thing that strikes us about this man Joshua is his name. When it is translated into Greek, it become “Jesus,” which means “Savior.” Chester Mulder, in his commentary on the book of Joshua, refers to Joshua as the “Old Testament Jesus,” for his name foreshadows many characteristics of the New Testament Jesus. Here are a few similarities:

• he had nothing negative or evil in his background;
• he had no lust for power or personal gain;
• there was no taint of selfishness: all Joshua wanted to fulfill God’s will for himself and his people;
• he was a man of courage and perseverance;
• he had a cheerful confidence in the face of insurmountable obstacles;
• Joshua never once failed to exemplify a deep concern for others.

And so, in due time, God chose Joshua when He needed a leader who was ready, willing and able to listen and obey to God’s instructions. The years he spent with Moses more than prepared Joshua for the mission and they showed God how he could be faithful to his earthly leader.

2. The Command, verse 2

“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

We are never told exactly how God spoke to Joshua, but speak He did, and often. Here, the Lord gives Joshua the command to “cross the Jordan River.” The crossing of the Jordan marked Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, just as crossing the Red Sea marked their departure from Egypt.

It is interesting that the death of Moses is treated merely as a comma, not a period, in the history of Israel. Human leaders, great or weak, are incidental to the continuity of God’s will. God’s plans and purposes continue to unfold and exceed the life-span of any man. And they continue even if the man is weak. Because of his disobedience, Moses was not allowed to lead the people into the Promised Land (Numbers 27:12-14).

The events about to unfold under Joshua’s leadership are built upon the ancient promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. As great as the miraculous preservation of Israel as a nation for 400 years in Egypt and their miraculous deliverance from Egypt were, those things were not ends in themselves, but were harbingers for the next great event: possession of the Promised Land. God’s presence in our lives is continuous, as is His intervention; we should always be expecting the next move of God in our lives and never think that the last one is the last one. In the case of Israel, we see a continuity of God’s command to enter Canaan, and a continuity of God’s intervention. The entire history of Israel is a history of Divine intervention. God influenced human history in the past, and He was continuing to do so in Joshua’s day. Understanding that simple fact is key to understanding the meaning of the book of Joshua.

The forty years of training and tutelage under Moses had prepared Joshua for this one specific assignment. Imagine being educated and trained all those years to perform one duty. He surely needed it: How was he to lead the people across the flooded Jordan? What’s interesting is that this assignment didn’t seem to bother Joshua; he was convinced that whatever God commanded, God made possible. Remember what he said in Numbers 14:8-9,

If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us. “But don’t refuse to obey him. And don’t be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The Lord is with us. So nothing can save them. Don’t be afraid of them.” (NIRV)

3. A Second Chance, verse 3-4

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

When did God promise this to Moses? In Number 13:1-2, we read this:

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel.

The result of this is found in the next chapter:

The people of Israel spoke against Moses and Aaron. The whole community said to them, “We wish we had died in Egypt or even in this desert. Why is the Lord bringing us to this land? We’re going to be killed with swords. Our enemies will capture our wives and children. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

They said to one another, “We should choose another leader. We should go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14:2-4)

As a result of their attitude and mistrust of God, Israel suffered severely in the intervening years. Under Joshua’s leadership, the people are given a second chance. We serve a God who gives second chances to us to get it right. It might take a long time, years in the case of Israel, but the second chance comes as God’s people learn their lesson.

Israel was now ready to complete the “God-man circuit so that God’s power could work on their behalf” (Mulder).

The territory God was going to give the Israelites was extensive. This would be more land, in fact, than the nation ever occupied. David and Solomon extended the borders close to God’s promise, but even their efforts were temporary.

The extent of these boundaries illustrates the lavishness of God’s provision for His people: He always provides more than what is needed. Had Israel fully obeyed God, they would have made influenced all nations surrounding them for righteousness. But did they? According to Judges 1 and 2, Israel again broke their covenant with God. As a result of their unfaithfulness, nations and people who could have been enlightened were left in darkness and the Israelites, who should have been conquerors became slaves once again.

4. The Keys to Success, verses 5-8

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

In these verses, we can see certain keys that led Joshua to success in his commission.

(1) God’s very real presence. As He was Moses, so God would be with Joshua, so He continues to be with the Church. God gave him the assurance, and that was all Joshua needed. Because Moses maintained a rapport with God, bitter water had been made sweet, serpent bites healed, leprosy made to vanish, bread came down from heaven, and water flowed from rocks. Joshua was convinced that God’s resources would never come to an end. Again, Mulder offers this great observation:

The extension of divine assistance to the new leader suggests that great men of God may pass away, but the power that made them great remains. God wants His people of all ages to remember that He will not fail them when they are weak, for forsake them even when they are faulty.

(2) He was genuinely optimistic. His leadership of the nation was characterized by his optimism and confidence, both in God and himself. God was counting on Joshua to fight the fight of faith, go in and possess the land and divide it up among the tribes of Israel. The Lord made no provision for failure, and it seems as though Joshua had that same kind of attitude. Joshua had faith, and without it, he couldn’t have pleased God.

(3) Joshua kept the Word of the Lord. The Law of God was always on Joshua’s mind and in his heart. The word “Law” in verses 7 and 8 refers to what God had instructed Moses to write down. “Turing to the right or left” is another way of saying, “Do not compromise.” Any deviation from God’s Word would have spelled disaster. Forgetting the Word would have proven hazardous to the nation’s health, which is why God told his servant to “meditate on it day and night.”

5. The Initiative Was God’s, verse 9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua was not to follow his own ideas, plans or whims. It couldn’t be simpler: all Joshua had to do was follow the commands of the Lord. God was not the silent partner in Joshua’s mission, God was the Initiator of the whole plan.

God’s plan for man did not originate with Joshua and it didn’t end with him. Consider Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:4,

God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us.

This is what God has planned for us, and this kind of plan demands our undivided loyalty. Like Joshua, we need to keep our eyes focused on God, not compromising His Word and having complete confidence and faith in Him.

6. First in Command, 5:13-15

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua renewed the covenant with God and celebrated Passover, then made a reconnaissance of Jericho. While he was doing this, a stranger approached him.

This One with the drawn sword assumed authority and then demanded that Joshua remove his shoes. Who was this stranger? George Bush (not either President) said:

It is the established opinion of both ancient and modern expositors that this was no other than the Son of God, the Eternal Word, appearing in that form which he was afterward to assume for the redemption of men.

When Joshua realized who this person was, he submitted immediately. The only thing the Captain of the Lord’s Army wanted from Joshua was his reverence. The stranger’s response put everything into perspective. God is sovereign, and it is never a question whether or not God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side. Why did the stranger ask Joshua to remove his shoes? There was nothing particularly special about this section of ground. Anywhere God chooses to reveal Himself is special by that revelation.

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JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER 3

Be Strong and Courageous

JOSHUA: MOSES’ SILENT PARTNER 2

Holy Ground:

Joshua 1:1-9; 5:13-15

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