Play Dead From The Promised Land
ModeratorRegistered: Posts: 8,221Posted THERE ARE TYPES AND SHADOWS IN THE CONQUERING OF THE PROMISED LAND.Israel was ready to enter the land. They had been slaves in Egypt. Moses had been sent by God to lead the people of God from their bondage. Israel was finally delivered following plagues against Egypt, a Passover of the death angel for God's people, and a parting of the Red Sea. The wilderness journey was meant to last two years, but was changed to a 40 year wandering.In the wilderness, God tried His people. The people were a real trial to God. For they grieved the Lord, and provoked Him.Hebrews 3:8-11'Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known My ways. So I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter in to My rest.' They refused to enter the promised land, for 10 of the 12 spies lacked faith.
The Lord's anger resulted in the whole generation dying in the desert, except for the two faithful spies. Joshua and Caleb.Joshua was appointed leader, after the death of Moses.Joshua 1:1-2'Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying; Moses, My servant is dead, now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.' There was a promise made to Joshua.
He was told to be brave and to have faith. He was to obey the laws of God. Joshua was instructed to meditate on the Word of God. He was not to fear, for God is ever-present.Joshua 1:6-9'Be strong and of a good courage; for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses, My servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord, thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.' The people consecrated themselves.
And promised to hearken to the leadership of Joshua.Joshua 1:16-18'.All that thou commandest us we will do.According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment.
He shall be put to death.' The people then proceed to enter the land by the power of God.Joshua 3:17'And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.' The time of the year was the time of the flooding of the Jordan. The snows were melting in the mountains, and the run offs were swelling the Jordan River. The spring rains also were adding to much run off. Yet, despite the flooding waters, the waters of the Jordan parted, and the children of Israel entered the land of promise on dry ground.Next, Joshua had them erect a memorial. Twelve stones were erected at the spot of the crossing.
This was to be a memorial so later generations could be reminded of the victory that God had done. Too often we forget the victories that God has given us. We need to take times, each week to just remind ourselves of the great blessings of the past in our own lives. Your miracle of salvation, past healings, past deliverances, and past blessings of the Lord should be reveled in over and over. We need to show the Lord we have not forgotten His blessings.Joshua 4:6-8'That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying: What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of he Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.
And the children of Israel did as Joshua commanded. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there unto this day.' As they began to live in that new land, they were shown many great victories. Yet, these victories came with a first revelation. For the manna ceased. Now it was time to gather fruit from the trees, from the vines, and from the gardens, all of which required labor. The manna had fallen, without any more work than to gather the already prepared food.
Now gardens and orchards would need care, nurturing, pruning, and weeding.The manna was heavenly provision for a wilderness people. The manna was a blessing, but God brings us to a place where He desires to see our fruit. We should begin to labor for the Lord. No longer should we be 'pew fillers.' Doing no more than being in the place of blessing.
There is a time that God will demand that we be 'gap fillers' and get out into the work of the husbandry of God. Whereas, in our early salvation we were like sponges, soaking up the abundant revelation and blessing poured out by the Lord, now - the Lord wants us to plant, to water, to weed, and to prune - in His garden. We will feast on the fruit of such labors, and we will find a higher level of salvation than we had with the manna.Do not always remain a 'wilderness Christian'. Become a 'promised land' Christian. Some look back at great victories, but God wants a fruitful life.Joshua 5:11-12'And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.' Then Joshua needed to begin his time of leading the children of Israel. He needed direction from the Lord, and therefore Joshua was visited by a pre-incarnate revelation of the Lord Jesus. The Captain of the Lord of Hosts met Joshua, and stood there with a sword in His hand, showing to Joshua that He was ready to defend and protect His people.Joshua 5:13-15'And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and, behold, there stood a MAN over against him with His sword drawn in His hand; and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, Art Thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He said, Nay; but as the Captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.
And Joshua did so.' This 'Captain' gave Joshua his first instructions (see Joshua 6:1-5), and told him how to proceed in waging the war against the evil Canaanites. Joshua was told to encompass Jericho, and have a victory march about the city. The battle had not yet started, and yet, a victory march was to be held. For the faith of the people needed to be so sure of God's deliverance. That the outcome was certain to them.Doubters and complainers will be sent back to the wilderness, they are not ready yet for the promised land. They were to march in faith, glorying in the victories not yet experienced.
We need to remember this lesson that the Captain taught to Joshua.The people were not to receive any personal gain from the victory of the Lord. And no spoils were to be taken for themselves from Jericho when its walls fell (Joshua 6:17-19). Too often we find some of today who want personal gain, glory, or reward from the Lord. All is to be done for God. All gain is to be given to Him.When Jericho's walls fell (Joshua 6:20-21), the total victory was given to the faithful and patient. Some likely were tempted to complain on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days. Finally, on the seventh day, when they were told to march around that large city 7 times.
Some were probably thinking 'Where is the Lord's victory???' And 'We never should have left the wilderness, we look like 'fools' here marching around rejoicing in a victory we have not seen.Joshua led them in many campaigns against the enemies.
The Promised Land Song
Not all were conquered the same way. Some were conquered with divine help, as Jericho. Some, as at Gibeon, the Lord miraculously changed the solar system, by stopping the rotation of the earth, and the sun seemed to stand still in the midst of heaven. Some of the foes required them to take up sword, and to fight mightily with the skill and power of the Lord.The Lord did not have the land conquered in a day.
Nor in a year. At the death of Joshua, it was said: 'there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.' So it is with our lives. We would like the battles to be over.
And yet our lives are constant, never ceasing battles.After many victories, Joshua told Israel to remember all God had done. In Joshua 24:1-26, Joshua told them to remember how God had gathered Israel, blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He told them to remember that God had used Moses and Aaron to bring them from Egypt. The Amorites had been defeated.
Balaam had been unable to curse them. The Jordan had been crossed, and many victories had been given of God.
The possessions they now had were the benefits of serving this God.After all that God had done for them, Joshua pleads, they should give themselves in return. And he challenges them.Joshua 24:14-20'.choose you this day whom ye will serve.' The people answered:Joshua 24:21-25'.we will serve the Lord. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set them a statute.' The covenant that God made with these people was a personal choice for them, and was to be permanently binding. We too are to make a covenant with the Lord, and He has offered such to us.
We need to make the covenant with God and make it binding forever. If we fail the covenant of the Lord, we would lose much. We cannot afford to allow our victories to be overturned.The writer of the book of Hebrews, tells the people to whom he spoke to 'fear'.Hebrews 4:1-8'Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was this gospel preached, as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said; As I have sworn in My wrath if they shall enter into My rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise. And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.
And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief; Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus (this is the Greek for Joshua, and Joshua is the one meant) had given them rest, then would He would not afterward have spoken of another day.' The Jews of the day of Joshua failed to enter into the rest that was possible even them. We should fear missing the rest (submission rest) that we have. They were to follow the leadership of Joshua, who was a type of Jesus. They failed to continue in the covenant that he challenged them to accept.
We should have a holy fear in us that we could likewise miss this 'rest'. Many of the people of the times of Paul were not afraid of missing the 'rest'offered by Jesus. But were tempted to go back to the 'rest' offered in the times of Joshua.We should give diligence, pay close attention, and persevere in find all that God wants us to have in this age.Hebrews 4:9-13'There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.' The Word of God, like a 'sword' exposes our hearts, and cuts open our innermost thoughts and feelings. We must labor to listen to the Word, trust in the Word, understand the Word, and obey the Word of God.Joshua told them to pay attention to the Word of God, but the writer of the book of Hebrews says that we must all work in the Word, to cut out unbelief and doubt.
Faith and rest are found in the Word of God. For they are partners. Game gutterball 2 full version. We will have victory in battle, if we are obedient to the One Who is the embodiment of the Word of God.As we are made naked, uncovered, and open in His sight, we need only to stay in the Word, and abide within Jesus Christ. Christ is greater than Joshua, for Joshua had met the One Who embodied the Word, when he met the 'Captain', and Joshua could tell them to stay in covenant with Him. But Jesus is the Word, He is the 'rest'.Joshua led them to the 'rest' known as the Promised Land, but Jesus has a promised rest for us yet to come. He had the MILLENNIAL REST OF 1000 YEARS.
He has a rest that is far beyond what Joshua gave. We must 'labor therefore to enter into that rest.'