Series: Questions
Title: Have Not I Commanded Thee?
Text: Joshua 1: 9
Date: March 19, 2015
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
We return to our questions series tonight. The next question in scripture is God’s question to Joshua, “Have not I commanded thee?” (Jos 1: 9)
The children of Israel are at the border of the land of Canaan. But God would not allow Moses to lead them into Canaan. Instead, God raises up Joshua to deliver them.
The main point we will see in this passage is it is not by the law but by Christ Jesus that God’s people are delivered.
CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW
God said to Joshua, “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.” (Jos 1: 1-2)
First, we see that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. In Moses we see the law; in “Joshua” we see “Jesus” the Christ. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1: 17) Joshua means Jesus, Savior. He is the son of Nun which means the son of posterity; Christ is the Firstborn Son of God’s chosen generation. Joshua was Moses’ minister; Christ served under the law. God says, “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.”
Moses was the servant of God to teach the children of Israel certain things and bring them to a certain point. The law is the servant of God to teach his people certain things to bring us to a certain point.
Galatians 3: 23: before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Romans 3: 19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
But Moses was now dead and God would deliver the children of Israel into their inheritance by Joshua. It was through Joshua alone, without any help from Moses, that God would deliver and rule the children of Israel. Here is what it pictures. By Christ’s death and resurrection, not only is the believer dead to the law, the law is dead to the believer. We are risen to newness of life with Christ, that we might legally be married to Christ, led of Christ and made fruitful by Christ.
Romans 7:4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God…6:…now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
Were they led of Joshua now or by Moses? By Joshua! Are we led by the Spirit of Christ or by the letter of the law? “If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Gal 5: 18)
How foolish would it be for the children of Israel to leave Joshua and go back and dig up Moses body to lead them? That is what we do if we leave Christ and go back to the law for acceptance with God; that is what the Galatians were doing; that is what many in our day do.
Galatians 4: 9: But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Galatians 3: 24: Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Remember what we just saw: The first part of the commandment that Joshua was given by God, “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.” (Jos 1: 2) Likewise, God sent Christ with a charge to bring all his people over the river of death into God’s presence with him. So Christ, not the law, shall deliver his people.
CHRIST SHALL GIVE OUR INHERITANCE
Secondly, we see it is by Christ, not by law, that God promises to give each of his people an eternal inheritance. Everything that God’s elect Israel shall inherit was first given by God to Christ Jesus. Notice, God gave it to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.” (Jos 1: 3-4)
It is Christ’s by God’s covenant promise; it is Christ’s inheritance by Christ’s purchased redemption; it is Christ’s inheritance by Christ rising from the grave to claim it. And Christ Jesus shall divide that inheritance to every chosen child Christ delivers.
It is because God was in Christ and defeated all our enemies, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Jos 1: 5) Christ knew he would have to be forsaken on the cross because he bore our sins. But Christ knew the Father would not forsake him or fail him. He was doing the Father’s will: satisfying justice, bringing in everlasting righteousness, making an end of the transgression. Christ said, “The Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” (Is 50: 7)
We shall receive this inheritance from Christ our Joshua because God promised Christ, he would divide it to his brethren, “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land…” (Jos 1: 6)
Christ shall give his people our eternal inheritance because God promised Abraham he would do so, “which I sware unto their fathers to give them.” (Jos 1:3-6)
Romans 8: 16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Believer, our inheritance is more than we can imagine. It is the LORD God himself in Christ Jesus. It is dwelling with him and he dwelling with us for all eternity. Forget gold! We will pave the streets with that worthless stuff! We will have Christ!
CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW
Thirdly, all of this is because Christ fulfilled the law of God and made it honorable. We see it pictured in the charge given to Joshua, “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.” (Jos 1: 7-8)
That is exactly what Christ Jesus was sent to do and did in behalf of his people.
Isaiah 42:21: The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Galatians 4: 4: when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5: To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Matthew 5: 17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Romans 3: 21: But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22: :Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:
Romans 5: 19: By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
His people had broken the law and owed justice, he bore our sin and curse:
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
So we see in this beautiful picture that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Christ is the One who shall divide our inheritance to us. And it is because Christ magnified and made God’s law honorable for his people.
CHRIST MAKES THE WORD EFFECTUAL
Lastly, it is by Christ that this word is made effectual in the hearts of his people. We can do nothing of ourselves. We are dead in sins. But when Christ has called us and revealed that he is the righteousness of God, he commands faith in us as he did in Joshua. He commands faith in us to believe that the law, his servant, is dead and Jesus Christ is our Righteousness.
Romans 10: 4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5: For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6: But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise,…9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Christ commands faith in us, saying, “Now, arise and come over unto the land I give thee.” (Jos 1: 2) Has Christ commanded you to believe on him? “It was not written for [Abraham’s] sake alone, that [the righteousness of Christ] was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom [the righteousness of Christ] shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rom 5: 23-24)
Also, Christ commands faith by making this promise in our hearts, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Jos 1: 5) Has Christ commanded this promise in your heart? He says,
Romans 8: 33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Then Christ commands faith for his child to obey and follow him by commanding a hunger in our hearts for every word of his holy scripture, “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.” (Jos 1: 8)
At last, to make his word effectual in us, personally, Christ speaks into our heart, saying, “Have not I commanded thee?” (Jos 1: 9) “Have not I” your God, your Lord and your Savior. “Have not I commanded” by effectual sovereign invincible power, making promises none but Christ could make and fulfill. “Have not I commanded thee” my everlastingly loved child. Brethren, that is our confidence! HE commanded ME!
So we persevere in faith trusting Christ, looking to Christ and resting in Christ because here is the sum of his command, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD…thy God…is with thee…whithersoever thou goest.” (Jos 1: 9)
Amen!