January 25

For if Jesus had given them rest.—Hebrews 4:8.

THE passage which heads this exercise refers to Joshua, unto whom the direction and rule of Israel was committed after the death of Moses. In several respects he was eminently typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. His name is precisely the same in Hebrew as Jesus in Greek—signifying saviour He was appointed to be the temporal saviour of Israel—Christ the spiritual and eternal saviour of his church. Moses preceded Joshua, and prepared the way for his engagements; so, likewise, the whole economy of Moses was designed to be introductory to that of Christ and his gospel. The law was intended as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Moses could not give the people rest, or bring them into possession of the good land; this was reserved for Joshua: so neither Moses nor yet the law which came by him, could give true rest to the soul; his was a yoke of heavy services and ceremonies: but Christ did offer true and saving rest, and a yoke which is easy, and a burden that is truly light. The waters of Jordan were divided by Joshua— in the same waters Christ was baptized; when the heavens were divided, and God attested of him as his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased. Joshua overthrew the walls of Jericho by the sounding of rams' horns: Christ, in like manner, overthrew the powers and kingdom of darkness by the foolishness of preaching; the instruments being tax-gatherers and fishermen. While Joshua was engaged in combating the enemies of Israel, the sun stood still: while Jesus was spoiling principalities and powers on his cross, there was darkness over all the land. Joshua, as the captain of God's host, led them into the land of promise: "so it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of our salvation perfect through suffering." (Hebrews 2:10.) Joshua had to do with the temporal interests of the united hosts of Israel: but Christ with the immortal interests of the unnumbered members of his church. Joshua gave them a transient rest on earth: Christ gives an abiding rest in heaven. Shall we not be obedient, humble, and believing, lest we fall in the desert, like the thousands of rebellious Israel, and are excluded from God's prepared and promised rest.