Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Joshua 3:1-17
Transcript
- 0:00As you're settling into your seats, if you join me, please, in Joshua chapter 3.
- 0:04As you're getting there, recall that we have been and we will be taking some strides to the Old Testament up until Advent season this year.
- 0:17We've been doing this now for quite a few months, really working at helping you see the larger narrative,
- 0:24what's happening throughout the entirety of the scripture with this particular focus on the Old Testament, right?
- 0:31We see in Genesis chapter 1, God creates the world and then he rests.
- 0:38Things are good and they are completed, right?
- 0:41And intends to reign in this place with his people.
- 0:48We see very quickly, beginning of Genesis chapter 3, a disruption of that rest.
- 0:55And so the rest of the story is bringing us back to that place.
- 1:01How is it that God then reestablishes, restores all things and brings his people back into relationship with him forever, right?
- 1:10It's a big, grand narrative.
- 1:13And it's really easy to get lost in the details.
- 1:16And so we've been hoping as we just kind of jump through the Old Testament narrative to bring you back to that redemptive story.
- 1:22What is it that God is accomplishing?
- 1:25And we're looking at some of these very major events in this storyline.
- 1:31Now, we have attempted to do it in 14 weeks.
- 1:34I used up one of them last week with something else, so we're trying to do it in 13 weeks.
- 1:38So we've skipped some significant things, like we talked about the creation story, Genesis chapter 1 and 2,
- 1:44the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3,
- 1:46but then we skipped all the way to Genesis chapter 12 to talk about the calling of Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant.
- 1:53So we skipped over the flood as an example.
- 1:56We went on to talk about the call of Moses to deliver Israel from bondage to Egypt in Exodus chapter 3,
- 2:03the Mosaic covenant of Exodus chapter 19,
- 2:07so the giving of the law as an extension of the Abrahamic covenant.
- 2:13And we talked about the rebellion of the Israelites in Numbers chapter 14.
- 2:19So to give us some immediate context for this morning,
- 2:22I want to read to you from Numbers chapter 14,
- 2:26where the people have sent into the land spies.
- 2:31There's 12 of them.
- 2:32They have come back and given the report that the people of the land are too great.
- 2:37They cannot be conquered.
- 2:39Ten of them say this, two do not,
- 2:42and God punishes this generation who believes those who say that God won't fulfill his promise
- 2:47because of the might of the people of the land.
- 2:51So beginning in Numbers chapter 14, verse 26 and following,
- 2:54and the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying,
- 2:56How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me?
- 3:02I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.
- 3:06Say to them, as I live, declares the Lord,
- 3:09what you have said in my hearing I will do to you.
- 3:13Your dead body shall fall in this wilderness,
- 3:16and of all your number listed in the census from 20 years old and upward,
- 3:21who have grumbled against me,
- 3:22not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell,
- 3:27except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
- 3:33But your little ones, who you said would become a prey,
- 3:36I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected.
- 3:40But as for you, your dead body shall fall in this wilderness,
- 3:44and your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness 40 years
- 3:47and shall suffer for your faithlessness
- 3:49until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
- 3:54So there's this punishment placed on Israel, right?
- 3:58That they'll stay in the land for 40 years.
- 4:01And at the end of that, when that generation passed,
- 4:05the little ones, the ones that will grow up then in this wilderness,
- 4:09will be the ones that will go in to the promised land.
- 4:12It's during this time that most scholars believe
- 4:14that Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament,
- 4:18often called the Pentateuch, right?
- 4:20He's telling, retelling, and telling to this generation
- 4:24that they would know what they need to know to enter into this land, right?
- 4:29It's believed that Joshua completes the book of Deuteronomy,
- 4:32records Moses' death,
- 4:33and then writes this book about these people going into this land.
- 4:40So there's two spared from this judgment.
- 4:42They're the two spies that said,
- 4:44no, let's go and take the land because God has promised.
- 4:48And they're Caleb and Joshua.
- 4:51So this 40 years has passed,
- 4:53and we see at the beginning of the book of Joshua,
- 4:55the first three verses records,
- 4:57after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord,
- 5:00the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,
- 5:05Moses, my servant, is dead.
- 5:07Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan,
- 5:09and you and all this people into the land that I am giving to them,
- 5:13to the people of Israel.
- 5:15Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon,
- 5:18I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
- 5:22And we see in chapter 2 that spies go in once again.
- 5:26There's a wonderful story there I would encourage you to read.
- 5:29And they come back and say,
- 5:31the people are afraid of us.
- 5:34And this bolsters the confidence of the Israelites to go into the land.
- 5:38So let's read our text.
- 5:40This will be all of Joshua chapter 3.
- 5:43Before we read, let me remind you, beloved,
- 5:44that this is God's word to us.
- 5:46It was written for his glory and our good.
- 5:48And we would all do well to listen to it
- 5:50in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
- 5:54Beginning in verse 1, chapter 3.
- 5:56Then Joshua rose early in the morning,
- 5:59and they set out from Shittim.
- 6:01And they came to the Jordan,
- 6:03he and all the people of Israel,
- 6:04and lodged there before they passed over.
- 6:07At the end of three days,
- 6:09the officers went through the camp
- 6:10and commanded the people,
- 6:12As soon as you see the ark of the covenant
- 6:14of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests,
- 6:17then you shall set out from your place and follow it.
- 6:21Yet there shall be a distance between you and it,
- 6:24about 2,000 cubits in length.
- 6:27This is about a half a mile.
- 6:29Do not come near it,
- 6:31in order that you may know the way you shall go,
- 6:34for you have not passed this way before.
- 6:38And Joshua said to the people,
- 6:39Consecrate yourselves,
- 6:40for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
- 6:43And Joshua said to the priests,
- 6:45Take up the ark of the covenant
- 6:46and pass on before the people.
- 6:48So they took up the ark of the covenant
- 6:49and went before the people.
- 6:51The Lord said to Joshua,
- 6:53Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel,
- 6:56that they may know that as I was with Moses,
- 6:58so I will be with you.
- 7:01And as for you,
- 7:02command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant,
- 7:05When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan,
- 7:07you shall stand still in the Jordan.
- 7:09And Joshua said to the people of Israel,
- 7:12Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.
- 7:16And Joshua said,
- 7:17Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you,
- 7:20and that he will without fail drive out before you
- 7:23the Canaanites,
- 7:24the Hittites,
- 7:24the Hivites,
- 7:25the Perizzites,
- 7:26the Girgashites,
- 7:27the Amorites,
- 7:28and the Jebusites.
- 7:30Behold,
- 7:31the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth
- 7:33is passing over before you into the Jordan.
- 7:36Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel,
- 7:38from each tribe a man.
- 7:40And when the soles of the feet of the priests
- 7:42bearing the ark of the Lord,
- 7:43the Lord of all the earth,
- 7:45shall rest in the waters of the Jordan,
- 7:47the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing,
- 7:50and the waters coming down from above
- 7:52shall stand in one heap.
- 7:55So when the people set out from their tents
- 7:56to pass over the Jordan
- 7:57with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant
- 7:59before the people,
- 8:00and as soon as those bearing the ark
- 8:02had come as far as the Jordan,
- 8:04and the feet of the priests bearing the ark
- 8:05were dipped in the brink of the water,
- 8:08now the Jordan overflows all its banks
- 8:10throughout the time of harvest.
- 8:12The waters coming down from above
- 8:14stood and rose up in a heap
- 8:16very far away at Adam,
- 8:18or Adam probably,
- 8:21in our English.
- 8:22The city that is beside Zerathon
- 8:24and those flowing down from the sea of the Arabah,
- 8:27the salt sea,
- 8:28were completely cut off,
- 8:30and the people passed over opposite Jericho.
- 8:33Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant
- 8:35of the Lord stirred firmly on dry ground
- 8:38in the midst of the Jordan,
- 8:39and all Israel was passing over on dry ground
- 8:42until all the nation finished
- 8:44passing over the Jordan.
- 8:46Right?
- 8:47So there's a lot going on in this chapter,
- 8:50right?
- 8:50A significant episode in the life of Israel,
- 8:54right?
- 8:55Speaking to the faithfulness of Israel
- 8:58in this moment,
- 8:59to the promises of God.
- 9:02So we have an opportunity this morning
- 9:03to observe the faith of the Israelites
- 9:05and to have our faith increased.
- 9:09So we'll look at the text
- 9:10in the following three points.
- 9:12I promise I won't satisfy
- 9:13every answer you may have about this text
- 9:15because we just don't have time this morning.
- 9:18But we'll structure it this way.
- 9:19Number one,
- 9:20the order of faith.
- 9:22Number two,
- 9:24the obedience of faith.
- 9:27And number three,
- 9:28the object of faith.
- 9:31Order,
- 9:31obedience,
- 9:32object.
- 9:33And I am always so proud of myself
- 9:34when I alliterate.
- 9:35Three points.
- 9:36So for a moment,
- 9:37let me gloat.
- 9:38I did it.
- 9:39Three points.
- 9:40Order,
- 9:40obedience,
- 9:41object.
- 9:42Number one,
- 9:43the order of faith.
- 9:43We will not spend much time
- 9:45on this first point,
- 9:47but I believe that it is important
- 9:48to see that God makes promises
- 9:51and his people believe those promises
- 9:54in that order.
- 9:57If you go and do a search for sermons
- 9:59on Joshua chapter three,
- 10:01you're going to see lots of sermons
- 10:03with the prominent point being obedience.
- 10:06And it's there.
- 10:07It is in the text, right?
- 10:09We must note that yes,
- 10:10in fact,
- 10:11the Israelites obeyed.
- 10:12That is important for us today.
- 10:15We must also obey.
- 10:17But I don't think we see that
- 10:20as the main point.
- 10:21We don't want to miss what's happening
- 10:23as God is redeeming a people.
- 10:26We will lose sight of the entire narrative
- 10:29if we don't recognize
- 10:30that the Israelites
- 10:31were not deserving people.
- 10:35We are not deserving people.
- 10:39God chose them
- 10:40despite their faithfulness, right?
- 10:43This people that came from Abraham,
- 10:46We find out that Abraham
- 10:47was an idolater.
- 10:49Abraham had done nothing
- 10:51to deserve God's favor,
- 10:53and yet God made a covenant with him.
- 10:55He promised to bless him
- 10:57with a land, right?
- 10:59With seed,
- 11:00a great people, right?
- 11:01That would be a blessing
- 11:02to all nations.
- 11:03And he did this
- 11:04before Abraham had done anything.
- 11:07He had only been an idolater
- 11:09up until that point.
- 11:11So he chose a people
- 11:14for his glory.
- 11:16He's chosen us
- 11:17despite our faithlessness.
- 11:20If we are in Christ this morning,
- 11:22not a single one of us
- 11:23did anything to merit
- 11:25God's favor for us.
- 11:27If you don't believe this,
- 11:28you need to be humbled
- 11:29by your sin, right?
- 11:30We do not deserve
- 11:32God's grace
- 11:33and his mercy.
- 11:35He does this very act,
- 11:37the saving of a people, right?
- 11:39So that he can put on display
- 11:41his mercy and his grace.
- 11:44That he would have a people
- 11:45who say, right,
- 11:46if it were not but for
- 11:48the mercy and grace of God,
- 11:50I would be utterly destitute.
- 11:52I would be cut off from him.
- 11:55I would not choose
- 11:57to follow God in Christ,
- 11:59but because he saved me,
- 12:02I follow him willfully.
- 12:04So you want to note
- 12:06in our text, right?
- 12:08Joshua is saying to them,
- 12:10he's reminding them
- 12:11of what God has promised
- 12:12he would do.
- 12:14He's saying to them,
- 12:16you are God's people.
- 12:18Remember these promises
- 12:20that we've been waiting
- 12:21for 40 years.
- 12:22Your parents have been telling you,
- 12:24you will not go into the land
- 12:25or we will not go into the land,
- 12:26but you will, right?
- 12:28This is what he's reminding them of.
- 12:30Verse five, he says,
- 12:31consecrate yourselves
- 12:33for tomorrow,
- 12:34the Lord will do wonders among you.
- 12:37The Lord will work.
- 12:39He will act to bring you
- 12:41into the land.
- 12:43And then verse 10 and verse 11,
- 12:45here is how you shall know
- 12:47that the living God is among you
- 12:49and that he will,
- 12:51without fail,
- 12:53drive out from before you
- 12:55the Canaanites,
- 12:56the Hittites,
- 12:57the Hivites,
- 12:57the Perizzites,
- 12:58the Girgashites,
- 12:58the Amorites,
- 12:59and the Jebusites,
- 13:01right?
- 13:01Will they be agents
- 13:03in that driving out?
- 13:04Yes.
- 13:05God will use them
- 13:07to drive out these people,
- 13:09to bring judgment upon
- 13:11these peoples.
- 13:13But it's very clear here,
- 13:14Joshua says,
- 13:15that it will be the Lord's doing.
- 13:19And then the guarantee of this,
- 13:20he says in verse 11,
- 13:21is the ark of the covenant
- 13:22of the Lord of all the earth
- 13:24is passing over before you
- 13:26into the Jordan, right?
- 13:28God is about to put on display
- 13:30his power so that you will believe
- 13:32that he will act
- 13:34as you are faithful to him.
- 13:38So we have to get this order correct,
- 13:40right?
- 13:41We must be very,
- 13:42very careful about this.
- 13:45Many of us who are in Christ
- 13:46can err in this way, right?
- 13:48Thinking now that we're in Christ,
- 13:49somehow we continue
- 13:50to earn his favor
- 13:52by our works.
- 13:55May it never be, right?
- 13:56We work because we're saved,
- 13:57not the other way around.
- 14:00Some of you may think
- 14:01that if I just do enough,
- 14:03there's enough of a Christendom
- 14:05injected into you
- 14:07in your upbringing.
- 14:08If I just look just so,
- 14:10so, right?
- 14:11If I have the faith
- 14:12of my parents,
- 14:13then I will be accepted by God.
- 14:15We must be accepted
- 14:16by God in Christ.
- 14:19It's an important order
- 14:20to get correct.
- 14:22So I want to show you that order.
- 14:23They're riding the coattails,
- 14:26right,
- 14:26of this order of faith
- 14:28that began with Abraham.
- 14:31So I want you to turn back quickly
- 14:32to Genesis chapter 15.
- 14:33You can mark us here.
- 14:34We will be back
- 14:35in Joshua chapter 3.
- 14:37We're most certainly
- 14:38not done with it,
- 14:38but kind of in a rushed way,
- 14:41I'm going to read
- 14:42quite a bit of Genesis chapter 15.
- 14:49Connecting you
- 14:50to the bigger narrative, right?
- 14:51So after these things,
- 14:53verse 1 of chapter 15,
- 14:54after these things, right?
- 14:56Much time has passed
- 14:58since the original covenant
- 14:59was given to Abraham.
- 15:00Roughly 25 years.
- 15:02He's fought a war
- 15:03to rescue Lot, right?
- 15:05Lots of stuff has gone on.
- 15:06After these things,
- 15:08the word of the Lord
- 15:08came to Abram in a vision.
- 15:10Fear not, Abram.
- 15:11I am your shield.
- 15:12Your reward
- 15:13shall be very great.
- 15:15But Abram said,
- 15:16O Lord God,
- 15:17what will you give me?
- 15:18For I continue childless,
- 15:20and the heir of my house
- 15:21is Eleazar of Damascus.
- 15:24It would seem
- 15:25that Abram has appointed an heir.
- 15:29If I should die,
- 15:30this Eleazar of Damascus
- 15:31will be my heir.
- 15:34Verse 3,
- 15:34And Abram said,
- 15:35Behold,
- 15:35you have given me
- 15:36no offspring,
- 15:37and a member of my household
- 15:39will be my heir.
- 15:41And behold,
- 15:41the word of the Lord
- 15:42came to him,
- 15:43this man shall not be your heir,
- 15:45for your very own son
- 15:47shall be your heir.
- 15:49And he brought him outside
- 15:51and said,
- 15:53Now, I think there is
- 15:54an element of faltering faith.
- 15:56We're going to read
- 15:57in a little bit
- 15:58that Paul magnifies
- 16:01the faith of Abraham.
- 16:02And I think he's right to do so,
- 16:04but I think we're seeing
- 16:05this transition happen
- 16:06here in the text right now.
- 16:08He seems to have
- 16:09some faltering faith.
- 16:10He says to God,
- 16:10what will you give me?
- 16:11I don't have a son.
- 16:12I've made this guy Eleazar a son.
- 16:14He's trying to accomplish
- 16:15kingdom through his servant
- 16:19rather than through a son
- 16:20because he's 100 years old
- 16:22at this point.
- 16:2399 years old.
- 16:24He has no son.
- 16:26So God,
- 16:27in his loving kindness,
- 16:29brings him outside,
- 16:30verse 5,
- 16:30and says,
- 16:31Look toward heaven
- 16:31and number the stars
- 16:33if you are able
- 16:34to number them.
- 16:36It's a rhetorical question.
- 16:37He can't.
- 16:38Then he said to him,
- 16:40So shall your offspring
- 16:41be, right?
- 16:43And here in verse 6,
- 16:45we see this really key phrase.
- 16:48And it's repeated again and again
- 16:49throughout the Bible,
- 16:50particularly the New Testament.
- 16:52And he, being Abram,
- 16:54believed the Lord
- 16:55and he counted it to him
- 16:57as righteousness.
- 16:59So he believed the Lord
- 17:01and he counted it to him
- 17:03as righteousness.
- 17:05His belief itself
- 17:06was not righteousness,
- 17:08right?
- 17:08This was a righteousness
- 17:09from outside of himself.
- 17:11The Lord counted it to him,
- 17:13credited it to him,
- 17:15right?
- 17:15So he believed God
- 17:16and God declared him
- 17:19righteous.
- 17:21And he said to him,
- 17:23I am the Lord
- 17:23who brought you out
- 17:24from Ur of the Chaldeans
- 17:26to give you this land
- 17:28to possess.
- 17:30But he said,
- 17:31O Lord God,
- 17:31how am I to know
- 17:32that I shall possess it?
- 17:33He said to him,
- 17:35Bring me a heifer
- 17:35three years old,
- 17:36a female goat
- 17:37three years old,
- 17:38a ram three years old,
- 17:39a turtle dove,
- 17:40and a young pigeon.
- 17:41And he brought him
- 17:42all these,
- 17:42cut them in half
- 17:43and laid each half
- 17:44over against the other.
- 17:45But he did not cut
- 17:46the birds in half.
- 17:48And when the birds of prey
- 17:48came down on the carcasses,
- 17:50Abram drove them away.
- 17:52As the sun was going down,
- 17:54a deep sleep
- 17:55fell on Abram
- 17:56and behold,
- 17:57dreadful and great
- 17:58darkness fell upon him.
- 18:00Okay, now there's a lot
- 18:01of strange things
- 18:01happening here.
- 18:02We won't have time
- 18:02to talk about each
- 18:03and every one of them.
- 18:05But this was an old
- 18:06covenant keeping method,
- 18:07right?
- 18:07If you and I were to make
- 18:08a promise with one another,
- 18:09we might take an animal
- 18:10and we would tear it in two.
- 18:12And we would put it
- 18:13on the ground
- 18:13and we would pass together
- 18:14between that.
- 18:15And it was a way of saying,
- 18:16if I don't keep
- 18:17my end of this bargain,
- 18:19like let what happened
- 18:20to this animal
- 18:21happen to me.
- 18:22It's a very serious,
- 18:23somber way
- 18:24of making the covenant,
- 18:26right?
- 18:26Even as this is being
- 18:28recorded here in Genesis,
- 18:30Moses assumes
- 18:31everybody knows,
- 18:31right?
- 18:32He doesn't give a lot
- 18:32of textual explanation
- 18:34as to why this thing
- 18:35happened because
- 18:36in his thinking,
- 18:37everyone knows,
- 18:38understands what's
- 18:39happening here
- 18:40as the Lord
- 18:41does this.
- 18:42But something very
- 18:42significant happens
- 18:43in verse 12.
- 18:44As the sun was going down,
- 18:45a deep sleep
- 18:46fell on Abram.
- 18:48And the previous place
- 18:49that we see this
- 18:50deep sleep,
- 18:51same Hebrew phrase
- 18:53used,
- 18:53is when Adam
- 18:54was put to sleep
- 18:55and a rib was taken
- 18:56from his side
- 18:57and the woman
- 18:58was made.
- 18:59The point being,
- 19:00Adam was entirely
- 19:01passive in that process,
- 19:02right?
- 19:03He is asleep
- 19:04and so was Abram.
- 19:06Abram has nothing
- 19:07to do
- 19:08with this covenant
- 19:09that's being made.
- 19:10This is entirely
- 19:10a promise being made
- 19:12and therefore
- 19:13kept by God.
- 19:15Verse 13,
- 19:15Then the Lord said
- 19:17to Abram,
- 19:17Know for certain
- 19:18that your offspring
- 19:20will be sojourners
- 19:21in a land
- 19:21that is not theirs
- 19:22and will be servants
- 19:24there and they will
- 19:25be afflicted
- 19:25for 400 years.
- 19:26He's talking about Egypt.
- 19:27But I will bring judgment
- 19:28on the nation
- 19:28that they serve
- 19:29and afterward
- 19:30they shall come out
- 19:31with great possessions.
- 19:33As for you,
- 19:33you shall go to
- 19:34your fathers in peace.
- 19:35You shall be buried
- 19:36in a good old age
- 19:37and they shall come back
- 19:38here in the fourth generation
- 19:40for the iniquity
- 19:40of the Amorites
- 19:41is not yet complete.
- 19:43When the sun had gone down
- 19:45and it was dark,
- 19:45behold,
- 19:46a smoking fire pot
- 19:47and a flaming torch
- 19:49passed between
- 19:50these pieces.
- 19:51These two things,
- 19:52smoke and fire,
- 19:53represent God on earth,
- 19:55his presence itself.
- 19:57So think about
- 19:58the burning bush,
- 19:59think about Mount Sinai
- 20:01on flame
- 20:01and with smoke.
- 20:02So these two things
- 20:03represent God's very presence
- 20:05making this covenant promise
- 20:06as it passes
- 20:08between these pieces.
- 20:10Verse 18,
- 20:10On that day,
- 20:11the Lord made a covenant
- 20:12with Abram saying,
- 20:13to your offspring
- 20:15I give this land
- 20:16from the river of Egypt
- 20:17to the great river,
- 20:18the river Euphrates,
- 20:19the land of the Kenites,
- 20:21the Kenizzites,
- 20:21the Kadmonites,
- 20:22the Hittites,
- 20:23the Perizzites,
- 20:24the Rephaim,
- 20:25the Amorites,
- 20:26the Canaanites,
- 20:27the Giggishites,
- 20:28and the Jebusites.
- 20:29You notice some of those names
- 20:30that are familiar
- 20:31to Joshua chapter 3.
- 20:35So Abraham believed
- 20:37and it was counted to him
- 20:39as righteousness.
- 20:41He did not act.
- 20:42He merely believed.
- 20:46Paul picks this up
- 20:47in Romans chapter 4.
- 20:50He writes,
- 20:50In hope,
- 20:51Abraham believed against hope
- 20:53that he should become
- 20:53the father of many nations.
- 20:55As he had been told,
- 20:57so shall your offspring be.
- 21:00He did not weaken in faith
- 21:01when he considered
- 21:01his own body
- 21:02which was as good as dead
- 21:03since he was about
- 21:04a hundred years old
- 21:05or when he considered
- 21:06the barrenness
- 21:07of Sarah's womb.
- 21:09No unbelief made him
- 21:10waver concerning
- 21:11the promise of God
- 21:12but he grew strong
- 21:13in his faith
- 21:14as he gave glory to God.
- 21:15Fully convinced
- 21:16that God was able
- 21:17to do what he had promised.
- 21:20That is why his faith
- 21:21was counted to him
- 21:23as righteousness.
- 21:25Right?
- 21:25He's quoting there
- 21:26from Genesis chapter 15.
- 21:28But the words
- 21:29it was counted to him
- 21:30were not written
- 21:31for his sake alone
- 21:33but for ours also.
- 21:37It will be counted
- 21:38to us who believe in him
- 21:39who raised from the dead
- 21:40Jesus our Lord
- 21:42who was delivered up
- 21:44for our trespasses
- 21:45and raised
- 21:45for our justification.
- 21:48We're going to talk
- 21:49a bit more
- 21:50about the typology
- 21:52of Joshua chapter 3
- 21:54if you'd like to turn
- 21:55back there.
- 21:56But you see
- 21:57God's people
- 21:58having been promised
- 21:59an inheritance
- 22:00that they've not yet
- 22:01entered.
- 22:03They've not yet
- 22:04entered into it
- 22:05and yet they're going to.
- 22:06Right?
- 22:07We're about to see that happen.
- 22:08We've read it already.
- 22:08We're going to talk a bit
- 22:09about it here
- 22:09in just a moment.
- 22:11Right?
- 22:11They're obedient
- 22:12from faith
- 22:13that God
- 22:15will
- 22:15accomplish.
- 22:18And we approach
- 22:19God in the very
- 22:20same way.
- 22:20Right?
- 22:20The promise made
- 22:21to us.
- 22:22The inheritance
- 22:23that is ours.
- 22:24The eternal rest
- 22:25that is promised us
- 22:26that is found
- 22:26in Christ.
- 22:28Right?
- 22:28This is not because
- 22:29we work
- 22:30to do it.
- 22:31Right?
- 22:31It's because
- 22:32God makes a promise
- 22:34we believe
- 22:35and that is counted
- 22:36to us
- 22:37credited to us
- 22:38as righteousness.
- 22:40Right?
- 22:41So the order
- 22:41of faith
- 22:42matters.
- 22:43It matters
- 22:44quite a deal.
- 22:46Now
- 22:47secondly
- 22:48the obedience
- 22:49of faith.
- 22:49We're actually
- 22:50not going to spend
- 22:51a whole lot of time
- 22:51here.
- 22:52We see that the people
- 22:53obey.
- 22:54Right?
- 22:54They believe
- 22:55in God
- 22:56and they believe
- 22:57what God said
- 22:58will come
- 22:58to pass.
- 23:00We are astute
- 23:01learners of our
- 23:02Bible.
- 23:02If you have read
- 23:02the book of Joshua
- 23:03before,
- 23:04we're going to see
- 23:04all sorts
- 23:06of failure
- 23:07to faithfulness.
- 23:08Right?
- 23:08Just chapters
- 23:09later,
- 23:09we already see
- 23:10them not obeying
- 23:11God's commands.
- 23:13But in Joshua
- 23:14chapter 3,
- 23:15right,
- 23:15praise God,
- 23:15we see an example
- 23:16of their obedience
- 23:17to what God
- 23:18has asked
- 23:18for them
- 23:19to do.
- 23:20Right?
- 23:20We do not
- 23:21become God's
- 23:22people by our
- 23:23works,
- 23:24but our
- 23:25works show
- 23:26us to be
- 23:27God's people.
- 23:29Verse 6,
- 23:30Joshua said
- 23:31to the priest,
- 23:32take up the
- 23:32Ark of the
- 23:32Covenant and
- 23:33pass on before
- 23:33the people.
- 23:35And simply
- 23:35recorded,
- 23:36so they took
- 23:37up the Ark of
- 23:38the Covenant
- 23:38and went
- 23:39before the
- 23:40people.
- 23:41Right?
- 23:41I love these
- 23:42instances in the
- 23:43scripture where
- 23:44we merely get
- 23:44the command and
- 23:46the obedience to
- 23:46the command.
- 23:47No dialogue in
- 23:48between,
- 23:48no resistance at
- 23:49all.
- 23:49They just
- 23:50did what
- 23:51they were
- 23:51told to
- 23:52do.
- 23:53Last part
- 23:54of verse 16,
- 23:55and the people
- 23:55passed over
- 23:57opposite Jericho.
- 23:58Right?
- 23:58They did the
- 23:59very thing
- 23:59that they were
- 24:00commanded to
- 24:01do.
- 24:01They followed
- 24:01the Ark
- 24:02at a distance.
- 24:03It went
- 24:03into the
- 24:03water.
- 24:04The water
- 24:04was parted
- 24:05and they
- 24:05passed over.
- 24:07Verse 17,
- 24:08now the
- 24:08priest bearing
- 24:09the Ark of
- 24:09the Covenant
- 24:09Lord stirred
- 24:10firmly on
- 24:11dry ground
- 24:12in the midst
- 24:12of the Jordan
- 24:13just as they
- 24:14were commanded
- 24:14to do.
- 24:15Right?
- 24:15They stayed
- 24:16there and
- 24:17all Israel
- 24:18was passing
- 24:19over on
- 24:19dry ground
- 24:20until all
- 24:21the nation
- 24:21finished passing
- 24:22over the
- 24:24Jordan.
- 24:24Right?
- 24:25So they did
- 24:25the thing
- 24:26that they
- 24:26were commanded
- 24:27to do.
- 24:28They did
- 24:28the thing
- 24:28that their
- 24:29parents'
- 24:30generation
- 24:30had failed
- 24:31to do.
- 24:32Right?
- 24:32They rightly,
- 24:34properly feared
- 24:36God over
- 24:37the inhabitants
- 24:38of the land.
- 24:39Right?
- 24:39Their parents
- 24:40had done
- 24:40quite the
- 24:41opposite.
- 24:41The parents
- 24:41had feared
- 24:42the people
- 24:43of the land
- 24:43instead of
- 24:45fearing
- 24:46God.
- 24:48On your
- 24:48bulletin
- 24:49this morning
- 24:49I always
- 24:50try to put
- 24:50these historical
- 24:51quotations.
- 24:52This is
- 24:52William
- 24:52Gurnall
- 24:53a Puritan
- 24:53preacher.
- 24:55He said
- 24:55we fear
- 24:55men so
- 24:56much
- 24:57because we
- 24:57fear God
- 24:58so little.
- 25:00One fear
- 25:01cures another.
- 25:03When man's
- 25:03terror scares
- 25:04you turn
- 25:05your thoughts
- 25:06to the wrath
- 25:07of God.
- 25:08Right?
- 25:09If the
- 25:10previous generation
- 25:11had done
- 25:11this they
- 25:12would have
- 25:12gone on
- 25:13over.
- 25:13Right?
- 25:13The story
- 25:14would have
- 25:14been told
- 25:15differently.
- 25:16Right?
- 25:16They feared
- 25:17the armies
- 25:18of the
- 25:19land but
- 25:19if they
- 25:19had instead
- 25:20feared what
- 25:21would happen
- 25:21had they not
- 25:23obeyed they
- 25:23would have
- 25:24gone over
- 25:25and instead
- 25:25they stayed
- 25:26as a judgment
- 25:27in the wilderness
- 25:27for those
- 25:2940 years.
- 25:29Each of them
- 25:30perished in
- 25:31that place.
- 25:32Here's a
- 25:32generation
- 25:33that fears
- 25:34God more
- 25:35than man
- 25:36and so they
- 25:37go over.
- 25:39Right?
- 25:39So if we
- 25:40have faith
- 25:40it's going
- 25:41to be
- 25:42evidence.
- 25:43Right?
- 25:44James speaks
- 25:45about this.
- 25:45This is his
- 25:46very point
- 25:46in his
- 25:47letter.
- 25:48Right?
- 25:48If we
- 25:48have faith
- 25:49it will
- 25:50have
- 25:50evidence.
- 25:51It will
- 25:51bear
- 25:52fruit.
- 25:53So we
- 25:54must be
- 25:54obedient but
- 25:54we must
- 25:55get the
- 25:55order of
- 25:56that
- 25:56faith
- 25:57correct.
- 25:59Finally
- 26:00and we're
- 26:00going to
- 26:00spend a
- 26:00little more
- 26:00time here
- 26:01so I'm
- 26:01going to
- 26:02speed up
- 26:02a little
- 26:02bit.
- 26:03The
- 26:03object
- 26:04of
- 26:05faith.
- 26:06We
- 26:07cannot
- 26:07just
- 26:07have
- 26:08faith.
- 26:08There's
- 26:08a
- 26:09declare
- 26:09I
- 26:09have
- 26:10faith.
- 26:10Right?
- 26:11The
- 26:11object
- 26:12of our
- 26:13faith
- 26:13matters
- 26:14immensely.
- 26:15What is
- 26:15it that
- 26:16you believe?
- 26:16If you
- 26:16say you
- 26:17have
- 26:17faith,
- 26:17what is
- 26:18it that
- 26:18you
- 26:18believe
- 26:19or have
- 26:20belief
- 26:20in?
- 26:22And this
- 26:22text helps
- 26:23us to see
- 26:24who we
- 26:25must place
- 26:26our faith
- 26:27in.
- 26:27And it
- 26:28does so
- 26:28typologically.
- 26:30Okay?
- 26:31So I'm
- 26:31going to talk
- 26:32a little bit
- 26:32about typology
- 26:33in just a
- 26:34moment.
- 26:34But it's
- 26:35important to
- 26:35know that
- 26:36the Old
- 26:36Testament is
- 26:37written in
- 26:38an Eastern
- 26:39way of
- 26:40thinking.
- 26:41most of
- 26:42us
- 26:42naturally
- 26:43have a
- 26:43very
- 26:44Western
- 26:44way of
- 26:45thinking.
- 26:45Our
- 26:45logic
- 26:46is
- 26:46extremely
- 26:46linear.
- 26:48It moves
- 26:49along like
- 26:50this.
- 26:51This is
- 26:51not the
- 26:52typical way
- 26:52that Eastern
- 26:53thinkers
- 26:54think.
- 26:55So they
- 26:55will do
- 26:55things like
- 26:56not this,
- 26:58not this,
- 26:59not this,
- 27:00but this.
- 27:02Leave you
- 27:03wondering,
- 27:03wait, if it's
- 27:03not that,
- 27:04if it's not
- 27:04that,
- 27:04if it's not
- 27:05that,
- 27:05then what
- 27:05could it
- 27:06be?
- 27:07And they
- 27:07help draw
- 27:07the conclusion
- 27:08in that
- 27:10way.
- 27:11The
- 27:11scripture
- 27:11does that.
- 27:12A way
- 27:12that it
- 27:12does that,
- 27:13a simple
- 27:13example,
- 27:14is the
- 27:15law making
- 27:16us right
- 27:16with God.
- 27:17No,
- 27:18not that.
- 27:19It helps
- 27:20point to
- 27:21our
- 27:22insufficiency
- 27:22to keep
- 27:23the law,
- 27:24so it
- 27:24leaves us
- 27:24saying,
- 27:25so then
- 27:25what?
- 27:26I can't
- 27:27keep the
- 27:28law,
- 27:28and there's
- 27:29a curse
- 27:29that accompanies
- 27:30with the
- 27:30breaking of
- 27:30the law,
- 27:31that is
- 27:31death,
- 27:32then what?
- 27:33What
- 27:33must we
- 27:34do?
- 27:34And the
- 27:35Bible
- 27:35answers
- 27:36that
- 27:37question.
- 27:37So,
- 27:38not this,
- 27:38not this,
- 27:38not this,
- 27:39but this.
- 27:40another way,
- 27:41also,
- 27:43like this,
- 27:45but not
- 27:45quite this.
- 27:48And we
- 27:48see that in
- 27:49some of our
- 27:49literature,
- 27:50our western
- 27:50literature will
- 27:51foreshadow
- 27:53things.
- 27:53scripture does
- 27:55this quite
- 27:56often,
- 27:57right?
- 27:57This is
- 27:58called
- 27:58typology.
- 28:00An example
- 28:00of that
- 28:01is the
- 28:01sacrifice
- 28:02on the
- 28:03day of
- 28:03atonement,
- 28:04right?
- 28:04A particular
- 28:05day,
- 28:05high priest
- 28:05went in,
- 28:06one day
- 28:06a year,
- 28:07made this
- 28:07sacrifice,
- 28:08right?
- 28:09It wasn't
- 28:10sufficient to
- 28:11forgive the
- 28:11sins of
- 28:12Israel.
- 28:12It was
- 28:12meant to
- 28:13show us
- 28:14like this,
- 28:15but not
- 28:15quite like
- 28:17this,
- 28:17right?
- 28:18Another
- 28:18example would
- 28:19be the
- 28:19Passover,
- 28:20the lamb,
- 28:20the spotless
- 28:21lamb that
- 28:21had to be
- 28:21killed.
- 28:21The
- 28:22Israelites
- 28:22painted the
- 28:23blood on
- 28:23the doorpost
- 28:24so that
- 28:24the angel
- 28:24of death
- 28:25would pass
- 28:25over him.
- 28:26Again,
- 28:27like this,
- 28:28right?
- 28:28A sacrifice
- 28:29had to be
- 28:30made,
- 28:30but not
- 28:30quite,
- 28:31right?
- 28:32There's a
- 28:32type,
- 28:33like the
- 28:34spotless
- 28:34lamb that
- 28:35was killed
- 28:35for that
- 28:35reason.
- 28:36Then there's
- 28:37what's called
- 28:37the anti-type,
- 28:39right?
- 28:39The fulfillment
- 28:40of the
- 28:40actual thing
- 28:41that it's
- 28:42being pointed
- 28:43to.
- 28:44So the
- 28:44Old Testament
- 28:45is full
- 28:46of this.
- 28:48Graham
- 28:49Cole,
- 28:49a contemporary
- 28:50scholar,
- 28:51defined
- 28:51typology,
- 28:51in this
- 28:52way.
- 28:53Typology is
- 28:53the idea
- 28:54that persons,
- 28:54events,
- 28:55and institutions
- 28:56can,
- 28:57in the
- 28:57plan of
- 28:57God,
- 28:58prefigure a
- 28:59later stage
- 29:00in that
- 29:00plan and
- 29:01provide the
- 29:01conceptuality
- 29:02necessary for
- 29:04understanding the
- 29:05divine intent.
- 29:08You know what
- 29:08that means?
- 29:08That if the
- 29:09Old Testament
- 29:09is in fact
- 29:10full of these
- 29:11kinds of
- 29:11typologies,
- 29:12that the
- 29:13New Testament
- 29:13is going to
- 29:14be so much
- 29:14richer to
- 29:15you as you
- 29:16read the
- 29:17Old Testament,
- 29:17as you come
- 29:17to understand
- 29:18that part of
- 29:19this redemptive
- 29:20narrative is
- 29:21going to
- 29:21become much,
- 29:22much more
- 29:22alive to
- 29:23you.
- 29:24Our New
- 29:24Testament
- 29:25writers quoted
- 29:26the Old
- 29:26Testament all
- 29:27the time.
- 29:28They're
- 29:28constantly
- 29:28pulling from
- 29:29it.
- 29:29They're
- 29:29constantly
- 29:30pulling it
- 29:30in.
- 29:31We shouldn't
- 29:31unhitch our
- 29:31faith from
- 29:32the Old
- 29:32Testament.
- 29:33In fact,
- 29:33our faith
- 29:33should be
- 29:34rich with
- 29:34the Old
- 29:35Testament
- 29:35because it
- 29:36helps us
- 29:37to understand
- 29:38our Christ.
- 29:40It helps us
- 29:40to fully
- 29:41realize everything
- 29:42that he came
- 29:42and accomplished
- 29:44and will
- 29:44accomplish.
- 29:45And we
- 29:47want to be
- 29:47careful with
- 29:47typology.
- 29:48It is
- 29:49possible to
- 29:50allegorize all
- 29:51of the Bible.
- 29:52We don't
- 29:52want to be
- 29:52doing this.
- 29:53This is not
- 29:53a healthy
- 29:54thing to
- 29:55do, but
- 29:55we can
- 29:56also miss
- 29:56so much
- 29:58of the
- 29:58richness of
- 29:59the text
- 29:59if we don't
- 30:00examine it
- 30:00closely.
- 30:02Jonathan Edwards
- 30:03encouraged a
- 30:04typological
- 30:04reading of the
- 30:05Old Testament.
- 30:06He said,
- 30:06the apostle
- 30:07himself teaches
- 30:08us that only
- 30:09so small a
- 30:10thing as the
- 30:11silence of
- 30:12scripture is
- 30:12in not giving
- 30:13an account of
- 30:14Melchizedek's
- 30:15birth nor
- 30:16death was
- 30:17typological.
- 30:17This is
- 30:18Hebrews chapter
- 30:187.
- 30:19The author
- 30:19of Hebrews
- 30:20says he had
- 30:21no beginning
- 30:22and no end
- 30:23simply because
- 30:23the scripture
- 30:24doesn't tell us
- 30:24that there was
- 30:25a beginning
- 30:25and an end
- 30:26to Melchizedek.
- 30:27Of course,
- 30:27he does that
- 30:28under inspiration,
- 30:29but it gives
- 30:30us some clues
- 30:31like, wait,
- 30:31there's some
- 30:32rich things
- 30:32happening in
- 30:33the Old Testament.
- 30:35Edward goes
- 30:36on to say,
- 30:36if so small
- 30:37things in
- 30:38scripture are
- 30:38typological,
- 30:39it is rational
- 30:40to suppose that
- 30:41scripture abounds
- 30:42with types.
- 30:44So with
- 30:45this in
- 30:46mind, I
- 30:46want to
- 30:46show you
- 30:46three types
- 30:47from this
- 30:48text that
- 30:49speak to
- 30:49the proper
- 30:50object of
- 30:51faith, but
- 30:52before I can
- 30:52do so, we
- 30:53need to
- 30:53understand the
- 30:54significance of
- 30:55the Jordan
- 30:56crossing.
- 30:57I think a lot
- 30:58of us in our
- 30:59minds have
- 30:59this very
- 31:00insignificant
- 31:00picture of
- 31:01the Jordan
- 31:01crossing.
- 31:02The Jordan
- 31:02River is not
- 31:03as large as
- 31:04the Red
- 31:05Sea, so
- 31:06our minds
- 31:07really ought
- 31:07to be
- 31:07hearkening
- 31:08back to
- 31:09the Exodus
- 31:09crossing.
- 31:10This is
- 31:10again that
- 31:11same pattern
- 31:11being done
- 31:12again.
- 31:12This is a
- 31:13new generation.
- 31:13They're going
- 31:14to cross
- 31:14over waters.
- 31:16And you'll
- 31:16see some
- 31:16people will
- 31:17argue this
- 31:18really wasn't
- 31:18very significant,
- 31:20the passing
- 31:21over the
- 31:22Jordans,
- 31:22smaller, more
- 31:23of a creek
- 31:24than a river,
- 31:25so to speak.
- 31:26But there are
- 31:26some places
- 31:26that it's
- 31:27very big,
- 31:28and there's
- 31:28something really
- 31:29specific in
- 31:30the text that
- 31:31helps us to
- 31:31know, no,
- 31:32this is actually
- 31:33a pretty substantial
- 31:34event, and that
- 31:35is the
- 31:35parenthetical in
- 31:36verse 15.
- 31:38Now the
- 31:38Jordan overflows
- 31:40all its
- 31:41banks throughout
- 31:42the time of
- 31:43harvest.
- 31:44So it's not
- 31:45just the Jordan
- 31:46River, it's the
- 31:47Jordan River
- 31:47flooded.
- 31:49It is outside
- 31:50of its banks.
- 31:53Anytime a river
- 31:53floods, we get
- 31:54big rains like
- 31:55this and the
- 31:55water comes up.
- 31:56I used to be a
- 31:57whitewater kayaker,
- 31:58we loved rainy
- 31:59weather because
- 31:59water came up.
- 32:01But I will tell
- 32:02you when water
- 32:03comes out of its
- 32:04banks, it's a
- 32:05whole other level
- 32:06of flood.
- 32:07Things get
- 32:07dangerous when
- 32:09that happens.
- 32:11We had a time
- 32:11when it rained
- 32:13and rained and
- 32:14rained.
- 32:14I had like a
- 32:14week of solid
- 32:15rain, and all
- 32:16of the big
- 32:17rivers that we
- 32:17like to go
- 32:18paddle were
- 32:18too big.
- 32:19I mean,
- 32:19dangerous,
- 32:20dangerous,
- 32:20dangerous.
- 32:21So me and a
- 32:21friend went and
- 32:22got on the
- 32:22upper Chattahoochee,
- 32:23which normally
- 32:24is like a
- 32:24little class
- 32:25two river,
- 32:26not a real
- 32:26big deal, but
- 32:28it was flood
- 32:28stage like.
- 32:29The parking
- 32:29lot we normally
- 32:30parked in was
- 32:31underwater, and
- 32:32we just were
- 32:33young and dumb
- 32:33and thought,
- 32:34sure, let's
- 32:34get on.
- 32:36And we
- 32:36weren't too
- 32:37far downstream
- 32:38from our
- 32:39vehicles.
- 32:40When I looked
- 32:41over to my
- 32:41right, and a
- 32:42tree, its roots
- 32:43and everything
- 32:44lifted up out
- 32:46of the water.
- 32:46It had been
- 32:47underwater, so it
- 32:48got caught on
- 32:48something.
- 32:48The current
- 32:49picked it up out
- 32:50of the water,
- 32:5140 feet in the
- 32:51air.
- 32:52A tree just
- 32:52emerged from
- 32:53the water, and
- 32:54it came crashing
- 32:55back down.
- 32:56And I said to my
- 32:56friend, Kevin, I'm
- 32:57not sure we should
- 32:58be on the river
- 32:58right now.
- 33:00And Kevin in
- 33:02classic form said,
- 33:03it'll be all
- 33:03right.
- 33:03And it was,
- 33:05praise God.
- 33:07We survived.
- 33:08But this is
- 33:08significant, right?
- 33:09The Jordan is
- 33:11flooded, right?
- 33:12This is a massive
- 33:13amount of water
- 33:14that's moving
- 33:15downstream.
- 33:15It has overflowed
- 33:17all of its
- 33:18banks.
- 33:18Now, we could
- 33:19go, okay, so
- 33:20that's the extent
- 33:21of that, right?
- 33:21It's just the fact
- 33:22that it's flooded.
- 33:23God's going to
- 33:23move a lot of
- 33:23water around.
- 33:25Wonderful.
- 33:25God is doing a
- 33:26mighty work.
- 33:27But floods and
- 33:30flooding are used
- 33:31both in reality,
- 33:33right?
- 33:33Genesis chapter
- 33:33six, God judges
- 33:34the world with a
- 33:35flood, puts a
- 33:37bow in the sky,
- 33:38promises to never
- 33:39judge the entire
- 33:40world through a
- 33:41flood again.
- 33:43But floods are
- 33:44still spoken of all
- 33:45throughout the
- 33:46scripture in terms
- 33:47of judgment,
- 33:48right?
- 33:48Judgment and
- 33:49deliverance from
- 33:49judgment all over
- 33:51the text, like
- 33:52used metaphorically
- 33:54in many, many
- 33:54places.
- 33:55I'm going to show
- 33:55you a few of
- 33:57those.
- 33:57I'm going to
- 33:57move really
- 33:57quick here.
- 33:58Job 27 and
- 33:59chapter 20.
- 34:01Terrors overtake
- 34:02the wicked man
- 34:03like a flood.
- 34:05In the night, a
- 34:06whirlwind carries
- 34:07him off.
- 34:09Psalm 69,
- 34:10verse 1 and 2.
- 34:10Save me, O God,
- 34:11for the waters
- 34:12have come up to
- 34:13my neck.
- 34:14I stand in deep
- 34:15mire where there
- 34:16is no foothold.
- 34:17I have come into
- 34:18deep waters and
- 34:19the flood sweeps
- 34:20over me.
- 34:22Nahum, chapter 1
- 34:23and verse 8.
- 34:24But with an
- 34:25overwhelming flood,
- 34:26he will make a
- 34:26complete end of
- 34:27the adversaries
- 34:28and will pursue
- 34:29his enemies
- 34:30into darkness.
- 34:32Right?
- 34:32So lots of this
- 34:33kind of imagery
- 34:34exists in the
- 34:35scripture.
- 34:36And I believe
- 34:37that Joshua means
- 34:39for your mind to
- 34:39pop off when you
- 34:40see this flooded
- 34:41waters.
- 34:42They're about to
- 34:42cross over flooded
- 34:43waters.
- 34:44What's happened so
- 34:45far in the narrative
- 34:46with flood?
- 34:46Right?
- 34:47We've got the
- 34:47Genesis 6 flood,
- 34:48a judgment of the
- 34:49world.
- 34:50Right?
- 34:50We've got the
- 34:50deliverance from
- 34:51Egypt.
- 34:52And then what
- 34:52happens after
- 34:53Israel crosses
- 34:54over on dry
- 34:54land?
- 34:55Someone's judged.
- 34:56Right?
- 34:57All the pursuers
- 34:58from Egypt, the
- 34:59army gets judged
- 35:00by the waters
- 35:01coming back
- 35:02together, flooding,
- 35:03covering over
- 35:04them.
- 35:06So there's this
- 35:07picture of
- 35:07deliverance through
- 35:09flood.
- 35:10And our biblical
- 35:11authors pick this
- 35:12theme up as well.
- 35:13Psalm 124,
- 35:15beginning in verse
- 35:151.
- 35:16If it had not been
- 35:17the Lord who
- 35:17was on our
- 35:18side, let
- 35:18Israel now say
- 35:20if it had not
- 35:20been the Lord who
- 35:21was on our
- 35:21side, when
- 35:22people rose up
- 35:23against us, then
- 35:24they would have
- 35:25swallowed us up
- 35:25alive when their
- 35:26anger was kindled
- 35:28against us.
- 35:28Then the flood
- 35:29would have swept
- 35:30us away.
- 35:31The torrent would
- 35:32have gone over
- 35:33us.
- 35:33Right?
- 35:34So David in that
- 35:34psalm says, if God
- 35:35had not been on
- 35:35our side, that's
- 35:36what would have
- 35:37happened to us.
- 35:38But because he
- 35:38was, we were
- 35:40delivered.
- 35:41Psalm 18,
- 35:42beginning in verse
- 35:4315 and following,
- 35:44then the channels of
- 35:45the sea were seen
- 35:47and the foundations
- 35:48of the world were
- 35:49laid bare at your
- 35:50rebuke, O Lord, at
- 35:51the blast of the
- 35:52breath of your
- 35:53nostrils.
- 35:54He sent from on
- 35:55high.
- 35:56He took me.
- 35:57He drew me out of
- 35:59many waters.
- 36:01He rescued me from
- 36:02my strong enemy and
- 36:03from those who hated
- 36:03me, for they were
- 36:04too mighty for me.
- 36:05They confronted me
- 36:06in the day of my
- 36:07calamity, but the
- 36:08Lord was my support.
- 36:10He brought me out
- 36:11into a broad place.
- 36:12He rescued me
- 36:13because he delighted
- 36:15in me.
- 36:16So you see this,
- 36:17this is the kind
- 36:18of things, the
- 36:18imagery that should
- 36:19be popping off in
- 36:20our brain as we're
- 36:21reading this account.
- 36:23And yet, God
- 36:24delivers them safely
- 36:26through.
- 36:28Safely through.
- 36:29Verse 15,
- 36:30So picture this flood
- 36:48plain.
- 36:48It got pushed way
- 36:50back upstream.
- 36:52And as far as we can
- 36:52tell, right, from
- 36:53historical maps to
- 36:55this city.
- 36:57I mean, I think it's
- 36:57probably properly
- 36:58pronounced Adam, but
- 37:00we say Adam.
- 37:01So five miles upstream.
- 37:04So significantly
- 37:05upstream.
- 37:06And it's piled up in a
- 37:08massive heap.
- 37:10Not divided like the
- 37:11Exodus waters from
- 37:13Egypt, right?
- 37:14But in this case,
- 37:14piled up upstream and
- 37:15everything else is
- 37:16dried out down below
- 37:18them.
- 37:19Right?
- 37:19I think this is
- 37:20because God is
- 37:21declaring to the
- 37:22peoples that they're
- 37:23about to cross over
- 37:24into, here comes
- 37:25Israel, right?
- 37:26Could he have walled
- 37:27it off right there
- 37:27where they were?
- 37:28Of course he could
- 37:28have.
- 37:29But he pushes it
- 37:29way upstream to
- 37:31dry up the land.
- 37:33And there's all these
- 37:34cities in the land that
- 37:35have seen something
- 37:36miraculous is happening
- 37:38here, right?
- 37:39You have to imagine
- 37:39that they would have
- 37:40heard that this great
- 37:41group of people has
- 37:42now crossed into this
- 37:44land because those
- 37:45waters were dried up,
- 37:47right?
- 37:47They were completely
- 37:48cut off, it says at
- 37:49the end of verse
- 37:5016, and the people
- 37:52passed over opposite
- 37:55Jericho.
- 37:55Okay, so this is
- 37:56what's happening in
- 37:56this story, right?
- 37:57It's really happening,
- 37:59but it's also meant
- 38:00to help us understand
- 38:01something greater,
- 38:02right?
- 38:02A deliverance through
- 38:04flood is the theme
- 38:06we pick back up.
- 38:07And so we see three
- 38:08types for Christ in
- 38:10the text.
- 38:11First, Joshua.
- 38:13Joshua, his name
- 38:14means God is
- 38:16salvation.
- 38:17In the Hebrew, it's
- 38:18Yeshua.
- 38:19That's what the very
- 38:19name of Jesus is,
- 38:21right?
- 38:21So God is salvation.
- 38:23So this Joshua is a
- 38:25type for the eventual
- 38:26Joshua, right?
- 38:28Jesus Christ himself.
- 38:29He leads the people
- 38:31into the promised land,
- 38:33right?
- 38:34But Joshua and the land
- 38:36were typological.
- 38:38We read in Hebrews
- 38:39chapter 3, beginning
- 38:40of verse 7 and
- 38:41through chapter 4.
- 38:42And I'm going to
- 38:42spare you the reading
- 38:44of it for the sake of
- 38:45time because I know
- 38:46I'm running long
- 38:47today.
- 38:48But the author of
- 38:49Hebrews says that
- 38:50Joshua did not lead
- 38:51the people into that
- 38:52final rest.
- 38:53And he helps us to
- 38:54understand that there
- 38:55is a greater final
- 38:56rest, a way that is
- 38:58open to us.
- 39:00And he says,
- 39:01chapter 4,
- 39:02verse 3,
- 39:02for we who have
- 39:03believed enter that
- 39:04rest.
- 39:05As he has said,
- 39:05as I swore in my
- 39:06wrath, they shall not
- 39:08enter my rest.
- 39:08He's talking about that
- 39:09generation that did not
- 39:10get to go into the
- 39:11promised land, although
- 39:12his works were finished
- 39:14from the foundation of
- 39:15the world.
- 39:16For he has somewhere
- 39:17spoke of the seventh
- 39:18day in this way, and
- 39:19God rested on the
- 39:20seventh day from all
- 39:21his works.
- 39:22And again in this
- 39:23passage he said,
- 39:24they shall not enter
- 39:25my rest.
- 39:27He goes on to say,
- 39:28so then there remains
- 39:30Sabbath rest for the
- 39:31people of God.
- 39:32For whoever has
- 39:33entered God's rest has
- 39:34also rested from his
- 39:35works as God did from
- 39:38his.
- 39:39So we're supposed to
- 39:40see that in this text,
- 39:42right?
- 39:42The New Testament
- 39:43reality is meant to
- 39:45make this come to life
- 39:46for us.
- 39:47It's teaching us
- 39:48something about the
- 39:49anti-type, Jesus
- 39:50Christ.
- 39:51He's going to lead us
- 39:52into the inheritance
- 39:53that is ours in
- 39:54Christ.
- 39:57Secondly, the
- 39:58Levites, right?
- 39:59These were priests.
- 40:00These were those who
- 40:01went before God on
- 40:02behalf of the people.
- 40:05Again, Hebrews chapter
- 40:0610, verse 11, and
- 40:07every priest stands
- 40:08daily at his service
- 40:09offering repeatedly the
- 40:11same sacrifices which
- 40:12can never take away
- 40:13sins.
- 40:14But when Christ had
- 40:15offered for a single
- 40:16time a single
- 40:17sacrifice for sins, he
- 40:19sat down at the right
- 40:20hand of God, waiting
- 40:22from that time until
- 40:23his enemies should be
- 40:24made a footstool for
- 40:25his feet.
- 40:25For by a single
- 40:26offering he has
- 40:27perfected for all time
- 40:28those who are being
- 40:29sanctified, right?
- 40:30So you have a group
- 40:32of Levitical priests
- 40:33standing in the water
- 40:36that becomes dry
- 40:37ground on behalf of
- 40:39the people, right?
- 40:40The people are carried
- 40:41safely through because
- 40:42these men stand in
- 40:45that place, right?
- 40:46They're meant to help
- 40:47us see Christ.
- 40:49They're the type.
- 40:49Jesus is the anti-type,
- 40:51right?
- 40:51The perfect high
- 40:52priest.
- 40:53We no longer have need
- 40:54for priests, right?
- 40:55I am not a priest, right?
- 40:57We do not have an
- 40:58altar.
- 40:58We do not continually
- 40:59make sacrifice, right?
- 41:00Because Jesus made a
- 41:01sacrifice of himself
- 41:03once for all.
- 41:06And then finally, the
- 41:07last type is the
- 41:09ark itself.
- 41:12The ark itself.
- 41:13The ark was the most
- 41:15significant object in
- 41:16old covenant worship.
- 41:19It's a box overlaid
- 41:20with gold.
- 41:21And when it was
- 41:22tabernacled or in the
- 41:24temple, right, it was
- 41:24located in the Holy of
- 41:26Holies, right?
- 41:26Here, they're on the
- 41:27move.
- 41:28So it is now moving
- 41:29with them.
- 41:31A golden urn holding
- 41:33the manna and Aaron's
- 41:34staff that budded and
- 41:35the tablets of the
- 41:37covenant were placed
- 41:38within the ark.
- 41:40Hebrews 9, 4 repeats
- 41:42this for us.
- 41:43The mercy seat covered
- 41:44the box.
- 41:45Images of two cherubim
- 41:46facing one another
- 41:47overshadowed the mercy
- 41:49seat.
- 41:50When God came down,
- 41:52dwelt in the Holy of
- 41:53Holies, his glory
- 41:54rested above the
- 41:56mercy seat.
- 41:57This visible glory
- 41:58rested there between
- 42:00these two cherubim.
- 42:03Right?
- 42:03This was the place that
- 42:04the sacrifice was made.
- 42:05The day of atonement
- 42:06sacrifice was made.
- 42:08Also meant to point us
- 42:09to Christ.
- 42:10But all of this
- 42:10elaborate picture of
- 42:11God's dwelling place,
- 42:13the ark itself,
- 42:15is a picture of the
- 42:16person and saving
- 42:18work of Christ.
- 42:19Christ.
- 42:20You remember, if you
- 42:22hear the telling of
- 42:23the Holy of Holies,
- 42:25the temple curtain
- 42:25torn from top to
- 42:26bottom, that temple
- 42:28curtain when Jesus
- 42:28died that was torn,
- 42:30granting access to God.
- 42:32Anybody know what was
- 42:33on the curtains?
- 42:34Two cherubim, right?
- 42:35Standing over that.
- 42:37When Mary Magdalene
- 42:39goes and finds Jesus,
- 42:40he's gone.
- 42:40He's gone from the
- 42:41tomb.
- 42:42What's on either side
- 42:43of the tomb?
- 42:45Two cherubim, right?
- 42:46There's two angels in
- 42:47that place.
- 42:48When we see the ark
- 42:50in the Old Testament,
- 42:51we're supposed to be
- 42:51seeing Christ.
- 42:53So again, carried and
- 42:54held in the middle of
- 42:56this river so that the
- 42:58water is pushed back up.
- 42:59It's in a heap, five
- 43:01miles upstream.
- 43:02This judgment is being
- 43:03held back by something
- 43:06that's meant to help us
- 43:08understand Christ.
- 43:11So we are saved
- 43:12through the flood
- 43:13because of Jesus.
- 43:17So I hope this morning
- 43:18that you're finding
- 43:18yourself in a place
- 43:19where you can rejoice
- 43:21with all of this.
- 43:22You can say yes and
- 43:23amen to every single
- 43:24bit of it.
- 43:26If you're not,
- 43:27I'm going to pray for
- 43:27you now.
- 43:28So let's pray together.