Thursday: Joshua and Us
Daily Lesson for Thursday 4th of December 2025
Joshua, as a type, points beyond the ministry of Jesus Christ to a fulfillment in the life of the church, Christ’s body. In what sense do the wars Israel fought under Joshua foreshadow the spiritual struggles of the church? How are they different? See 1 Timothy 1:18, 2 Timothy 4:7, Ephesians 6:10-12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, and Acts 20:32.
The writers of the New Testament recognize the ecclesiological (church) fulfillment of the Joshua typology. The members of Christ’s body, the church, are involved in a spiritual warfare against evil forces; nevertheless, they enjoy the rest of God’s grace (Hebrews 4:9-11) and the blessings of their spiritual inheritance.
What do these texts say about the ultimate fulfillment of the Joshua typology? 1 Peter 1:4, Colossians 3:24, Revelation 20:9, Revelation 21:3.
The final and complete fulfillment of the Joshua typology will be accomplished at the second coming of Jesus Christ (apocalyptic/eschatological aspect).
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Joshua’s life reflected so much of God’s character that certain aspects of his life took on a prophetic character foreshadowing the activity and person of the Messiah.
For us, today, the Messiah has already come. His ministry does not need to be prefigured, but we still have the privilege of reflecting His character—the glory that Christ longed to share with His disciples (John 17:22) and that can become ours by contemplating the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). The more we contemplate Jesus, the more we reflect the beauty of His character. This is so foundational to what our daily walk with Christ should lead to. This is why time in the Word, every day, is so important. This is why, too, we should also spend time dwelling on the life and character and teachings of Jesus. By beholding, yes, we do become changed.
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Joshua, the type, asked the Israelites: “ ‘How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?’ ” (Joshua 18:3, NKJV). How would Jesus, the antitype of Joshua, phrase that question today? |
The idea that first springs to mind when we draw parallels between Joshua and our own time is that we have been wandering in the wilderness for a long time and are living in the hope that too will soon enter the Promised Land of Heaven where we will rest. I don’t deny that, but the idea is rather utopian. One of the big drivers in Seventh-day Adventism is the, “Are we there yet?” attitude evidenced by our willingness to see apocalyptic signs in every political event that crosses our path.
When you have held on to your faith and hope all your life, you become somewhat cynical about this approach and ask yourself if you have missed something. It reminds me of a parable that I have told here before: A “Stop” sign appeared in the middle of a Seventh-day Adventist village much to the consternation of its inhabitants. They all saw the sign and thought it must be important. Some folk stopped at the “Stop” sign and waited for it to change to “Go”. Others saw the sign and argued that is really meant “Yield”. Some drove straight through the sign and knocked over the poor folk who were waiting for it to change to “Go”. The academics set up a research committee to study the history of Stop signs. Others argued that “Testimonies to Travellers” did not mention Stop signs. There were some who saw the sign as satanic and they tried to cover it up. Among all the confusion there were some folk who noted the stop sign was on a road that led somewhere beautiful through the village on to the mountains and valleys beyond and they decided to follow the road. Amid the confusion of the present, they saw that the road was the important bit and they travelled forward, inviting others to join them in the experience.
The ”Rest in Jesus” is not about stopping but rather the dynamic of travelling, enjoying and sharing the experience on the way.
Praise God for such illustrations and insights into the concept of ‘rest in Jesus’. Our rest in Him guarantee our destiny.
Jesus never called disciples to wait for heaven as though their lives were on pause.He called them to follow, walk, go, serve, love, and share now.
Love the parable! It made me laugh, but it’s so true.
The true Joshua (Jesus Christ) has now come; what should our most fundamental response be? Throughout the gospel, over and over, Jesus gave a fundamental command “FOLLOW ME”. This should be our greatest, clearest, most foundational response to the coming of the true Joshua. Jesus repeated this command to His true followers.
• Matthew 4:19 — “Follow Me.”
• Matthew 16:24 — “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
• John 10:27 — “My sheep hear My voice… and they follow Me.”
• John 12:26 — “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me.”
This is not symbolic, partial, or optional, but the ultimate purpose of the coming of the true Joshua. We no longer anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ through types, symbols, or shadows. Therefore, our true response should be:
• Believe Him
• Trust Him
• Obey Him
• Follow Him
• Love Him
• Walk with Him
As we follow Jesus, we must remain in Him and form a union with Him.
“Abide in Me… for apart from Me you can do nothing.”(John 15:4)
Joshua crossed the finish line by living his life well. Unless Jesus returns before we die, we have a duty to pass the baton to another person—another family member, another leader in the church, in the community, or in the workplace. Whether many people notice or only a few do, we will eventually hand our work over to someone else. Like Joshua, we have no control over what comes after us; we only have control over the life we live now and the people we surround ourselves with. The Bible is full of good beginnings and good endings as well as bad beginnings and bad endings, reminding us that Scripture tells the story of what God has done for His people from start to finish (Revelation 22:13). The book of Joshua reminds us of our responsibility to be faithful and to keep serving wherever God has placed us (Joshua 24:15).
The storyline in Joshua also reveals that there is something deeper, something greater, something important waiting for us. Just like Joshua, there is a chapter yet to be written in the book of our lives. We are always on the edge of crossing over into a new season transitioning into something different, something that could change our trajectory if we remain faithful. As God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous… for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). If we hold on to that same faith, we too will cross our finish line well, handing the baton to others and trusting God with the future.
Today we stand in a similar crisis hour. Heaven has not closed its doors, but many have turned away from the guidance God has given. Like the wandering generation, some have allowed pride, unbelief, and love of ease to weaken their spiritual strength. Yet God still calls us to be like the Joshua generation—courageous, obedient, and willing to break from Egypt’s influence. He invites us to move forward, not in our own power, but under His leadership, claiming His promises and walking in His light.
Let each believer examine the heart. Are we drifting backward with the multitude, or are we standing with Joshua, saying, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”? The path to victory remains the same as in Joshua’s day: humble obedience, steadfast faith, and a willingness to follow wherever Christ our Leader goes.
Today is a day of thanksgiving. Every day is a day for thanksgiving because the Lord has opened the way for the salvation of all. Let us give thanks to the Lord because He is definitely good. His mercy lasts forever, and His love for us is infinite. Jesus deserves all glory.
“How long will you wait?”
Jesus asks, just as Joshua asked Israel: the promised life, rest, and victory are ready for us. Let’s not delay, but step out in faith today and claim what God has already won for us.
The stories of faith given in the Bible aren’t there merely to showcase the individuals mentioned, they are given as Paul wrote in Romans 15:4;”For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” These people were real people with real struggles, real victories, and real defeats. Through it all we get a glimpse of what faith could and did accomplish as well as what lapse of faith couldn’t accomplish.
These lessons aren’t given that we might parse every paragraph, sentence, or word. Rather they are given as lessons for us to learn and grow by. Faith is powerful, as we see in these character sketches of scripture. As I contemplate these issues I am reminded of a quote by British revivalist Henry Varley to evangelist D.L. Moody in 1872. “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”
I too, want to be that man. The check of heaven has been written and given long ago to God’s people. We have held unto it like a souvenir. It’s time to deposit it in the bank of heaven and receive the bountiful bounties promised. It’s time to be fully consecrated to God and see what he can do in and through us.
[1 Corinthians 2:9] But as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.
Good
May God bless you all
Yeshua, the lamb of God choose to suffer crucifixion at Calvary to save the world from it’s sins. NOW come Repent you are called to his repentance and holiness [1Peter 1:16] Don’t hesitate and waste more time, He is coming soon and very soon. Where will you be brethren?
I thought my comments about type and antitype seemed to be a bit off from the rest of the chorus. Not creating a dissonance, but actually adding just a slightly different ‘tune’, which, when considered, harmonizes with the overall melody of God’s greater Plan of Salvation.
At times I felt like getting ‘lost in the weeds’, tying my mind into a pretzel when trying to find ‘similarities-types-antitypes’ as I compared the ‘old’ with the ‘new’ in the attempt to find the evidence of the wonderful working of God’s Grace and Wisdom.
Up to today, the lessons seemed narrowly focused on the outward, observable evidence of ‘type’ and ‘antitype’; not enough focus was provided to see the spiritual aspects their many outward manifestations expressed. I am glad to find that with today’s lesson the strict approach of this theological and literary theory of ‘type and antitype’ was augmented by pointing out the true meaning of them.
Now, we can see that, from the Beginning, everything related to ‘type’ and ‘antitype’ is connected with God’s miraculous work of His redemptive power to establish a relationship between man Himself through His loving Grace provided to us in Jesus Christ – Eph.1:4; 2Cor.17-19.
I agree with today’s lesson. Because we contain God’s spirit, our body is the temple of God, and to save the temple, we must obey God’s commandments to sanctify His spirit. God will destroy those who defile the temple and the spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). And above all, nothing glorifies God more than adopting His commandment to be faithful. God, in His discretion, praised Job for living a perfect life (Job 1:8). Joshua and the Israelites, who made it to the promised land, symbolized the believers who obeyed God’s commandment to sanctify His spirit in His temple. The battle Joshua fought to fulfill the promise God made to his ancestors foreshadowed the spiritual struggle of the church in the sense that it enables God to establish His commandment among His people, and it enables God to set forth a plan to deliver faithful souls through Jesus Christ, to build His kingdom. The battle Joshua fought to fulfill God’s promise is different from that of Jesus Christ, in the sense that Joshua fought a physical battle to acquire the land without the assurance of deliverance, but Jesus Christ fought both physical and spiritual battles to provide deliverance to faithful servants. Under Joshua’s fulfillment, one could die without receiving salvation because there is no spiritual battle to guarantee salvation at the end, but Jesus Christ provides such assurance to his faithful servants.
I think the final question in today’s lesson demonstrates the risks of emphasizing type and antitype in every facet of Joshua’s life. The concept of inheritance is certainly true for both Israel and the church today. However, comparing our mission to “possessing the land” is risky because the situations are very different. The shadows do not explain everything.
I suppose the person who wrote the question wants us to hear Jesus saying something like Joshua – “Go work harder. It’s your fault I haven’t returned yet. Get working so I can come back.” This is a message I’ve certainly heard plenty of times at revival meetings and camp meetings. It is good at inducing guilt, but it doesn’t generally work.
But would Jesus say what we might imagine Him to say? We don’t have to guess – we have His words in the gospels. John 15 emphasizes we need to abide or remain in Him. When we do this, we bear fruit. Certainly God wants us to work for Him. He designed it. But the inheritance is ours already. Jesus has provided it. We don’t need to strive for it, but if we have experienced life with Jesus, we want others to have a part in the inheritance too. And that focus is actually more Christ-like.
Jesus is the Christological antitype of Joshua. This makes Him my supreme warrior. Kept by our Father, He provides me with access to the promised inheritance (Isaiah 48:8), guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.
My salvation/flawlessness … Heaven is now attainable – for me and for all to whom I bear witness – through the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God!
Joshua, the type, asked the Israelites: “ ‘How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?’ ” (Joshua 18:3, NKJV).
So, How would Jesus, the antitype of Joshua, phrase that question today? Someone please help to answer this. Thank you.
The question is to some extent a matter of opinion. I don’t like the question because of what it implies (see my post above). Instead of imagining what we think Jesus would say, which can be quite dangerous, we can read what He did say in the gospels and apply it accordingly.