by A. W. Pink
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
Joshua, the capstone to the books of Moses and the foundation of those that follow, is an extremely important and fascinating commentary study. This rich work by Bible teacher Arthur Pink is a source book of spiritual nourishment. A very good complement to the book of Joshua. It has very in-depth and detailed analysis of the text. But the commentary is lengthy. The book itself is almost 700 pages.
The book of Joshua records one of the most interesting and important portions of Israel's history. It treats of the period of their estatement as a nation, of which Genesis was prophetic and the rest of the Pentateuch immediately preparatory. The books of Moses would be imperfect without this one: as it is the capstone of them, so it is the foundation of those which follow. Omit Joshua and there is a gap left in the sacred history which nothing could supply. Without it what precedes would be incomprehensible and what follows unexplained. The sacred writer was directed to fill that gap by narrating the conquest and apportionment of the promised land. Thus this book may be contemplated from two distinct but closely related standpoints: first as the end of Israel's trials and wanderings in the wilderness, and second as the beginning of their new life in the land. It is that twofold viewpoint which supplies the clue to its spiritual interpretation, as it alone solves the problem which so many have found puzzling in this book.
As the inheritance which the Lord appointed, promised and gave to Israel, Canaan has rightly been regarded as a type of Heaven, unto which the Church is journeying through this wilderness-world. But Canaan was the scene of fierce battles, and that presents a serious difficulty unto many, though it should not. They point out that Heaven will not be the place of fighting, but of eternal rest and felicity, and then ask, How could Israel's history in Canaan prefigure our experience on High? It did not, but it strikingly and accurately foreshadowed what Christians must accomplish if they are to enter and enjoy "the purchased possession." The book of Joshua not only exhibits the sovereign grace of God, His covenant-faithfulness, His mighty power put forth on behalf of His people, but it also reveals what was required from them in the discharge of their responsibility: formidable obstacles had to be surmounted, a protracted warfare had to be engaged in, fierce foes overcome, before they entered into the actual enjoyment of the land.
If our conception of what constitutes a Christian or the character of the Christian life be altogether lopsided, little wonder that we have difficulty in rightly applying to ourselves the contents of that book which typically contains so much important instruction for us. If we will confine our viewpoint solely unto the sovereign grace of God in connection with our salvation, and deliberately close our eyes to all that Scripture teaches upon the discharge of our responsibility in relation thereto, then it would indeed be strange if we apprehended how that on the one hand Canaan was a free gift unto Israel, which they entered by grace alone; and on the other, that they had to fight for every inch of it! But when we realize that "eternal life" is both the gift of God (Romans 6:23) and a "crown" which has to be won by faithfulness (Rev. 2:10), that the Christian inheritance is not only purchased by the blood of the Lamb, but is also the "reward" of those who "serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:24), then we should have no trouble in perceiving how the type answers to the antitype.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Joshua 1:1-9
The Great Commission
Joshua 1:10-18
The Response Of Faith
Joshua 2:1-24
A Scarlet Cord
Joshua 3:1-6
Standing At The Jordan
Joshua 3:7-17
Crossing The Jordan
Joshua 4:1-24
The two Memorials
Joshua 5:1-15
Symbols of Committal
Joshua 6:1-27
Victory at Jericho
Joshua 7:1-26
Sin, Defeat, Judgment
Joshua 8:1-35
The Conquest of Ai
Joshua 9:1-27
Honor Amidst Deception
Joshua 10:1-43
Victory At Gibeon
Joshua 11:1-12:24
The Final Conquest
Joshua 13:1-33
The Spoils of Victory
Joshua 14:1-16:10
The Division of the Land
Joshua 17:1-19:51
Indolence in Final Possession
Joshua 20:1-9
The Cities of Refuge
Joshua 21:1-45
The Levitical Cities
Joshua 22:1-34
Demobilization
Joshua 23:1-16
Farewell at Shiloh
Joshua 24:1-33
Valedictory
In Memoriam