Joshua's Last Words.

P. Ben [March 2017]
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Joshua’s last address to the children of Israel (Joshua 24) opens up a rich source of spiritual treasure to God’s people. The chapter is very distinct in its formal terms of conditions and consequences. It is the reiteration, in a sense of the responsibility that hung on the nation of Israel to keep the law of Moses. If they were serving, instead the idols, than they had to undertake the cruel punishment that was due under the covenant of the law.

But Joshua- the character of grace shines through this chapter, bringing in the foreshadow of the grace and truth found in Christ. Joshua after having sealed the covenant in a book- set it up at Shechem. It is doubtless, the nation of Israel would prove to be unfaithful and unfruitful under the law. Since, responsibility given to man proves that man fails.

Joseph, who is the type of Christ rejected by His brethren, speaks as to the promise of the return of Israel to the land, that God promised to Abraham (Gen 50:24, 25). This promise is based on grace and not on works of the law, since as the epistle to the Galatians so clearly points out to the nature of the covenant of promise made to Abraham. So in Joseph (type of Christ), we have the fountains of productive prophecy that brings in the dispensation of grace.

Joshua having clearly spelt the strong elements of the legal dispensation, in an act of faith- ties the covenant of works, the book (predicting obviously ruin and curse since nation inadvertently fails) to the place of Shechem. But, Shechem is the very place where the bones of Joseph get deposited (Joshua 24:32). In other words, the covenant of failure is set aside by the grace of Jesus Christ wrought to a glorious manifestation by His death on the cross. The book of law and the bones of Joseph- a strong collision of great intensity. Failure of the nation of Israel (man in general) under the law is taken care by the obedience of Christ even unto death for the glory of God. By this, the restitution happens for Israel’s inheritance and in a spiritual sense, the economy of man’s failure is set aside by the work of Christ under the law, on the cross and in resurrection, ascension and exaltation for the glory of God and for the ultimate blessing of man.

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