TYPES OF CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
A
Bible Study - Commentary by Jim Melough
Copyright
2001 James Melough
JOSHUA
“Now after the death of Moses
the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the
son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore
arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I
do give to them, even to the children of Israel,” Jos 1:1-2.
Moses is a type of the Lord
Jesus Christ dying to deliver us from the bondage of sin and Satan as typified
by Israel’s bondage in Egypt, leading us out of the world as represented by
Egypt, to begin our journey home to heaven; but Joshua is a type of Christ in
resurrection, as the Captain of our salvation, leading us into the
enjoyment of the inheritance (spiritual blessings) secured for us by His
death. The words “Now after the death of Moses” assure us that the lessons of
Joshua’s experiences are related to what has to do with Christ “raised again
for our justification,” Ro 4:25, “the Captain of our salvation,” living for
us, and leading us into the spiritual sphere represented by Canaan; and
confusion will be avoided if we remember that Canaan is a type, not of heaven,
but of the spiritual sphere into which we are introduced at conversion, and
the blessings of which we are meant to enjoy even while we are still here on
earth.
In this context it is
instructive to note that Joshua is described as “the son of Nun,” for Nun
means perpetuity. Joshua portrays Christ as the true “Son of
perpetuity,” the One Who lives in “the power of an endless life,” Heb 7:16.
Moses must die before the work
of Joshua could begin. Christ must die to redeem us before He could lead us
into the enjoyment of the blessings secured for the redeemed through His
death.