JOSHUA AND OUR SALVATION

I believe that the entire account of the Israelites battles and history with their relationship to the Lord, has a parallel to our spiritual life in the New Covenant, as I believe the entire Old Testament has the same parallel. Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, so it stands to reason that every event was a predecessor of what we are experiencing as followers of Jesus Christ.

Joshua Chapters 3 & 5 are a picture of Salvation.

God took Joshua and the soldiers across the Jordan miraculously, we are told in Joshua Chapter 3. This is a picture of Salvation by Grace, not by works. 3:5 says, “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Salvation is the greatest Wonder of all!!! Jesus won for us everything we could ever hope or think, and so much more!!! He Sanctifies us through our acceptance of Him into our hearts.

3:11 tells us this: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.” In order for us to experience Salvation, the Lord reveals Himself to us. We see Him like we’ve never seen Him before….He, in effect, “passes over before us” for the first time in our lives, as we see Him through our spirits instead of our minds.

The next verses describe how the Lord God divided the waters of the Jordan as soon as the priests’ feet touched the overflowing water of the river, and they passed over on dry ground. You remember, He did the same at the Red Sea when they escaped from Egypt. This shows that at Salvation, our sins, which are overcoming us, are removed, to the left and to the right, far from us, and we go to the Lord on the solid ground of the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ our Saviour!

Joshua chapter 5 is a depiction of each person’s reaction to Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Josh. 5:9 “this is the day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt (a symbol of the world and satan)

off you…” Salvation takes away our reproach. After we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, determining to rest entirely on Him for every aspect of our lives— internally, externally and eternally, our past sins are completely washed away…..our reproach and slavery to the things and thinking of this world are gone, as the Israelites’ reproach and slavery to Egypt were gone from them

We were once slaves to Sin, (Romans chapter 6) but now we live for Christ. We will still sin occasionally, but when we turn to Him for forgiveness, we will receive not only forgiveness, but also help through the Holy Spirit to live more closely to Him.

Joshua 5:12- “And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna anymore; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” The Manna stopped after they crossed the Jordan—When we are saved, our dead spirits are “quickened”–or, made alive (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13; 1 Peter 3:18) Now, God can communicate with us directly through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God can speak directly to our spirit 1Cor. 2:11 tells us: “ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.”

God can deal with us spiritually as well as mentally because our spirit is alive after God breathes life into it at the moment of Salvation. We live off the Body and Blood of Christ in our Promised Land (Salvation) as the chosen people lived off the fruit of their Promised Land.

Previously, we were blocked from God because we were entirely natural, and our spirits were dead in trespasses and sins, but after Salvation we have a spiritual connection with God the Father through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

This is explained in Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Col. 2:13 says, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”

Again, in 1 Cor. 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

This change is depicted in Joshua 5 in the ending of the Manna. God had the provide a natural nourishment for His children in the desert because they had not yet crossed over to His Land of Promise. So we live in a natural state until we cross over into the spiritual and receive the Promise of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 3:14 refers to this: “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

After we are saved, we are a new creation, a new life begins, and our entire perspective changes.

2 Cor. 5:17 says: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”

God appeared to Joshua 5:14-15. So He appears to us in our spirits. After Salvation we daily learn more and more about Our Lord, and grow closer to Him in every way. We must make this our only True goal in life, making Jesus Christ everything to us.

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