Page 8 - June 2026 - Truth & Tidings

he Book of Joshua gives us, in which may go in before them, and which
type, the subject of the Epistle to may lead them out, and which may
Tthe Ephesians. The journey across bring them in; that the congregation of
the desert had come to an end, and the the LORD be not as sheep which have no
children of Israel were now going to cross shepherd” (Num 27:17).
the Jordan, led by a new guide. They were What a lovely picture of our Lord Jesus,
to take possession of the land of promise, the Good Shepherd. He goes before us
driving out the enemies who dwelt there. and leads us into our rest. The Lord Jesus
It is the same for us as believers today. described the shepherd of the sheep: “And
The heavenly places are our Canaan, our he calleth his own sheep by name, and
rest in Christ, by virtue of all that He has leadeth them out. And when he putteth
accomplished at the cross in defeating sin forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,
and death and hell. and the sheep follow him: for they know
Joshua was chosen as Moses’ successor his voice” (Joh 10:3-4). David wrote of the
to lead the children of Israel into the land Lord his Shepherd: “He leadeth me beside
that God had promised them. Moses could the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he
not lead the children of Israel into the land leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
because of his failure to sanctify the Lord for his name’s sake” (Psa 23:2-3).
in following His Word explicitly (Num We are first introduced to Joshua when
27:12-14). The Lord said to Moses, “But leading God’s people in victory in the
Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth battle against Amalek (Exo 17:9-14). We
before thee, he shall go in thither: encour- think of the time when we met the Sav-
age him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit iour at the cross. He went into the valley
it” (Deu 1:38). 1 to meet the foe and won a great victory,
Earlier, Moses had asked the Lord to bringing us forgiveness of sins and peace
set a man over the congregation of Israel, with God through His sacrificial, atoning
to lead them into the land that God had death and the shedding of His own pre-
promised them. Moses described the cious blood.
character of the man that would be cho- Joshua was a man of tremendous cour-
sen: “Which may go out before them, and age, but the victories he accomplished
were accomplished through the Lord
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the
KJV. who promised to be with him. The Lord

168 TRUTH kTidings June 2026