AN
EXPOSITION,
W I T H P R A C T I C A L O B S E R V A T I O N
S,
OF THE BOOK OF
J O S H U A
I. We have now before us the
history of the Jewish nation in this book and those that follow it to the end
of the book of Esther. These books, to he end of the books of the Kings, the
Jewish writers call the first book of the prophets, to bring them
within the distribution of the books of the Old Testament, into the
Law, the Prophets, and the Chetubim, or Hagiographa, Luke xxiv. 44. The rest
they make part of the Hagiographa. For, though history is their subject, it is
justly supposed that prophets were their penmen. To those books that are
purely and properly prophetical the name of the prophet is prefixed,
because the credibility of the prophecies depended much upon the character of
the prophets; but these historical books, it is probable, were collections of
the authentic records of the nation, which some of the prophets (and the
Jewish church was for many ages more or less continually blessed with such)
were divinely directed and helped to put together for the service of the
church to the end of the world; as their other officers, so their
historiographers, had their authority from heaven.--It should seem that
though the substance of the several histories was written when the events were
fresh in memory, and written under a divine direction, yet, under the same
direction, they were put into the form in which we now have them by some other
hand, long afterwards, probably all by the same hand, or about the same time.
The grounds of the conjecture are, 1. Because former writings are so often
referred to, as the Book of Jasher (Josh. x. 13, and 2 Sam. i. 18), the
Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Judah, and the books of Gad, Nathan, and
Iddo. 2. Because the days when the things were done are spoken of sometimes as
days long since passed; as 1 Sam. ix. 9, He that is now called a prophet
was formerly called a seer. And, 3. Because we so often read of things
remaining unto this day; as stones (Josh. iv. 9; vii. 26; viii. 29; x.
27; 1 Sam. vi. 18), names of places (Josh. v. 9; vii. 26; Judg. i. 26; xv. 19;
xviii. 12; 2 Kings xiv. 7), rights and possessions (Judg. i. 21; 1 Sam. xxvii.
6), customs and usages (1 Sam. v. 5; 2 Kings xvii. 41), which clauses have
been since added to the history by the inspired collectors for the
confirmation and illustration of it to those of their own age. And, if one may
offer a mere conjecture, it is not unlikely that the historical books, to the
end of the Kings, were put together by Jeremiah the prophet, a little before
the captivity; for it is said of Ziklag (1 Sam. xxvii. 6) that it pertains to
the kings of Judah (which style began after Solomon and ended in the
captivity) unto this day. And it is still more probable that those
which follow were put together by Ezra the scribe, some time after the
captivity. However, though we are in the dark concerning their authors, we are
in no doubt concerning their authority; they were a part of the oracles of
God, which were committed to the Jews, and were so received and referred to by
our Saviour and the apostles.
In the five books of Moses we had a very full account of the rise, advance,
and constitution, of the Old-Testament church, the family out of which it was
raised, the promise, that great charter by which it was incorporated, the
miracles by which it was built up, and the laws and ordinances by which it was
to be governed, from which one would conceive and expectation of its character
and state very different from what we find in this history. A nation that had
statutes and judgments so righteous, one would think, should have been very
holy; and a nation what had promises so rich should have been very happy. But,
alas! a great part of the history is a melancholy representation of their sins
and miseries; for the law made nothing perfect, but this was to be done
by the bringing in of the better hope. And yet, if we compare the
history of the Christian church with its constitution, we shall find the same
cause for wonder, so many have been its errors and corruptions; for neither
does the gospel make any thing perfect in this world, but leaves us
still in expectation of a better hope in the future state.
II. We have next before us the book of Joshua, so called, perhaps, not
because it was written by him, for that is uncertain. Dr. Lightfoot
thinks that Phinehas wrote it. Bishop Patrick is clear that Joshua wrote it
himself. However that be, it is written concerning him, and, if any
other wrote it, it was collected out of his journals or memoirs. It contains
the history of
Israel
under the command and government of Joshua, how he presided as general of
their armies, 1. In their entrance into
Canaan
, ch. i.-v. 2. In their conquest of
Canaan
, ch. vi.-xii. 3. In the distribution of the
land
of
Canaan
among the tribes of
Israel
, ch. xiii.-xxi. 4. In the settlement and establishment of religion
among them, ch. xxii.-xxiv. In all which he was a great example of
wisdom, courage, fidelity, and piety, to all that are in places of public
trust. But this is not all the use that is to be made of this history. We may
see in it, 1. Much of God and his providence--his power in the
kingdom of nature, his justice in punishing the Canaanites when the measure
of their iniquity was full, his faithfulness to his covenant with the
patriarchs, and his kindness to his people Israel, notwithstanding their
provocations. We may see him as the Lord of Hosts determining the issues of
war, and as the director of the lot, determining the bounds of men's
habitations. 2. Much of Christ and his grace. Though Joshua
is not expressly mentioned in the New Testament as a type of Christ, yet all
agree that he was a very eminent one. He bore our Saviour's name, as did also
another type of him, Joshua the high priest, Zech. vi. 11, 12. The LXX.,
giving the name of Joshua a Greek termination, call him all along 'IhsouV,
Jesus, and so he is called Acts vii. 45, and Heb. iv. 8. Justin Martyr,
one of the first writers of the Christian church (Dialog. cum Tryph. p.
mihi 300), makes that promise in Exod. xxiii. 20, My angel shall bring thee
into the place I have prepared, to point at Joshua; and these words, My
name is in him, to refer to this, that his names should be the same with
that of the Messiah. It signifies, He shall save. Joshua saves God's
people from the Canaanites; our Lord Jesus saves them from their sins.
Christ, as Joshua, is the captain of our salvation, a leader and
commander of the people, to tread Satan under their feet, to put them in
possession of the heavenly Canaan, and to give them rest, which (it is
said, Heb. iv. 8) Joshua did not.
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