GOD’S ECONOMY

SERIES THIRTEEN
GOD’S ECONOMY IN ALL THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

God’s Economy as Revealed in the Old Testament

Message Seven
God’s Economy as Revealed in Joshua

Scripture Reading: Josh. 1:2-4, 14:2, 5:12,23:4, 10, Exo. 1:11-13, Num. 11:4-15, 31-35, 12:1-15, 20:2, Josh. 2:1-21, Ruth 4:21

I. The greatest type in the Old Testament is the history of the people of Israel, who typify the church, composed of the New Testament believers as God’s elect; coming after the five books of the law, the books of Moses, Joshua is the first book of the twelve books of Israel’s history, from Joshua to Esther; the twelve books of history are not concerned merely with history; they are a part of the divine revelation concerning God’s eternal economy—1 Cor. 10:1-13:

A. God’s eternal economy, which concerns Christ as the embodiment of God and the church as the organic Body of Christ for the consummating of the New Jerusalem—Col. 2:9, Eph. 1:23.

B. The intrinsic revelation of the books of history in the Old Testament is to unveil to us how the eternal economy of god is carried out by His elect on the earth—Exo. 25:9, 26:30, Josh. 1:2.

C. The eternal economy of god is altogether concerning Christ and for Christ, mainly in the person of Christ and the kingdom of Christ—Isa. 9:6, John 1:14, 2 Sam. 3:17:

1. Regarding the person of Christ, the record of history in the Old Testament keeps a line of the genealogy of Christ for His coming through incarnation to be a man—Isa. 9:6, John 1:14.

2. Regarding the kingdom of Christ, the Old Testament history maintains a line on the kingdom of God for Christ to establish His divine kingdom on the earth. These two items form the governing line of the divine revelation in the books of the history of Israel.—2 Sam. 3:17.

D. To take possession of God’s promised land for Christ and to provide the proper persons to bring forth Christ into the human race are the spirit, the intrinsic significance, of the section of the Old Testament history in the three books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth—Josh. 1:2-4.

E. Joshua typifies Christ and also grace (Christ) replacing the law (Moses)—John 1:17, Heb. 13:25:

1. It was when Moses the lawgiver died that Joshua came in to bring the people into the good land, typifying the Lord Jesus bringing the people of God into rest, into the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ as all the blessings ordained by God—Josh. 1:2, 6, Heb. 4:8, Eph. 1:3-14.

2. Christ has brought us into the good land, has taken possession of the land for us, and has allotted the land to us as our inheritance for our enjoyment; Christ has gained the good land for us, and eventually He is the good land for us to enjoy—cf. Deut. 8:7, footnote 1.

II. The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers portray in typology God’s need for a people to be saved and to go on with Him to enjoy His Christ, to receive His revelation, and to be built up with Him as the processed Triune God, that they may be formed into a priestly army to journey with Him and to fight with Him—Num. 1:3, 18, Josh. 23:10:

A. These books also show that God’s people need to be disciplined by passing through certain difficulties and undergoing different kinds of frustrations—Exo. 1:11-13, Num. 20:2, 11:4-15, 31-35, 12:1-15:

1. In Exo. 12—14, Israel ad God’s people was redeemed from God’s judgement by the Passover and saved from Egypt by the saving power of the Triune God:

a. Then, they enjoyed the heavenly provision and the divine care in their initial journey in the wilderness—Exo. 15-17

b. In Exo. 19-40 and Lev. 1-27 they received the divine revelation and training in knowing God, in being built up together with God as His dwelling on earth for His expression and testimony, and in the building up of the priesthood from the divine service.

2. All this took place at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the people were given the law as a portrait of what God is in His attributes.

B. The book of Numbers records how God’s chosen and redeemed people were formed into a priestly army to journey with God and to fight with God for His interest on earth—chs. 1-4, 9:15-10:36, 12:16, 20:1-21:35, 31:1-54, 33:1-49:

1. In Numbers the children of Israel also passed through various frustrations, trials, and disciplinings for their purification—11:4-15.

2. Eventually, in ch. 32 and in 33:50-36:13 God’s people received the prearrangement for the distribution of the promised good land.

3. After all the foregoing, God’s chosen and redeemed people were ready to cross the Jordan, enter Canaan, consume its inhabitants, and possess the good land promised by the faithful God—Josh. 1:2-3.

C. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, those who were qualified to take possession of the land were the younger ones, the second generation of those who had come out of Egypt—Num. 14:29-31:

1. This younger generation had received the benefit of all that the first generation had experienced—Deut. 1:1, 5.

2. With a rich inheritance and strong background, they were qualified to be formed into an army to fight with God and for God for the accomplishing of His economy—Exo. 1:11-13, Num. 11:4-15, 31-35, 12:1-15, 20:2, Josh. 1:2:

D. This history of Israel is a full type of the history of the church in its accomplishing of God’s eternal economy in the mystical union with the all-inclusive Christ, who is the embodiment of the processed and dispensing Triune God—Deut. 1:35-36, Num. 14:31.

III. God’s chosen and redeemed people needed to undergo different kinds of frustrations; as a result of all these things, God’s people were ready to take possession of the God-promised land—Exo. 1:11-13, Num. 11:4-15, 31-35, 12:1-15, 20:2, Josh. 1:2:

A. God’s people were made ready to take possession of the God-promised land by being redeemed from God’s judgment by the Passover and by being saved from Egypt by the saving power of the Triune God—Exo. 12, 14

B. God’s chosen and redeemed people enjoyed the heavenly provision and the divine care in their initial journey in the wilderness—Exo. 15-17

C. In Exodus 19-40, the children of Israel received the divine revelation and training in knowing God, in being built up together with God as His dwelling on earth for His expression and testimony, and in the building up of the priesthood for the divine service.

D. The book of Numbers records how God’s chosen and redeemed people were formed into a priestly army to journey with God and to fight with God for His interest on earth—Num. 1-4, 9:15-10:36, 12:16, 20:1-21:35, 31:1-54, 33:1-49.

E. The children of Israel were also made ready to take possession of the God-promised land by passing through all the frustrations, trials, and disciplines for their purification—Exo. 1:11-13, Num. 11:4-15, 31-35, 12:1-15, 20:2, Josh. 1:2.

F. In Numbers 32 and 33:50-36:13 God’s people received the prearrangements for the distribution of the promised good land; this made them ready to take possession of the land.

G. After all the foregoing, God’s chosen and redeemed people were ready to cross the Jordan, enter Canaan, consume the inhabitants thereof, and possess the good land promised by the faithful God—Josh. 1:2-3:

1. The people were ready to get settled with God in the good land; for them to be homeless was for God to be homeless; for them to be settled in the good land was for God to be settled in the land, for they were to settle there with God—1 Kings 6:14.

2. God’s people were also ready to be built up with Him in His divine Trinity as the mutual dwelling for God and His redeemed people for the expression and testimony of the Triune God on earth among men; this was the destination of the children of Israel, and it is our destiny today—Eph. 2:22.

IV. The content of the book of Joshua is that Joshua led the children of Israel to enter the promised land and to take it, possess it, allot it, and enjoy it—Josh. 1:2-6, 14:2, 23:4, 5:12.

V. The central thought of the book of Joshua is that God intended to fulfill the promise concerning the good land that Israel might have a place to carry out God’s economy, especially to keep the line of bringing in Christ to the earth through His incarnation in humanity—Josh. 1:2-6, John 1:14:

A. The book of Joshua has four sections: entering into the good land (chs. 1-5), taking possession of the good land (chs. 6-12), allotting the good land (chs. 13-22), and Joshua’s departure (chs. 23-24).

B. Israel’s taking possession of the good land was in the line of bringing forth Christ—Josh. 2:1-21, Ruth. 4:21:

1. Israel’s taking possession of the good land was in the line of bringing forth Christ by gaining two females—Rahab and Ruth—v. 17.

2. These two women play a crucial part in the bringing in of Christ—Josh. 2:1-21, Ruth 4:21:

a. Rahab as the mother of Boaz became one of the ancestors of Christ—Josh. 2:1-21, 6:22-25, Matt. 1:5a.

b. Ruth was another ancestor of Christ; she was the wife of Boaz and the great-grandmother of David—Ruth. 4:21, Matt. 1:5b.

3. Matthew 1:1 says, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David”; hence, Matthew is linked to Ruth and is the continuation of Ruth concerning the bringing in of Christ.

 

Ministry Excerpts:

THE GOD-CHOSEN AND GOD-REDEEMED PEOPLE BEING READY
TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE GOD-PROMISED GOOD LAND

The vital sketch of the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers first involves God’s need for a people to be saved and to go on with Him to enjoy His Christ, to receive His revelation, and to be built up with Him as the processed Triune God that they may be formed into a priestly army to journey with Him and to fight with Him. Second, this sketch shows us that, in addition to enjoying Christ, receiving the revelation, being built up with the Triune God, and being formed into a priestly army, this people also needs to be disciplined. In order to be disciplined, God’s people in the Old Testament had to pass through certain difficulties. This is something which we need to realize today. The more difficulties we pass through, the more useful we will be to the Lord. Third, this vital sketch reveals that God’s chosen and redeemed people needed to undergo different kinds of frustrations. As a result of all these things, God’s people were ready to take possession of the God-promised land.

With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, those who were qualified and ready to take possession of the land were younger ones. They were of the second generation. The older ones, those of the first generation, had passed through many things and had learned many lessons. However, they were not qualified to enter into the land. The lessons learned by the first generation surely became part of the heritage passed on to the second generation. Their children certainly inherited from their parents all the lessons they learned during the forty years in the wilderness. By their birth the younger ones were put into a position to inherit the tradition of their family and all that their parents had experienced.

I believe that the fathers spoke to their children about their experiences in Egypt, in the exodus from Egypt, and in the wilderness. No doubt, the fathers spoke about how they were cruelly treated as slaves in Egypt, about how God in His mercy sent Moses to deliver them from bondage, about how they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month, and about how they marched out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. The fathers must have also explained to their children that they entered into the wilderness without food but that God fed them with manna and supplied them with water from the smitten rock. They might have also explained that although they eventually felt that manna was loathsome, they nevertheless appreciated it. The people did not grow any crops, but for forty years they daily received the heavenly supply of manna. Furthermore, the younger ones learned about Moses and about the great help he rendered to the people of Israel. Moses himself was not allowed to enter into the good land, but he contributed many constructive factors to God’s people.

The second generation did not pass through as much as the first generation did, but they received the benefit of what the first generation experienced. I believe that the older generation told the younger generation about all they experienced, enjoyed, and suffered. This speaking was part of the raising up, or the building up, of the second generation. What the first generation experienced was not experienced in vain, for it was passed on to the second generation. What the older ones experienced actually was not effective for them, but it was very effective in building up the younger ones. Therefore, God was able to prepare from the second generation more than six hundred thousand men with a rich inheritance and strong background who were qualified to be formed into an army to fight with Him and for Him.

The principle is the same with us in the Lord’s recovery today. The recovery has been in the United States for twenty-seven years and has passed through many things. Do you think that all these things have been in vain? They certainly have not been in vain. These things are being passed on to the younger ones in the Lord’s recovery and will be very effective in building them up and preparing them to fight with God and for God. The younger ones in the Lord’s recovery have a rich inheritance. Because this inheritance is being passed on to the younger ones and even being constituted into them, I have the full assurance that when a further testing comes, there will be a very positive result.

In the Old Testament, what the second generation received from the first generation made the younger ones ready to take possession of the good land. Let us now consider the things which prepared them and made them ready to enter into the God-promised land.

Having Been Redeemed from God’s Judgement by the Passover and Saved
from the Slavery and Tyranny of Egypt by the Saving Power of the Triune God

God’s people were made ready to take possession of the God-promised land by being redeemed from God’s judgment by the Passover and by being saved from Egypt by the saving power of the Triune God (Exo. 12, 14). After they were redeemed by the Passover, they were saved personally by the Triune God. As Exodus 14 reveals, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit were all involved in the salvation of the children of Israel. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit were all engaged in rescuing God’s people out of the tyranny of Pharaoh. In Exodus 14 the Triune God protected them and fought for them. Without the personal involvement of the Triune God, it would have been impossible for the Israelites to be released from the hand of Pharaoh. God in His divine Trinity was directly and personally engaged in the rescue of His people.

Having Enjoyed the Heavenly Provision and the Divine Care
in Their Initial Journey in the Wilderness

God’s chosen and redeemed people enjoyed the heavenly provision and the divine care in their initial journey in the wilderness (Exo. 15—17). In Exodus 15:27 they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, all of which refer to Christ. In Exodus 16 the people enjoyed Christ as the manna, and in Exodus 17 they enjoyed Him as the rock smitten to flow out living water. Furthermore, the children of Israel enjoyed the divine care. In their initial journey in the wilderness, God was to them a nursing mother, feeding, nourishing, and cherishing them. This provision and care made them ready to enter into the good land.

Having Received the Divine Revelation and Training in Knowing God,
in Being Built Up Together with God as His Dwelling on Earth
for His Expression and Testimony, and in the Building Up of the Priesthood for the Divine Service

In Exodus 19-40 and Leviticus 1-27 the children of Israel received the divine revelation and training in knowing God, in being built up together with God as His dwelling on earth for His expression and testimony, and in the building up of the priesthood for the divine service. All this took place at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the people were given the law as a portrait of what God is in His attributes. They were built up together with God and they began to function in the divine service. This was a further means of God’s making them ready to take possession of the good land.

Having Been Formed into a Priestly Army to Journey with God
and to Fight with God for His Interest on Earth

The book of Numbers records how God’s chosen and redeemed people were formed into a priestly army to journey with God and to fight with God for His interest on earth (Num. 1—4, 9:15—10:36; 12:16; 20:1—21:35; 31:1-54; 33:1-49).

Having Passed through All the Frustrations,
Trials, and Disciplines for Their Purification

The children of Israel were also made ready to take possession of the God-promised land by passing through all the frustrations, trials, and disciplines for their purification. The situation is the same in the church life. Although we do not welcome frustrations, trials, and disciplines, we surely need the purification that comes from our passing through these things. In addition to nourishing and cherishing us, God sometimes disciplines us for our purification. He may purify us through fire, which is a matter of purging, and through water, which is a matter of purifying. This also is an aspect of our being made ready to take possession of the good land. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 52)

The Exceeding Lust of the Mixed Multitude

The first frustration was the exceeding lust of the mixed multitude among God’s chosen and redeemed people (Num. 11:4a). Were those who were of this mixed multitude saved? This is a difficult question to answer.

The mixed multitude lusted exceedingly, and this stirred up the lust of the God-chosen and God-redeemed people. Lust was already present with God’s people, but it needed to be stirred up, and it was stirred up by the mixed multitude. It is easy for the lust among God’s people to be stirred up by the mixed ones.

Numbers 11:5 says, “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” Here we see that God’s people remembered the Egyptian food (the worldly taste), which suited their lust. God’s people were lusting for the worldly taste.

The Rebellion of Miriam

Numbers 12:1-15 records the rebellion of Miriam, who was Moses’ older sister. Moses was the God-chosen leader, and Miriam was a prophetess who, after the crossing of the Red Sea, led the women in praising God (Exo. 15:20-21). Although she was Moses’ sister and served together with him, she still rebelled against him. This indicates that even those who are very close to one who takes the lead among God’s people may rebel against him.

The Unbelief of God’s Chosen and Redeemed People

Numbers 13:28—14:4 speaks of the unbelief of God’s chosen and redeemed people. This took place at Kadesh-barnea, after the spies had come back from spying out the good land. With the exception of Caleb and Joshua, the spies brought back an evil report, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great size. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are from the Nephilim); and we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (13:32-33). When the people heard this, they wept. Their weeping was not only a matter of unbelief but also of rebellion.

All These Frustrations Being Considered as Means

All the frustrations suffered by God’s chosen and redeemed people should be considered as means to humble God’s people by afflictions and to test them on their journey in the wilderness (Deut. 8:2). This is our situation today. The different kinds of frustrations are used by God to humble us and to test us. As we make our journey through the great and terrible wilderness, we will suffer frustrations again and again. Just as some made themselves sacrifices for the benefit of the children of Israel, today some may become sacrifices for our benefit, in particular for our purging and purification. From this we see once again that the record of the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness is a record of our journey today. The frustrations they experienced in their journey we will also experience in our journey. Therefore, it is helpful for us to consider the frustrations recorded in the book of Numbers. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 51)

Having Been Prepared and Having Received All the Prearrangements
for the Distribution of the Promised Good Land

In Numbers 32 and 33:50-36:13 God’s people received the prearrangements for the distribution of the promised good land. This made them ready to take possession of the land.

Now Being Ready to Cross the Jordan, Enter Canaan
Consume the Inhabitants Thereof,
and Possess the Good Land Promised by the Faithful God

After all the foregoing, God’s chosen and redeemed people were ready to cross the Jordan, enter Canaan, consume the inhabitants thereof, and possess the good land promised by the faithful God (Josh. 1:2-3).

Getting Settled with God in the Good Land

In particular, the people were ready to get settled with God in the good land. For them to be homeless was for God to be homeless. But for them to be settled in the good land was for God to be settled in the land, for they were to settle there with God.

Being Built Up with God in His Divine Trinity
as the Mutual Dwelling for God and His Redeemed People
for the Expression and Testimony of the Triune God on Earth among Men

God’s people were also ready to be built up with Him in His divine Trinity as the mutual dwelling for God and His redeemed people for the expression and testimony of the Triune God on earth among men. This was the destination of the children of Israel, and it is our destiny today. This is the complete, perfect, and eternal revelation of the divine Person with His economy. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 52)

THE CONTENT OF JOSHUA

The content of the book of Joshua is that Joshua led the children of Israel to enter the promised land and to take it, possess it, allot it, and enjoy it. The sequence here is quite significant. First, the children of Israel entered the promised land, and then they possessed it and occupied it. Following this, the land was allotted, apportioned, to each tribe in a particular way. Then they enjoyed the land.

TYPES OF CHRIST

In the book of Joshua there are two types of Christ— Joshua and the good land.

Joshua

The first type of Christ in this book is Joshua himself. The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua is Jesus (Heb. 4:8; Acts 7:45). Joshua typifies Christ and grace (Christ) replacing the law (Moses—Josh. 1:2a; John 1:17). It was when Moses the lawgiver died that Joshua came in (Deut. 34:8-9) to bring the people into the good land (Josh. 1:6), typifying the Lord Jesus bringing the people of God into rest, into the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ.

The Good Land

The other type of Christ in the book of Joshua is the good land with all its riches (Deut. 8:7-10) typifying the God-given Christ with all His unsearchable riches (Col. 1:12; Eph. 3:8).

TYPES RELATED TO CHRIST

The book of Joshua also reveals two types related to Christ.

Israel’s Possessing and Enjoying the Promised Land

The first of the types related to Christ is Israel’s possessing and enjoying the promised land. This typifies the believers’ practical experience of the riches of the blessings in Christ as revealed in the book of Ephesians.

Israel’s Crossing of the River Jordan

Israel’s crossing of the river Jordan typifies the believers’ experience of the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3-4a; Col. 2:20), not the believers’ physical death.

Israel’s Entering into the Good Land

Israel’s entering into the good land typifies the believers’ experience of taking over the heavenlies, where Satan and his power of darkness are (Eph. 2:6; 6:12), not the believers’ going to heaven after their death. This is all related to Israel’s possessing and enjoying the good land.

The Scarlet Thread through Which Rahab the Harlot Was Saved

The second type related to Christ is the scarlet thread through which Rahab the harlot was saved (Josh. 2:17-19; 6:17, 22-23, 25; Heb. 11:31; James 2:25). This scarlet thread typifies the blood of Christ by which the believers are redeemed (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

The central thought of the book of Joshua is that God intended to fulfill the promise concerning the good land that Israel might have a place to carry out God’s economy, especially to keep the line of bringing in Christ to the earth through His incarnation in humanity. This book is quite wonderful in this main purpose of Israel’s occupying and possessing the good land for the carrying out of God’s economy.

THE SECTIONS

The book of Joshua has four sections: entering into the good land (chs. 1-5), taking possession of the good land (chs. 6-12), allotting the good land (chs. 13-22), and Joshua’s departure (chs. 23-24).

ISRAEL’S TAKING POSSESSION OF THE GOOD LAND
BEING IN THE LINE OF BRINGING FORTH CHRIST

Israel’s taking possession of the good land was in the line of bringing forth Christ by gaining two females—Rahab and Ruth. These two women play a crucial part in the bringing in of Christ. Rahab as the mother of Boaz became one of the ancestors of Christ (Josh. 2:1-21; 6:22-25; Matt. 1:5a). Ruth was another ancestor of Christ (Ruth 4:21; Matt. 1:5b). She was the wife of Boaz and the great-grandmother of David. Matthew 1:1 says, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David.” Hence, Matthew is linked to Ruth and is the continuation of Ruth concerning the bringing in of Christ. (Life-study of Joshua, msg. 1)