Moses can only take us so far. He could not lead Israel into the Promised Land of Canaan, and Moses cannot take us into the Promised Land. The Law of God’s Commands come through Moses, promising that if we never break them, we can enter Heaven. But through the Law we become knowledgeable about our sin – sin that stops Moses and us from entering the Promised Land.
Another one, the One chosen by God, must lead God’s people through the waters of the Jordan and into the Promised Land. It is no accident or coincidence that his name was Joshua, for that is the Hebrew rendering of the Greek name Jesus, who by His death, resurrection, and ascension takes us to our promised land of rest in Heaven, leading us through water – the waters of the Jordan, through which Joshua crossed and in which Jesus was baptized, and the waters of baptism that join us to our Joshua.
Nicely said and summarized. This is one of my favorite Old Testament typologies of the Christ. Wonderful stuff. It is all the more significant that it was God, through Moses, who gave "Joshua" his name.
ReplyDeleteI first heard this typology when the CPH Joshua commentary came out, and KFUO did their Bible Study on Joshua. I was stunned and in awe. And then this year I discovered that the connection was there for me to find all these years in the hymnal, as Christopher Wordsworth had put the connection to music in "See, the Lord Ascends in Triumph" (LSB 494). I've heard Wordsworth was a professor of Patristics, which would explain the hymn. Rev. James Douthwaite has a nice Ascension sermon based on the hymn.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.saint-athanasius.org/Sermons/2007/Easter/2007-05-16.html
Now I'm wondering what other types are mentioned in our hymnody. I know Luther makes the Passover Lamb connection in "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands." I'm figuring there's a few connecting Jesus to David (such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"). But what else?
Other types mentioned in our hymnody: One hymn that has fascinated me for quite some time is Lo, Judah's Lion Wins the Strife (LW 146, TLH 211) which, unfortunately, is not in LSB. Christ is the Lion of Judah conquering death for us, our David killing the jeering Goliath, our Samson storming death's citadel carrying off the gates of hell. The stanzas are brief, but each one paints such a vivid picture!
ReplyDelete--Bill Hansen