Old Testament Reading – Joshua 1:1-18
New Testament Reading – Hebrews 4:1-8
Victorious Christian Living
“Canaan for the Christian”
Joshua 1:1-18
Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor
The land of Canaan was a real place. It was that historical region that corresponds to present-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel.
- Canaan refers to the “Promised Land” given to Abraham and his descendants, and the stories of the Israelite conquest of the Canaanites are central to the history of the Hebrew people and vital to our understanding of God’s plan of salvation.
- However, while Canaan was a real place and the people of God conquered the land under Joshua’s leadership, Canaan also represents the abundant life God promises to those who receive His Son as their Savior and submit unto Him as their Lord.
- Contrary to many gospel songs, Canaan is not a direct synonym for ‘heaven’, where we, as Christians, will dwell with the Lord forever. Instead, the land of Canaan describes a relationship with God that is so personal and intimate that it can only be described as God dwelling within us, giving us the hope of glory, which is precisely what it means to be saved.
- Canaan for the Christian is to live the victorious Christian life.
Canaan describes the condition of the soul of those who have been truly born again; those who have confessed and repented of their sins, including restoration and reconciliation where possible.
- Having achieved peace with God through our faith alone in Christ alone, and with all others through the reconciliation process outlined in Matthew 18, the believer enters into “rest,” with one exception – we still have to deal with the sin nature.
- Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see God.”
But just as the Israelites had to conquer Canaan, i.e., remove those who had inhabited the land but never owned it, Christians are to engage in a daily spiritual battle against sin and to make every effort to live in obedience to God’s will until God calls us home.
- Canaan is the manifestation of the Christians being “at one” with God. It is about having constant communion with God, or as the Apostle Paul said, to realize that he was “in Christ,” and Christ was “in him,” giving him the hope of glory.
- Therefore, such “oneness” with God:
- Is not striving – The victorious Christian life is not achieved through our personal striving against sin, or in our persistent study of the Word of God. The Victorious Christian Life is achieved by yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and manifests the life of Christ through us.
- Is not static – but rather it is dynamic, in that it is always increasing, and yet it will not be complete until we are with Him forever.
- Is not stagnant – but rather it is transformative; it is a daily journey of conforming our lives to the image of Christ that lives within us, until we are in full alignment with His will and His purpose for our lives.
- Is never strained – but such peace becomes the deepest desire of our heart as we grow in the grace and knowledge of this Lord who loves us so.
- Therefore, for the Christian, Canaan is to live each day in victory over sin, self, and Satan’s influence – not through our efforts but through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has already won the victory for us.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” 1 John 5:4
1. The Man – Joshua 1:1 – “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant.”
- The Hebrew name Joshua translates as “Jesus” in the Greek language, i.e., Joshua was a “type” of Jesus in the sense that, by leading the Israelites into Canaan, he led the people of God into the fulfillment of God’s promises. Therefore, whatever Israel received in the “Promised Land,” they received through the hand of Joshua, and whatever believers receive from God in the new covenant is received through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
- Born while the Israelites were in Egypt, Hoshea, as he was first called, was a member of the tribe of Ephraim. When Moses asked God to appoint a leader over the people of Israel, God told Moses to take Joshua, the son of Nun, with him, for he was a man in whom the Spirit of God dwelled.
- Joshua was with Moses every day, meaning he witnessed all of God’s miracles in Egypt and in the wilderness. He accompanied Moses up Mount Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.
- He was at the tabernacle of meeting whenever God spoke with Moses. He spied out the land of Canaan and brought back a good report. He was one of the two Israelites who left Egypt to enter into the Promised Land, and he led Israel into battle against the Amalekites.
2. The Mission – Joshua 1:2-3, “Go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.”
- God promised to give Israel all of the land west of the Jordan River, from the wilderness to the Euphrates River and from the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea.
- God assured Joshua that no opposing army could defeat Israel because the Lord fought for them.
- God made two promises to Joshua:
- Verse 5 – “I will be with you.” – Israel would become a great nation, not because Joshua was a great leader, but because God was a great God who worked through Joshua.
- Verse 5 – “I will not leave you or forsake you.” – and God made that same promise to all believers in Hebrews 13:5 – “Therefore, the Lord said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
- God required two commitments from Joshua:
- Verse 6 – “Be strong and of good courage.”
- Verse 7-8 – “Be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do exactly according to the law of Moses, not turning to the left or right, so you may prosper, and therefore, you should meditate on this Book of the Law both day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written in it, for then you will prosper and have good success.”
3. The Meaning – 1 Corinthians 10:11 – “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”
- Egypt typifies the systems of the world—the attempt to obtain success and pleasure apart from the God of Heaven.
- The Red Sea – where the believer dies to the world and focuses on their new life in Christ.
- The wilderness of Sinai – the process of sanctification, where the believer learns to trust in the Lord.
- The Jordan River – where the believer dies to himself and fully submits himself to Christ.
- Spiritual Rest – when the believer ceases striving to live the Christian life in the power of the flesh and fully yields himself to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Promised Land – where the believer enjoys the blessings of obedience in this life while he awaits the fulfillment of God’s promise of everlasting life in heaven.
- Abundance and Victory – that full and meaningful life God has promised those who receive His Son as their Savior and Lord.
- Spiritual Battle – the battle Christians face each day against the sin and evil of this world.
- Ongoing Struggle – the battle Christians face between remaining faithful to God and falling into sin.
- Call to Holiness – the call to cleanse our lives of sin and ungodly practices and to pursue holiness, without which, no one will see God.
“Salvation is a supernatural thing that changes the heart, renews the will, and transforms the life, so that it is all evident to all around that a miracle of grace has been wrought.” Arthur Pink
