mh_parser/vol_split/6 - Joshua/0 - Introduction.xml

<div2 id="Jos.i" n="i" next="Jos.ii" prev="Jos" progress="0.33%" title="Introduction">
<h2 id="Jos.i-p0.1">Joshua</h2>
<hr/>
<pb id="Jos.i-Page_1" n="1"/>
<div class="Center" id="Jos.i-p0.3">
<p id="Jos.i-p1"><b>AN</b></p>
<h3 id="Jos.i-p1.1">EXPOSITION,</h3>
<h4 id="Jos.i-p1.2">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,</h4>
<h5 id="Jos.i-p1.3">OF THE BOOK OF</h5>
<h2 id="Jos.i-p1.4">J O S H U A.</h2>
<hr style="width:2in"/>
</div>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.i-p2">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 the end of the books of the
Kings, the Jewish writers call <i>the first book of the
prophets,</i> to bring them within the distribution of the books of
the <i>Old Testament,</i> into the Law, the Prophets, and the
Chetubim, or Hagiographa, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.1" osisRef="Bible:Luke.24.44" parsed="|Luke|24|44|0|0" passage="Lu 24:44">Luke xxiv.
44</scripRef>. 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 <i>prophetical</i> 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 <i>from heaven.</i>—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 (<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.10.13 Bible:2Sam.1.18" parsed="|Josh|10|13|0|0;|2Sam|1|18|0|0" passage="Jos 10:13,2Sa 1:18">Josh. x. 13, and 2 Sam. i. 18</scripRef>), 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 <scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.3" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.9.9" parsed="|1Sam|9|9|0|0" passage="1Sa 9:9">1 Sam. ix. 9</scripRef>, <i>He that is now called
a prophet was formerly called a seer.</i> And, 3. Because we so
often read of things remaining <i>unto this day;</i> as stones
(<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.4.9 Bible:Josh.7.26 Bible:Josh.8.29 Bible:Josh.10.27 Bible:1Sam.6.18" parsed="|Josh|4|9|0|0;|Josh|7|26|0|0;|Josh|8|29|0|0;|Josh|10|27|0|0;|1Sam|6|18|0|0" passage="Jos 4:9,7:26,8:29,10:27,1Sa 6:18">Josh. iv. 9;
vii. 26; viii. 29; x. 27; 1 Sam. vi. 18</scripRef>), names of
places (<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.5" osisRef="Bible:Josh.5.9 Bible:Josh.7.26 Bible:Judg.1.26 Bible:Judg.15.19 Bible:Judg.18.12 Bible:2Kgs.14.7" parsed="|Josh|5|9|0|0;|Josh|7|26|0|0;|Judg|1|26|0|0;|Judg|15|19|0|0;|Judg|18|12|0|0;|2Kgs|14|7|0|0" passage="Jos 5:9,7:26,Jdg 1:26,15:19,18:12,2Ki 14:7">Josh. v. 9; vii. 26;
Judg. i. 26; xv. 19; xviii. 12; 2 Kings xiv. 7</scripRef>), rights
and possessions (<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.6" osisRef="Bible:Judg.1.21 Bible:1Sam.27.6" parsed="|Judg|1|21|0|0;|1Sam|27|6|0|0" passage="Jdg 1:21,1Sa 27:6">Judg. i. 21;
1 Sam. xxvii. 6</scripRef>), customs and usages (<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.7" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.5.5 Bible:2Kgs.17.41" parsed="|1Sam|5|5|0|0;|2Kgs|17|41|0|0" passage="1Sa 5:5,2Ki 17:41">1 Sam. v. 5; 2 Kings xvii. 41</scripRef>),
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 (<scripRef id="Jos.i-p2.8" osisRef="Bible:1Sam.27.6" parsed="|1Sam|27|6|0|0" passage="1Sa 27:6">1
Sam. xxvii. 6</scripRef>) that it pertains to the <i>kings of
Judah</i> (which style began after Solomon and ended in the
captivity) <i>unto this day.</i> 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.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.i-p3">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 <i>the law made nothing perfect,</i>
but this was to be done by the <i>bringing in of the better
hope.</i> 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 <i>gospel make any thing perfect</i> in this world, but
leaves us still in expectation of a <i>better hope</i> in the
future state.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Jos.i-p4">II. We have next before us the <i>book of
Joshua,</i> so called, perhaps, not because it was written
<i>by</i> 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 <i>concerning</i> 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, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Josh.1.1-Josh.5.15" parsed="|Josh|1|1|5|15" passage="Jos 1:1-5:15"><i>ch.</i> i.-v.</scripRef> 2. In their conquest of
Canaan, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Josh.6.1-Josh.12.24" parsed="|Josh|6|1|12|24" passage="Jos 6:1-12:24"><i>ch.</i>
vi.-xii.</scripRef> 3. In the distribution of the land of Canaan
among the tribes of Israel, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Josh.13.1-Josh.21.45" parsed="|Josh|13|1|21|45" passage="Jos 13:1-21:45"><i>ch.</i> xiii.-xxi.</scripRef> 4. In the
settlement and establishment of religion among them, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.4" osisRef="Bible:Josh.22.1-Josh.24.33" parsed="|Josh|22|1|24|33" passage="Jos 22:1-24:33"><i>ch.</i> xxii.-xxiv.</scripRef> 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. <i>Much of God</i> and <i>his providence</i>—his power in the
kingdom of nature, his justice in punishing the Canaanites when the
<i>measure of their iniquity was full,</i> 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 <i>determining the issues of war,</i> and as the
director of the lot, <i>determining the bounds of men's
habitations.</i> 2. <i>Much of Christ</i> and <i>his grace.</i>
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, <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.5" osisRef="Bible:Zech.6.11-Zech.6.12" parsed="|Zech|6|11|6|12" passage="Zec 6:11,12">Zech. vi. 11,
12</scripRef>. The LXX., giving the name of Joshua a Greek
termination, call him all along <b><i>Iesous,</i></b> <i>Jesus,</i>
and so he is called <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.6" osisRef="Bible:Acts.7.45 Bible:Heb.4.8" parsed="|Acts|7|45|0|0;|Heb|4|8|0|0" passage="Ac 7:45,Heb 4:8">Acts vii.
45, and Heb. iv. 8</scripRef>. Justin Martyr, one of the first
writers of the Christian church (<i>Dialog. cum Tryph.</i> p. mihi
300), makes that promise in <scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.7" osisRef="Bible:Exod.23.20" parsed="|Exod|23|20|0|0" passage="Ex 23:20">Exod.
xxiii. 20</scripRef>, <i>My angel shall bring thee into the place I
have prepared,</i> to point at Joshua; and these words, <i>My name
is in him,</i> to refer to this, that his names should be the same
with that of the Messiah. It signifies, <i>He shall save.</i>
Joshua saves God's people from the Canaanites; our Lord Jesus saves
them <i>from their sins.</i> Christ, as Joshua, is the <i>captain
of our salvation,</i> a <i>leader and commander of the people,</i>
to tread Satan under their feet, to put them in possession of the
heavenly Canaan, and to <i>give them rest,</i> which (it is said,
<scripRef id="Jos.i-p4.8" osisRef="Bible:Heb.4.8" parsed="|Heb|4|8|0|0" passage="Heb 4:8">Heb. iv. 8</scripRef>) Joshua did
not.</p>
</div2>