The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 77

but also true, tha,t all your regrets will not restore him to his wonted pla,ce. There is t-0 be no st&ndstill in the kingdom of God. A new lea,der is summoned to the front. Joshua, must succeed to the va,cant post. I. 'We h11,ve A NEW LEADER AND A FRESH START. As if to ma,gnify Joshua, in the eyes of the Israelites, the command is at once given to prepare for that entmnce· int-0 the 111,nd of promise which Moses had so ardently lonaed for but wo.s not per- mitted to witness. "One soweth, another reo.peth." Th~ law paved the wo.y for the gospel. It is well to follow a period of inaction by vigorous measm-es. Active employment would tum away the people's thoughts from unduly dwelling upon the absence of Moses, and would prove that all wisdom and energy had not died with him, nor had God also perished in His servant's death. And so to-day the class in the Sunday-school shall continue its training, though the much-loved teacher has been compelled to renounce his work ; the congregation shall be instructed as heretofore, though by a different voice. Let class and congregation rally around their new chief. The appointment of a new leader should be the s~al for a fre£h ad-vance. Let "Onward ! " be the cry. II. THE TITLE OF POSSESSION. The real claim of the Israelites was grounded on the gift of God. Consider the earth (a) Materiall,y, as belonging to God. "The earth is the Lord's." Men are but His tenants-a,t-will. The justification of the Israelites in driving out the Ca,na,anites is to be sought in the fact that the inhabit- ants had made an ill use of the land. He who owned it had revoked His grant, a.nd confen-ed it on His chosen people. The lesson enforced by our Lord in the parable of the ta,lents is of wide application. Not only a,griculturists but merchants must regard their property as held at the disposal of the Creator. Nevertheless there is something in the possession of a, "foot of ground" which seems to connect us immediately with the Lord of the e&rth, and renders impiety amid scenes of na,tnre the more guilty. (b) Spiritually, as given through Christ to the Church.' The commission of Christ to the disciples embra,ced the whole world. Every nation of right belongs to God, and the establishment of missions is but claiming the land for its Great Owner. God bath given to every company of believers a "land" to possess, a neighbourhood to be evangelised, cruelty and vice and selfishness to be expelled, that peace and love and righteousness may dwell in the conquered territory. The text may remind us, therefore, of the aggressive measures which the Church of Christ is required to undertake. III. THE DIVINE GIFT NO SUPERSESSION OF HUMAN EFFORT. First the Israelites must cross the ri.-er Jordan, and then seize the gift offered. They had literally to tread with the " sole of the foot" upon the land they desired to receive from God. E-very promise of Scripture is intended not as a sedative, but as a stimulus, to ex- ertion. "-'e have to " labour to enter into the rest." There is a Divine law, "Seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened." The redemption that is in Christ will not benefit unless appropriated. The " treasures of wisdom and knowledge " will be ours Ly taking them in Christ from the outstretched hands of God. In all church operations we must be mindful that" Christ expects every man to do his duty." The heathen are His inheritance, but will be made His only as the Church is stirred up to diligent activity in moral conquest. Thus the gifts of God are conditional upon human service. Not, of course, tha,t God simply allocates the land as did the Popes formerly, expecting the grantees to secure it for themselves; for He helps us, and without Him our efforts would be vain. IV. THE RECORDED PROMISE INTENDED FOR ALL GENERATIONS. "As I said unto Moses." There is evident reference to the utterance of Jehovah forty years before (Exod. xxiii. 31). He had not forgotten His word. Should the unbelief of the people make His "promises of none effect"? That Moses had not allowed the de- claration to slip from his memory is seen in Deut. xi. 24. Intervening years do not render the fulfilment of God's promises less sure. Thousands of years rolled away between the first prediction of a Messiah and His actual appearance .. Let not our hearts fail to trust in God. "As I said unto Moses" may be turned mto a general promise, as the Epistle to the Hebrews did with the specific utterance of eh. v. 5 to Joshua (HelJ. xiii. 5). It may be kept before us as a message of hope and assurance. -A. CH. I, 1-4.) THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 9