The Lord appoints Joshua to succeed Moses.
Joshua had attended upon Moses. He who was called to honor, had been long used to business. Our Lord Jesus took upon him the form of a servant. Joshua was trained up under command. Those are fittest to rule, who have learned to obey. The removal of useful men should quicken survivors to be the more diligent in doing good. Arise, go over Jordan. At this place and at this time the banks were overflowed. Joshua had no bridge or boats, and yet he must believe that God, having ordered the people over, would open a way.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-4
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
 | Author: Matthew Henry Rank: Priest AD: 1714 Source: Title: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible Author: Matthew Henry |
God, who chose Moses to lead His people, and to bring them out of the land of bondage to Mount Sinai, to receive the divine law, as a guide and a support amid the wilderness of this world, confirming, “I will certainly be with you” [Exod 3:12], is, Himself, proclaiming the death of Moses, and the choice of Joshua to lead the crossover, and to realize the inheritance. Moses had to die, for Joshua to appear; the law had to come to an end, for us to enjoy grace. God is the One who works in the two stages, by His integrated divine plan ... The secret of strength in both the ministries of Moses and Joshua, is in God’s call to them, to realize His divine will.
God, who chose Moses, a representative of His law, is Himself, the One who allowed his death, to set Joshua, a representative of Jesus, His only-begotten Son. I have previously spoken, in the introduction to this book, about the connection between Moses’ death and the setting of Joshua; namely, putting an end to the law, for the enjoyment of grace.
Father Caesarius, Bishop of Arles says: [Moses died, for Joshua to reign ! The old law came to an end, in order that the true Joshua -- namely Jesus -- would reign. Indeed the evangelist testifies: “The law and the prophets, up to John ...”;’ ‘Moses’ here means (the law); as it is said, “They have Moses and the prophets” [Luke 16:29]; namely, they have the law and the prophets; The apostle also says: “But even to this day, when Moses is read ...” [2Cor 3:15]; namely, when the law is read. Therefore, by putting an end to the law, our Lord Jesus ascends to the throne]. With another expression, St. Erinaus says: [It was fitting for Moses to bring the people out of Egypt, for Jesus to bring them into inheritance. Moses, as a representative of the law, had to stop; so that Joshua (Jesus), being the incarnate Word, would give the people the good tidings].
God, who called Moses to work, is now, calling Joshua; or according to the apostle Paul, “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” [Heb 1:1].
Calling Joshua was not the end of the story; but God remained the real spiritual leader, working through Joshua; commanding him: “Therefore rise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land which I am giving to them” [Josh 1:2]. We dare to say, that this divine command, is a symbol revealing the relationship of the Father with Jesus, His beloved Son. If Jesus “became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” [Phil 2:8], He was risen by the Father, not as an outer gift He granted Him, but as a proclamation of accepting the cross, through the will of the Father, that the Son would be raised; to go, together with his people, over the Jordan (the water of Baptism), for us to gain the fellowship of eternal inheritance. Jesus is the resurrection [John 11:25]; He has previously proclaimed that He has the authority to lay down His life, and has the power to take it again [John 10:18]. For our sake, He receives death; and for our sake He receives resurrection, which is not an outer nature granted to Him, as He, Himself, is the Grantor of life [John 11:25]. That is what God symbolically proclaimed to Joshua: “Arise, go ...” ; The Son rose in obedience to the Father, and for us, went over our tomb; granting us the power of resurrection, through His Baptism; so as to praise Him, saying: “He raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places” [Eph 2:6].
It was not possible for Moses to cross the Jordan, to enter the land of inheritance; as he does not carry the power of resurrection, nor the authority to “slay the reptile that is in the sea” [Isa 27:1]; while Joshua, on the other hand, carries the symbol of Jesus Christ, who crosses with power, to slay the reptile, and to break the sting of death by His resurrection [Rev 20:2]; [1Cor 15:55].
God, who chose Moses, a representative of His law, is Himself, the One who allowed his death, to set Joshua, a representative of Jesus, His only-begotten Son. I have previously spoken, in the introduction to this book, about the connection between Moses’ death and the setting of Joshua; namely, putting an end to the law, for the enjoyment of grace.
Father Caesarius, Bishop of Arles says: [Moses died, for Joshua to reign ! The old law came to an end, in order that the true Joshua -- namely Jesus -- would reign. Indeed the evangelist testifies: “The law and the prophets, up to John ...”;’ ‘Moses’ here means (the law); as it is said, “They have Moses and the prophets” [Luke 16:29]; namely, they have the law and the prophets; The apostle also says: “But even to this day, when Moses is read ...” [2Cor 3:15]; namely, when the law is read. Therefore, by putting an end to the law, our Lord Jesus ascends to the throne]. With another expression, St. Erinaus says: [It was fitting for Moses to bring the people out of Egypt, for Jesus to bring them into inheritance. Moses, as a representative of the law, had to stop; so that Joshua (Jesus), being the incarnate Word, would give the people the good tidings].
God, who called Moses to work, is now, calling Joshua; or according to the apostle Paul, “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” [Heb 1:1].
Calling Joshua was not the end of the story; but God remained the real spiritual leader, working through Joshua; commanding him: “Therefore rise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people to the land which I am giving to them” [Josh 1:2]. We dare to say, that this divine command, is a symbol revealing the relationship of the Father with Jesus, His beloved Son. If Jesus “became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” [Phil 2:8], He was risen by the Father, not as an outer gift He granted Him, but as a proclamation of accepting the cross, through the will of the Father, that the Son would be raised; to go, together with his people, over the Jordan (the water of Baptism), for us to gain the fellowship of eternal inheritance. Jesus is the resurrection [John 11:25]; He has previously proclaimed that He has the authority to lay down His life, and has the power to take it again [John 10:18]. For our sake, He receives death; and for our sake He receives resurrection, which is not an outer nature granted to Him, as He, Himself, is the Grantor of life [John 11:25]. That is what God symbolically proclaimed to Joshua: “Arise, go ...” ; The Son rose in obedience to the Father, and for us, went over our tomb; granting us the power of resurrection, through His Baptism; so as to praise Him, saying: “He raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places” [Eph 2:6].
It was not possible for Moses to cross the Jordan, to enter the land of inheritance; as he does not carry the power of resurrection, nor the authority to “slay the reptile that is in the sea” [Isa 27:1]; while Joshua, on the other hand, carries the symbol of Jesus Christ, who crosses with power, to slay the reptile, and to break the sting of death by His resurrection [Rev 20:2]; [1Cor 15:55].
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-2
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel.
 | Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty Rank: Monk Posted on: 2022-11-10 |
Having finally finished with the Pentateuch of Moses, as though freed for a great advantage, we set (our) hand to Jesus son of Nave, who the Hebrews call Joshua ben Nun, that is, Joshua son of Nun, and to the book of Judges, which they call Sopthim, to Ruth also and Esther, which they extol by the same names. And I admonish the reader, that he, being careful with Scripture, might preserve the forest of Hebrew names and (their) separations divided into parts, so that our work and his effort might not be wasted. And that in the first place, which I often testify, let him know me not to coin the new in rebuke of the old, as though my friends are accused, but rather to offer, for my part, to men of my language, those things of ours which still delight, like the copies of the Hexapla for the Greeks, which require great expense and work, so they might have our edition, and anywhere the readings of the ancient scrolls are doubtful, comparing this this to them, they might find what they seek, especially when among the Latins there are as many versions as there are books, and everyone has, according to his own judgment, either added or subtracted whatever seemed right to him, and he indeed may not have been able to be certain what differed. From which may scorpion cease to rise against me with bow-like wound, and poisoned tongue desist from slandering a holy work, either accepting, if it has pleased, or condemning, if it has displeased, and remember these verses: "Your mouth has abounded in malice, and your tongue constructed deceits; sitting, you have spoken against your brother, and against the son of your mother imposed a scandal. These things you have done and I was quiet; you wrongly thought that I might be like you: I will accuse you and stand before your face" [Psalm 49.19-21]. For what advantage is it to the listener for us to sweat at work and to work at criticizing others, for Jews to lament that the opportunity has been taken away from them for falsely accusing and insulting Christians, and for men of the Church to despise, indeed to tear apart, that from which enemies are tortured. If only what is old in the interpretation pleases them, which things are also not displeasing to me, and they think of receiving nothing further, why are they reading or not reading those things which are either added or cut out by the asterisks and obeli? For what reason have the churches accepted the translation of Daniel by Theodotion? Why are Origen and Eusebius Pamphilou admired for having treated entire editions similarly? Or what foolishness was it, after they had spoken true things, to set forth things which are false? And from where in the New Testament are they able to prove the received testimonies, which are not supported in the books of the Old (Testament)? Thus, we say, I may be seen to be not altogether quiet to accusers.
Otherwise, after the falling asleep of Paula, whose life is an example of virtue, and these books, which I was not able to deny to Eustochium the virgin of Christ, we have decided "while spirit yet rules these limbs" to incline to the explanation of the Prophets, and to resume, in a kind of return home, a work long unfinished, especially when the admirable and holy man Pammachius demands the same in letters, and we, hurrying on to the homeland, need to pass by the deadly songs of the sirens with deaf ear.
 | Author: Jerome Rank: Priest AD: 420 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.
