The Bucket & The Thimble: The Better Joshua
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:8-11
On Sunday, Pastor Alex discussed the true rest we find in Christ and his New Covenant. There is an interesting connection Hebrews makes with Joshua while making this point, I want to take a look at that in this week’s blog.
As mentioned on Sunday, Hebrews’ message can be aptly summarized as “Jesus is Better.” Here the author of Hebrews asserts that Jesus’ rest is better than Joshua’s therefore, Jesus is a better Joshua. The above passage points to the fact that the existence of the sabbath day in Israel’s time pointed to the fact that there was a need for a better rest. Why does the author of Hebrew’s point to this instance in order to make his point?
As I am sure you are well aware, Jesus and Joshua share the same name in the original language, the name means “YHWH saves.” The name is apt for both cases. Joshua is an example of God saving his people through the conquering of Israel’s enemies and the entrance into the promised land. Obviously, Jesus is God coming in human flesh to save his people, the most apt fulfillment of the name there could ever be.
To the point the author of Hebrews makes, both men offer a form of rest. Joshua offers God’s people the rest from wandering, the rest from their slavery in Egypt, and the rest of putting their enemies under their subjugation. This was a significant event in the history of Israel, finally they were in the land of fulfillment. Yet upon further examination we see that there is a deficiency in the rest. Though Joshua was meant to clear the land of the enemies of God, in Joshua 9:15-16 Joshua makes a deal with the Gibeonites that Israel would allow them to live, thus disobeying God’s command. The consequences of that action involved the eventual falling away that would eventually happen in Israel due to the influence of the nations around Israel. Ultimately, the Sabbath stood as a reminder that God’s people looked forward to the true rest that would come when the snake crushing seed of the woman entered the world.
This turns our eyes affectionately to Jesus. In our passage Sunday, we saw Jesus confront the Pharisees over this very idea. Just as the author of Hebrews points out, Jesus is making it clear that He was bringing the very thing the Sabbath was designed to point towards, a better rest, a rest in the presence of the God who authored the Sabbath.
Jesus is the better Joshua, because he returns His people to a truer and better promised land, a promised land in which we may truly rest from the toils of sin and shame in favor of everlasting joy in the presence of Christ. Strive to enter that rest this week.