THROUGH THE BIBLE - Joshua 2..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. The Apostle Paul, in the second letter to Timothy, writes in chapter 3, verse 16, that all Scripture is breathed out by God. And it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God will be complete, equipped for every good work.

It's interesting that when the Apostle Paul penned those words to Timothy in the second letter of Timothy, apart from maybe a few or a handful of New Testament books, the church only really had the 39 books of the Old Testament. And the Apostle Paul here is saying, Timothy, that all Scripture is profitable. It's God-bred, and it is profitable. So as New Testament Christians, as we read the Old Covenant, as we read the Old Testament, one must ask the question, how is the Old Covenant, that which is written in the Old Testament, how is that profitable for me, a New Testament believer? That's a big, big question, and if you think I'm going to answer that in a meaningful way, whilst also intending to address the text of Joshua chapter 20 in the few moments I have, then you have another thing coming, because I can't.

But what I can say is this, I'll give you one way that the Old Testament is immensely profitable to the New Testament believer and that is when we read the Old Covenant, we need to realise and recognise that it speaks prophetically, that it is prophecy. That means that when we read the Old Covenant, we must realize it was written for a particular people. So it does have covenantal faith, or covenantal significance, I should say, for the Old Covenant people of God. They were expected to obey. They were expected to meet the terms of the covenant.

But as new covenant people, as we read, we must recognize that that covenant, the Old Testament, was not spoken so that it would be an end in and of itself, but rather it was a prophecy, it was prophesied, it was pointed forward to something greater, of greater significance to come. It's pointing to the redemption of God upon sinful human beings who have fallen in Adam. And in Moby in particular, he was pointing, all the Old Covenant, he's pointing towards the one in whom that redemption comes, in the Lord and in the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Don't take my words for it. Our Lord says so himself.

In John chapter 5, when speaking to the religious leaders of the day, the Jews, you may remember this, because actually you may not, it's been a few years since we've been there, at least a year and a half to two years. But speaking to the Jews in a form of, somewhere, a form of rebuke to the Jews, he says to them, you search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life. He says that to them. But then he says, but it is they, the Scriptures, that you search, that bear testimony about me. Yes, the Old Testament is the Word of God, and it's infinitely profitable to the New Testament believer.

But we must recognise one way it is profitable to the New Testament believer is that it speaks prophetically and it is pointing to Christ. So when you and I open the Old Covenant, we open the Old Testament and we read, what are we expecting to find? What should we expect to find when we read throughout the text of the 39 books of the Old Testament? Well, according to our Lord, we should find Him there. We should find Christ in those words.

And one way we find Christ in the words of the Old Testament is through types and shadows. You've heard us speak of types and shadows. That's people and places and institutions and things that are pointing to something greater, an antitype, a fulfillment of those things. Those things that were given, once again I reiterate, were incredibly important for the Old Covenant people. Incredibly important.

But they were spoken prophetically. Prophetically in that a greater fulfillment is to come. So the tithes and the shadows, they liked Christ in many ways. In details of the plan of God's salvation. In details of Christ.

And some of their functions were pointed to particular functions in Jesus Christ. But they did lack something. They lacked the fullness of the substance they found in Jesus Christ. So they may have pointed to an element of Christ, an element of God's salvation, but no type or shadow, nothing in the finer could have possibly pointed to the fullness and the grandeur of the glory that comes in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Even from the beginning we see this.

The first type is Adam. That's the federal head of all humanity. In the federal head of humanity, he plunged through sin and disobedience in the garden, he plunged all of humanity into darkness. But he was pointing to another third-world head. The last Adam, Jesus Christ, who comes and rescues his people from the darkness and enters them into his own kingdom of the lions.

We see these types and shadows and pictures of the old pointing to the new in many ways, as I said, through people. As I said, Adam, we have Noah and the ark, right? pointing to Christ. We see through Abraham and Isaac, especially in chapter 22 of Genesis, when Abraham has a knife just about to plunge it into his son Isaac. You remember that God provided a substitute.

We see types in Jacob and especially in Joseph as well, and of course in Moses, the lawgiver and the mediator of the old covenant. We see typology, we see him pointing ultimately to Jesus Christ. And we see it also in Joshua, the book that we're studying together and considering viewing this afternoon. We see Him in the institutions. We see Him in the feasts of the old.

We see Him in the festivals of the old. The Passover is one. Do we not see the fullness of, or at least an element of the beauty and the glory that comes in Jesus Christ, being laid upon God, who takes away the sin of the world? We see Him in the life of the Israelites after being rescued from Egypt. We see the typology throughout their journey.

We see the water from the rock. Christ is the source and the fountain of living water. We see Him in the manna. Christ said Himself that I am the bread of heaven. And then when we come closer to the tabernacle, the tabernacle choir, we see a typology in the bronze altar, pointing towards the cross that would come through Jesus Christ.

As we enter into the tabernacle, we see everything, all the furnishings of the tabernacle. Also, typologically pointing to something greater than themselves. And they're important and they had a function for the people of Israel. But they're pointing to someone greater than themselves. The menorah candle.

Jesus said, I am the light of the world. The Shofar, the Tablet of Shofar, He said, I am the greater light. The altar of incense. It's Him who prays on behalf of the saints and succeeds for us. The ark of the covenant of mercy.

Brothers and sisters, the whole of the tabernacle points to Jesus Christ. The tabernacle was very much the emblem, the picture of the presence of the glory of God among men. It is where God met with men. And where does God meet with men today? In none other than the one who became flesh and tabernacled among us.

In none other than Jesus Christ. And it's no different here in Joshua chapter 20. The city of refuge. The meaningful laws, as I said, and I would expect it to be obeyed in the old covenant, by the old covenant people, yes. But at the same time, even the city of refuge was pointing to something far more greater, far more significant.

In our Lord's own words, it was bearing witness about me. But a word of caution. We all know analogies and metaphors are great to a certain extent, but you don't want to push them too far. Take them for what, for why they were given, but don't stretch them too far. You can end up in heresy if you stretch them too far.

you're going to end up in error. And the same can be said with the types and the shadows that are before us. So what we see, as I said earlier, is beautiful pictures that are pointing to the unfolding plan of redemption of God as He gives more and more of His revelation and reveals more finally, fully in the One who is Christ, the full communication of God. Which is so wonderful, as we see those types pointing to Jesus. But don't think for a moment that any of the types of the Old Covenant have pointed to Christ in His absolute fullness, and displays for us His absolute glory.

There's so much more in Jesus Christ than all the types put together. So much more. So much more, beloved! And unless we grasp that point, we'll be robbed of how glorious it is to be in Christ. This evening I'm not going to spend much time explaining the details of the chapter as I would normally do.

And the reason for that is because there's nothing in this chapter, in the 20th chapter of the book of Joshua, that is unique to the 22, to the 20th chapter of the book of Joshua. Because we've heard it before, we've heard it explained before actually. The second last chapter of the book of Numbers speaks to this very point. Back there, from the lips of Moses, they were told on the other side of the Jordan, before they received the inheritance, in the land of Canaan, that when you do receive the inheritance, this is what you ought to do. You ought to designate cities of refuge.

Six, in fact. The difference is that right here, right now, in Joshua chapter 20, we see the fulfillment of that take place. Because here, now, the cities of refuge have been allotted. Six cities of refuge are to be allocated for the people of Israel all throughout the land. Three are going to be on the eastern side of the Jordan River, the land of Canaan, and three will be placed in the western side.

I've got the other way around. This is the west and this is the east, believe me. And the text before us lists for us the six cities, beginning with the land of Canaan that is on the western side of the Jordan River, beginning in the north. Beginning in the north. A place called Kedesh, in the north, in Galilee, the first city of refuge.

The second, if you come down to the inheritance given to Ephraim, is Shechem. And then going down a little bit further, in a place, in a tribal allotment to the people of Judah, you have the place that we have come to know as Hebron. Then crossing over Jordan, over to the east, you have Beza in the south, in the allotment that was given to Reuben. And going north from there, you go to a place in the allotment that was given to Gad and that was Ramoth Gilead. And the last, the sixth of the cities of refuge in the top there, in the place or in the allotment that was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, is in Golan.

cities of refuge given to the people of Israel. And if you have a look at the map, you'll see they're fairly even distributed among the whole land, the inheritance that God has given these people. Now anyway, I could spend some time in the moments that I have to explain and to articulate with you all the parallels that we have in the cities of refuge and how they point to God's ultimate salvation and how they point to the one and only Saviour, Jesus Christ. And there are so many. We could do that and it would be so profitable.

to see how indeed these cities are places of much needed refuge for those who are in need. Or how apart from this refuge is death for that person who's in desperate need to be under protection. Or we can say also how this refuge that is found for the one who is needed, the manslayer who goes to one of these cities, we can speak about how that protection is only contained within the walls of the city. If he comes out, there is no protection for such a person. We can speak about how these cities were, as I said earlier, quite evenly distributed along the land, so that if one found themselves in need, a city was never too far away from the occupants of the people of Israel.

We can go to how the city's gates were practically all open, the elders were there, but they let you in. Whether you're an Israelite or a Sojourner, whether you're a Jew or a Gentile residing in the land, it didn't matter. You're all welcome. The mass slayer found his protection within its walls. The code of freedom, liberty, well that didn't come until the death of the high priest.

I can spend some time with you explaining those parallels, and then I'm bawling. But I won't. Instead, I want to speak in the few moments I have this afternoon. I want to speak about how this type, this shadow, breaks down. You remember how I said that they go so far, but there is a point where they break down.

A type, or a shadow, or an analogy, or a metaphor. It breaks down. I want to speak to you about the differences rather than the similarities. I know that's odd when we're speaking about the type that points to Jesus Christ. I want to show you how the cities of refuge before us in Joshua chapter 20 cannot save you, brother, or me.

They cannot save you, sister, or me. We need something greater. We need something greater. I want to show you how these cities of refuge, in and of themselves, are impotent to save. But the anti-type alone is all-powerful to save.

I want to show you how this city of refuge, in your case and mine, just won't do. We desperately need Christ. to be our refuge. And I want to do that very briefly by asking one simple question. One simple question.

And it's not a trick question. Who finds refuge in the city of refuge? Think that through. Who is the person that finds refuge in the city of refuge? Let me give you a hint.

In verse 3 of the text that is before you, these are the words that we read. Appoint cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses that the manslayer who strikes any person, hear this, without intent or unknowingly may flee there. In Numbers chapter 35, that other passage that speaks to these cities when Moses was declaring to the people of Israel to know when they received the aloft, we read there from verse 16 tells us that if someone struck a person down, intentionally of course, with an iron object or a wooden object or a stone object and that person died, then that person is a murderer. Okay? The murderer must be put to death.

It goes on to say, and he pushed If he is pushed out of hatred or hurled something at another person, in lying in wait premeditation so that he died, or in enmity he struck down a person with his hand so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He's a murderer in Texas. The Avenger of Bloodshot put the murderer to death where he meets him. So bringing that more to our contemporary day, driving a car, you normally drive safely, you're under the limit, everything's fine, your attention is taken just like that, there's something on the side, for a split second you look back and someone runs across and your car impacts, it hits that person and that person dies. You may be saved, but was there evil intent in your heart?

Did you intend to kill that person? Are you guilty of evil intent or are you innocent of evil intent? So let me ask the question again. Who finds refuge in the Old Covenant city of refuge? Those who are innocent of evil.

That's a big problem for you and I. Because we're not innocent. We're guilty. Which one of us can declare that you've never stored hatred in your heart? And according to Matthew chapter 5, our Lord's own words, hatred is likened to murder.

According to Matthew 5, we're murderers. What do the texts say about murderers? The murderer must be put to death. This is not a case of plowing the field and accidentally the axe head flies and hits my neighbour in the head and kills him. This is not a case like that.

This is more a case of premeditated hatred towards God and others in our sinful state, and that is a major, major problem, beloved. The city of refuge in this context will not help you, and it will not help me either. You know why? Because we may, as manslaves, head that way to the city, and the elders might let us in, but once they've heard us out, once they've made judgment according to the evidence, then that will render a righteous punishment according to the crime and that is punishment of death. I'm telling you brothers and sisters, the city of refuge, the city of refuge in Kadesh or in Shekel or in Hebron, Or in Pesah, or in the realm of Gilead, or in Gaon.

They're no good for you and I, because when we get there, we are guilty. And once they render their guilty judgment, death. We need more. We need something greater. We need something more glorious.

The anti-type is more glorious. We need one that doesn't say, come, come if you're innocent of evil intent and you're just a What's the word I'm looking for? If you're a product of the circumstance and things haven't gone your way, come and you'll find protection within these walls. No, we need one who says, come and find refuge in me. But I'm guilty.

But I'm guilty. I'm guilty in the heart. I'm a guilty sinner. Yes, I know. We need one who declares that I've come to call not the righteous.

but the sinner. Mark chapter 2 verse 17. Our Lord has come to call sinners. And it's those sinners, it's those guilty of sin, it's the guilty ones who find refuge in Him. Our Lord says these words, but His actions also portray them.

Isn't He the one who called guilty sinners? Isn't He the one who called tax collectors? Why did they ridicule the Lord? He called the tax collectors to come and dine with Him. He called the adulterers to come and dine with Him.

He called the prostitutes, the insurrectionists, the liars, the thieves, and even the murderers. And He reminded them of that. Come and find refuge in Him. Beloved, in the old covenant we're told that the manslayer, if found to be innocent, or if there was not enough evidence to convict the manslayer, that he would be given protection within those walls. So he would be offered protection in the city of refuge, but not freedom.

Remember I said earlier that freedom does not come until? Until the high priest dies. Which is good news for him because he can return to his family. Back to try where he came from and then can exist for the many years or whatever years he has left of his life. To be with his family and to enjoy the liberty and the freedom.

But this is the thing, the next generation would go through the same and the cynics of refuge would fill up. under this old covenant. And those people would remain in those cities until the high priest died. And then the cycle happens again. And this is one way that at least we see, we recognise when we read the old covenant that it has a lot of circles.

A lot of repetition. Let me tell you about one. Sacrifices. You bring a sacrifice. How often were the priests sacrificing in the temple or in the tabernacle?

Daily, morning and evening, morning and evening, morning and evening. And that's apart from the personal sacrifices that the worshipper would bring to the tabernacle. What about the Day of Atonement? That wonderful day, that year after year after year after year after year. Surely the people of God were asking the question, do these animals really atone for my sins?

God is gracious in the system that He's given. And it was an example of their faith, and that faith produces obedience. It's not the obedience, but it's the faith that produces obedience. But surely there was something in their mind that thought over and again, when will this finally be dealt with? The great High Priest, Jesus Christ, is come to bring an end to the cycles.

The once and for all sacrifice. The one who is the sacrificer, the great high priest, and the one who is the sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, who shed his own blood for the sake of his people. Not only, beloved brothers and sisters, that by grace through faith do you find refuge in this Jesus, protection, safety in this Jesus, rest in this Jesus, but there you find the liberty, there you find freedom forevermore in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because if the Son has set you free, you're free.