FOURTH QUARTER 2025
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #1
OCTOBER 4, 2025
"RECIPE FOR SUCCESS."

 

“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day” (Hebrews 4:8, KJV)

“For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day” (Hebrews 4:8, NKJV).

Last quarter we had the blessing of studying the Exodus, or should we say more accurately, the book of Exodus—because between the book of Exodus and the book of Joshua there is a history most relevant to anyone interested in the 1888 era history of the Advent movement. Perhaps you have heard of Taylor Bunch’s book, The Exodus in Type and Antitype, but if not, consider buying a copy available online to review. I think it might be an excellent preparation for studying the book of Joshua and its special relevance for us today.

When we get to Lesson 10, we will touch on Joshua and Jesus as type and antitype, but I would suggest that in our study of the conquest of Canaan with its failures and successes we may also find special applications for us today. If we believe we have been wandering in the wilderness in end time antitype, we might find both courage and caution as we follow the divine Yeshua who is—with all Heaven astir to help—leading us out of this wilderness, if we will cooperate with Him.

The Hebrew name for Joshua and the Koine Greek word for Joshua and Jesus have the same meaning—The Lord is Salvation, or Yahweh Saves. Hebrews 4:8 is the only New Testament verse in which the word is translated as Jesus in the KJV. We are often keen to remember the difference between the KJV and the NKJV regarding the “Faith of Jesus.” We might also pay attention here, as Jesus was most certainly the “Captain of the Lord’s Hosts” that was leading and guiding Joshua in the conquest of Canaan, and leading us today.

A New Moses

Another link with Joshua and Jesus is found here. Joshua, like Jesus, fulfilled his prophetic call through a lifetime of godly submission, gaining by the end the appellation “the servant of the Lord” (Josh. 24:29). Joshua was the immediate fulfillment of one like Moses raised up to lead God’s people, but Peter applies the prophecy of Moses to the New Testament Yeshua in his call to repentance:

"For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.'And it shall be [that] every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’” (Acts 3:22,23, NKJV). 

Now notice verse 26: “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” We see similar language—both Joshua and Jesus were servants of the Lord. And so are we to be, patiently living and proclaiming the faith of Jesus and the commandments of God as our prophetic calling in this judgement hour. Adventists were raised up for the purpose of being servants who will faithfully lead others to the heavenly Canaan.

Cross! Take! Divide! Serve!

While these action words are suggested as representing sections of the book of Joshua, we believe that human action is always entering in to what God is already doing, or has promised to do. Today, especially, we must be found dwelling in Christ, and He in us, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1:20).

The author of the lesson states, “…we are then called to do what we can for ourselves, which is to obey what God commands us to do.” We might remind ourselves that Christ living and obeying in us is our only hope, so believing and experiencing that indwelling is something He is doing for us, and not so much something we are “doing for ourselves,” but the faith of Jesus which works. I trust that this is what the author intends to convey.

Heirs of Promise

We find here mention of “the prophetic perfect” regarding God’s promise of the gift of the land of Canaan in Joshua 1:3. What God promises is sure to come to pass. Abraham had been promised this land for his posterity, but it would be a partially fulfilled promise for the Israelites. “The plan of redemption was here opened to him, in the death of Christ, the great sacrifice, and His coming in glory. Abraham saw also the earth restored to its Eden beauty, to be given him for an everlasting possession, as the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 137.

“The promise to those people was the very same that God now extends to us; and all things recorded of them are for our learning. ‘They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them,’  but the Lord’s right hand saved them. Even so will He grant unto us that we shall ‘be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,’ that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.  This deliverance is through Christ, who is now, as well as in the days of Joshua, the ‘Captain of the Lord’s host.’ He says, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’  ‘And ye are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power.’ Therefore ‘this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.’”—Ellet J. Waggoner, The Everlasting Covenant, p 377. 

Be Strong!

Joshua was anxious and self-distrustful as he looked forward to his prophetic calling, as we should be. But to him came the message that God would be with him and would not forsake him. He was called to be strong and of good courage, to observe and do all the law which had been given to Moses, and to meditate upon the Word of God. The same message comes to us today. The elements of the of the “most precious message” should jump out at us as we read:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”— (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The message God sent in 1888 was to equip us for the conquest in every respect, and was to be shared with the world. 

Prosperous and Successful

Again, the gospel and the law are here addressed as necessary for prosperous success in our mission. The analogy of two sides of a coin is used. Of course, every analogy falls short, and I like to view the law and the gospel as more multifaceted.  The law is a description of God’s character of love, it both convicts us of sin and leads us to Christ as our only hope, and then confirms the outworking of that faith that works through love. 

How does Heaven define success? Our lesson describes it as “a state of harmony with the spiritual values and principles that lie at the foundation of God’s created world and that are expressed in his law.” Faith and love are those spiritual values. 

“The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness.” —Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 437.

Let us not then conclude that the organizational skills of a little child are adequate as long as we have those heavenly attributes. God is a God of order, and let us keep in mind that though the remnant church disappointed her Lord in 1888 (“…the spirit that prevailed, which was not of Christ but of the enemy, made of no effect my words. Christ was wounded in the house of His friends.” —EGW, 6LtMs, Lt 50, 1889, par. 9), and may continue to disappoint:

 “Let none entertain the thought that we can dispense with organization. It has cost us much study and many prayers for wisdom, that we know God has answered, to erect this structure. It has been built up by His direction, through much sacrifice and conflict. Let none of our brethren be so deceived as to attempt to tear it down, for you will thus bring in a condition of things that you do not dream of. In the name of the Lord I declare to you that it is to stand, strengthened, established, and settled. At God’s command, ‘Go forward,’ we advanced when the difficulties to be surmounted made the advance seem impossible. We know how much it has cost to work out God’s plans in the past, which have made us as a people what we are. Then let everyone be exceedingly careful not to unsettle minds in regard to those things that God has ordained for our prosperity and success in advancing His cause.” —Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 27.

Further Thought

Joshua, which in the Hebrew is the same as Jesus, meaning saviour, led the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, and they begun the possession of the land. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.” Hebrews 11:30. God had then given to them the land of Canaan, and not only the small territory known as the land of Palestine, but the whole earth, for that is what was promised to Abraham in the promise of the land of Canaan. The children of Israel were told that every place on which the soles of their feet should tread was to be theirs. So that all they had to do was to possess the land. It was theirs, but their faith must make it a reality to them.

The children of Israel had rest when they entered the land of Canaan. They believed the Lord when they crossed the Jordan and took Jericho, and in faith there is rest. They had rest from their enemies, although they were in the midst of them, for “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7. But their faith was only for a moment, as it were, and so they lost the rest. If it had not been so, if they had held to the faith, and had received the permanent rest by Joshua, then the Lord would not “afterward have spoken of another day.” That is, the restoration of the earth would have been established in it for ever. 

But they failed, and therefore the same promise that was made to them is now made to us. And why? Because God had sworn that the earth should be inhabited, according to His original plan, by a race of perfect men,-men made perfect by the same power that made the earth. That oath of God assured the land to all who have faith in Him, and therefore the same oath just as surely shuts out all that disbelieve; therefore it is that God swore that the unbelieving Israelites should not have His rest. But the oath of God having been made, it cannot be broken, and then it is that “some must enter in.” The honour of God is at stake in the Gospel promises. In the beginning He made the earth, and placed man upon it perfect. Man fell, and the earth became corrupt. If God should let the earth remain under the curse, and leave man in his sinful condition, Satan would triumph, and would for ever taunt God with not being able to perform His purposes. Thus the Government of God would suffer. But that cannot be. Not only is God’s honour at stake to show His ability to carry out His designs, but in addition He has pledged Himself with an oath to restore the earth to its original condition, and to have it inhabited with men made perfect through faith in Him, and so it must necessarily be that some must enter into His rest, which rest is the peaceful possession of the earth made new once more. —Ellet J. Waggoner, Present Truth UK, February 23, 1893, p. 50.

 

May we let our heavenly Joshua, Jesus, lead us all the way home to the land of promise.

 

~ Todd Guthrie