Jesus greater than the Law

 

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen.  --Deuteronomy 18:15

Buddhist philosopher Lau Tsu said, "When the student is ready the teacher appears.  When the student is truly ready, the teacher disappears."  John Kemeny, the Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist and educator who co-developed the BASIC computer language said, "It is the greatest achievement of a teacher to enable his students to surpass him."

I am 10 chapters into the book of Joshua, and find myself wondering why Joshua was never considered greater than his mentor, Moses.  Joshua was one of ten spies that Moses had sent into Canaan, but one of only two that came back with a positive report.  In Joshua chapter two, we see that Joshua sent two spies into Jericho to see their vulnerabilities.  It only takes two witnesses in Jewish law, and we all know what happens when we make decisions by committee.

In chapter 3, Joshua led the nation of Israel across the Jordan River, much like Moses had done at the Red Sea.  In my opinion, this was a more miraculous showing of God.  We all remember the Hollywood version, when the walls of water on both sides of the sea allowed just enough room for the people of Moses to cross over six or eight people abreast.  Forty years later, the Jordan River was in flood stage; yet God stopped the flow of the water miles upstream.  Verse 16 says, "The waters coming down from above (that is, from the north) stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down (toward the south) toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off.  And the people passed over opposite Jericho."  Not only did the people of Israel witness this miracle, but so did the people of Jericho, and all the cities between Adam in the north and the Dead Sea in the south.  All those people were witness to God's power, protection, and provision.

We know that Moses saw God face to face; he came into God's presence at multiple places and times from the burning bush to the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai to his death on Mount Nebo overlooking the Jordan River.  In contrast, Joshua met the pre-incarnate Christ.  Joshua 5:13-15 says:

When Jesus was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man was standing before him with His drawn sword in His hand.  And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us, or for our adversaries?"  And He said, "No; but I am the Commander of the army of the Lord.  Now I have come."  And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"  And the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy."  And Joshua did so.

In chapter 7, Joshua suffers a setback because of the disobedience of the people.  Like his mentor Moses had done before him, Joshua falls on his face and pleads with God.  "Alas, O Lord God," he prayed, "why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?" He concludes his plea by crying to God these words: "O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!  For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth.  And what will You do for Your great Name?"

We could go on and on.  Joshua 9 speaks of how Joshua dealt with deception.  In Joshua 10 Joshua held his javelin out over the battlefield (much like Moses had done with his staff before), but God extended the day so that Israel could prevail.  "The sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies." (verse 10).  "There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." (verse 14).  So the question remains: why was Joshua not held in higher regard than Moses?

The answer is not that Moses came first, or that Joshua was blessed less.  The answer is found in Hebrews 3:3, which says, "For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses--as much more glory as the builder of the house has more honor than the house itself."  Neither Moses nor Joshua was the greatest, because Jesus.

Jesus went through the water to fulfill righteousness

Both Moses and Joshua led the people through the water, one to escape danger and the other to inherit the land that was promised.  But only Jesus went through the water to fulfill righteousness--that is, He was obedient in every way (to the Law of God, as well as to God Himself).  This is underscored in Matthew's account of the baptism of Jesus.  "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased'." (Matthew 3:16-17)

Jesus was not baptized as a sign of repentance, as we are.  He had no sin from which to repent.  Jesus' baptism was profound, as it was witnessed by and affirmed by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  It was prophetic, as it foretold of his death, burial, and resurrection (this is why I believe in immersion).  It was also promissory, as it signified a promise of God's grace to the elect.  The Reformed tradition holds that baptism is primarily God's promise or offer of grace to the baptized.  Baptism is said to signify union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. The baptized is made one with Christ's person, meaning God the Father treats them the same as he treats Christ. Baptism also unites the baptized with Christ's history, meaning that the person can be said to have died, been buried, and raised again just as Christ was. The baptized person's identity in Christ is based on Christ's action in baptism rather than the person's action. This union also unites Christians to one another.  Through the words of institution used in baptism, Christians are also united to each of the members of the trinity.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted

Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years.  The people were tempted; their hearts were hardened; they witnessed miracles by the hand of God including receiving bread from heaven.  By contrast, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan himself.  Satan used deception, tempting Jesus to turn stones into bread.  Jesus, knowing He was the Bread of Life, quoted Scripture to answer him.  Satan distorted the Law, tempting Jesus to throw himself from a pinnacle so that God would send angels to protect Him.  Jesus responded by saying it is sinful to tempt God.

Joshua lived some 40 years after subduing the Canaanites and claiming the land of Promise for the people of God, then he died.  Jesus stayed on earth 40 days after His own death and resurrection before ascending into heaven.  Acts 1:3 says, "He presented Himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God."  His message never changed.

Jesus went to the mountain to proclaim truth, then to another mountain and was transfigured

Just as Moses ascended Sinai with Joshua to commune with God, Jesus ascended a mountain twice in the New Testament, once to preach the Sermon on the Mount, and again to commune with God (as well as Moses and Elisha) and to be transfigured before disciples Peter, James and John.

Moses used the entire book of Deuteronomy to proclaim the Law of God that had been handed down to him on the mountain.  Jesus used an opportunity on a mountain to preach grace to people who had found they could not, on their own, fulfill the Law of Moses.

Moses came down from the mountain after 40 days, and his face glowed.  Scripture says he had to wear a veil in order to keep the people from turning away in fear.  When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John, "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became dazzling white." (Matthew 17:2).  Of note, both Moses and Elijah had proteges who arguably outshone their mentors.  Both Joshua and Elisha outperformed their mentors, but Jesus outshines them all.  When Jesus was transfigured, whom did God acknowledge?  His words were, "This is my beloved Son.  Hear him."  

Moses and Elijah had very specific messages for their people in their time. Joshua and Elisha built upon the message they had heard from their teachers, and preached to a new generation. Peter, James and John would proclaim Jesus to people in their time and ministries, and would speak to generations to come through their writings.  But the One whom God exalted, whom He commanded to be heard, was Jesus.