«　WEEK 1　DAY 2　»

　　Heb. 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in leading many sons into glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

　　4:8 For if Joshua had brought them into rest, He would not have spoken concerning another day after these things.

　　11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter into that rest…

　　The first type of Christ in the book of Joshua is Joshua himself…. Joshua typifies Christ and grace (Christ) replacing the law (Moses—Josh. 1:2a; John 1:17). It was when Moses the lawgiver died that Joshua came in (Deut. 34:8-9) to bring the people into the good land (Josh. 1:6), typifying the Lord Jesus bringing the people of God into rest, into the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. (Life-study of Joshua, p. 4)

　　Joshua, which means “Jehovah the Savior” or the “salvation of Jehovah” (Num. 13:16), is a Hebrew name, of which the equivalent in Greek is Jesus. Hence, Joshua was a type of the Lord Jesus, who brought the people of God into rest. (Heb. 4:8, footnote 1)

　　The salvation mentioned in Hebrews 2:10 and referred to in verse 3 and 1:14 saves us from our fallen state into glory. Jesus, as the Pioneer, the Forerunner (6:20), took the lead to enter into glory, and we, His followers, are taking the same way to be brought into the same glory, which was ordained by God for us (1 Cor. 2:7; 1 Thes. 2:12). He cut the way, and we are now taking the way. Hence, He is not only the Savior who saved us from our fallen state but also the Author who, as the Pioneer, entered into glory that we may be brought into the same estate. (Heb. 2:10, footnote 4)

　　Since the rest that is covered in Hebrews 3:7—4:13 is the all-inclusive Christ, to fall from it is to fall from Christ, to be brought to nought from Christ (Gal. 5:4). In Galatians the danger was that the Galatian believers would drift into the bondage of law from the freedom of grace (Gal. 5:1-4). Paul advised them to stand fast in the freedom of grace, that is, not to be brought to nought from Christ. Here, in Hebrews, the danger was that the Hebrew believers would not forsake their old religion, which was according to the law, and press on into the enjoyment of Christ as their rest. If they continued to stagger in their old religion, that is, in Judaism, they would come short of Christ, who was their rest. The writer of Hebrews earnestly encouraged them, as Christ’s partners, to press on with Christ and enter into the rest, that they, as His partakers, might enjoy Christ as their rest. (Heb. 4:11, footnote 1)

　　Amalek typifies the flesh, which is the totality of the fallen old man (Gal. 2:16…). The fighting between Amalek and Israel depicts the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit within the believers (Gal. 5:17; cf. 1 Pet. 2:11). (Exo. 17:8, footnote 1) Amalek was defeated by Israel through the supply of the manna (Exo. 16) and the living water (17:1-6) and by the lifting up of Moses’ hands and the fighting of Joshua. (Exo. 17:11, footnote 1)

　　Amalek was the first enemy encountered by the children of Israel on the way to the good land (Deut. 25:17-18; 1 Sam. 15:2). This indicates that our flesh is the first among all our enemies. The flesh, sin, the world, and Satan are all related, but the most prominent among them in fighting against the believers is the flesh (Gal. 5:17). When in our experience the flesh is put to death (Gal. 5:24; Rom. 8:13), the world cannot hold us, sin cannot operate in us, and Satan is powerless to work on us. Amalek’s purpose in attacking Israel was to frustrate them from entering the good land. Likewise, Satan’s aim in stirring up the flesh to fight against us is to keep us from entering into the full enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ as our good land (see footnote 1 on Deut. 8:7). (Exo. 17:8, footnote 2)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Joshua, msg. 1; Life-study of Matthew, msgs. 1, 6; Life-study of Exodus, msgs. 46-48