书十四1~2　　以下是以色列人在迦南地所得的产业，…乃是…拈阄分给（他们的）。

　　西一12　　感谢父，叫你们够资格在光中同得所分给众圣徒的分。

　　二6~7　　你们既然接受了基督，就是主耶稣，…就要在祂里面行事为人。

　　这两个主要的点—为基督取得那地，并为基督产生真实的先祖，乃是约书亚记至路得记之历史的灵。神应许的地既是基督的预表，为基督得着地，意思就是为基督得着基督。

　　神已将那地赐给以色列人，这是个事实，但尚未成为实际；这乃是仍待应验的应许。…唯有以色列人得着美地，据有美地以后，那地才真正成为他们的，成为实际的事实。

　　…今天传福音的原则是一样的。神的救恩已在基督里且凭着基督应许、预备并完成了。…神要将救恩赐给罪人，但他们需要借着接受祂救恩的恩赐来回应祂。…事实上，接受神的救恩就是帮助神。你若知道神的心，就会领悟每当罪人悔改并接受基督时，那个罪人就是在帮助神（约书亚记生命读经，三九至四一页）。

　　Josh. 14:1-2 And these are what the children of Israel received as inheritances in the land of Canaan…by the lot of their inheritance…

　　Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.

　　2:6 As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him.

　　These two main points—to take the land for Christ and to provide the bona fide ancestors for Christ—are the spirit of the history from Joshua to Ruth. Since the God-promised land is a type of Christ, to gain the land for Christ means to gain Christ for Christ.

　　It was a fact that God had given the land to Israel, but this fact was not yet practical. Rather, it was a promise that still needed to be fulfilled….Only after Israel had gained the good land and had taken possession of it did the land actually become theirs as a practical fact.

　　The principle is the same with the preaching of the gospel today. God’s salvation has been promised, prepared, and completed in Christ and with Christ….God wants to give salvation to sinners, but they need to respond to Him by receiving His gift of salvation…. Actually, to receive God’s salvation is to do God a favor. If you know the heart of God, you will realize that whenever a sinner repents and receives Christ, that sinner is doing God a favor. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 31-32)

　　在约书亚记的开头，以色列人预备好可以往前，取得美地，据有美地并享受美地。以色列人这样作，意思就是他们在为美地所预表的基督作些事…。今天，基督这美地预备好给祂的信徒取得并据有。然而，那些预备好取得祂，据有祂，并享受祂作包罗万有之美地的人在哪里？

　　今天我们的需要乃是得着、…据有更多的基督，经历更多的基督。…这不仅是为着我们的享受，也是为着使基督成为祂所该是的。…我们为基督得着基督，好使祂能得着团体的彰显；这就是使美地成为以马内利的地（赛八8）。保罗是奋力追求基督以得着基督的人（腓三8、12）。…因为许多基督徒没有追求基督以得着基督，神就需要得胜者。

　　…早在第一世纪，主就进来呼召得胜者（启二7、11、17、26~28，三5、12、20~21，二一7），今天祂仍在发出对得胜者的呼召。然而，甚至在虔敬的基督徒中间，也很难找到一些得胜者，一些追求基督以得着基督的人。

　　在约书亚的时代，有二、三百万以色列人，但少有约书亚和迦勒。少有尽心竭力的人，真实追求神的人。若没有这样的人，美地和赐美地者都会闲着。那地和赐地者需要一些人去取得那地，据有那地，并享受那地。那些据有那地的人，乃是帮助了那地的赐与者。

　　今天我们需要为基督取得并据有那地；我们需要为基督得着基督；我们若这样作，就会帮助基督。然而，我们若继续过例行的基督徒生活和召会生活，就无法为基督得着那地；为此，神需要一些得胜者。今天地上有数以百万计的真基督徒，但得胜者在哪里？神正在呼召得胜者，但谁愿意答应祂的呼召？谁愿意回应神的呼召，追求基督以得着基督？我盼望我们中间有许多人愿意帮助基督，回应神对得胜者的呼召（约书亚记生命读经，四一至四四页）。

　　参读：约书亚记生命读经，第六篇。

　　At the beginning of the book of Joshua, Israel was ready to go forward, to take the good land, to possess it, and to enjoy it. For Israel to do this meant that they were doing something for Christ, who is typified by the good land….Today, Christ as the good land is ready to be taken and possessed by His believers. However, where are those who are ready to take Him, possess Him, and enjoy Him as the all-inclusive good land?

　　Our need today is to gain more of Christ, to possess more of Christ, and to experience more of Christ….This is not only for our enjoyment but also for Christ to be what He should be…. We gain Christ for Christ so that He may have His corporate expression. This is to make the good land the land of Immanuel (Isa. 8:8)….Paul was one who struggled to pursue Christ in order to gain Christ (Phil. 3:8,12)…. Because so many Christians do not pursue Christ in order to gain Him, God needs the overcomers.

　　As early as the first century, the Lord came in to call for overcomers (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28; 3:5, 12, 20-21; 21:7), and today He is still sounding out the call for the overcomers. Nevertheless, even among devoted Christians it is hard to find some overcomers, some who are pursuing Christ in order to gain Him.

　　At the time of Joshua, there were two or three million Israelites, but there were not many Joshuas and Calebs. There were not many endeavoring ones, genuine pursuers of God. Without such ones both the good land and the Giver of the land would have been idle. Both the land and the Giver of the land needed certain ones to take the land, possess the land, and enjoy the land. Those who possessed the land did a favor to the One who gave them the land.

　　We today need to take and possess the land for Christ. We need to gain Christ for Christ. If we do this, we will do Christ a favor. However, if we go on living a routine Christian life and church life, we will not be able to gain the land for Christ. For this, God needs some overcomers. There are millions of real Christians on earth today, but where are the overcomers? God is calling for overcomers, but who will answer His call? Who will respond to God’s call by pursuing Christ in order to gain Christ? I hope that many among us will do Christ a favor by responding to God’s call for overcomers. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 32-35)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Joshua, msg. 6