Joshua

[0:00] Let us, in the blessed name of the Lord, and depending upon his Holy Spirit, direct to the second part of the lesson, chapter 15 in the book of Joshua, and we read the 19th verse.

[0:42] Chapter 15 in the book of Joshua, and verse the 19th. Who answered, Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a south land.

[1:04] Give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

[1:18] This is a uniquely sweet and precious scripture, and one of the highlights of the book of God, because it expresses in a plenary manner the fullness of all holy aspirations in the soul, and rises to the apex of spiritual delight and the providential goodness of God, and shows its completeness under the government of our righteous King, our Lord Jesus Christ, ascended into the heavens and reigning upon the throne of grace, having all power in heaven and in earth.

[2:30] You will notice that there is here a concept of bestowing faith, and it was because at this season in the history of Israel, there was an allocation to the tribes of various areas of the Holy Land of Promise, and cities, and mountains.

[3:10] And so, really, the concept is this, because Caleb, her father, had said to her, What wouldest thou?

[3:23] Now, what portion for you, Axa? What is it that you wish? Who answered?

[3:35] Give me a blessing. And I am sure that you will find, you dear friends, who fear God, that this perfectly expresses the very desire of your soul.

[3:58] Give me a blessing. And just a brief comment before we seek to draw a word picture of the background concerning this illustrious prince and saint, Caleb, whose name some of you know very well.

[4:28] The brief comment is this, that in response to her request, she received the blessing of the upper springs and the nether springs.

[5:03] The upper springs in heaven, the nether springs that relate to the earth, the lower springs.

[5:15] And we need him, therefore, as the God of all grace, and the God of providence. we need those springs that rise in glory.

[5:32] And we need those springs that rise in the creation. Upper springs and nether springs. Some of you here may be deeply exercised in grace and in providence.

[5:52] So, the Lord gives his people both. The upper springs and the nether springs.

[6:05] But I feel that it is eminently desirable that we should seek to refer to the sacred history as narrated here concerning Caleb and his unique and honored and favored position in Israel at a particular time.

[6:38] And the age is given when he was forty. Remarkable this is. he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, and now, though I am this day fourscore and five years old.

[7:08] But let us endeavor to view the most important background. The time had come when the Israelites had pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

[7:29] Paran. And I would think that this would be something like a hundred or a hundred and twenty miles from the southern border of the holy land of promise.

[7:46] They were that distance away. I wonder how far away we are from that border of the land of promise.

[7:59] Do you look on your life as a pilgrimage, a journey to the blessed inheritance? Do you wonder tonight how far you are away from that inheritance of the saints in light?

[8:21] Do you believe that you are approaching it, that you are every day, a day's much nearer home? Let me suggest this to you.

[8:36] One sure desire of your soul will be this, if you are to inherit this promised land.

[8:49] man and that is, you will wish for a report of the land and you will wish for a taste of the fruits of the land.

[9:02] land. And I could well stop with you people in Affington and ask you this, during the year, have you tasted the grapes, the figs, the pomegranates of the land?

[9:21] land? Have you heard a report of the land? land? It is most certain that if we are the Lord's children, he will give us a taste of the fruit of the land.

[9:45] And this will be the choice thing in the ministry to you. You'll taste the fruit of heaven. Or, to be more explicit, you will taste the fruit of your once suffering victorious redeemer.

[10:03] His fruit will be sweet to your taste. You will have foretastes of heaven. Now, when did you last have a foretaste of heaven?

[10:22] Jacob knew this in abundance at Bethel. This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Well, having reached Haran, the Lord gave explicit instructions to Moses to send out the heads of the tribes to to spy out that land.

[10:57] And, of course, amongst them was Caleb, the tribe of Joshua, and the tribe of Judah.

[11:08] And what happened? They entered that land. They went in advance, and they cut down thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and bear it between two upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs, and they returned.

[11:43] But, for substance, they said, the report is true. This is a land flowing with milk and honey, but the cities are warped, and there are giants there, and they completely discourage the people, how can we ever expect to possess the land?

[12:15] I go aside for a brief moment to make a comment to this end. There has been amongst gracious people at various times controversy concerning Canaan or the Holy Land being a type of heaven, and it is for this very reason, that when they crossed into the land, crossed the Jordan, that Joshua was not only their prime minister, but also the commander-in-chief of their armies.

[12:58] people and they overcame the Canaanites, and so some have said, well, this cannot be a type of heaven, because there was this fighting to be done.

[13:12] No type is perfect. It is undoubtedly a type of heaven in many respects, the land of promise, the land that flows with milk and honey.

[13:29] It is a type of heaven, but it's not perfect. It's not a perfect type. There are so many scriptures that suggest this to the people of God, Moses viewing the whole land.

[13:50] Could we but climb where Moses stood and view the landscape o'er? Not Jordan's stream or death's cold flood could fright us from the shore.

[14:06] It is a type, but not a perfect one, obviously. Well, now, Caleb was the unique exception.

[14:19] He did not discourage the people. He said, the Lord is with us. And, I quote, he said, if the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.

[14:47] how beautiful is that word. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land.

[14:59] And a very solemn word the Lord spake. He said that from twenty years old and upward, of those that had murmured against him, their carcasses would fall in the wilderness.

[15:19] And so, it would appear that of their contemporaries, only Joshua and Caleb entered the land.

[15:31] The others fell. This is a very solemn consideration. Because we have this word in the New Testament, we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

[15:51] How solemn if one's carcass should fall in the wilderness. And so, taking a view of their contemporaries, we see these two notable exceptions.

[16:07] All had died. They had been smitten, they died. Apart from the younger ones, the younger people, Joshua leading the people, and this blessed character of grace, Caleb, entered.

[16:27] it. And that will show you the importance of what I read in the first part of the lesson.

[16:38] And I want to underline something else, and that is that when he honoured God by encouraging the Israelites, the Lord gave him a promise.

[16:50] And so, he says, coming to Joshua in Gilgal, thou knowest the thing, thou knowest the thing, that the Lord said unto Moses, the man of God, concerning me, and thee, in Kadesh Barnea.

[17:20] Forty years old was I when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Barnea to espy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

[17:33] And just a brief word on one or two points. One is very remarkable. The Lord honoured him because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God, said Moses.

[17:55] Thou hast wholly followed. And he said this, and it is a remarkable testimony. Now behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, the others are dead, but gone.

[18:16] The Lord has cut them off, but the Lord hath kept me alive. As he said, these forty and five years, and he was that day four score and five years old, and he said, as yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me.

[18:40] I am as strong today, eighty-five as I was when I was forty. probably you have never noticed this in the word of God before.

[18:52] It's a most striking testimony of God marking one with his honor and blessing. I am as strong to die eighty-five as I was when I was forty.

[19:12] As my strength was then even so is my strength now for war both to go out and to come in.

[19:26] And now he seeks by privilege that he might receive the blessing from God that he sought. Now therefore give me this mountain as an inheritance.

[19:44] well let us take up that point before we pass. This dear man then has a blessed report from God in the scriptures.

[19:59] he goes into the land he comes back and encourages the people not discourages them.

[20:12] If the Lord delight in us he will bring us into this land and he wholly followed the Lord and God gave him a promise and 45 years afterwards he received the blessing.

[20:35] And God signally honoured him with his strength that he was just as strong at 85 as he was 40. Of course I could equate all this sand wood not only to the physical and mental level of stamina but abundantly to the higher spiritual plane in the things of God.

[21:10] How wonderful to be strong in your soul as in the days of your spiritual youth to return to the days of your youth.

[21:22] So let me just take up this concept. He had received by privilege the allocation of this mountain and now the time comes when Caleb giving a part among the children of Judah according to the command of the Lord to Joshua even the city of Arba and so on that Caleb said he that smiteth curjeth sheath and taketh it to him like I give Axa my daughter to wife and this man Othniel took it and so he gave him his cousin Axa to wife now you can see the whole theme developing here lighting off as

[22:26] Caleb said what would is thou look what God has given to me now what would is thou what portion would you have Axa and it is obvious to our dear spiritual godly friends that this portion is the portion that comes to us not through our merit but all of grace through the merits of Christ but what would is thou well you can go back presently and get on your bed and deeply ponder it what portion is it that you would have what would thou and immediately and I so admire the way this verse is couched the sacred terminology who who answered who she was a living person she was a character of grace who who answered and there was a vital principle of holiness and godliness in her who answered no delay no uncertainty about it who answered and let us see what she requested who answered give me a blessing well to speak adequately to this my friends would take really an eternity would it not because who can conceive the dimensions of this word blessing the blessing of god take for instance the dimensions of the love of god the breadth and length and depth and height of that love as broad as the covenant of grace as long as eternity and as deep as our helpless miseries and as high as heaven but

[25:19] I appeal to you is this your request give it's a gift it flows freely sovereignly from the god of all grace to those that he loves give me me this poor sinner give me a blessing as though she would say all blessings may be comprehended in one now is this the language of your heart I shall endeavor therefore to define this scriptural term that is so full of heavenly lustre as projected by the holy ghost into the vision of faith so that the soul is able to view it do you view it this that is expressed here under the term blessing well what is this blessing if

[26:51] I give to you the quintessence of it what it really means is for you to be favored with Christ to have him to come into the glories of the language in the canticles my beloved is mine and I am his this is the quintessence of all divine blessing it is to have him as yours to know that he is yours give me a blessing give me thyself dear Jesus let me come into this wonderful experience I'm married to the Lord the Lamb whose beauties

[27:53] I can ne'er explain nor half his glory show to know that he is your bridegroom your savior your father your friend your all and then the very presence of Christ in the soul the sweet sacred benign sanctifying saving presence of the Lord which is unmistakable to his people this is the blessing of God to them a touch of his love and the anointing of their head with oil so that their cup runs over there a sweet word from his precious lips the drawing of his love and the irradiation of your soul by the son of righteousness so that the beams of love and grace and mercy flow into your soul and heal you and comfort you and enrich you she who answered give me a blessing now has the

[29:30] Lord given you a blessing it is inexpressible really let me take for instance one or two cases from the scripture where they received this blessing take the infamous character the erstwhile a sinful woman who came behind him and washed his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and anointed his feet and kissed them and presently from his holy lips she heard this sweet sentence of the gospel thy sins are forgiven that's the blessing of

[30:31] God take the paralyzed man the poor silent man and it is very notable in that account of the miracle performed that none of them said anything the man didn't say probably he was so completely paralyzed that even his larynx was paralyzed he couldn't speak his heart spoke and he was born of four and the evangelists do not narrate that they said anything they just carried him and took him up to the flat roof and let him down through the tiling they just let him down before

[31:45] Christ Christ saw their faith and he said to him son son my friend has he ever said that to you you you men sitting here has ever said to you son son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee now that's the blessing of God to know his presence to know the forgiveness of sins to know his sacred benign influence to know the sunshine of immutable love to have the Lord in your heart the hope of glory to be blessed with repentance and forgiveness to know what it is for the

[32:55] Lord to respond to your cry when you cried unto him falling down where there was none to help and he delivered you out of all your distresses when he made the storm a calm so that the waves there are still then are they glad because they are quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven that's the blessing of God you know the blessing of God it's for him to speak to you to support you to sustain you to comfort you to heal your wounds it's for the Lord to wound you and heal you it is for him to snipe and bind up those wounds it it is for the

[34:07] Lord to reprove and rebuke and to embrace the repenting child it is for him to kiss you as he did the prodigal who answered give me a blessing blessing I feel that in my own soul if I venture to express what I feel it is this 43 years ago this year the Lord bless me with the pardon of sin and what I long for is this a repetition or a renewing of the same favour as I knew that night when it was impossible with all my searching although

[35:25] I had felt completely black it was impossible for me to find one sin and when I felt to be in the process of translation from this world and this body and could leave all below and know what it is to be married to Christ now what I want is this I want to experience the Lord coming again I will come again but I believe that when he does come again in the same degree of divine blessing that it will be the fulfillment of those words I will come again and receive you unto myself that where

[36:30] I am there ye may be also so the Lord directs your heart into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ give me a blessing you'll want many a sip many a sweet loving look a kind look in the gospel you'll want sweet communications out of his fullness to feel the power and action and efficacy of his rich shed vital atoning blood you'll want to know that you have on the wedding garment that you'll await this blessing this blessing that will fill your vessel until it flows over who answered give me a blessing look if you had life this must be your language everything else is vapid void empty in comparison you'll want you'll want who answered give me a blessing and was she disappointed no she said thou hast given me a south land the term south in the scriptures sometimes means heaven and what is preparatory to that the city of our solemnities

[38:30] Zion the church of God the dear Lord's garden south land Bethlehem was a south land to Ruth a blessed land of divine favor and mercy so south stands for heaven and the church of God and north for hell take the tree falling toward the south or toward the north one is heaven the other is hell one is blessing the other is curse thou hast given me a south land and without doubt we can well to the glory of God echo the words of AXA thou hast given me a south land my mind has gone back as I expressed in prayer to the

[39:40] Lord just now over a week from the city of London and various places and in my own pulpit and taking a survey of seven days I praise my God I can say thou hast given me a south land how do I know because of the divine unction his presence his blessing his favor thou hast given me a south land give me also springs of water and he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs you people living in a rural area and spending your lives perhaps in husbandry will know possibly far more than

[40:41] I do about the illustration used here this wonderful wonderful thing in the creation that is called spring or springs it is something that attracts me exceedingly a spring it is a fountain source what of living water living water that never ceases to flow you can stand and look at a spring in the hills and gaze with wonder at the skill and goodness of your creator and here with our great river the thames you know something about the springs it rises from those springs and look at that volume of water oh there are these upper springs beneath the sacred throne of

[42:14] God I saw a river rise think of the springs the springs of boundless ineffable everlasting immutable complessential laugh and there is a river because of these springs there is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high he gave of the upper springs that means there will ever be this fountain source of living water of love of grace of mercy of peace flowing down into your soul until you reach the river itself and prove that it is a river to swim in and deeper drink above you've you've tasted it below gave her the upper springs and I proved it

[43:27] I often feel sorely destitute and very fearful and dark and tried and then there's this springing up the upper springs a spring of unction a spring of love a spring of light mercy unction liberty power goodness gave her the upper springs you're a favoured soul if you know and the nether springs you'll need the nether springs Jacob observed that the Lord had fed him all his life long unto this day the Lord had done it the nether springs you think of the remarkable mercy of

[44:31] God in the nether springs you'll see a little babe brought into the world and perhaps spared to grow up and live to be ninety and all over those ninety years every need supplied food raiment work a home everything that you can ever need some are sorely tried in providence even to die it may seem as if there's no roof for their head in this time of inflation it is so difficult for those who are younger to find a home but think of these nether springs this is a word really of encouragement for those who are sorely pressed in providence nether springs that whatever the need is my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ

[45:55] Jesus so upper springs nether springs and this includes everything springs of strength physical strength mental energy equilibrium of your brain to keep your brain on an even keel it's a very fine balance between sanity and insanity it's one of the nether springs to maintain the mental and nervous health that we need to give you ability strength energy another of these springs is wisdom teaching us what to say and do well I cannot comprehend it all but he gave the upper springs and the nether springs if the

[46:59] Lord withheld from you the nether springs your crops would not be good the cattle would be in poor shape the vine would not blossom the labour of the olive would fail the fields would yield no meat the flocks would be cut off from the fold and there would be no herd in the stall if he denied you the nether springs and that would be a sad picture think of it the fields would yield no meat the flocks cut off from the fold no herd in the stall but he granted her the nether springs as well as the upper springs if he denied us the nether springs there be no work nothing coming in no money health would vanish disease invade us no strength insane perhaps you think of what you owe to

[48:29] God he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs you know what it is to have this constant source never failing of the gospel of his grace all sufficient of his love and favor to your soul of his sweet mercy you go out into the earth and the nether springs never fail thus fold there's raiment there's everything you need he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs amen