LESSONS OF FAITH FROM JOSHUA
Lesson 10 : The True Joshua
10.3 Joshua, the Type
Moses, Joshua – and the True Redeemer: Christ as the Fulfillment of God’s Plan
Introduction
In the biblical story, Joshua is not only the successor of Moses, but a meaningful type of Jesus Christ. His life, shaped by God’s guidance, parallels with Moses, and symbolic actions, makes him an important reflection of the Messiah. The parallels between Joshua and Moses are no accident—they point to the One who was to come to fulfill God’s final plan: Jesus Christ.
This week we dive into the typological significance of Joshua, his role in Israel’s history, and how he prophetically points to Christ. By the end of this lesson it should be clear: only in Jesus is fulfilled everything that Joshua could only foreshadow.
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BIBLE STUDY
Parallels between Moses and Joshua – Typology in the Bible
The Bible shows that God’s story with His people often follows certain patterns. The similarity between the life of Moses and that of Joshua is particularly striking. These similarities are not random—they serve in biblical typology as signposts pointing to a greater reality: to Jesus Christ.
Exodus 3:1–2 / Joshua 1:1–3:
Both men are directly commissioned by God. Moses encounters God in the burning bush, Joshua receives his calling after Moses’ death. God promises both to be with them and to lead them.
Numbers 13:1–2 / Joshua 2:1:
Both send spies into the land of Canaan. With Moses there are twelve, with Joshua two—with the difference that Joshua’s messengers return in faith. This shows the maturity of the people under Joshua’s leadership.
Exodus 3:5 / Joshua 5:15:
In both cases God asks His servants to take off their shoes—a sign that they stand on holy ground. This underscores the divine authority with which they were called.
More parallels:
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Moses leads Israel through the Red Sea, Joshua through the Jordan.
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Both experience a Passover feast: Moses institutes it, Joshua celebrates it in the promised land.
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Manna begins with Moses, ends with Joshua.
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Both stretch out their hands as a sign of divine victory.
The prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15–19 and its fulfillment
God announces through Moses a future prophet “like you,” whom the people are to listen to. This promise was partially fulfilled in Joshua, for he was Moses’ immediate successor and continued his work.
But according to Acts 3:22–26 and John 1:21, this prophecy was fully fulfilled only in Jesus. Jesus not only brings God’s Word, He is the Word of God (John 1:14). He knows the Father perfectly (Luke 10:22), and speaks only what the Father has given Him (John 14:24).
Jesus as the center of spiritual life
Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was prepared through Moses and Joshua. He is not just a leader, but the Redeemer. Without Him there is no salvation, no true life with God. That’s why He must be the foundation of every Christian life (John 14:6).
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: What significance do the many parallels between the lives of Moses and Joshua have in light of biblical typology? (See Exodus 3:1–2; Joshua 1:1–3; Numbers 13:1–2; Joshua 2:1; Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:15.)
The many parallels between Moses and Joshua show that God works consistently and continues His plans through different people. Joshua is a type (a foreshadowing) of Jesus Christ. Both leaders stand for transitions: Moses from slavery to freedom, Joshua from wandering to the promised land.
In typology this indicates that Jesus is the perfect leader who not only frees us from slavery to sin, but also brings us into the heavenly Canaan. The parallels make clear: God writes history with meaning and purpose.
Question 2: Study Deuteronomy 18:15–19; 34:10–12; John 1:21; Acts 3:22–26; 7:37. Who fulfills Moses’ prophecy about a prophet like himself? How does Joshua fit into the picture?
Joshua only partially fulfills the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18. He was a faithful leader, a mouthpiece of God, and acted in the spirit of Moses. But he could not fully fulfill the prophecy because he was not the Messiah.
The perfect fulfillment of this prophecy is Jesus Christ, as Acts 3:22–26 confirms. Jesus is the final prophet, priest, and king. He not only proclaims God’s Word, He is God’s Word in the flesh. He not only brings people into a geographical land, but into eternal fellowship with God.
Question 3: How central is Jesus to your life with God? Why must Jesus and what He did for you be the foundation of your entire Christian life?
Jesus is the center and foundation of my faith. Without Him there would be no connection to God, no grace, no new life. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
What He did for me—dying on the cross and rising again—is the foundation of my identity as a Christian. Everything I believe, hope, and do has its origin in Him. If I lose Jesus, I lose everything. But with Him, I have everything.
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Spiritual Principles
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God’s story is filled with patterns that point to Christ:
The parallels between Moses, Joshua, and Jesus show that God reveals His plan of salvation step by step through typology. What Joshua did physically, Christ completed spiritually and eternally. -
God’s callings are unique, but serve a greater purpose:
Moses and Joshua were specially equipped for their tasks. Yet both ultimately served God’s greater plan. Today we too are called to build God’s kingdom in our surroundings. -
Faith requires obedience and courage:
Joshua took responsibility and moved forward despite uncertainties. He showed that whoever follows God’s calling can be strong and courageous—because God Himself goes with them. -
Only in Jesus can true rest be found:
Joshua brought the people into the promised land, but not into perfect rest (Hebrews 4:8–9). This can only be given by Christ—internally, spiritually, eternally.
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Life Application
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Take your calling seriously: Like Joshua, you are called to fulfill God’s mission. Maybe not as the leader of a nation, but as a light at your workplace, in your family, in your church.
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Dare to take steps of faith: The Jordan will not part before you step in. Don’t wait for perfect conditions—God’s promises require active trust.
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Keep Jesus at the center daily: Remind yourself regularly that Jesus is the center of your life. Start each day with Him—in prayer, in the Word, in trust.
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Recognize types, confess Christ: See the line from Moses to Joshua to Jesus and share it with others. The Bible is not just history, but salvation history.
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Conclusion
Joshua is a key figure in the Old Testament, not just because of his military leadership or his faithfulness, but above all because he is a picture of Jesus. His life points to the true “Savior” who gives not only land, but life. The typology of Joshua deepens our understanding of God’s great plan of redemption and shows us that the Bible is thoroughly Christ-centered.
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Thought of the Day
“Joshua led the people through the Jordan – Jesus leads us through death into life.”
– Let Jesus be your Joshua: the leader who not only goes ahead but brings you safely to your destination.
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Illustration
A man, a calling, a decision
Faith in the 21st century
Chapter 1: The Wall
03:11 a.m. Jonas sat on the windowsill of his Berlin attic apartment in the dim light, his forehead leaning against the cold glass. Below him the wet cobblestones flickered under the streetlights. He felt empty. Not depressed. Just… empty—as if life were paused.
He had quit the day before. Project manager in a tech company, excellent salary, team responsibility, growth opportunities. But inside he had not been there for a long time.
For weeks he had strange dreams. A wide, overgrown field. Children with no direction. Darkness. And a voice—calm but urgent:
“Get up. I have given you the land you will walk on.”
At first he dismissed it as overwork. But then came that Sunday, the sermon about Joshua:
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Something had been ignited in him. Not a fire—rather a quiet call. But the longer he kept silent, the louder it became. Now he sat there at 03:11 a.m. and knew: his life had a direction. Only the destination was still blurry.
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Chapter 2: The Conversation
“You’re crazy,” said Sarah, his sister, pushing a cup of tea across the kitchen table. “You just throw everything away because you had a dream?”
Jonas shook his head. “Not because of a dream. Because of a calling.”
“From God?” She raised an eyebrow. “The Jonas who hasn’t been to church in ten years?”
He smiled. “I wasn’t looking for God. But I think He called me.”
“And now you want… what? Start a school? An organization? With what money?”
“I don’t know. I have no plan. Just this inner pressure, this peace in the middle of uncertainty.”
Sarah became serious. “Listen, I don’t get this. But if it really is God… then He will open doors. Maybe you really are some kind of modern Joshua.”
Jonas nodded. He was not sure whether she wanted to encourage or warn him. Maybe both. But that was okay.
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Chapter 3: The Call
It was a gray January day when Jonas stood on the empty property, a former supermarket on the outskirts of Berlin. The concrete was cracked, graffiti covered the walls. It smelled of dust and the past.
He had gotten the key from an older pastor. “Nobody knows what to do with the building,” he had said. “But when I heard your dream… I thought of it.”
Jonas stepped through the broken entrance. It was cold and bleak—and yet: he could see it before him. Chairs. Children. Hope.
“Lord,” he whispered, “if you want me to start here—show me the next step.”
At that moment his phone vibrated. A text message from an old college friend, a social worker:
“Hey, I don’t know why, but I suddenly thought of you. If you ever need help with a project—I’d be interested.”
Jonas smiled. Maybe this was the beginning.
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Chapter 4: The Resistance
“What you’re trying is madness,” said Jan, his former coworker, as they met in the café. “You quit your career—for an idea without a concept, without money, without security?”
“I quit because God is calling. And when He calls, He also provides.”
“You sound like a prophet. But this is not Canaan. This is Berlin.”
“Maybe this is my Jordan today. And God is just waiting for me to put my foot in.”
“And what if the water swallows you?”
Jonas looked at him calmly. “Then I’ll know that at least I didn’t stand still.”
He knew that doubts would come. Also from within. But something inside him was stronger: that peace that didn’t depend on security, but on trust.
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Chapter 5: The Breakthrough
One year later.
The old supermarket was hardly recognizable. Provisionally renovated, brightly painted, filled with voices, laughter, sometimes tears. Ten teenagers came regularly—from difficult backgrounds, many with no clear perspective.
The project was named “JordanLife”—after the river Joshua had crossed with the people.
One day a boy stayed after class. Rafi, 14, quiet, mistrustful.
“I don’t know why you do this,” he said softly. “But somehow… for the first time I think I’m not alone.”
Jonas fought back tears. He remembered the dreams. The voice. The emptiness at 03:11 a.m.
Now he understood: God had not looked for an easy way—but for one that changed lives.
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Chapter 6: The Legacy
Many years later. The work had grown. Several groups. New staff. Support from the city. Hundreds of teenagers had gone through the program.
Now Jonas stood in the same hall as years before—at the closing ceremony of his last project, before retiring.
He watched the stage where a former student—now a teacher at JordanLife—took the microphone.
“What Jonas gave us was not just education. It was courage. Faith. Dignity.”
Then Jonas stepped forward and spoke his last words as leader:
“I never had the perfect plan. But I had a calling. Like Joshua. And at the end of my journey I can tell you only one thing:
God is faithful. He leads. Even today.
If He calls you—don’t hesitate. The promised land does not wait for the timid.”
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Epilogue
And so a man with doubts and no plan became a pioneer for many. Not through power. Not through strategy. But through obedience.
Because the true Joshua—Jesus—led him. And He will lead you too.
