Closer To Heaven
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by Thandazani Mhlanga | 2 December 2025 | When you hear the word “Samaritan,” you might think of the Samaritan woman at the well, a person with a complicated history of relationships who nonetheless experienced one of Jesus’ most personal and healing conversations. Certainly you will remember the parable of the Good Samaritan. These are […] Source: https://atoday.org/lessons-from-the-samaritans/
LESSONS OF FAITH FROM JOSHUA
Lesson 10 : The True Joshua
10.4 The True Joshua, the Antitype
Jesus – the true Joshua who secures our eternal inheritance
IntroductionTo understand the book of Joshua, we must recognize that the biblical wars are not just historical military reports, but salvation-historical symbols. God led His people into the Promised Land – not merely as a geographical conquest, but as a theological movement from slavery to inheritance, from unrest to rest, from chaos to order.
Joshua was the successor of Moses, but in the New Testament he appears as a foreshadowing of Christ, who does not give us land but heavenly inheritance and true rest. Jesus is the antitypical Joshua, the final leader who wins the battle we could never win ourselves.
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BIBLE STUDY
1. Joshua – a historical leader and spiritual symbolIn the Old Testament, Joshua is not only a military commander, but a tool of God to allocate the Promised Land to the people of Israel. It is not about personal conquest or imperial expansion, but about God’s salvation plan: the people are to find rest in the land and live according to His commandments.
Joshua 21:43–44: “So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers… And the LORD gave them rest all around…”
Commentary:
The “rest” here is geographic and political. But it is limited, because later the people fall back into unfaithfulness. Therefore, the rest that Joshua gives is not the perfect rest of God, but a foretaste of something higher.
2. Hebrews 3:7–19: The warning against unbelief Hebrews 3:12:
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that leads you to fall away from the living God.”
Commentary:
The book of Hebrews refers to Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness (Psalm 95). Despite God’s promise, the people refused in unbelief. The result: they missed the rest – the Promised Land.
The author warns: we today can also miss God’s rest through unbelief. Israel’s history is a mirror for the church today.
3. Hebrews 4:1–11: True rest is in Christ Hebrews 4:8:
“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another day.”
Commentary:
The text makes a clear distinction:
• Joshua’s rest = temporary, incomplete
• Jesus’ rest = eternal, perfect
The writer argues: if Joshua had given the true rest, there would be no further “today” (v.7). But God still speaks centuries later of a new “today” – meaning the promise of rest is still open.
Hebrews 4:9:
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”
Commentary:
The term “Sabbath rest” (Greek sabbatismos) is unique – it means not the weekly Sabbath, but the perfect rest that comes through Christ. It is the rest from trying to earn salvation, because Christ has already finished the work (John 19:30).
4. The parallels between Joshua and JesusThe name:
“Joshua” in Hebrew = Yehoshua → “God saves”
“Jesus” in Greek = Iēsous → same meaning!
Commentary:
Jesus’ name is no accident, but a deliberate link to Joshua. Jesus is not only the new Moses (prophet) but the new Joshua (conqueror and giver of inheritance).
The Jordan experience:
• Joshua leads Israel through the Jordan → into the land
• Jesus is baptized in the Jordan → beginning of His ministry (Matt. 3:13–17; Luke 3:22)
Matthew 3:17: “This is my beloved Son…”
Commentary:
Jesus’ baptism is like a symbolic crossing: He enters the spiritual battle just as Joshua entered the land. God confirms His calling.
The number 40:
• Israel: 40 years in the wilderness
• Joshua: steps in as leader afterward
• Jesus: 40 days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11)
• After the resurrection: 40 days with the disciples (Acts 1:3)
Commentary:
The number 40 in the Bible often signifies testing and preparation. Jesus enters His public ministry and the heavenly battle against evil after the testing.
The spiritual battle
Joshua fights earthly kings – Jesus fights spiritual powers:
Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is… against the powers of darkness.” Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities… through the cross.”
Commentary:
Jesus is the true “warrior of God,” but not with the sword; rather, through obedience, love, and sacrifice. His victory is invisible but final.
Distribution of inheritance
Joshua distributes land – Jesus distributes eternal inheritance:
Hebrews 9:15: “…so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” Ephesians 1:11: “In Him we have obtained an inheritance…”
Commentary:
The inheritance Jesus gives us is not land, but:
• Peace with God
• New identity
• Eternal life
• Fellowship with God
• Spiritual blessings in Christ
Summary of the Bible study
| Theme | Joshua (Type) | Jesus (Antitype) |
| — | — | — |
| Name | “God saves” | “God saves” |
| Calling | Leader of Israel | Savior of the world |
| Jordan | Crossing into the land | Baptism – start of ministry |
| Battle | Against nations | Against sin & Satan |
| Rest | Temporary in the land | Eternal in God |
| Inheritance | Land in Canaan | Heavenly life |
| Work | Earthly, limited | Heavenly, perfect |
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: How does Hebrews 3:7–4:11 confirm the typology between Joshua and Jesus?• Hebrews states that Joshua did not lead Israel into the true and final rest.
• The “rest” in the book of Joshua was a picture, not the goal.
• The New Testament clearly states: true rest comes through Christ.
• Jesus is the antitypical Joshua, who gives the real inheritance: eternal life, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God.
Question 2: What does it mean to rest in what Christ has done for us?• Rest means to stop trying to prove yourself to God.
• We rest because the battle has already been won.
• We live not by performance, but by finished work (John 19:30).
• Rest means no longer fearing condemnation (Rom. 8:1).
Question 3: How do we know for certain that Jesus defeated Satan?• Through the resurrection (Acts 2:24).
• Through the authority of His name (Phil. 2:9–10).
• Through the transformation of our lives (Gal. 5:22–23).
• Through the testimony of Scripture (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14–15).
• Through experiences of faith: deliverance, peace, healing, renewal.
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Spiritual PrinciplesChrist fulfills all stories and patterns in the Bible. Typology shows God as an author with a plan.
Every outward act of Joshua finds its spiritual counterpart in Jesus.
The true battle is spiritual, not political. (Eph. 6:12)
True rest comes from trust, not from work.
God leads people in stages: wilderness → Jordan → inheritance → rest.
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Life Application• Stop trying to earn God’s love. Rest in Christ.
• Don’t fight temptation or sin alone. Jesus is already victorious.
• Trust that God has prepared the inheritance you need: reconciliation, identity, peace, future.
• If you feel “in the wilderness”: that does not mean God is far away – it means you are being prepared.
• Cross your “Jordan” daily: prayer, God’s Word, a decision of faith, an act of obedience.
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ConclusionJoshua stands for the old.
Jesus stands for the fulfillment.
Joshua led the people into a land.
Jesus leads His people into eternal life.
Joshua defeated earthly enemies.
Jesus defeated sin, death, and Satan.
Joshua gave temporary rest.
Jesus gives eternal rest.
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Thought of the Day“It’s not that I fight for God – Jesus has already fought for me.”
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IllustrationMira sat motionless at the window of her small fifth-floor apartment. The city below was loud, fast, and alive – the exact opposite of what was happening inside her. For weeks she had felt like she was in a glass cage: she could see everything, but reach nothing. Her strength was drained, her will worn out.
She had tried everything: working more, praying more, reading more. She was exemplary in her church, led Bible studies, played in the worship team, and at the same time tried to save a broken relationship. But something inside her had shattered – not all at once, but slowly.
“Why is there no rest? Why do I feel empty, even though I’m doing everything right?”
✦ ─────────────── ✦ ─────────────── ✦
One cold Sunday in November, she dragged herself to church. Inside she was tired, outside she functioned as usual. The sermon was from Hebrews. “Joshua brought the people into the land, but not into rest,” said the pastor. “This true rest only comes through Jesus.”
Mira listened. The text was Hebrews 4. It was as if someone was reading from her diary.
“For whoever has entered His rest has also rested from his works, as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:10)
The pastor wasn’t even looking in her direction, but his voice struck her like electricity:
“Maybe you are tired because you are trying to fight spiritually where Jesus has already won.”
Inside Mira something protested. “I fight because it’s necessary! I can’t just let go!” But that was exactly the problem. She fought – and lost.
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A few days later, Mira sat alone in a café. Her Bible lay open in front of her at Hebrews 4. Her eyes stopped at a sentence:
“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest.”
She laughed bitterly. “So I still have to strive. Still fight. Still perform.” But then she read the next verse:
“…so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”
Disobedience?
Maybe her struggle wasn’t faithfulness, but resistance to God’s invitation to rest.
Suddenly she understood: she was like Israel – standing before the Jordan, on the edge of the promise, but too afraid to let go. She wanted to control her life, even her faith. She wanted to earn the victory.
✦ ─────────────── ✦ ─────────────── ✦
Later that week something inside her began to break – not painfully, but healingly. In a prayer that was more silence than words, she finally said:
“Lord, I’m tired. I can’t do this anymore. And maybe that’s exactly the point. I give up. I stop fighting. I step over. I trust – that You have won.”
There was no lightning, no miracle, no flood of tears. But there was peace. Not as emotion – but as decision. As rest in the innermost being.
She knew: the Jordan lay behind her. The inheritance lay before her. And Christ – the true Joshua – would lead her there.
✦ ─────────────── ✦ ─────────────── ✦
Mira’s life did not suddenly become easier. There were still appointments, conflicts, exhaustion. But something fundamental had changed:
• She no longer served out of duty, but out of love.
• She no longer prayed to persuade – but to trust.
• She no longer lived for approval – but out of grace.
People asked her what had happened. She only smiled and said:
“I have arrived. Not because I ran – but because I let myself be led.”
✦ ─────────────── ✦ ─────────────── ✦
In the end Mira understood:
The rest Christ gives is not a place, but a person. Not a state, but a relationship. Not a success, but a gift.
She had crossed the Jordan – not by strength, but by faith.
And she had learned:
“Jesus is not only my Savior – He is my Joshua.”
10 razones para apoyar hoy mismo la recaudación de fondos de fin de año de Adventist Today 1. Loren Seibold es guapo. Y no, él no escribió esto (lo ha hecho Björn, su amigo y colega). Pero si quieres recibir más opiniones sinceras y atractivas en tu bandeja de entrada, Adventist Today necesita tu apoyo. […] Source: https://atoday.org/10-razones-para-apoyar-la-recaudacion-de-fondos-de-fin-de-ano-de-adventist-today/
3 december 2025
BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Daily Bible Reading
Judges 20 – The Civil War in Israel – When the people of God stand against each other
Broken unity, divine guidance, and painful consequences
Read online here
IntroductionJudges 20 is one of the darkest chapters in the Old Testament. It does not describe a war against external enemies, but an internal civil war, a battle within the people of God. A crime in Gibeah – cruel and barbaric – leads to a conflict that almost wipes out the entire tribe of Benjamin.
This chapter forces us to look closely: What happens when the people of God gather in religious unity, but are inwardly shaped by violence, defiance, and pride?
It is not an easy text, but an honest one. It shows: Sin always destroys more than just the offender – it consumes community, trust, and future.
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CommentaryIsrael is gathered at Mizpah. Four hundred thousand men stand there – a nation united like rarely before. But this unity does not rise out of joy, but out of shock. A nameless Levite describes the horror inflicted on his concubine in Gibeah. His account is not neutral, but emotional, shocking, and brutal. He cuts her body into twelve pieces and sends them through the land. A terrible message, but it works: Israel wakes up.
The people demand justice. They ask for the perpetrators from Benjamin to be handed over. But Benjamin refuses. It is not the deed they protect – it is tribal loyalty over moral truth. This “us versus you” unleashes a wave of violence that no one can stop.
Israel asks God: “Who shall go up first?” – and the Lord answers: “Judah.”
But victory does not come immediately. In the first attack, the Israelites lose 22,000 men. They weep, they ask again. God says: “Go up!” But they lose again, this time 18,000.
Why does God allow them to lose twice, even though they are on the side of justice?
The text does not show it directly, but between the lines we read:
Justice does not automatically mean success. Truth does not guarantee immediate results. Sometimes God allows defeat before giving victory – because the people must first learn to weep, to fast, to ask, to wait.
Only when all Israel fasts, seeks the Lord, offers sacrifices, and consults the priests does the turning point come. Then God says:
“Go up; tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands.”
And so it happens. Through strategy, not mere strength: ambush, deception, patience. They lure Benjamin out, just as Benjamin had beaten them before. The city burns, smoke rises – the signal. Finally Benjamin is defeated.
But the victory tastes bitter. 25,000 men of Benjamin die. In the end, only 600 remain, who flee to the rock of Rimmon. Israel destroys entire towns, kills men, women, livestock, even houses. The people who sought justice lose themselves in anger.
Justice has come – but almost without mercy.
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SummaryJudges 20 shows a brutal rupture within Israel:
• A crime in Gibeah triggers a tribal war.
• Israel seeks God, yet loses twice – even though the war is just.
• After weeping, fasting, and sacrifice, they listen to God and succeed on the third attempt.
• The victory, however, leads to excessive vengeance and almost wipes out Benjamin.
The story does not end as a triumphal march, but as a tragedy with divine involvement and human excess.
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Message for us todayJustice without humility leads to violence.
Israel sought the right goal – but in the wrong way. The moment of defeat was God’s correction.
God often works “tomorrow” – not “now.”
We ask: “Why am I losing even though I’m doing the right thing?”
God says: “Weep. Fast. Seek Me. Then act.”
Tribal thinking is destructive.
Benjamin protects perpetrators simply because they are “one of us.” We see the same today in churches, politics, society.
Loyalty replaces truth – and justice dies.
Even just wars leave wounds.
Israel wins – but almost at a cost they later regret.
Chapter 21 shows: They weep over their own victory.
God sometimes lets us experience defeat so we will not become like the offenders.
The first two defeats made Israel soft, humble, praying, asking.
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Thought prompt“Before you fight for justice – fight first for humility.”
“Don’t ask only: ‘Am I right?’
Ask also: ‘Am I right in spirit?’”
Maybe you are in a conflict in which you know: “I am right.”
But being right does not automatically mean you are fighting in God’s way.
This text invites us again and again to return to:
• Fasting
• Weeping
• Asking
• Listening
• Waiting
So that our victory does not become a defeat for our soul.
~~~~~
30 November – 3 December 2025 BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS Weekly Reading – Spirit of Prophecy
Ellen White | Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 45
The Fall of Jericho | When walls break before faith Read online here
BLOG 4 – Achan & Ai
When victory collapses IntroductionAfter Jericho comes Ai — small, insignificant. Israel expects an easy win. But it fails. Not because of the strength of the enemy, but because of disobedience within its own camp.
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CommentaryThe joy over Jericho was still warm in Israel’s heart. Self-confidence grew like grass after rain. Ai? A small city, little defense — nothing like Jericho.
“We can easily do this,” they said.
Without prayer. Without counsel. Without God.
The attack came — and the flight followed.
Thirty-six men died.
And with every death, trust sank like a stone in water.
Joshua fell facedown before the ark — not as a hero, but as a father in pain. His voice broke:
“Why, Lord?”
And God did not answer with comfort, but with truth:
“Israel has sinned.”
The ban was broken.
Gold, silver, a cloak — hidden under earth in a tent.
A small grasp, secret, silent — but heavy as a boulder on the soul of the people.
The casting of lots moved through the camp like a divine finger.
Tribe — clan — household — man.
Achan stood there, pale as ash, confessing, but too late.
Stone after stone filled the valley.
Not out of cruelty, but as a warning:
What begins in secret ends in public.
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SummaryThe defeat at Ai came through Achan’s hidden sin. Once it was revealed and removed, God’s blessing could return.
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Message for us today• Hidden guilt has visible consequences.
• God’s power flows only when nothing dark is blocking the heart.
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ReflectionWhat small hidden thing might be the reason your “Ai” will not fall?
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LuxVerbi | The light of the Word. The clarity of faith.
3 December 2025
Daniel – Strong in Faith. Faithful in the Fire
4. When You Are Asked – Your Voice at the Right Moment
Daily Verse“There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”
Daniel 2:28
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Introduction: Suddenly in the spotlightThere are people who serve faithfully for years without being seen.
They pray, though no one hears.
They live rightly, though no one applauds.
They train in silence.
They grow without anyone noticing.
And then – sometimes completely unexpectedly – a moment comes when they are needed.
A conversation.
A crisis.
A call.
A question no one else can answer.
And suddenly it becomes visible what God has been building in the quiet.
That is exactly how it was with Daniel.
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Devotion: When preparation meets responsibilityDaniel did not hold a special position when the story in chapter 2 begins.
He was one among many young men at the royal court – gifted, diligent, intelligent, but without power.
His days were filled with study, service, and adapting to the Babylonian environment.
He was far from home, but inwardly he held on to his faith.
He prayed, he sought God’s presence, and he did his work faithfully.
No one applauded, no one wrote about it – it was simply his life.
Then came the situation that changed everything.
The king had a dream that deeply disturbed him.
But he did not just want to know what the dream meant –
he demanded that someone first tell him what he had actually dreamed.
The wise men of Babylon said that no human being could do this.
Nebuchadnezzar reacted harshly.
He ordered all his advisers to be killed.
Daniel was included in this order, even though he had not been present in the first conversation.
When he heard about it, he did not look for excuses, he did not blame others, and he did not fall into panic.
He went straight to his friends and explained the situation.
Then they decided together to pray –
not loudly, not theatrically,
but simply, consistently, and earnestly.
During the night Daniel received the answer that none of the other wise men could give.
The dream was revealed to him, and with it the interpretation.
The next day he stood before Nebuchadnezzar –
not triumphant, not proud,
but clear and aware that what he knew did not come from himself.
He did not begin with self-promotion.
He plainly explained that no human could fulfil this task
and that only the God of heaven reveals mysteries.
Daniel then told the king the dream and its meaning –
clearly, understandably, without exaggeration.
And Nebuchadnezzar realised in that moment that the answer he had been seeking did not come from Babylon,
but from the God in whom Daniel believed.
Daniel was honoured, promoted, and given authority.
But the true foundation for that moment was not a spectacular event.
It was the unnoticed lifestyle he had lived for years beforehand.
Daniel did not stand there because he had looked for a stage,
but because he was ready when the stage came to him.
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What does this mean for us?Sometimes your life feels like preparation without a platform.
You pray – and no one knows.
You stand firm – and no one sees it.
You remain faithful – and no one applauds.
But God is building in secret what He wants to use in public.
When the day comes when a voice is needed,
an answer, a stance, a testimony –
it may be that you are exactly that person.
Not because you pushed yourself forward,
but because you were ready.
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What we can learn from Daniel• God often prepares us in secret before He uses us in the open.
• The moment you step forward is not the beginning of faith – it is the result of it.
• Whoever prays in the night can stand with courage in the day.
• The right moment will find you if you belonged to God beforehand.
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Practical steps for todayPractice faithfulness today in something small – without waiting to be seen.
When a question, problem, or opportunity comes – go to God first, not to people.
Thank God for every season of waiting – it is preparation.
Expect that God can open doors when the moment comes.
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Questions for reflection• Where is God quietly preparing me right now – even if I don’t see it?
• Which “small spaces” do I take seriously, even though they seem insignificant?
• Am I ready if God suddenly calls me?
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PrayerLord,
I don’t just want to be seen – I want to be faithful.
Prepare me for the day when I am asked.
Give me courage to speak clearly when you send me,
and humility to give you the glory.
Prepare my heart now,
so that I can stand then.
Amen.
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Key thought of the dayGod prepares you in the hidden place – so that you can stand when you are called.
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