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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings in Joshua (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 11.3-The Conquest of Ai (Concluded) 8:1-35
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Gleanings In Joshua
11. The Conquest of Ai (Concluded)
Joshua 8:1-35
Worship in Victory
"And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise there a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal . . . an altar of whole stones" (Josh. 8:29-31). It can scarcely be doubted that there is a designed contrast between those two events. In the former we see the ignominy of Ai's king, here we behold the worship of the King of kings. The one marked the grave of a malefactor, the other recognized the claims of the Holy One. Great indeed is the contrast between the dead body under the stones and the accepted sacrifice upon the altar of stones. That bore witness to the carrying out of the curse of the Law, on this was inscribed its precepts. The former was at "the gate" of Ai (the place of judgment-Amos 5:10), the latter was in a mount. That was intended as a solemn warning unto evil-doers, this was for the instruction of those who desired to do well.
"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal." Everything connected with the incident prefaced by that statement is of deep importance and interest, calling for our closest attention. A further word upon the Spirit's time-mark. This act of worship followed immediately upon the destruction of Ai and all its inhabitants. We should naturally expect that after Israel's capturing of Jericho and Ai they had continued to advance, proceeding to the further occupying of Canaan. Now that they had made themselves masters of its frontier towns, it would appear the only sound policy to forge ahead while their terror was upon the foe, and penetrate into the very heart of his country. Instead, a long and difficult journey was taken unto mount Ebal, that a solemn religious ordinance might be observed. In the midst of their military campaign a lengthy pause was made in order that Jehovah might be honored. "The camp of Israel was drawn out into the land not to engage the enemy but to offer sacrifice, to hear the Law read, and to say Amen to the blessings and curses. It is a remarkable instance of the zeal of Israel for the service of God and for His glory" (Matthew Henry).
The offering of burnt offerings and peace offerings to Jehovah upon this occasion was an acknowledgment of His blessing upon their arms, and a rejoicing before Him in the successes which His power and goodness had vouchsafed them. At Rephidim Israel had been taught that victory over Amalek was obtained by the hands of Moses being lifted up toward the throne of heaven, and as a monument thereto he erected an altar, naming it "Jehovah-nissi." which signifies "the Lord my banner" (Ex. 17:15). So here, as the captain of their salvation, Joshua had not only "stretched out the spear that he had in his hand" (Josh. 8:18), but had kept it raised and extended until victory was complete (v. 26), and now he expressed his gratitude by erecting this altar to mark the same. That is clearly, evident from the opening "then" of verse 30. Yet his act on this occasion imported something more. As yet Israel had conquered but a very small section of Canaan, and here they journeyed upwards of another hundred miles, and upon reaching mount Ebal Joshua built this altar. It was therefore a remarkable act of faith, a claiming of the whole land for the Lord-men only build on land which is their own! Thus, instead of waiting until Israel's victory was complete, Joshua anticipated the same in a sure and certain hope!
This is the first time that any "altar" is mentioned in the book of Joshua, and there are some very striking parallels between it and the one mentioned in Exodus 20:24. Both were erected upon a mount; both of them at the express command of the Lord, and not merely by the spiritual impulses and promptings of Moses and Joshua. Both of them were designed to magnify the Divine Law, and to exemplify the grand fact that grace reigns through righteousness. On both of them were sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings (Ex. 24:5). The one was shortly after Israel's supernatural exodus from the house of bondage and crossing of the Red Sea, the other soon after their miraculous crossing of the Jordan and entrance into the promised land. In the course of these articles we have frequently emphasized the fact that in his actions Joshua (as one of the outstanding types of Christ) was constantly regulated by the written Word of God. That had again received illustration in Joshua 8:29, for the taking down of the carcass of the king of Ai was required in Deuteronomy 21:23. Equally so was that principle exemplified here in Joshua 8:30, for the building of this altar was in compliance with the injunctions given through Moses.
In the book of Deuteronomy many instructions were given the children of Israel near the close of their sojourn in the wilderness as to how they must conduct themselves upon their entrance into the land of promise. Therein we find that which explains the incident recorded in the closing verses of Joshua 8.It had been said unto them, "Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal; and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God; and thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God "These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse" (Deut. 27:4-7, 12, 13).
The "altar" was the meeting-place between God and men. In its construction it was of the most simple and unpretending character, no place being allowed for the exercise of human art. This may appear strange when we remember that both rich materials and elaborate skill were expended upon the tabernacle and its internal furnishings-the outer-court vessels alone excepted. But when we call to mind the purpose of the altar and its leading object, the difficulty vanishes, and the propriety of its extreme plainness at once appears. It was there the Holy One and the fallen creature transacted concerning sin and salvation: that the alien might be reconciled, the guilty pardoned, the cleansed one have fellowship with the Lord. Therefore did He appoint that man should there be reminded of his utter unworthiness and impotency as he came before the One who deigned to meet with him. His curse rested on the ground for man's sake (Gen. 3:15), and by no effort of his can man remove it. For the altar to be made of ornamented plates of costly metal would have misrepresented the object for which it was designed, and disposed man to forget his vile condition. So, in the general direction for the formation of altars, God ordained it should be a rude mound of earth, or of unpolished stones (Ex. 20:24, 25; and cf. 1 Kings 18:31, 32).
The altar, then, must be of God's workmanship, unbeautified by man's skill, so that he could not glory in his own production. That chosen meeting place of God with man as a sinner must be such as would convey the impression of a direct contact between the God of heaven and the earth which He had made-on a "mount," but the altar naked, simple, unadorned; thereby emphasizing His own condescension and the poverty of the sinner. The leading idea designed to be set forth by the materials of the altar was confirmed by its name. Departing from the common usage of antiquity, Scripture employs a term which vividly enunciates both the humbling element on man's side and the grace on God's. That name is misbeach, which means place of slaughter, for it was thither the victim was brought and slain. And thus, from the beginning, God taught His people the solemn fact that there could be no communion between Himself and fallen creatures save by the shedding of blood; that the sentence of death must be executed upon the guilty. Later, when a stationary altar was appointed for the sanctuary, it was ordered to be made not of gold and silver, but of wood overlaid with brass.
"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel. As it is written in the book of the Law of Moses: an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lifted any iron. And they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings" (Josh. 8:30, 31): In addition to what has been said above, it should be pointed out that the "altar" prefigured our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sole meeting place between the thrice holy God and guilty sinners. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved"
(Acts 4:12). None comes unto the Father but by Him. They who look to the merits of the apostles or the mediation of Mary to give them access to God, and their prayers and works acceptance before Him, are miserably deluded; and it is but charity to tell them so. Christ Himself is at once the antitypical Altar, Sacrifice for sin, and acceptable Offerer. While those three things may be distinguished, both in shadow and substance, they must not be separated, for they all meet in Him. As it is "the altar that sanctifieth the gift" (Matthew 23:19), so the dignity of Christ's person gives infinite value to His offering. Furthermore, He is our "Altar" (Heb. 13:10) to whom we bring our sacrifices of praise (Heb. 13:15), and presents the same, perfumed by His merits, unto God (Rev. 8:3, 4).
The pile of stones on mount Ebal was not gathered to be thrown in judgment at sinners, but for an altar on which was to be offered a sacrifice for sinners. Very express was the prohibition concerning the stones of the altar: "Thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones." Those unpolished but whole stones set forth both the humiliation and perfection of the Savior, as He appeared respectively to men and to God. To the natural eyes of Israel He possessed "no form nor comeliness," and when they saw Him, they perceived no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. But in the sight of the Father He was "a precious corner-stone," and in Him He delighted. Nothing was to be hewn off the life of Christ, for it was perfect. None of His actions needed any modification. Yea, as Exodus 20:25, declared, "If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." Not a single deed of Christ's could be bettered, and if one had been missing from His entire life the whole had been spoilt. Much the same thing was borne witness to here as was symbolically shadowed forth in our Lord's coat, which was "without seam, woven from the top throughout" (John 19:23).
More noteworthy than either the time when the altar was erected or the materials of which it was composed was the place where it was set up, namely mount Ebal. There were two mountains to which Israel were now brought-Gerizim and Ebal-and we should naturally have expected to find the altar on the former, for it was there the blessings of the Law upon the obedient were pronounced (Deut. 11:29), whereas it was on the latter that its curses were published. But "as for God, His way is perfect" (2 Sam. 22:31), and everything was ordered here so as to foreshadow the most terrible yet most blessed event of all history. The vicarious offering sacrificed on Ebal prefigured the Head of the Church entering the place of the curse, yea, being made a curse for His members. So that what we have here is very similar to-and equally unexpected and precious as-the altar on mount Sinai (Ex. 24:4) (see our "Glorious Sinai" article in the April issue). A reference to Deuteronomy 27:4-7, shows the analogy between the two is yet more complete: the Lord gave orders that after the offering of sacrifice they should "eat there [of the peace offering] and rejoice before the Lord thy God," as their fathers before them had done on Sinai (Ex. 24:11). How remarkably did Divine grace shine forth there! Who had thought of rejoicing on the mount of the curse!
"And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel" (v. 32). That also was in obedience to Deuteronomy 27:8, and was equally remarkable. That altar was built as a monument of the Divine mercy to Israel's victories, yet it was not an account of their triumphs but a copy of the Ten Commandments that was inscribed upon it! The grand practical lesson for us therein is that the best way to remember God's mercies is not to forget His Law. As Gurnall well said, "God counts those mercies forgotten which are not written in legible characters in our lives." For Israel, that writing of the Decalogue upon the stones of the altar was a reminder to them that they were taking possession of Canaan not only on the ground of the promise to Abraham but also according to the terms of that Law which they solemnly covenanted themselves to keep (Deut. 11:29-32). The two things must not be separated: in presenting their offerings upon the altar, they spoke to God; in the writing of the Law upon its stones, He spoke to them, enforcing His holy claims upon them. Christ died to deliver His people from the penalty of the Law, but not from obedience to its precepts.
On Deuteronomy 27:8, John Gill rightly said, "The Law being written on stones denotes the duration of it, which continued not only during the times of the Old Testament dispensation, and to the times of John, and had its fulfillment in Christ, but stilt continues; for though Christ has redeemed His people from the curse and condemnation of it, yet it is in His hands as a rule of direction to them, as to their walk and conversation. Nor is it made void by any doctrine of the Gospel, and nothing more strongly enforces obedience to it than the Gospel. The moral law is immutable, invariable, and eternal I n its nature, and it is in the matter of it." Alas, that so many of Mr. Gill's admirers have departed so far from his teaching thereon. Thomas Scott also said, "We must rest our hope on the atonement of the great Redeemer, and keep the holy Law of God continually before us as the rule of our grateful obedience. We only deceive ourselves if we suppose that our praise unto God is sincere for the gift of His Son, unless we also delight in His Law and serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25). God will not be bribed by the worship of rebels (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 106:12, 13).
Ere giving a brief exposition of the verses that follow, let us further admire the striking and blessed prefiguration of Christ in what has been before us. No less than three times has the Holy Spirit recorded the Divine prohibition that the altar must be built of unhewn and unadorned stones-in Exodus 20:25; Deuteronomy 27:5; Joshua 8:31-so carefully did He guard the glory of Christ. In sharp contrast with us, who, though "living stones," yet need much shaping, there were no rough or sharp edges in the character of Christ; no polishing of His life was required to render it well pleasing to the Father, So much did He resent anything which marred a type that when the sons of Aaron offered "strange fire" upon the altar they were immediately consumed by fire from heaven (Lev. 10), and when the ark was set upon a cart instead of on the shoulders of the priests, judgment fell upon Uzzah (2 Sam. 6). God was exceedingly jealous of the honor of His beloved Son, bidding Moses, again and again, to make all things in the tabernacle according to "the pattern" which He showed him (Ex. 25:9, etc.), for everything therein pointed to and set forth the person and perfections of the Mediator. The writing of the Law on the stones of the altar tells of Christ's sustaining the honor of the Law, that in Him alone is it "established" (Rom. 3:31).
"And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; as well the stranger, as he that was born among them: half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel" (v. 33). A most solemn and auspicious assembly was this, when the whole nation, with their responsible heads, were gathered before the Lord. The "ark of the covenant"-mentioned here for the last time in Joshua-was brought out of the tabernacle on this momentous occasion. The original tables of the Law were preserved therein, and now its statutes had been written on the stones of the altar. That which here took place is to be regarded as a solemn ratification by the new generation of Israel of the covenant entered into by their fathers at Sinai. The sanctions of the Law were now proclaimed in the hearing of the whole congregation, and by their repeated "Amen (Deut. 22:15, 16, etc.) all Israel consented to the terms of the covenant. The mention of "the stranger" here anticipated the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church.
It must have been an exceedingly impressive sight as the entire congregation of Israel assembled in the valley between those two mountains. There had been nothing like it since their solemn gathering on Sinai forty years previously: in fact what took place here was virtually a repetition of what had occurred there-Israel solemnly covenanting to keep God's Law. As the former had been preceded by wondrous displays of God's grace and power on their behalf, so it had been here; and thus, in each instance, submission and obedience to Him was to be an expression of their love to Him and gratitude for His favors. Such is precisely the place which the Law is to have with the Christian. Because the Lord Jesus has borne his sins and reconciled him to God, he is to express his thankfulness by receiving God's Law at His hand (1 Cor. 9:21) and thereby respond to His injunction: If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
The scene which is set before us in the closing verses of Joshua 8 is equaled only by that which is exhibited in Exodus 24: The events described therein are parallel in every way, the latter being explained by the former. In each there is a public assembling of the whole congregation of Israel before the Lord. In each a federal engagement is solemnly entered into. Each was transacted upon a mount, where an altar was erected, the Divine Law prominently honored, and the people ate before Jehovah. The difference between them is that in the former it was the first generation of Israel which had recently emerged from Egypt that was concerned; while in the latter it was the first generation of those who had shortly before entered Canaan. The claims of Jehovah were now made known unto this new generation in a striking and impressive manner, and they were required to aver their recognition of those claims and affirm subjection to the same. First an altar had been erected and sacrifices offered thereon. Most appropriately had "the peace offering" a place, for a portion of it was for the Lord and a portion of it was eaten by the offerer (Lev. 7:32, 34), for a covenant is a mutual engagement between two parties, and thus the Lord and His people here communed together.
Upon the stones of that altar the Decalogue was written. Typically, that set forth the fact that the Law had been magnified by Christ (Isa. 42:21). In His teaching He had fully maintained its authority (Matthew 5:17), in His life He rendered perfect obedience to it, and in His death He endured its awful penalty. Practically, we are there taught that the redeemed are to receive the Law from the Redeemer. Christ did not keep the Law for His people in order that they might be freed from its holy requirements, but to honor God therein and leave them an example that they should follow His steps. In order thereto, He has not only brought them under the deepest possible obligations of gratitude unto Himself, bidding them to express their love unto Him by keeping His commandments, but has also procured for them the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit, who puts His laws into their hearts and writes them upon their minds (Heb. 10:16): that is, implanting a love for them, and impressing them with their importance, authority, and spirituality. And therefore it is that the truly regenerate delight in the Law of God after the inward man, and with their minds serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25).
It is to be duly noted that in the Holy Spirit's description of the company convened on that auspicious occasion express mention is made of "as well the stranger as he that was born among them" (Josh. 8:33), which, as previously pointed out, anticipated the time when the Gentiles would also be brought into the congregation of the Lord. The various references made to "the stranger" in the law of Moses have not received anything like the attention they should by Christian commentators. Provision was made for "the stranger," upon his circumcision, to partake of the Passover feast; yea, it was enacted: "One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you" (Ex. 12:48, 49); yea, even the cities of refuge were available to him equally with the Israelite (Josh. 20:9)! Commandment was given unto Israel that "the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself" (Lev. 19:34). As he shared Israel's privileges. so he had to share their obligations also, by entering into covenant with God (Deut. 29:11, 12), and therefore if he blasphemed the name of the Lord the same penalty was inflicted upon him as upon a guilty Hebrew (Lev. 24:16).
"And afterwards he read all the words of the Law: the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them" (Josh. 8:34, 35). Thus the entire assembly came under the sound of the just requirements of their Benefactor and Governor. As Deuteronomy 27 informs us, as each of the solemn curses of the Law was uttered by the Levites "with a loud voice" (not an apologetic whisper!), it was required that "all the people should answer and say, Amen (vv. 14, 15), thereby solemnly concurring therewith. As Matthew Henry pointed out, "It was (1) a profession of their faith in the truth of them. (2) An acknowledgment of the equity of them. (3) An imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse was here entailed." What an example was this occasion of the importance of the public reading of lengthy sections of God's Word, and that its most unpalatable portions must not be omitted! The reading of the Law to "the strangers" again intimates that the Gentiles are under it. No further mention of "the ark" is found in Joshua, for the covenant had now been ratified by the second generation of Israel.
Israel had marched into Canaan led by the written Law of God (Josh. 3:11-17), for the ark of the covenant was the Divinely appointed chest in which were deposited and preserved the tables on which the Lord's own finger had inscribed that Law which Israel had covenanted to keep. The same Law had been borne around the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:4), being the minister of vengeance unto the idolatrous Canaanites. That same Law had now been written on the stones of the altar on Ebal (Josh. 8:32), thus becoming the Law of the Land. Was not this God's very object, in enabling Israel to conquer Canaan: that He should have not only a people in obedience to Him, but a country in which the blessedness of their obedience should be exhibited before the surrounding nations? Beyond question, for Moses declared, "I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deut. 4:5, 6; and cf. 1 Kings 10:8, 9). As Jehovah reminded their descendants centuries later, "Ye are My witnesses" (Isa. 43:10; and cf. Mal. 3:12).
11. The Conquest of Ai (Concluded)
Joshua 8:1-35
Worship in Victory
"And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise there a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day. Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal . . . an altar of whole stones" (Josh. 8:29-31). It can scarcely be doubted that there is a designed contrast between those two events. In the former we see the ignominy of Ai's king, here we behold the worship of the King of kings. The one marked the grave of a malefactor, the other recognized the claims of the Holy One. Great indeed is the contrast between the dead body under the stones and the accepted sacrifice upon the altar of stones. That bore witness to the carrying out of the curse of the Law, on this was inscribed its precepts. The former was at "the gate" of Ai (the place of judgment-Amos 5:10), the latter was in a mount. That was intended as a solemn warning unto evil-doers, this was for the instruction of those who desired to do well.
"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal." Everything connected with the incident prefaced by that statement is of deep importance and interest, calling for our closest attention. A further word upon the Spirit's time-mark. This act of worship followed immediately upon the destruction of Ai and all its inhabitants. We should naturally expect that after Israel's capturing of Jericho and Ai they had continued to advance, proceeding to the further occupying of Canaan. Now that they had made themselves masters of its frontier towns, it would appear the only sound policy to forge ahead while their terror was upon the foe, and penetrate into the very heart of his country. Instead, a long and difficult journey was taken unto mount Ebal, that a solemn religious ordinance might be observed. In the midst of their military campaign a lengthy pause was made in order that Jehovah might be honored. "The camp of Israel was drawn out into the land not to engage the enemy but to offer sacrifice, to hear the Law read, and to say Amen to the blessings and curses. It is a remarkable instance of the zeal of Israel for the service of God and for His glory" (Matthew Henry).
The offering of burnt offerings and peace offerings to Jehovah upon this occasion was an acknowledgment of His blessing upon their arms, and a rejoicing before Him in the successes which His power and goodness had vouchsafed them. At Rephidim Israel had been taught that victory over Amalek was obtained by the hands of Moses being lifted up toward the throne of heaven, and as a monument thereto he erected an altar, naming it "Jehovah-nissi." which signifies "the Lord my banner" (Ex. 17:15). So here, as the captain of their salvation, Joshua had not only "stretched out the spear that he had in his hand" (Josh. 8:18), but had kept it raised and extended until victory was complete (v. 26), and now he expressed his gratitude by erecting this altar to mark the same. That is clearly, evident from the opening "then" of verse 30. Yet his act on this occasion imported something more. As yet Israel had conquered but a very small section of Canaan, and here they journeyed upwards of another hundred miles, and upon reaching mount Ebal Joshua built this altar. It was therefore a remarkable act of faith, a claiming of the whole land for the Lord-men only build on land which is their own! Thus, instead of waiting until Israel's victory was complete, Joshua anticipated the same in a sure and certain hope!
This is the first time that any "altar" is mentioned in the book of Joshua, and there are some very striking parallels between it and the one mentioned in Exodus 20:24. Both were erected upon a mount; both of them at the express command of the Lord, and not merely by the spiritual impulses and promptings of Moses and Joshua. Both of them were designed to magnify the Divine Law, and to exemplify the grand fact that grace reigns through righteousness. On both of them were sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings (Ex. 24:5). The one was shortly after Israel's supernatural exodus from the house of bondage and crossing of the Red Sea, the other soon after their miraculous crossing of the Jordan and entrance into the promised land. In the course of these articles we have frequently emphasized the fact that in his actions Joshua (as one of the outstanding types of Christ) was constantly regulated by the written Word of God. That had again received illustration in Joshua 8:29, for the taking down of the carcass of the king of Ai was required in Deuteronomy 21:23. Equally so was that principle exemplified here in Joshua 8:30, for the building of this altar was in compliance with the injunctions given through Moses.
In the book of Deuteronomy many instructions were given the children of Israel near the close of their sojourn in the wilderness as to how they must conduct themselves upon their entrance into the land of promise. Therein we find that which explains the incident recorded in the closing verses of Joshua 8.It had been said unto them, "Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal; and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God; and thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God "These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse" (Deut. 27:4-7, 12, 13).
The "altar" was the meeting-place between God and men. In its construction it was of the most simple and unpretending character, no place being allowed for the exercise of human art. This may appear strange when we remember that both rich materials and elaborate skill were expended upon the tabernacle and its internal furnishings-the outer-court vessels alone excepted. But when we call to mind the purpose of the altar and its leading object, the difficulty vanishes, and the propriety of its extreme plainness at once appears. It was there the Holy One and the fallen creature transacted concerning sin and salvation: that the alien might be reconciled, the guilty pardoned, the cleansed one have fellowship with the Lord. Therefore did He appoint that man should there be reminded of his utter unworthiness and impotency as he came before the One who deigned to meet with him. His curse rested on the ground for man's sake (Gen. 3:15), and by no effort of his can man remove it. For the altar to be made of ornamented plates of costly metal would have misrepresented the object for which it was designed, and disposed man to forget his vile condition. So, in the general direction for the formation of altars, God ordained it should be a rude mound of earth, or of unpolished stones (Ex. 20:24, 25; and cf. 1 Kings 18:31, 32).
The altar, then, must be of God's workmanship, unbeautified by man's skill, so that he could not glory in his own production. That chosen meeting place of God with man as a sinner must be such as would convey the impression of a direct contact between the God of heaven and the earth which He had made-on a "mount," but the altar naked, simple, unadorned; thereby emphasizing His own condescension and the poverty of the sinner. The leading idea designed to be set forth by the materials of the altar was confirmed by its name. Departing from the common usage of antiquity, Scripture employs a term which vividly enunciates both the humbling element on man's side and the grace on God's. That name is misbeach, which means place of slaughter, for it was thither the victim was brought and slain. And thus, from the beginning, God taught His people the solemn fact that there could be no communion between Himself and fallen creatures save by the shedding of blood; that the sentence of death must be executed upon the guilty. Later, when a stationary altar was appointed for the sanctuary, it was ordered to be made not of gold and silver, but of wood overlaid with brass.
"Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel. As it is written in the book of the Law of Moses: an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lifted any iron. And they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings" (Josh. 8:30, 31): In addition to what has been said above, it should be pointed out that the "altar" prefigured our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sole meeting place between the thrice holy God and guilty sinners. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved"
(Acts 4:12). None comes unto the Father but by Him. They who look to the merits of the apostles or the mediation of Mary to give them access to God, and their prayers and works acceptance before Him, are miserably deluded; and it is but charity to tell them so. Christ Himself is at once the antitypical Altar, Sacrifice for sin, and acceptable Offerer. While those three things may be distinguished, both in shadow and substance, they must not be separated, for they all meet in Him. As it is "the altar that sanctifieth the gift" (Matthew 23:19), so the dignity of Christ's person gives infinite value to His offering. Furthermore, He is our "Altar" (Heb. 13:10) to whom we bring our sacrifices of praise (Heb. 13:15), and presents the same, perfumed by His merits, unto God (Rev. 8:3, 4).
The pile of stones on mount Ebal was not gathered to be thrown in judgment at sinners, but for an altar on which was to be offered a sacrifice for sinners. Very express was the prohibition concerning the stones of the altar: "Thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones." Those unpolished but whole stones set forth both the humiliation and perfection of the Savior, as He appeared respectively to men and to God. To the natural eyes of Israel He possessed "no form nor comeliness," and when they saw Him, they perceived no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. But in the sight of the Father He was "a precious corner-stone," and in Him He delighted. Nothing was to be hewn off the life of Christ, for it was perfect. None of His actions needed any modification. Yea, as Exodus 20:25, declared, "If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." Not a single deed of Christ's could be bettered, and if one had been missing from His entire life the whole had been spoilt. Much the same thing was borne witness to here as was symbolically shadowed forth in our Lord's coat, which was "without seam, woven from the top throughout" (John 19:23).
More noteworthy than either the time when the altar was erected or the materials of which it was composed was the place where it was set up, namely mount Ebal. There were two mountains to which Israel were now brought-Gerizim and Ebal-and we should naturally have expected to find the altar on the former, for it was there the blessings of the Law upon the obedient were pronounced (Deut. 11:29), whereas it was on the latter that its curses were published. But "as for God, His way is perfect" (2 Sam. 22:31), and everything was ordered here so as to foreshadow the most terrible yet most blessed event of all history. The vicarious offering sacrificed on Ebal prefigured the Head of the Church entering the place of the curse, yea, being made a curse for His members. So that what we have here is very similar to-and equally unexpected and precious as-the altar on mount Sinai (Ex. 24:4) (see our "Glorious Sinai" article in the April issue). A reference to Deuteronomy 27:4-7, shows the analogy between the two is yet more complete: the Lord gave orders that after the offering of sacrifice they should "eat there [of the peace offering] and rejoice before the Lord thy God," as their fathers before them had done on Sinai (Ex. 24:11). How remarkably did Divine grace shine forth there! Who had thought of rejoicing on the mount of the curse!
"And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel" (v. 32). That also was in obedience to Deuteronomy 27:8, and was equally remarkable. That altar was built as a monument of the Divine mercy to Israel's victories, yet it was not an account of their triumphs but a copy of the Ten Commandments that was inscribed upon it! The grand practical lesson for us therein is that the best way to remember God's mercies is not to forget His Law. As Gurnall well said, "God counts those mercies forgotten which are not written in legible characters in our lives." For Israel, that writing of the Decalogue upon the stones of the altar was a reminder to them that they were taking possession of Canaan not only on the ground of the promise to Abraham but also according to the terms of that Law which they solemnly covenanted themselves to keep (Deut. 11:29-32). The two things must not be separated: in presenting their offerings upon the altar, they spoke to God; in the writing of the Law upon its stones, He spoke to them, enforcing His holy claims upon them. Christ died to deliver His people from the penalty of the Law, but not from obedience to its precepts.
On Deuteronomy 27:8, John Gill rightly said, "The Law being written on stones denotes the duration of it, which continued not only during the times of the Old Testament dispensation, and to the times of John, and had its fulfillment in Christ, but stilt continues; for though Christ has redeemed His people from the curse and condemnation of it, yet it is in His hands as a rule of direction to them, as to their walk and conversation. Nor is it made void by any doctrine of the Gospel, and nothing more strongly enforces obedience to it than the Gospel. The moral law is immutable, invariable, and eternal I n its nature, and it is in the matter of it." Alas, that so many of Mr. Gill's admirers have departed so far from his teaching thereon. Thomas Scott also said, "We must rest our hope on the atonement of the great Redeemer, and keep the holy Law of God continually before us as the rule of our grateful obedience. We only deceive ourselves if we suppose that our praise unto God is sincere for the gift of His Son, unless we also delight in His Law and serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25). God will not be bribed by the worship of rebels (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 106:12, 13).
Ere giving a brief exposition of the verses that follow, let us further admire the striking and blessed prefiguration of Christ in what has been before us. No less than three times has the Holy Spirit recorded the Divine prohibition that the altar must be built of unhewn and unadorned stones-in Exodus 20:25; Deuteronomy 27:5; Joshua 8:31-so carefully did He guard the glory of Christ. In sharp contrast with us, who, though "living stones," yet need much shaping, there were no rough or sharp edges in the character of Christ; no polishing of His life was required to render it well pleasing to the Father, So much did He resent anything which marred a type that when the sons of Aaron offered "strange fire" upon the altar they were immediately consumed by fire from heaven (Lev. 10), and when the ark was set upon a cart instead of on the shoulders of the priests, judgment fell upon Uzzah (2 Sam. 6). God was exceedingly jealous of the honor of His beloved Son, bidding Moses, again and again, to make all things in the tabernacle according to "the pattern" which He showed him (Ex. 25:9, etc.), for everything therein pointed to and set forth the person and perfections of the Mediator. The writing of the Law on the stones of the altar tells of Christ's sustaining the honor of the Law, that in Him alone is it "established" (Rom. 3:31).
"And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; as well the stranger, as he that was born among them: half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel" (v. 33). A most solemn and auspicious assembly was this, when the whole nation, with their responsible heads, were gathered before the Lord. The "ark of the covenant"-mentioned here for the last time in Joshua-was brought out of the tabernacle on this momentous occasion. The original tables of the Law were preserved therein, and now its statutes had been written on the stones of the altar. That which here took place is to be regarded as a solemn ratification by the new generation of Israel of the covenant entered into by their fathers at Sinai. The sanctions of the Law were now proclaimed in the hearing of the whole congregation, and by their repeated "Amen (Deut. 22:15, 16, etc.) all Israel consented to the terms of the covenant. The mention of "the stranger" here anticipated the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church.
It must have been an exceedingly impressive sight as the entire congregation of Israel assembled in the valley between those two mountains. There had been nothing like it since their solemn gathering on Sinai forty years previously: in fact what took place here was virtually a repetition of what had occurred there-Israel solemnly covenanting to keep God's Law. As the former had been preceded by wondrous displays of God's grace and power on their behalf, so it had been here; and thus, in each instance, submission and obedience to Him was to be an expression of their love to Him and gratitude for His favors. Such is precisely the place which the Law is to have with the Christian. Because the Lord Jesus has borne his sins and reconciled him to God, he is to express his thankfulness by receiving God's Law at His hand (1 Cor. 9:21) and thereby respond to His injunction: If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).
The scene which is set before us in the closing verses of Joshua 8 is equaled only by that which is exhibited in Exodus 24: The events described therein are parallel in every way, the latter being explained by the former. In each there is a public assembling of the whole congregation of Israel before the Lord. In each a federal engagement is solemnly entered into. Each was transacted upon a mount, where an altar was erected, the Divine Law prominently honored, and the people ate before Jehovah. The difference between them is that in the former it was the first generation of Israel which had recently emerged from Egypt that was concerned; while in the latter it was the first generation of those who had shortly before entered Canaan. The claims of Jehovah were now made known unto this new generation in a striking and impressive manner, and they were required to aver their recognition of those claims and affirm subjection to the same. First an altar had been erected and sacrifices offered thereon. Most appropriately had "the peace offering" a place, for a portion of it was for the Lord and a portion of it was eaten by the offerer (Lev. 7:32, 34), for a covenant is a mutual engagement between two parties, and thus the Lord and His people here communed together.
Upon the stones of that altar the Decalogue was written. Typically, that set forth the fact that the Law had been magnified by Christ (Isa. 42:21). In His teaching He had fully maintained its authority (Matthew 5:17), in His life He rendered perfect obedience to it, and in His death He endured its awful penalty. Practically, we are there taught that the redeemed are to receive the Law from the Redeemer. Christ did not keep the Law for His people in order that they might be freed from its holy requirements, but to honor God therein and leave them an example that they should follow His steps. In order thereto, He has not only brought them under the deepest possible obligations of gratitude unto Himself, bidding them to express their love unto Him by keeping His commandments, but has also procured for them the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit, who puts His laws into their hearts and writes them upon their minds (Heb. 10:16): that is, implanting a love for them, and impressing them with their importance, authority, and spirituality. And therefore it is that the truly regenerate delight in the Law of God after the inward man, and with their minds serve the same (Rom. 7:22, 25).
It is to be duly noted that in the Holy Spirit's description of the company convened on that auspicious occasion express mention is made of "as well the stranger as he that was born among them" (Josh. 8:33), which, as previously pointed out, anticipated the time when the Gentiles would also be brought into the congregation of the Lord. The various references made to "the stranger" in the law of Moses have not received anything like the attention they should by Christian commentators. Provision was made for "the stranger," upon his circumcision, to partake of the Passover feast; yea, it was enacted: "One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you" (Ex. 12:48, 49); yea, even the cities of refuge were available to him equally with the Israelite (Josh. 20:9)! Commandment was given unto Israel that "the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself" (Lev. 19:34). As he shared Israel's privileges. so he had to share their obligations also, by entering into covenant with God (Deut. 29:11, 12), and therefore if he blasphemed the name of the Lord the same penalty was inflicted upon him as upon a guilty Hebrew (Lev. 24:16).
"And afterwards he read all the words of the Law: the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them" (Josh. 8:34, 35). Thus the entire assembly came under the sound of the just requirements of their Benefactor and Governor. As Deuteronomy 27 informs us, as each of the solemn curses of the Law was uttered by the Levites "with a loud voice" (not an apologetic whisper!), it was required that "all the people should answer and say, Amen (vv. 14, 15), thereby solemnly concurring therewith. As Matthew Henry pointed out, "It was (1) a profession of their faith in the truth of them. (2) An acknowledgment of the equity of them. (3) An imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse was here entailed." What an example was this occasion of the importance of the public reading of lengthy sections of God's Word, and that its most unpalatable portions must not be omitted! The reading of the Law to "the strangers" again intimates that the Gentiles are under it. No further mention of "the ark" is found in Joshua, for the covenant had now been ratified by the second generation of Israel.
Israel had marched into Canaan led by the written Law of God (Josh. 3:11-17), for the ark of the covenant was the Divinely appointed chest in which were deposited and preserved the tables on which the Lord's own finger had inscribed that Law which Israel had covenanted to keep. The same Law had been borne around the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:4), being the minister of vengeance unto the idolatrous Canaanites. That same Law had now been written on the stones of the altar on Ebal (Josh. 8:32), thus becoming the Law of the Land. Was not this God's very object, in enabling Israel to conquer Canaan: that He should have not only a people in obedience to Him, but a country in which the blessedness of their obedience should be exhibited before the surrounding nations? Beyond question, for Moses declared, "I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deut. 4:5, 6; and cf. 1 Kings 10:8, 9). As Jehovah reminded their descendants centuries later, "Ye are My witnesses" (Isa. 43:10; and cf. Mal. 3:12).