Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

SHARING NAMES Joshua and Jesus had the same name. In the ancient Hebrew, the name Joshua meant "He shall save" or "salvation of Jehovah." Jesus is the Greek equivalent in the New Testament. When the angel appeared to Joseph, telling him Mary would bear the Christ child, he said: You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). It was a high honor that Joshua carried--the same name that Jesus would bear in His earthly life. Taking over the leadership after Moses died, Joshua led Israel into Canaan. For six years they struggled against enemies, but God gave them a great victory. The following nineteen years are also covered in the book of Joshua, as it records how the various tribes were assigned land. The key thought in this book is that as long as Israel served God, they prospered. Born of the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua was eighty-five years old when he assumed the leadership. The secret to his success is found in Exodus. After everyone else had gone home from the revival prayer meeting that Moses had called, the Bible notes that Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle (Exodus 33:11). Such dedication paid off--it enlarged his vision of God. Prayer brings power. It opens one's eyes to the larger spiritual world, and we begin to look at possibilities rather than problems. Joshua was a great prayer warrior. As long as he lived, Israel served God.