p. 8 | Joshua by John H. Hartog

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 30, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 25.

Joshua

By John H. Hartog

"For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." Heb. 4:8. The margin gives the third word as "Joshua," and the context plainly shows that Paul in this case meant Joshua. Both "Jesus" and "Joshua" mean, "Jehovah is salvation."

In Greek, the name "Jesus" was first pronounced as Yessoo, and later Yessoos; while the Romans, through whom we got the name, translated it into Jesu, later Jesus.

The Italians still pronounce it as Yay-zoo. The French drop the s before the word "Christ." The Germans have retained the oo sound, as Yay-zoos; while only the English and the Dutch languages adopted the short sound of the last syllable, Jee-zus, and Yay-zus respectively.

Now the son of Nun was originally called "Oshea." Moses changed that to "Jehoshua,"—two names which are very similar in Hebrew, as "Oshea" is Hoschea, and "Jehoshua" is Je-Hoschua. Num. 13:16.

This changing of names, as of "Abram" to "Abraham" and "Sarai" to "Sarah," was not without godly meaning, and is therefore worthy of our attention. Moses did not change Oshea's name as a word play, but to indicate that Oshea was to become, under God, the savior of his people. The people did not then understand that; but we, looking back, can readily comprehend it.

The angel who appeared to Joseph announced that the name of the Child would be "Jesus," and that it meant Saviour. Thus did Moses' action in changing "Oshea" to "Jehoshua" point to the Saviour of the new covenant.

The man who was to lead the people into the promised land was not Moses, but Joshua; and as this land was also symbolical of the heavenly Canaan, one gets the meaning of Moses' action all the clearer.

Several centuries after Joshua had led the people into Canaan, God spoke of "another day," through David, saying, "To-day, if ye will hear His voice." Therefore now, to-day, if ye will hear His voice, and truly keep His weekly rest or Sabbath here, ye will enter into that heavenly rest which was promised His children from the very beginning. The weekly Sabbath, the seventh day, which the Lord calls "My holy day," is therefore a shadow of the heavenly rest. With this thought in mind, it is plain what Paul means in Hebrews 4, for one can outwardly observe the Lord's Sabbath, and yet break the fourth commandment, by allowing trouble, adversity, sin, and what not, to overcome him, thus closing the heart to the heavenly rest and peace, instead of allowing faith in Jesus to triumph over them.

John H. Hartog.