Time to Claim the Land
The book of Joshua tells the story of how the people of Israel — the people God had chosen to accomplish His plan of salvation for the whole world — at long last claimed and possessed the Promised Land that God had promised them centuries before.
Joshua (the man and book) picks up where Moses left off. At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses had died and been buried and “Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:9).
Where does the name Joshua come from?
The name Joshua (originally Hoshea or Jehoshua) is a Hebrew name that means either “Jehovah is his help,” “Jehovah the Savior,” “the Lord is salvation,” or “Jehovah is salvation.” The name Jesus is a variant of Joshua.
Joshua was going to be God';s faithful instrument in finishing what He had started through Moses. While Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egyptian captivity and slavery, Joshua was going to lead them into the Promised Land.
The book of Joshua is an amazing story of faith and obedience. But more than that, it is the story of how God always keeps His promises and how He finishes what He started. Though his people';s disobedience, fear, and rebellion delayed their claiming of the Promised Land, God still kept His word. Though the people were forced to wander forty years in the wilderness, God still kept His word. And though their great leader, Moses, had died, God still kept His word.
