You are the Apple of His Eye

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  --John 3:16

Let's start with a simple syllogism:  God is Love (1 John 4:8 says "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.").  God loves you (see John 3:16 above).  Therefore, you are loved by God, by the One who is defined by and is the definition of true love.

The Bible says that you are the apple of His eye.  Really.  In Psalm 17:8, David prays to God, saying, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." In Zechariah 2:8, the prophet is talking about the people of God, and he says, "For this is what the Lord Almighty says: After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye." And in the King James version of Lamentations 2:18, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of those who truly seek the Lord with all their hearts, and says, "Their heart cried out to the Lord: O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night; give thyself no rest, let not the apple of thine eye cease."

So what does it mean to be the apple of somebody's eye?  According to the Urban Dictionary, it means one's favorite person; the one you love most.  "In Old English, the pupil of the eye (the round, dark center) was called the 'apple'. It was thought that the pupil was a round object much like an apple (a piece of fruit).  When you look at someone, their reflection appears in your pupil.  So if someone is 'the apple of your eye', he or she is someone that you look at a lot and enjoy seeing." (reference citation: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=apple+of+my+eye)

God made you.  When He made the earth, the plants, and all the animals, He said "It is good."  But when He made man and woman, He said, "It is very good."  There are not so many people in the world today that He cannot see them all.  He gazes at each one of us, as an inventor would hold up and admire his greatest work; like a collector would study a fine gold piece in her collection.  Think about that the next time you hear the phrase, "God watches over us."  He is not a distant king in an ivory tower, who may glance out of His window at all His subjects.  He is not an evil warlord in a guard tower, making sure we are all in line.  He knows each one of us individually, intimately, indiscriminately.  Our image is etched in His mind, because we are the apple of His eye.

Another meaning ascribed to the phrase is found from another web source, Answers.com.

The term was originally used in the bible and it was used to signify someone of great worth 'whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye', someone who was very precious. The 'apple of your eye' is the iris or center of the eye. If someone were to touch the apple of your eye it would be very painful and so it is protected by the eyelid. The biblical imagery is that we are the apple of his eye and God is the eyelid who protects us. Shakespeare also used the term with this meaning in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' to again show something as most precious - 

Flower of this purple dye, 
Hit with Cupid's archery, 
Sink in apple of his eye 

Modern usage of this idiom usually refers to something that is especially beloved. (citation reference http://www.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_expression_%27apple_of_my_eye%27_come_about).

So here we get the sense that God wants to protect us as a part of His body.  1 Corinthians chapter 12 reference Christ's followers in the Church as having different functions flowing from their disparate talents and make-up, much like the different parts of the body.  In this case, the pupil or center of the eye is something that a body would naturally defend and protect.  So in our anthropomorphisms that help us understand God better, if we are the center of God's eye, He would naturally want to keep us out of harm's way.  He would cover us with His hand, and might even rub us raw to remove any foreign object that irritates us or makes us less effective.

Finally, there is a sense from the origin of the phrase that we are to be students of Him, as well.  We are to gaze upon Him as He gazes upon us.  According to Wikipedia, "The original Hebrew for this idiom, in all but Zechariah 2:8, was 'iyshown 'ayin (אישון עין), and can be literally translated as "Little Man of the Eye." This is a reference to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people's pupils. Other KJV translations of the word 'iyshown include dark and obscure, as a reference to the darkness of the pupil.

This Hebrew idiom is surprisingly close to the Latin version, pupilla, which means a little doll, and is a diminutive form of pupus, boy, or pupa, girl (the source also for our other sense of pupil to mean a schoolchild.) It was applied to the dark central portion of the eye within the iris because of the tiny image of oneself, like a puppet or marionette, that one can see when looking into another person's eye." 

(citation reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_of_my_eye).

So the origin of the word "pupil", or student, comes from the same root word as "eyeball". We are the students of His vision, His outlook on humanity. We are to "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (1 Timothy 2:15). As we learn more about how God sees others, we can be more like Him. We can truly be the "apple of His eye" as we see as He sees, and as we watch His work in our world.In summary, then, He loves us dearly; He watches us intently; He protects us fiercely; and we can now see as He sees. Isn't God good? You are, indeed, the apple of His eye. Don't forget it!

In God We Trust

If you happened to be in the Pancake House early on Monday mornings, you may not notice a table near the back, where four men would break fast together and begin the work week in prayer.  They were not overbearing in their religion, but if the waitress Martha happened to seat you at a table near them, you would notice that they were passionate about their beliefs.  They were not boisterous--who is, before sunrise on a Monday?--but if you listened closely, you might say they were intense.

The older man, Aaron, sat with his back to the wall.  He was clearly the leader, and the others would often ask him questions regarding their faith.  Both at the beginning of their meetings, and at the end, Aaron would lead the other men in prayer.  They would often share challenges in their lives: mistakes they had made in their marriages or in raising their kids, setbacks at their jobs, or especially trying times in their relationship with God.  There were good reports, as well, often echoed by "Praise the Lord," or "Hallelujah."

Aaron would always arrive first, and Martha would have a cup of coffee waiting for him.  On this particular day Aaron looked up from his cup and saw Pete coming through the door.  Pete was the largest of the four; at six feet four inches and 320 pounds, one could easily mistake him for a professional athlete.  He greeted Aaron with a big bear hug.  As the two were exchanging small talk, the other two men in their group arrived.  Jake and Sean were brothers, but each with his own very distinct personality.  Jake was crafty and alert, always trying to outfox his opponents, whether in business or across the table at the weekly prayer meetings.  Sean was good-hearted and amiable, always eager to lend a hand to anyone in need.

"Well, here we are," said Pete.  "Just like the early church, who met 'early in the morning on the first day of the week'."

Aaron smiled.  "Acts chapter 20, verse 7."

Jake smirked.  "Isn't Sunday the first day of the week?  And didn't the early church meet on Sunday, in honor of the day of Jesus' resurrection from the dead?"

"You know what?" Sean punched his brother on the shoulder.  "Let's eat.  I'm starved."

Martha placed coffee before the two brothers, and a Diet Coke in front of Pete.  "What will you have, boys?" she said.  "The waffles are good this morning."

The men ordered, and Martha left them alone.  After asking each member of the group how their week had gone, Aaron led them in prayer.  When he finished, he asked them, "Did you remember the homework assignment I gave you last week?  Instead of listening to me give a morning devotional thought, you were supposed to all study Psalm chapter 16, and bring back a report of what it meant to you."

The other three all groaned in unison, but each of them took out a page where they had written notes.  Aaron smiled and continued.  "This is a Psalm of Trust.  David was praying to God for protection, but he was remembering what God had done in his life, and the things he had been taught about God's nature.  Last week I asked you to read the psalm, and think about what you might say about it if you had a chance to share in a Bible Study, Sunday School class, or even if you were asked to preach a sermon.  I even gave you a working title: In God We Trust.  Let me read the psalm first, and then we can each listen to what God has spoken to each of us about this passage."

Preserve me, O God, for in you I have put my trust.  O my soul, you have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from you."  As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."  Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take up their names upon my lips.  O Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance, and my cup.  You maintain my lot.  The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.  I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.  For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy.  At your right hand are pleasures evermore.

Pete cleared his throat.  "I guess I'll go first," he said.  "I think this passage is talking about idolatry.  So many time we get our eyes off of God, and trust our ways with other things.  We don't necessarily bow down to graven images so much anymore, but we do tend to look to other things to meet our needs.  Like work.  It gives us something to do, something to keep our minds occupied, but it also gives us a paycheck.  So many people at my job are there all hours of the day or night, trying to get ahead, trying to make the deal, or get the overtime, or get the promotion.  It's like their god is the almighty dollar.  But sooner or later, like verse 4 says, they are sorry for time they missed with their families.  They are sorry for wasting so much of their lives working, and in the end they don't have anything to show for it.  No family, no friends, and no real relationship with God.  In my own life, I'd rather be called a saint.  I want God to look at me and say, 'Good job; I really delight in you.'  In the end, my own efforts at being good, of making a good life and a good living, are nothing without God's help.  So I want to place my trust in Him, not in me or my work, or my possessions."

Aaron smiled.  "Thanks, Pete.  You gave us all something to think about.  The passage is so deep, though, that you could really go a lot further with that line of thinking.  You could really plumb the depths, and talk about a lot of things from this chapter.  That's why I asked all three of you to share from the same Scripture today.  Jake, what do you have for us?"

"Well," Jake started, nervously.  "I see God's gifts as being sufficient for our needs.  Verse 5 talks about God giving each of us our own portion, and making our lot secure.  I know David was a king and all, so his inheritance was really, really good, you know?  But every one of us has gifts from God that we can use to live on and use for our own purposes.  I think there is a warning here against gambling--taking what God has meant for us to use for Him and for ourselves, and risking it in hopes of a big payoff.  But if I won the lottery, you know, I'd take my eyes off Him, you know, and kind of rely on my own.  Like Pete said, we need to rely on God and not on what we don't have.  There in verse 7, where it talks about the Lord giving us counsel, so that our hearts know what to do even at night.  Like, most sins happen at night time, you know?  Gambling, adultery, stealing, you know, most of those things happen in the dark.  But the Bible says we should walk in the light as He is in the light, you know?  We should be holy, and not corrupt; 'cause when we put on the righteousness of God, you know, He takes delight in us and we have true joy.  Not the joy of hitting it big in Vegas, you know, but true joy, like only the Lord can give."

"Well," mused Aaron, "you certainly hit on some examples where our trust might be misplaced.  But I don't think that David was talking about the particular sin of gambling here.  We should always use Scripture to help us make good decisions.  But when we pick out a theme and try to find Scriptures to support it, that's called 'isogesis', and it's something we should be careful about.  But if God is working in your heart, Jake, about gambling or those other sins you mentioned, who am I to stand in the way?  I hope you were blessed in the study of that passage.  Sean, what do you have for us?"

As all eyes turned to look at Sean, he was beaming.  "Brother Aaron, I am really excited about this particular psalm.  You see, I read in the study helps in the footnotes of my Bible, and it says that this is a companion psalm to Psalm 23.  We all memorized Psalm 23 when we were kids, right?  We could probably all recite it from memory now.  Look at verse 2: "I said to the Lord, You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."  Now look at Psalm 23, verse 1: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  We all have needs.  God provides our needs.  When we trust Him to meet our needs, they are met.  Period.  And since God is the source, we know that everything He gives is good.  We can't do good on our own.  The World doesn't give good things to us.  We can either trust in ourselves and have nothing; or trust in the World and have our needs met, but still feel something is lacking; or we can trust in God, and know that we lack nothing.

"Look at verses seven and eight of chapter 16: 'I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.'  Now look at Psalm 23:4, where it says, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for your are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.'  God takes care of us in the darkest night, in the deepest valley, even to the point of death.  If we trust in Him, we will not fear, we will not be shaken.

"Go back to verse 5 of Psalm 16: 'Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.'  Psalm 23:5 says, 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.'  As Christians, our hope and trust is in the Lord.  He will meet our needs, every time.  Jake talked about David being a king, so his portion was bigger.  But God is our king, and we are His children; so don't we have more wealth at our disposal than King David ever had?  The world just looks at us in wonder, because where they have graft and corruption, there is greed and discontent.  You guys know that I don't make a ton of money, not by American standards.  But if you look at all the people in the world, all the poverty, anybody in America who has a cell phone and a television set--we are the 1% even when folks just like us are demonstrating in the streets, chanting 'We are the 99%'.  They just have no idea how blessed they are.  And as Christians, we are even more blessed, because we are children of the King.  We are anointed, guys!  Our cup overflows.  And if it empties out, we have an intimate relationship with the Source.

"Finally, look at Psalm 16, verse 11: 'You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.'  Compare that to Psalm 23:6, where it says, 'Surely goodness and mercy (or love) will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.'  We follow God, gentlemen, and He leads us in the paths of life and joy, of goodness and love.  There is no end to it, because it is promised to us forever.  That's God's promise.  That's why I trust in Him."

There was silence at the table, while the four men meditated on what they had just heard.  Then Jake looked at his watch and picked up the check.  "Well.  Aaron, I hope you have a good word for us next week.  This homework thing feels too much like I'm back in school again."

"It's good to get out of our comfort zone from time to time," Aaron said.  "Let's pray.  God, thank you for these men and what they stand for.  Thank you for the message from your word, especially the word you gave to Sean today.  Above all, thank you for being trustworthy.  Help us to be faithful as you are faithful.  There are people out there who place limited trust in us.  As we walk the walk and talk the talk, let us always put our full trust in you.  In Jesus' name we ask it, amen."

As always, the men paid their tickets, left a generous tip, and bade farewell to each other with hearty handshakes, and promises to call each other during the week to keep each other accountable.  Then they went their separate ways.  Just four men, who look like everybody else, leaving the Pancake House with their stomachs filled and their spirits raised.  And Martha, before she cleaned their table, scribbled some lines on the back of  her notepad.  Because even if you may not have noticed the four nondescript men at the back table, someone did.

Peace on Earth

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your forbearance be known to all, for the Lord is near at hand; have no anxiety about anything, but in all things, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have turned away the captivity of Jacob.

— Philippians 4:4–6; Psalm 85:1 (Opening verses usually read on this, the third Sunday of Advent)

If you have read my previous posts, you know that I did a whole series on rejoicing.  This is truly a season of joy, of hope, of peace on earth.  And if you read the last post, you saw a connection or correlation between Jesus, the Hope of Man's Desiring, and Joshua, the high priest of the Restoration.  I want to build on that foundation again today.

Have you ever been afraid?  Have you ever been discouraged?  Of course you have. We all have had those emotions.  Even Jesus.  Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."  The Bible says, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." (Psalm 56:3).  I think Jesus knew this.  And I think I have found a passage of Scripture that must have been one of Jesus' favorites.  As we go over it today, I hope that it will become one of your favorites, too.

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Speak to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people.  Ask them, 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?  How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?' " --Haggai 2:1-3

By way of context, the prophet Haggai is talking to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile in Babylon, the most wicked place on earth.  When they saw the Temple, they must have been very discouraged.  But they were there, and each man had the ability to roll up his sleeves and fix it.  They all together had the ability to team up and rebuild the Temple of God.  Haggai's prophecy was intended to encourage them in that endeavor.

You will see that I highlighted the name of the high priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.  You will remember from last time that Joshua, or "Yeshua" in Hebrew, means "God saves."  His father's name, Jehozadak, combines the name of Jehovah, or "Yahweh", with the Hebrew word "Sadeq", which means to be just.  So the meanings of the name Jehozadak are "Yahweh has justified", or "The Lord has made just", or even "God is Righteous."  I can imagine the times that Jesus went off by Himself, away from the crowds, to be alone with His Father and pray, that He might have meditated on this Scripture, as it could be speaking to Him by name:  Yeshua, the son of The Righteous God Who Deals Justly, Who Has Justified Us.  Read on to see the encouragement.

"But now be strong, O Zerubbabel," declares the Lord.  "Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.  Be strong, all you people of the land," declares the Lord, "and work.  For I am with you," declares the Lord Almighty.  "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.  And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear."  --Haggai 2:4-5

Be strong.  Work.  My Spirit is with you.  Do not fear.  How many times do we need to hear those words spoken over us?  Even Jesus, I would imagine, had times in His life when He needed to hear these words spoken over Him by the Father.  And lest we fall into despair and despondency, saying "What's the point?", the encouragement goes on.  God says "this is the deal I made with you, the Covenant, when I brought you out of Egypt."  He was speaking directly to the nation of Israel, who, you will remember, were slaves in Egypt until God delivered them by the hand of Moses.  I think the words also speak directly to Jesus.  You will remember the account of Christ's birth, when Herod sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the children two years old and under.  God warned Joseph in a dream to get away, and to take Mary and the baby to Egypt.  But they did not stay there.  When the angel told them that Herod had died, Joseph and Mary moved back to Israel, and settled in the district of Galilee, in a town called Nazareth "so was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: 'He will be called a Nazarene'." (Matthew 2:23).

 So Jesus could take this passage and apply it directly to His own life.  And we can apply it indirectly to ours.  Each of us has been called out of a foreign land, to follow God in this life, and to hope in a promised land.  We may not have had to cross geographic borders, but we have been called to a new life, a new way of living--a new culture, if you will.  And we all can take courage in the words the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai: be strong, work, My Spirit is with you, do not be afraid.

I love the hymn that Charles Wesley wrote about the coming of Christ in Christmas.  It is not generally sung as a Christmas carol, but it is significant during this season, and for this study.  The first verse goes like this:

Hail, thou long-expected Jesus,
    Born to set Thy people free!
From our sins and fears release us,
    Let us find our rest in Thee.

Again, I highlighted the word "fears".  Jesus came to release us from our sins and our fears.  When we trust Him with all our hearts and minds and strength, and His Spirit lives in us, then we can know peace.  We can heed the words of the prophet Haggai: "And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear."

Let's read on.

 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory," says the Lord Almighty.

There are three interpretations for this passage.  One, obviously, was to the exiles rebuilding the Temple.  Once they had completed their work, the God of Abraham would again take up residence in the Holy of Holies.  Whenever God moves, the earth is turned upside-down.  The second interpretation, I think, is when Jesus came to fulfill what the prophets had spoken.  He turned the political and religious world upside-down.  He shook things up, so that we would all look upon His glory, and give glory to Him all our days.  The third interpretation, according to Bible scholars, is with the Second Coming of Christ to this world.  When he comes not as a Lamb for sacrifice, but as a Lion to root out injustice and to establish His Kingdom forever.

You will notice that I highlighted the phrase "the desired of all nations".  The Apostle Paul spoke of this in Romans chapter 8: "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved." (Romans 8:22-24a).  Maybe this is what Wesley had in mind when he penned the second verse of his hymn:

Israel's strength and consolation,
    Hope of all the saints, Thou art;
Long desired of every nation,
    Joy of every waiting heart.

 Malachi 3:1 speaks of this earnest desire for the coming Messiah.  "See, I will send my messenger, who will  prepare the way before me.  Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty."  All creation waits for His appearing.  The sons of God await with eager anticipation.  The wicked await His coming with fear and trepidation.

Can you see how Jesus, when He was living on this earth as a man, may have been encouraged by this passage?

"The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.  The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house," says the Lord Almighty." --Haggai 2:8-9a.

Everything belongs to God.  He may allow us to use it for our purposes, but ultimately it will be used for His glory.  The people who originally heard the words of Haggai, who were looking at a pile of rubble where their temple used to be, were encouraged by the words, "The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house."  I am sure that gave them motivation to roll up their sleeves and get to work restoring and rebuilding and refurbishing the Temple.

Jesus, too, may have been encouraged when reading and meditating on these words.  The "house" or body in which He resided at the time of his Incarnation was subject to pain and death.  But He knew that in time His resurrected body would show that "the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former."  He knew that his purpose was to bring the kingdom of God to man.  We see this in the third verse of Wesley's hymn:

Born Thy people to deliver,
    Born a child, yet God our King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
    Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

 God's plan was for Jesus to reign in us, and over us, and through us forever.  God's desire is to rule in our hearts.  Our desire is for peace on earth, good will to men.  These disparate desires are met in Jesus.  Haggai's last words in this passages read this way:

"And in this place I will grant peace," declares the Lord Almighty.  --Haggai 2:9b

What did the Angel first say to Zechariah the priest, the husband of Elizabeth and future father of John the Baptist? "Do not be afraid." (Luke 1:13).  What were the Angel's first words to Mary, the one betrothed to Joseph and the future mother of Jesus?  "Do not be afraid." (Luke 1:30).  What did the Angel say to the shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night? "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy." (Luke 2:10)  Then the Angel was surrounded by a great number of other angels, and they sang together, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14).

Recent unrest in our nation has brought out protesters, who chant the slogan "No justice, no peace."  As we saw at the beginning of this piece, God Almighty brings Justice.  For all who truly want peace, He offers His Son.  True justice cannot be found in a courthouse; true peace cannot be found in the streets.  We must make room for Jesus, the Prince of Peace, whose father is the God Who Deals Justly. Thus we end with the fourth verse of Wesley's hymn:

By Thine own eternal Spirit
    Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
    Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Joy to the world, the savior reigns

You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. --Matthew 1:21

My son is spending some time in Germany.  Last week he posted greetings from Nuremberg.  One of his German friends gently chided him, as the locals call the name of the town Nurnberg.  Similarly, in high school geography class, we were taught that one of the biggest cities in Germany is called Munich.  But the people who live there do not call it that; they say the name of their city is Munchen.

This is just a small example of how things are often lost in translation, from one language and people to another.   This weekend in church our pastor reminded us that Mary and Joseph were entrusted to raise the Son of God, but they never called him "Jesus".  That was the Greco-Roman form of the name.  Let me explain.

In Hebrew, the name given to the Savior was pronounced Yeshua.  We do not use the same alphabet that they used, so a closer rendition in English would be Joshua.  Remember that in Hebrew, there is no hard "J" sound, so it is pronounced as we would pronounce the letter "Y".  You can see this in the word we have borrowed from the Hebrew, "Hallelujah", where the letter "J" has a soft "ya" sound.  The prefix in Hebrew is a reference to Jehovah (or Yahweh), the name given to God.  The second syllable "shua" means "Saves".  So we see that the name given to our Lord literally means "God saves".

But something was lost in translation in the Roman world where they lived.  Although the New Testament is written in Greek, many of the names have Latin roots.  Latin names often end in the suffix "-us".  We know many important Roman names from our history lessons--Marcus Aurelius, Julius Ceasar, Augustus.  They all end in the suffix "-us".   My first name is Marion.  If I were to have lived in that place at that time, I would probably have been called "Marius".  In fact, if you go to a hear a Latin Mass, either in a Catholic church or to a choir concert where it is sung, you will hear the names of God as, "Dominus" (the Father); "Deus" (God); "Sanctus Spiritus" (the Holy Spirit); and "Christus" (the Christ, or Messiah).  Today, we would probably call Julius Caesar by a more Anglicized form, maybe "Julian" or "Jules".

But the important thing to remember is that whatever we call them, we are talking about the same people.

"God Saves", leader of the Hebrew Nation
Now, here is another surprise.  Last week I mentioned the protege of Moses, whom we call Joshua.  His mother never called him that, either!  According to Numbers 13:16, the original name given to the young man who was to be Moses' aide and later to lead the Children of Israel into the promised land--his mama called him Hoshe'a.  The name means "Salvation".  Moses called him Yehoshu'a, which means "God saves".  We see that Moses added the prefix "Ye-" or "Je-" to the name, to signify him belonging to God.  But when the Bible translators got to the word, they just called him "Joshua", as that is what is sounds like in English.

In the Bible, there are "types and shadows", meaning that everything in the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of the Messiah.  Joshua's mission in the Old Testament was to lead God's people into the land that had been promised to their forefathers.  Jesus had a similar mission: to lead God's people into God's presence.  One man wanted to lead the people into a land flowing with milk and honey--he knew, because he had been there and had seen it with his own eyes.  The Son of Man wanted to lead the people into fellowship with God, which He knew and had experienced, because He had been there.

In fact, Joshua had an encounter with Christ Himself.  Just after the people crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua was preparing to lead the people to conquer Jericho.  This was their first military mission, and Joshua went off by himself to prepare himself for the battle.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand.  And Joshua went to Him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"  Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take the sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy."  And Joshua did so.  --Joshua 5:13-15

I want us to notice how Joshua's position changed, almost instantaneously.  He was starting to think of himself in military terms, as the General of the Army of Israel, God's chosen people.  He encounters a man with a drawn sword; he thinks, "Oh, this must be a military leader as well."  Joshua offers this soldier, this military officer, the only two options he could think of--either you are for us, or against us.  If you are for us, he must have thought, then stand behind me or beside me against my enemies.  If you are against us, then we have a problem, because one of us is not leaving this place alive.  That's how we approach our problems, many times.  We steel ourselves for the battle.  When we meet an interested third party, we want to size up the situation, so we have an idea of what we have to do.  We want to classify them as friend or foe.  In Joshua's case, the answer he got did not fit into his pre-conceived notion.  The Man made Joshua think outside the box.  "No," He said.  I am not in one camp or the other.  I AM.  That is all you need to know.

Joshua's attitude changed from a leader to a follower.  "Lord, what do you want me to do?"  Okay, there is this battle that must be fought.  I'm relieved that I don't have fight alone.  In fact, I don't even have to lead the battle.  I have a leader.  Now, what's the game plan?  Again, the Lord's response was probably not what he expected.  Instead of getting marching orders from his new Commander, Joshua was told to prepare himself for worship.  Take off your shoes, for this is holy ground.  Anyplace where Jesus is is holy ground.  We just need to prepare for worship, and He will fight our battles for us.  As Moses had told the people 40 years earlier, "The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still." (Exodus 14:14).

The man whose name was changed from "Salvation" to "God Saves" met the Lord of Creation.  Joshua was not to be the savior of his people.  But he did get to meet the Savior of the world.  And because he was obedient, God saved him and his people.  The same God continues to save today.

"God Saves", the high priest of the Restoration
There is another man named Joshua in the Bible.  He, too, was a Jew.  But in his day, the Jewish nation had been disobedient.  God had allowed the Babylonians to come in and conquer Israel, the land that God had given to His people.  The people rebelled, and as a result they lived in exile in Babylon for 70 years.  But God allowed His people to be restored to the promise.  Under the leadership of Nehemiah, a remnant was allowed to return, and they restored the walls of Jerusalem, and the Temple within those walls.

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as on man in Jerusalem.  Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.  Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. --Ezra 3:1-3

So this man Joshua re-established the sacrifices that the people had not been able to make for 70 years because of their disobedience.  He was willing to overcome his own fear and do the right thing.  This man Joshua, according to Scripture, also had an encounter with Jesus.  We read about it in the words of the prophet Zechariah.

The he (the angel) showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord (a common Old Testament reference to Jesus), and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.  The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan!  The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you!  Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"  Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the Angel.  The Angel said to those who were standing before Him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."... The Angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here." --Zechariah 3:1-4,6-7

This man Joshua had an encounter with Jesus.  Satan, the accuser, made a case against him.  Wasn't he of the people whom God had exiled?  God had already cast all of them out of the land of promise.  He was a citizen of Babylon now, a city which Satan controlled.  After Satan had rested his case before God, who is the Righteous Judge, Jesus came to Joshua's defense.  Jesus (referred to in this passage as the Angel of the Lord) compared him to a stick--broken, vulnerable, alone.  But the desire to serve God burned within Joshua as a fire.  Jesus saw the potential in him.  He could be grafted onto the Branch, even in his humble condition.  His clothes were filthy, but Jesus commanded that his sins be taken away, and that he be clothed in rich garments.  It didn't matter what charges Satan brought against him; Joshua had an advocate before the Father, Jesus who took away his sin and shame.

Zechariah the prophet goes on to show that Joshua the high priest is symbolic of things to come.  "Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.  See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord Almighty, and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day." (Zechariah 3:8-9).  Having heard the testimony of the prosecution (Satan), and the defense (Jesus), the Judge (God) renders a verdict: not guilty.  And not only Joshua and his fellow priests, but all who will believe in "the cornerstone, the stone which the builders rejected", who is "the Branch", will receive forgiveness of their sins.  "The Branch" refers to the incarnate Jesus, the One who was born of a virgin and who died a sacrificial death, and who was raised to new life as one victorious over death and hell.  The inscription is set in stone for all who believe on His name: not guilty.  Our names are indelibly in the Lamb's book of life.

Hallelujah!

"God Saves", the world's propitiation
So we see the origin of the name Jesus, how it is the Latin variant of the names Joshua or Yeshua, which means God saves.  We see how other people in the Bible with the same name were forerunners of, and types of, Christ.  We also see how each of the Joshuas in our narrative had a personal encounter with their namesake, the One whom the angel foretold that his name should be called "God Saves", because He would save the people from their sins.

Jesus had his own encounter with God, in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Like Joshua the high priest, He feared for His life.  He prayed so earnestly that not only did he break a sweat, but the sweat was as drops of blood.  But like Joshua the son of Nun, Jesus knew that the God He encountered was holy, and that His will would be done.  So He laid down his life as a sacrifice for us. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10).  "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world."  If you look up the word propitiation, or propitiate, you will find that it means "to gain or regain the favor or good will of; to appease."

God is holy.  People are sinful.  God showed grace to His people by choosing them from among all the nations to be called His own.  Sin separated them from God.  He set up a system of sacrifices to be made for the appeasement of sin.  Even when the people messed up, and went without the sacrifices being offered for 70 years, God restored them to their homeland.

God is still holy.  People are still sinful.  No animal sacrifices are made for us.  There is no need for further sacrifice, because God sent His son to save us from our sins.  His death appeased God's wrath.  His love allows us to regain the favor and good will of God, even after we mess up over and over again.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love