Chapters 1-6 of the Old Testament tell how, upon the death of Moses, the leadership of the nation was passed on to Joshua. It was in the hands of Joshua to be victorious in leading his people over the Jordan River into the promised land.
It is interesting that during slavery in America, Harriet Tubman was appropriately known as the Black Moses, for she also led her fellow slaves out of slavery to the “promised land.” In this period of history in America, the walls of slavery were finally being broken down.
Today, there are many Joshuas and Harriet Tubmans marching around and about the walls of Wall Street and in other parts of the world. These folks are declaring the need for justice—instead of “just-us”—and the right to share in the wealth of this beautiful United States of America.
A gospel song that has come down to us from slavery times has all the markings of a battle hymn:
Joshua Fit [Fought] de Battle of Jericho
Joshua fit de battle of Jer-I-cho,
Jer-I-cho, Jer-I-cho
Joshua fit de battle of Jer-I-cho,
An’ de walls come tumb-lin’ down.
You may talk about the man of Gid-e-on,
You may talk a-bout the man of Saul.
Dere’s none like good ole Joshua
An’ de battle of Jer-I-cho.
Up to de walls of Jer-I-cho
He marched with spear in han.
“Go blow dem ram-horns,” Joshua cried,
For de battle am in my hand.
Donald Spoto, a theology professor for 20 years at Fordham University, where he concentrated in New Testament studies, presented a brief history of the name Joshua.
When Joseph and Mary named their infant son eight days after his birth, at the traditional Jewish rite of circumcision, their son was named Iesous. Jesus is the Greek version derived from the shortened form of the Hebrew name Joshua (Yehousa), who was the successor of Moses; his name means “Yahweh is salvation,” or “God saves.”
After the return of the Jewish people from exile in Babylon, in the 6th century BC, Jesus became a common name for Yahweh, or God saves. It remained popular until the second century AD, when the quickly growing Christian faith led the Jews to abandon it and revert to the original, longer form, Joshua.
Well, after this brief history concerning the name Joshua, the Old Testament, Joshua 6:11-16, describes how the people and priests were instructed by Joshua to walk around the walls of Jericho and at a certain point to shout. This caused the walls of Jericho to tumble down, allowing the Jewish people to win the battle, become free, and inherit the promised land.
If you can’t join the march, please pray for a march without violence. Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and others who have marched succeeded in causing the walls of greed to fall.