#JoshuaDaniel - A Lesson in Names

Joshua Daniel - 8 lbs 6.2 oz, 20" long

Today, I became a dad for the third time. My wife and two daughters (6 and 3) welcomed into the world the newest member of our family - Joshua Daniel Antoine. He was a healthy baby, and though I don't have time to blog about the bible chapter (I'll get it tomorrow), I want to share briefly about our son's name.

Joshua means "God is my salvation" or "The Lord saves!" Daniel means "God is my judge" or "The Lord will judge me". These two names combined form an interesting lesson in the character of God. On the one hand, we will all stand before God one day who will judge the "living and the dead" according to our works during our lifetime. And the reality is, nobody can stand up against that judgment as innocent. We have all sinned against God and have fallen short of his glory, making us guilty and deserving of punishment. Yes (Daniel) God is our judge.

But God is also the one who has provided salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus (a variant of the name Joshua). So even though God is the one we are accountable to, He is also the one who saves us. This may seem contradictory, but it's really not at all. It's just two different attributes of the same God.

It's like this. If I am a good dad, then I will protect and rescue my children at the risk of my own life. But I will also be the one to lovingly discipline them when they cross the boundaries we have set as acceptable. Disciplining my child does not diminish in any way my love for him/her.

Those are just some quick thoughts. If you want to read more about Joshua or Daniel as characters in the Bible, they both have whole books devoted to telling their stories that also happened to be named after them.

God bless, and keep digging in!

In Christ,
Dan