The name "Joshua" is the same as "Jesus". The Church has often reflected on this: it was not Moses who led the Chosen People into the Holy Land. It was his successor, who bore the name Joshua, the name borne by the Son of God when He came into this world. The promises of the Old Testament were not fulfilled through Moses. They were fulfilled in the mystery of Jesus, son of Mary and Son of God. The true "Holy Land" is not on this earth but in heaven, the kingdom of God into which Jesus leads us.

God had many reasons to abandon Israel in the desert and refuse to bring them to the Promised Land. Yet God relented each time that Israel was wayward and sinful. Punishment followed sin, for sin contains its own punishment. Yet, beyond the punishment, God's forgiveness was without limit.

We must be holy since God is holy. Therefore it is not surprising that Peter should ask about forgiveness. The question presumes that there is more to forgiveness than what mere human reflection would reveal. Humanly, Peter could only think of seven times. It needed, and still needs, revelation and grace to carry us to seventy times seven times.