Reading
Joshua 5:13-15—Commander of the Lords’ army
Notes
After these two covenant ceremonies are carried out in obedience to God, Joshua seems to be preparing to do battle. Jericho is the first nation-state that Israel must conquer, and Joshua is checking them out. As he is preparing, he comes across an armed man with a drawn sword.
Although the man is obviously ready for war, Joshua approaches him and asks, “Whose side are you on? Ours or our enemy?” We might expect if the man announced that he was Joshua’s enemy that Joshua would have fought him in a deadly duel. However, this man says he is on neither side; rather he identifies himself as the commander of Yahweh’s army.
Joshua falls down to worship and asks what he is to do. And the answer is probably as unexpected as the man and his identification as the Lord’s army’s commander. “Take off your shoes, for you are on holy ground.” Read Exodus 3:1–5 for a nearly identical command to Moses, Joshua’s forerunner in leading Israel.
Who is this man? And what makes the ground holy? Firth comments that this is holy ground can only mean that Yahweh is present. We therefore do not need to know more about this encounter (however much we might wish to!) because it is enough to know that God continues to encourage his servant by demonstrating that his presence is not simply a matter of words that are uttered. When God is present with his people, he is present with power.
Questions
- What does the man answer to Joshua’s question?
- What does Joshua do in response. Why?
- Who do you think the man is? Why?
Praise
Psalm 99a, 1a
Prayer
- Ask God to keep you on his side always.
- Pray for the reading and preaching of God’s word tomorrow.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.