And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand: and Joshua went unto Him, and said unto Him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And He said, Nay; but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto Him, What saith my Lord unto His servant? And the Captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so(Josh. 5:13-15).
Joshua was on high alert. He had assumed leadership of the Israelites following the death of Moses, his mentor and friend. Soon afterward, he had triumphantly led his people across the Jordan River on dry land, her waters miraculously held back by the hand of God. The news of their God and His miracles had come before them, and their enemies had trembled with fear. Despite their tactical advantage, God had instructed them to make camp and restore themselves to righteousness under the terms of the Covenant that He had established with Abraham rather than attack. Now, after renewing their faith, the time for battle was approaching, and Joshua was contemplating his strategy. He would have to lead an army of foot soldiers against the well-fortified, high-walled cities protected by a chariot-led cavalry. As he considered his options, behold, there stood a Man over against him with His sword drawn in His hand.
Joshua’s immediate reaction was to ask, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? He may have been concerned that there was yet another foe he hadn’t considered, or perhaps he might have hoped that the Lord had sent them an ally. As the man revealed himself, though, Joshua’s trepidation faded away, and he fell on his face to the earth, and did worship. The Captain of the Host that stood before him had not come to help or harm, but rather to lead. The pre-incarnate Christ, God Himself, had come to remind Joshua of who was truly shouldering the weight of the battle. The dilemma facing Joshua wasn’t one of battle strategy; it was one of trust. And the Captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. As the Captain revealed Himself, Joshua had an instant to choose. Would he ask for help on his terms, or would he open himself to heavenly guidance?
When faced with formidable problems, it is human nature to attempt to take charge and find a solution. As Christians, we pride ourselves on asking for God’s help in these situations. All too often, though, we ask for ‘help’ by telling Him exactly what we need, then sitting back and waiting for Him to deliver. We want His support so badly that we cannot see that what we really need is His guidance! We could eliminate a great deal of our day-to-day stress if we would only remember one simple truth: It is His place to lead; it is our place to follow by faith.
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light(Matt. 11:28-30).
Thought for Today: God guides us in the direction of His choosing, not the direction we would have Him take us.
Christ Portrayed: As the Captain of the host of the Lord (Josh. 5:14). Christ is the Captain of our salvation (Heb. 2:10).
Word Studies: 4:6 sign = memorial monument; 4:10 hasted = hurried; 4:11 clean passed = finished crossing; 4:14 magnified = exalted; 4:20 pitch = set up; 5:1 their heart melted = they lost their courage; 5:8 whole = healed; 5:11 old corn = produce from previous harvest; unleavened = yeast-free; parched = roasted; 6:1 straitly shut up = carefully barricaded.
Pray For Staff:Kevin Jennings • Government Officials: Gov. Mark Gordon (WY), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (TX) • Country: Tokelau (1,337) South Pacific Ocean • Major Languages: Tokelauan, English, Samoan • Religious Freedom • 58.2% Congregational Christian Church; 36.6% Roman Catholic; 1.8% Presbyterian; 2.8% Other Christian; 0.1% Spiritualism and New Age; 0.5% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Pray persistently; you will receive an answer (Luke 11:9-10).
Optional Reading:John 5