“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’
‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’
The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:13-15).
Who is this “commander of the army of the Lord’s army” who appears to Joshua? Bible scholars over the years disagree about his exact identity. Some say it is an angel, or the archangel Michael. Others say it is Jesus in his pre-incarnate form, taking on a human-like appearance. Still others suggest that Joshua was having a vision.
All of these are possible, biblically. Yet notice the striking similarities between this call to Joshua and the call of Moses when he saw the burning bush (Exodus 3).
Moses was commanded to take off his sandals, because it was holy ground (which suggests that this figure is more than an angel). The Bible says “the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush” (v. 2) yet also “God called to him from within the bush” (v. 4).
This scene with Joshua resembles the Moses burning bush scene. It therefore suggests that the commander of the army of the Lord is the Lord Jesus himself, before he physically came to earth at his birth, appearing to Joshua.
The commander is obviously divine, because he lays out military orders that would never work by even the most advanced earthly resources: march around the city walls of Jericho daily for 7 days, while 7 priests lead worship. On the 7th day, march around the city 7 times. According to the Lord, the city’s invincible walls will collapse. And they did!
Because the people obeyed the Lord, they succeeded in the mission just as he promised. They “devoted the city to the Lord” (Joshua 6:21).
What are you battling in your life right now? Pray about it today. Listen to your Lord’s instructions by studying the Bible, noticing his promises. Then as you obey his instructions you will win the battle and be able to devote it to the Lord.
PRAYER: Dear God, your commands are perfect and powerful, but sometimes don’t make sense. Encourage me in faith with clarity that listens to your commands and lives devoted to you more than anything. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read Joshua chapter 5 and 6. It’ll take 5 minutes. The number 7 is the number of salvation, often attributed to the saving works of God (who is often represented by the number 3–as in triune God) for all people (often represented by the number 4)—as in 4 corners of the world or 4 directions north, south, east and west). This number is significant in the Lord’s strategy for the destruction of Jericho.