I hope this one gets you excited!… Have you ever read these 3 verses before In Joshua?
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
Unlike my usual approach, I believe it’s important to begin this blog by acknowledging that some of you may be unfamiliar with these verses. So let me set the stage;
Israel is about to go to war with one of the most disturbing, detestable, and disgusting groups of people that ever lived on this earth. The residents of Jericho’s sin had reached what God called “its full measure” which meant that after giving them ample time to repent, He was done with them. Their punishment…would be death by Israelite.
So picture in your mind, thousands of men screaming and banging their weapons together, raising their fists and shouting as loud as they could. Both sides faced each other only in this instance, the warriors of Jericho stood very comfortably on the inside of the largest and impenetrable fortress of its time. Archaeologists confirm the walls of Jericho stood 30 feet high and get this, 20 feet thick.
How, on God’s green earth could an Israelite force, or for that matter, any force, assail an army behind walls that could not be breached? Enter God and His plan which was very different than what you and I would have done…but it worked.
But the reason I write this post today is to call your attention to someone who came to this fight before it started. Did you pick that up in verse 14? I call your attention to the “Commander of the Armies of the Lord” Have you heard of this guy before? Did you know there was a Commander for the Armies of God? Can you imagine what this warrior from Heaven looked like? Guys, that is another blog altogether. But, here is my question to you, why was this Commander, with his seniority in Heaven, present at this battle?
Please hear my words guys because there is no conjecture here. This Commander was at this battle for one reason… besides the physical war happening between Israel and the men of Jericho, God’s armies were doing battle with the forces of Satan. All of this chaos was happening at the same time and the reason I mention this today is simply to point out that God did not desert his people. He sent His forces to war right alongside the Israelites to ensure victory during a battle unlike any other.
But I must bring this story back down to you and me, Let me remind you that God is doing the very same thing now in all of our lives. PLEASE remember that Spiritual forces are fighting for you and at the very same time, different evil forces are fighting against you. Yes…this is true. There is a battle going on for your individual soul. I have written about this many times in past blogs but when I get to illustrate God’s action by showing you who is sent to defend you, I just think that is incredibly encouraging and I hope you find that to be true as well.
Remember, you are NOT alone in your battle. God will send the Commander of the Armies of the Lord along with the legions of Angels to keep you safe. They are still on duty…
Until next time Guys-
