“13 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?”
14 “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?”
15 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
Joshua is my all-time favorite Old Testament hero. He was a soldier and he knew how to take orders and he never questioned those orders (kinda like our husbands right?) As the Israelites approached Jericho, they were tired and covered with 40 years of desert dust. They had just celebrated the crossing of the Jordan and readied themselves to celebrate the Passover feast. That Passover was very special because “The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.” (Joshua 5:12) I am sure that the Israelites had mixed feelings about the stop in manna production. It probably did not taste like fine French cuisine but it represented a daily reminder of God’s provision for them. But on that day the manna stopped.
I also wonder how Joshua felt that day. He had led the armies in battle while Moses was in command and became Moses’ replacement (see Deuteronomy 31:1-8). So far so good. Joshua successfully led them into the promise land and crossed the Jordan river. Now they were facing Jericho. Jericho was going to be a decisive battle in the conquest of Canaan.
“13 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?”
Are you for us or for our enemies? Neither. Don’t you love the response? Neither. God is not here to support our plans or our enemies’ plans. He is here to fulfill His plans. Regardless of how good my or your plan may seem, God’s plan will always prevail in the end. Joshua knew that and responded by asking, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” What a beautiful image of worship that is. Joshua was about to face the battle of a lifetime but he is aware that his own plans are futile if they do not line up with the LORD’s plans. He doesn’t ask, “please grant me and your people victory” or “please make my sword sharper” or even “please turn my men into invisible ninjas”. No, he falls facedown in worship and asks, “What message does my Lord have for me?”
Shouldn’t we do the same? Instead of forcing our plans and wishes on God by praying for Him to bless them, shouldn’t we ask about His plans and how we can be part of it today? When you and I do this, I guarantee you that we will be successful and that our prayers will be answered every time.
What message does my Lord have for me?
Submitted by Muriel Gregory
“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
