“Choosing Sides” -- Joshua 5:13-15

Oh, the fun times of childhood when we had to choose up teams. Maybe we were playing football or basketball, or even Red Rover during Vacation Bible School. Whenever we had to choose up teams, it was seldom if ever our choice whose team we’d be on. We were chosen and we usually had little if any say in the matter.

History is filled with wars where people on both sides insisted that God was on their side. It is said Napoleon once said, “God is on the side with the better artillery.” During the American Civil War, both sides claimed that they were fighting for what was right, and that God was clearly on their side. Abraham Lincoln said it best, though: “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”

While it is true that God chooses us through Jesus Christ His Son, and while it is true that we are chosen to serve Him, we do well to remember that simply being a Christian means that God has to be on my side. It was lesson Joshua learned as he was planning on how to conquer Jericho.

Background

The nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. They were now in the Promised Land. Being in the Promised Land did not mean that the Promised Land was now immediately theirs. In Joshua 5:1, the Bible says, “Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.”

With all of this, we might thing that all Israel had to do was to march up and down the countryside and the people would immediately surrender to them. Remember, though, that part of the conquest of Canaan was God’s plan to bring judgment to the people of the land. For long enough, they had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to God. Now it was time to pay the price for their sin. And God was going to use the armies of Israel to bring judgment.

The first city to conquer was Jericho. Like most cities of the day, Jericho was a walled city, with the intent that it could withstand enemy armies. It would prove to be a difficult task, particularly for an army that was still relatively new in the art of warfare. The prospect of a long siege was the standard way of dealing with walled cities, with various means of attacking the wall available to the besieging army.

Whether Joshua knew of the ways to lay siege or not, the Bible doesn’t say. All it says about the conquest of Jericho comes in Chapter 6. In that chapter, we learn that the plan to conquer Jericho doesn’t come from Joshua, but from the same source that led them to the land and led them across the Jordan River. Before God reveals His plan to Joshua, though, He wants Joshua to be aware of who is fighting for whom.

Central Truth: God does not choose sides; we must decide whether or not we follow Him.

A Reasonable Question (13)

This passage is a very short but well written passage. It begins by giving the setting of the events that will take place. Joshua is near Jericho. We don’t know what exactly he was doing, but when he looks up, he immediately sees an armed standing in front of him. The man’s sword is drawn, which tells us that the man is prepared to use his sword if necessary. It also tells us that this man is someone who is not to be trifled with. We don’t know if Joshua is armed, we don’t know if he’s dressed for battle. It seems to indicate that Joshua is alone when he sees the man.

Whether Joshua was concerned for his safety or not, we read that Joshua approached the man with the sword. He didn’t challenge the man, unless the question Joshua asks is seen as a challenge. His question is: “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

There is nothing that suggests Joshua may have known who the man is, only that he was a man with a drawn sword who stood before Joshua. It is reasonable to ask someone with a sword if he’s on your side or not. There are three expected answers to the question. One is, yes, I am on your side. The second is, I am for your enemies. The third is, I am not involved in any fight. I’m simply passing through and don’t want any trouble with anyone.

The answer Joshua receives takes him by surprise, because it is not an answer he expected, nor is it one we might expect.

A Startling Answer (14a)

Joshua’s question was, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The man’s answer is, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” There is so much in this answer.

First, it lets us know that God has His own agenda, and He does not take sides with anyone in particular. God’s servants are always and only about His business. For the true servant of God, there is no other thing that matters. All that he or she is focused on is, “What does God have for me to do today? How can God use me this moment?” Everything else falls into a separate category, but only devotion to God is what matters to God. Anything else that might take precedence in our lives is idolatry. Devotion to church, to family, to country—none is more important than our devotion to God. That’s why Jesus says, “If anyone comes after Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26-27). Devotion to God is absolute and allows no other to come before Him.

The second thing the answer gives us is a better awareness of who this armed man is. He identifies himself simply as the commander of God’s army. Does this mean he is an angel, like Michael, who leads angels in spiritual warfare? Is he an Old Testament manifestation of Jesus? We can’t really say at this point, but we do know without a doubt that this man is a messenger from God, and that he has a purpose for being there.

The third thing the man’s answer gives us is that God’s timing is what matters here. His answer is, “I have now come.” There wasn’t a need for his appearance until this moment. Again, we have no idea what was going through Joshua’s mind as the man appears. We have no idea if Joshua was trying to figure out what to do about Jericho or if he was wondering what God’s next step was. All we know is that this man has been sent to convey God’s will at this particular moment.

A Wise Response (14b-15)

What do you do when you ask a question, and the answer takes a completely different turn than was expected? It wasn’t as if the question wasn’t answered; it was just answered in a way that must have caught Joshua by surprise.

Joshua’s response was the only one that was right. Upon hearing the commander of the army of the Lord’s answer, Joshua fell prostrate on the ground and asked, “What message do you have for me?”

There are a couple of things about Joshua’s answer that tells us something about Joshua’s understanding of God and God’s lordship over him.

His actions—falling face down on the ground before the commander—lets us know that Joshua sensed he was in the presence of someone worthy of worship. This lets us know that this commander was more than an angel. Elsewhere in the Bible, if a person bows down as if to worship, the angel is quick to tell the person to get up and not worship him. The only time a person bows to worship and is not rebuked for it is when that person is worshiping the Lord Himself. That leads us to believe that the commander of the Lord’s army was in fact the Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Joshua was correct, then, to fall before this Man of God.

The second thing we see is that there is an assumption in Joshua’s words. Remember that Joshua’s question was essentially, “Who’s side are you on?” The answer was that the man with the sword was on neither side, simply that he was the commander of God’s army and that he had now come. The implication is that this man who stands before Joshua is here for the express reason of giving Joshua guidance in the upcoming conquest not just of Jericho but all of the Promised Land.

Joshua’s words let us know that he understands this to be the case, because he doesn’t pledge to follow the commander, only that he expects a message from the Lord from him: “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” Joshua knows that this messenger has come from God and that his message is for Joshua.

Joshua is right not only in the way he acted—falling down in worship—but also in the way he answered. When we come into God’s presence, our task is to hear what He has to say, to do what He bids us do.

The answer Joshua receives from his second question is to acknowledge that Joshua is in God’s presence. The instructions to Joshua are the same that was given to Moses at the burning bush. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.”

Notice that Joshua asked a question, expecting a great answer. The answer was, “Take off your sandals.” Joshua, to his credit again, didn’t quibble; he took of his sandals.

Conclusion

Looking back on my life, I know there are a lot of times I would have welcomed a visit from the commander of the army of the Lord. My guess is that I’m not alone in this. Wouldn’t it be nice to think that God has a message for us, and that He is willing to send that messenger to us at the right time and under the right circumstances?

The reality is that God does give us a messenger that gives us guidance as we need it. No, He doesn’t give us a physical manifestation of His presence. Instead, He gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us as we seek to follow God’s calling and His ways.

The truth of the matter is that the only way you and I can hope to follow God in a way that is pleasing in His eyes is to give ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice (cf. Romans 12:1-2), worshiping Him in truth and spirit so that we can discern His good and perfect will.

For Joshua, God gave a commander. For you and me, God gives us His Spirit. Joshua’s response to the commander was to recognize his need for the commander’s presence and advice.

How do we respond to God’s Holy Spirit?