Joshua 5: 13 – 14 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.”

Wow! The Lord our God has an army! Naturally! Battles are fought and won in the spiritual and natural realms all day long. Never make the mistake of thinking that something is not real because you don’t see it. God knows all about it and events on the grand stage of our world are under his control. So despite the scheming and rivalries of nation states, God often intervenes and dismantle their plans. I guess if we ever knew the grand schemes of some world leaders we would lay awake at nights and be completely crippled by fear.

In Joshua 3 and 4 the Israelites, led by Joshua had just witnessed another astounding miracle as the Lord dried up the Jordan so they could cross over on dry land. In Chapter 5 Joshua was commanded to carry out the circumcision of all males since they would make up the new army, their fathers having all died during their sojourn in the wilderness. When they were healed, all Israel celebrated the Passover which reminded them of the preservation of their lives in Egypt while the Egyptian households were visited by the angel of death in the night.

Now they were out of Egypt completely, it was time to start taking territory from surrounding nations. They were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, poised to take the city of Jericho which was surrounded by a wall. Then Joshua encountered a man whom he did not recognize and boldly approached him and asked him to identify himself and declare whose side he was on. Was he for Israel or their enemies? Shocker: “Neither,” he replied, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” In other words, he was there to see that God’s agenda was carried out. Naturally, Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked him “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” And notice as well his command to Joshua to “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” You mean God can make a battlefield holy by showing up? Evidently!

In Chapter 6 Joshua listened intently, accepted and implemented God’s battle plan. It took seven days marching before the wall came down, but come down it did. There are many ways to fight, but only God’s way guarantees success. Let us pray for the leaders of this world to bow and seek God’s guidance, recognizing that God has his own agenda. The Holy Spirit confirms:

“Know you not that the Lord of Hosts has his own army? There are times when he reaches down and takes charge himself. He has his own imperatives and entrusts them to no one save his commanders. They take their orders from him alone and are not subject to the corrupting influences of the earth. Thus He is able to rule and over-rule and dismantle the plans of the evil one. Thus things are not always hopeless as you sometimes think because the Lord God will determine the outcome.”