Commander of the Lord’s Army

Thank you for reading this sermon from Christ Fellowship. I hope and pray that this sermon will be a blessing of grace and truth to you. With that said, let me encourage you not to use this sermon as a replacement for your local church. Christ Jesus did not establish his Church simply for us to consume content. Instead, He calls us to be part of a real, covenant family.

This morning, we continue our Road to Emmaus series in the book of Joshua, a that book tells the story of how the Israelites conquered and settled the land that was promised to Abraham.

They were led by a military commander named Joshua, a name that means “Yahweh Saves” which in Greek is the same name as Jesus.

And there are many hints and shadows of Jesus in the book of Joshua.

Joshua was called to lead God’s people into the Promised Land, just as Jesus was called to lead His people into our eternal inheritance.

A red cord hanging in the window of Rahab marked her family for salvation. In the same way, when God looks at the cross, He sees the blood of His Son, and He passes over us in judgment.

The ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan River ahead of the people, just as Jesus went before His people into the waters of sin and death.

At the end of the book, God gives Israel rest from battle, but Hebrews 4 explains that the rest was not final. Only Christ provides true and eternal rest for God’s people.

But this morning, I want to focus our attention on one specific story found in Joshua 5. The Israelites have now crossed the Jordan River. They have crossed into the land of Canaan. They are preparing for what they expect to be a fierce battle with nearby Jericho, but the stop to worship God first.

First, Joshua commands that all the males born in the wilderness must be circumcised. Then they celebrate the Passover, which providentially occurred right after they crossed the river. We will start reading there.

10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.

11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.

12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
The wilderness journey finally ends, 40 years after leaving Egypt. Only two adults from the first generation of refugees out of Egypt were allowed to enter the land of Canaan – Joshua and Caleb. Everyone else, including Moses, had died in the wilderness because of rebellion against God.

Most of these people had been eating manna their entire lives until now. They had kept the Passover before, but this was the first time most of them celebrated it with real food. God didn’t stop providing. Instead, He started providing something better.

And I think it is significant that this was their first meal, because of what Passover represents. It points directly to Christ Jesus, our Passover Lamb.

Now comes the moment I really want us to see.

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”

14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.”

I can think of at least three questions. Who is this man who calls himself the commander of the army of the Lord? Why has he come now? And why does he answer Joshua’s question with a simple “No”?

It’s not a yes or no question, is it? Are you for us or our enemies? “No…”

The only way that can be taken is “No, I’m not for you. And no, I’m not for them either.”

God is reminding Joshua that His kingdom does not fit neatly into our categories of friend or enemy, left or right, Israelite or Canaanite.

His allegiance is to His glory, not to our agendas. This commander leads an army that has no allegiance to any man or nation of men. Now watch how Joshua responds.

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

Joshua seems to understand that the man standing in front of him is not a normal human being, even though verse 13 calls him a man.

15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

That should sound familiar. God said the same thing to Moses at the burning bush! And so we have here a man accepting worship, declaring the ground holy, and speaking with divine authority.

This cannot be an angel, as some believe, because angels refuse worship in the Bible. Only God is to be worshipped. But who could be both a man and God? The only logical answer is Jesus. And so, I’m convinced this was a Christophany – a pre-Incarnate appearance of Jesus.

This makes sense because Jesus is also depicted in Revelation as both the lamb who was slain AND the warrior-king of God’s army. Here in Joshua 5, the Israelites celebrate Passover, the supper of the lamb, and then Joshua encounters the leader of God’s army!

But what does it mean? Why does Jesus show up now? I think there at least three things we can learn from this encounter.

First, this was a Divine Appointment. God shows up exactly when He intended to. He’s not early. He’s not late. God always shows up exactly when He intends to.

The Incarnation of Jesus also happened exactly when God intended. Romans 5:

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Galatians 4:

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…

Like Joshua, I think we should take great comfort in the knowledge that God will always show up exactly when He intends to. That was true in redemptive history, but it’s also true in our lives – because God is sovereign. This was a divine appointment.

Second, He’s preparing for a Divine Conquest. There’s a drawn sword in his hand, because this battle belongs to the Lord, not to Joshua.

Every battle in the Old Testament is just a shadow of the great battle between God, sin, and death – a battle won by Jesus. According the New Testament, we share in that victory, but only in Christ. Romans 8:

37 We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re dealing with great enemies in this life, but they are enemies that have already been conquered in Christ. We can face every challenge with confidence that the battle is won and the future is secure in Christ, because the battle belongs to the Lord.
Finally, God expects one thing from Joshua: Divine Allegiance.

Joshua asks if this warrior is on his side or the enemy’s, but that’s the wrong question. The question is not “Is God on our side?” but “are we on God’s side?”

What does James say?

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

What does Jesus say to His disciples in Luke 9?

23 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

As I studied for this sermon, I appreciate what Ralph Davis said in his commentary. He said the primary function of this encounter “was not to give specific instructions but to bring about reverent submission. Sometimes we need to see that God is not so much partisan as sovereign, that it is more important to recognize God’s position than to know God’s plans.”

Let me say that last part again: “God is not so much partisan as sovereign. It is more important to recognize God’s position than to know God’s plans.”

We know that one day Jesus is coming back. But in the meantime, we have absolutely no idea what God has planned. No country, no human institution, no political party should assume God is on their side. He might be, for a season. But that can change.

Israel won the battle of Jericho in chapter 6, but they lost the very next battle because of one man’s sin! That’s a very high standard if God is willing to punish an entire nation for one man’s sin! It’s a holy standard, and it should make us very cautious of putting our trust in any human or any human institution.

Instead, our first allegiance should always be to the Commander of the Lord’s Army. He’s always on time. He’s already won the battle. And here’s the best part – He did it by taking the sins of all His people to the cross, where God’s holy standard was upheld and death was defeated.

And now, The One who stood before Joshua still stands before us—Jesus Christ, the Lamb and the Warrior. We don’t get to recruit Him to our causes. Instead, He’s calling us to follow Him.

Pray

Lord’s Supper:

Just as the Israelites ate a real Passover when they crossed into the Promised Land, this meal is only a taste of a greater feast to come – the marriage supper of the Lamb.