Gail Landgraf posted: " Photo by Bakr Magrabi on Pexels.com Have you ever had a visitor from Heaven? It happens; and when it does the event becomes life-changing. You never forget it. Also; you gain a strength that you had not possessed before it happened. This type " The IN SEASON Lifestyle
It happens; and when it does the event becomes life-changing. You never forget it. Also; you gain a strength that you had not possessed before it happened. This type of visit gives you confidence and assurance that God is with you through every battle.
Joshua had such a visitor in today's lesson.
The passage of Joshua 5:13-15 is very interesting. It tells us about Joshua's heavenly encounter. At first you might think this is an angel. That would be amazing enough. I'm sure angels must have been in the background too; but this One was even more powerful and awesome than any angel in the army which He commanded.
Let's look at that passage and think about what it meant:
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)
This passage sounds a lot like what happened with Moses when Jesus spoke to him through the form of a burning bush. Both times are theophanies. There are repeated patterns throughout the life of Joshua that resemble the same things that happened with Moses. Another example would be the crossing of the Red Sea compared to the crossing of the Jordan River. God did the same things for both leaders many more times.
God will do the same for our leaders of today; if they are keeping God's ways and following and believing in Jesus. I'm sure these are patterns that God never tires of repeating. One man's obedience has made history many times over.
God is always ready to come to the aid and defend the faithful.
WELCOME
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JOSHUA'S HEAVENLY VISITOR
Joshua was probably preoccupied with the Passover celebration they had just observed. He might have been in deep thought and totally surprised when he looked up to see a man standing in front of him. The sword of this "man" was drawn.
I'll bet Joshua became very focused very fast!
That isn't the way that most of us want to be surprised.
Whenever you see a man before you with a drawn sword; it is best to find out exactly who he is so you can know how to appease him. Joshua immediately asked if he was on their side; or the side of their enemies.
The man gave a pretty strange answer. He said "Neither."
It seems that he wasn't about taking sides with anyone. He was simply there to do God's will. That was his only mission. He quickly told Joshua his title which was Commander of The Lord's Army.
Now that is a pretty impressive title.
It was impressive enough for Joshua to fall facedown on the ground and ask what message this Commander brought to him from God.
STANDING ON HOLY GROUND
First things first though.
The messenger from heaven advised Joshua to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.
Have you ever stood on holy ground?
Sometimes you can be right there and not know it or realize. Sooner or later though, you will discover the relevance of the place. That is exactly what happened to Joshua.
What makes a place holy ground?
For a place to be called Holy it has to be inhabited by God's Presence.
God's Presence was there in Jericho; standing right in front of Joshua. This was an Old Testament form of Jesus. He is constantly hiding in the pages of the Old Testament; often showing a different side of his personality that we can't see in the New Testament.
AN OLD TESTAMENT THEOPHANY
We don't usually expect to see Jesus showing up in the Old Testament. Like Joshua in this passage; He kind of sneaks up on us. We look up and there He is! The Old Testament forms of Jesus are not exactly like the Carpenter's Son we see much later. He generally appears as whomever his people need in the moments in which they must be saved. Still; we can recognize him as our Savior. Whatever personality it takes for God's salvation to be accomplished appears in every story.
Today was Joshua's turn to see God in action. Jesus appeared before him in the body of the commander of an army. Not just ANY army though; God's army. He was commanding that invisible army that would conquer Jericho when Joshua's army trusted and obeyed God's commands.
The Commander told Joshua to take off his shoes because he was standing on Holy Ground. Joshua immediately obeyed. He recognized God's Presence was before him. Jesus standing there made this usually pagan ground around Jericho holy.
ANNOUNCING SALVATION FOR THE PEOPLE
Instantly Joshua knew that the salvation of his people was in sight. This was because of the sword that the Commander wielded in front of him.
The sword of Jesus is mighty and it conquers whatever is before it. It is sharp and it has two edges. The scriptures speak of it this way:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
The One who knew how to conquer had come down from heaven in order to explain Joshua's battle plan to him.
As Joshua lay on the ground in awe; he listened to what God wanted him to do next.
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