Today I read one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament from Joshua 5:13-15. The people of God have just crossed the Jordan river, and are approaching the city of Jericho. The text says, “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 (v. 13a).” So, here Joshua is , leading the people of God into the promise land, and he comes face-to-face with a man standing in his way with a drawn sword. This man must have commanded respect and fear because Joshua approached him and asked, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries (v. 13c)?” Joshua was so compelled by this figure that he wanted to know if this man was for the people of God or against them. I would assume that Joshua could tell that this man was not someone they wanted to mess with. He probably could tell that this man was going to win any battle that he entered. How then did the man respond to Joshua’s question? This is my favorite part of the passage. This man responds by saying, “No (v. 14a).” Joshua asks a very direct question and the man gives him an indirect answer. Joshua wants to know if the man is for him or the enemy, and the man says no. But the man does not end there. He says, “no, but I am the commander of the Lord’s army (v. 14)” In other words he says I am not for you or your enemy, but you are fighting for me. When Joshua heard the man’s response he fell on his face and worshiped. Many scholars believe that this appearance of the commander of the Lord’s army is an Old Testament christophany. An Old Testament christophany is a point in the Old Testament when a preincarnate Christ appears on the scene to accomplish a particular purpose. In this case, the commander of the Lord’s army is reminding Joshua who the people are fighting for. He is reminding them that they are not fighting for themselves, but they are fighting for the Lord. This reminder is one that would also serve us well. We are not people who are engaging the lost world with the gospel for our own good. We do not stand against the evil schemes of the Devil in order to say look at us, or to gain our own following. We engage, and we fight, and we evangelize in order to glorify God, and expand his kingdom. When you are tempted to ask, “God, are you for me,” remember that he is not for you, but you are for him. When we keep this perspective in mind, we will remove the focus from our current circumstances, and begin to look for how the Lord is moving around us.
