Joshua 5:13
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
When Joshua had withdrawn alone near Jericho to pray for guidance before the conquest, he looked up and saw opposite him a tall and majestic warrior with sword drawn for battle, and went to him to ask whether he was for Israel or for its enemies. The armed stranger was no common angel but Jesus Christ himself, the Captain of the Lord's host and Commander of both Israel and the armies of heaven. His presence made the ground holy, so Joshua fell on his face in worship and was commanded to remove his shoe, showing he came with divine authority and not as a mere human ally. His coming assured Joshua that heaven's forces would give Jericho into Israel's hand, and that the battle was God's to direct and win without human power so that God alone would be magnified. Therefore the verse calls God's people to meet him with awe and to trust and obey his directions wholly, for the same Captain who overthrew Jericho will give victory to those who follow him now.
Encounter Near Jericho
Joshua was by Jericho at Gilgal, withdrawn from Israel's armies to meditate and pray for God's special presence and guidance before the conquest, while surveying Jericho's defenses until the task appeared impossible. The meeting belongs to Israel's history just before the taking of Jericho, when the people were carrying out principles taught in forty years of wandering, coming after the miraculous passage of the Jordan and the circumcision of the people and the observance of the Passover, and before the overthrow of Jericho. Joshua lifted up his eyes and saw standing opposite him a man of lofty stature, tall and majestic, clad in warlike garments with his sword drawn in his hand signaling readiness for battle. He did not recognize the stranger as one of Israel, and the stranger did not look like an enemy, so Joshua went to him and asked whether he was for Israel or for its adversaries.
The armed man was no common angel and no mere vision, but the Lord Jesus Christ in person, the Son of God, the Exalted One, the Angel of the covenant, the Angel of Jehovah, the Captain and Commander and mighty General of the Lord's host and chief commander of Israel's armies. He leads the armies of heaven with an unseen host of angels, and through him God reveals himself to humanity. He appeared to Joshua alone in human form with his glory hidden, because his full glory would have destroyed Israel's armies. He was the same one who had conducted the Hebrews through the wilderness enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, and who gave the gospel to Israel in the pillar of cloud.
His presence made the place where Joshua stood holy, as at the burning bush to Moses. Joshua fell on his face to the earth in worship and asked what his Lord commanded his servant. He was commanded to loose his shoe from his foot because the place was holy, which he did. This showed the Captain comes with divine authority rather than as a partisan ally.
Heavenly Victory Assured
The meeting disclosed that the armies of heaven under Christ's leadership were already present in Israel's camp to throw down Jericho's walls and place the city in the hands of God's people. Joshua received direct assurance that Jericho would be delivered into his hand, together with instructions for its capture. He could therefore trust what he was told and lay his heavy burden upon God.
The conduct of the battle was not left to human direction but was kept in God's own hands, who then unfolded the plan for the city's supernatural overthrow. The army was to march around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. The victory was ordered so simply that no person could claim its glory, no human hand was to level the walls, and the Lord alone was to be magnified. In this way Israel was taught to give glory to God rather than to itself, since Christ and not Joshua accomplished the capture.
The triumph belonged to Christ and His angels, not to Israel, for the Captain of the Lord's host with the heavenly army tore down the walls without human power and opened a way of entrance for Joshua and Israel. Victory depended not on human wisdom or strength but on God their divine Leader, and Israel was trained by the event to rely wholly upon Him. The miracle displayed God's power to defeat Israel's enemies and rebuked the people's earlier unbelief. The fall of the walls without human agency proved the work was done by that heavenly army, and Israel might have entered Canaan much earlier had the people trusted and obeyed God instead of accepting the spies' evil report and rebelling. The same divine Commander had vanquished the Amorites after Israel crossed the Arnon, and would have granted the same victory thirty-eight years before if Israel had trusted Him.
The appearing was among the mightiest displays of God's power and most direct and solemn warnings ever given to Israel. Jericho's wealth and idolatry had provoked God, and His judgment was directed against it. That manifestation gave solemn weight to the command forbidding Israel to take any of the spoils of Jericho. When Israel walked in obedience the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law, with the ark carried by holy men according to His express command, and Israel enjoyed the divine presence granted to an obedient and believing people whose arm brought them deliverance. This stands in sharp contrast to following their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority, with the ark borne by sons of Belial and with confident looking to the ark itself, which is only a symbol of that presence, for blessings which God alone can bestow.
Reverence and Present Trust
The meeting by Jericho teaches that one who comes directly from God's holy presence is to be met with awe, worship and obedience. Such reverence is called forth by God's majesty and power, and by the revelation of His presence, majesty and high authority in the Captain of the Lord's host. Sacred and eternal things exceed finite human powers and must be approached with reverence. If such fear and honor are due to God's messenger, far greater reverence is due to God Himself.
Israel was thereby trained to rely wholly on God and to direct glory to God rather than to themselves, for Christ, not Joshua, accomplished the capture of Jericho. Joshua's leadership depended on God's presence and direction, not merely on choosing a human ally, and Israel's victory depended on God's leadership, not merely on human strength. The Captain revealed Himself to Joshua alone, and Joshua told the Israelites what he alone had seen, so the people had to choose whether to trust his account and obey the Captain's directions or doubt and rebel. The lesson was that victory depended not on human wisdom or strength but on God their divine Leader, with human wisdom and strength left behind. So God's workers are to obey Christ's directions and trust Him to accomplish the work through simple means, so that God receives the glory, with Jesus as Captain needed with them and heavenly angels ready to help the humble and remove obstacles.
Jesus as Captain of the Lord's host is needed with His people in the work now, and following His directions with faith in Him is required. As He gave Israel victory then, so the Lord's commandment-keeping people will triumph now and all opposing elements will be defeated. God Himself works for Israel, every lying tongue is silenced, angels' hands overthrow deceptive schemes, the bulwarks of Satan never triumph, and victory attends the third angel's message. Applied to the approaching conflict between truth and error, those on the Lord's side are to join His work, and the walls of antichrist will fall before the Captain. That battle is against satanic agencies, not against fellow believers or the Lord's anointed.
The question, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries, stands as a challenge to declare whether one stands with God's people and the truth or with their adversaries. The Christ thus revealed in the Old Testament showed the same character as in His later life among people, truth, purity, righteousness and love. That character is the perfect standard for human conduct and the promise of immortal life.