Joshua’s Encounter With God Before The Battle Of Jericho
Randy highlights one incident from the story of Joshua; an encounter with God before the Battle of Jericho. Randy shows us how Joshua’s encounter with God reminded him just who was leading this army.
Likely To Fail
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts ” (Isaiah 55:8,9 NKJV).
When I was in the corporate world, we’d sometime launch an initiative that looked like a long shot to make it. In other words, it had “likely to fail” metaphorically written all over it. But the scant possibility of success was sufficiently enticing to cause us to give it our best shot.
To have any possibility of victory, every slight advantage needed to be leveraged – and every contingency had to fall just right.
Only then could success be realized.
Joshua’s High Risk Mission
That gets me thinking of Joshua. Thirty-four centuries ago, his task appeared to be a high-risk, long-shot, low-probability mission.
As he led the nation of Israel across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land, he must have agonized about how this conquest could possibly be achieved.
His rag-tag army had almost no military experience, little equipment and no military headquarters. And with massive walls and experienced warriors, Jericho – his first target – was the most fortified city in Canaan.
From the viewpoint of human analysis, he had but one advantage to seize: Joshua’s enemies were being overcome with terror.
The historical narrative reveals:
“Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.” (Joshua 5:1 NKJV).
Delay At Jericho
If ever Jericho was vulnerable, it was now. This window provided the needed opportunity for attack, and still every contingency had to align for Israel to be triumphant.
But God delayed attack. Other issues – spiritual, covenant issues – needed to be addressed and took priority: the practice of the rite of circumcision had been ignored for many years , possibly a whole generation. The nation needed to catch up as part of their covenant commitment to Yahweh – a situation that would render the soldiers incapable of combat for several days.
Passover was celebrated and for the first time, the people of God ate of the produce of the land. The manna that had sustained the nomadic nation for decades, ceased.
Joshua was very aware of his primary task: he was to lead Israel to take possession of the Promised Land by violent, military means.
But I wonder if Joshua sensed a little impatience? Was the courage beginning to seep back into the veins of his adversaries? Had the element of surprise having long passed, resulted in a strengthened defensive garrison? By delaying, had the opening – his only perceivable advantage – been lost?
Joshua’s Encounter With God
Then Joshua had an experience – a physical, tangible appearance of the Lord that put it all into perspective.
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 NKJV).
This was a theophany – a temporary embodiment of the God of Israel for the purpose of communicating an essential message in the life of his chosen servant. Joshua was only one of a handful of Old Testament saints privileged with a physical sighting of Yahweh. Can you imagine how powerful – how sustaining in times of trial, doubt, discouragement – that would be?
What was the point of this encounter?
As he was leading God’s people on God’s mission, Joshua – having just crossed the Jordan – now understood some essential truths that profoundly readjusted his viewpoint about the Lord, His work, and His holiness.
Joshua’s Lesson
Here’s how I apply to my life, the leadership lessons that I think Joshua was learning that day:
God is not supporting my plans; I am to support His. It seems simple enough, but is it ever easy in spiritual leadership to get that confused!
God is not fighting our battles, supporting our causes, or at our beckoning to come to the rescue when following our own designs, we’ve encountered trouble leading to anxiety. Spiritual leadership is about careful obedience bathed in continual prayer, begging God to constantly remind us of His role as stage director, and my role as bit player.
there is a sense in which “holy ground” is that place where the Lord is present and is working. I want to be in that geography!
The Lord’s timing is perfect, even when it appears to be lacking urgency.
Randy Bushey
After completing a 35 year corporate-management career in the general insurance industry, Randy is dedicated to full-time elder’s work at Bethel Gospel Chapel in North Bay (Ontario).
With a primary pastoral focus in Bible teaching (preaching and leading Bible studies). Randy is also engaged in visitation, church music, and helping develop other men in their roles as Christ-followers, preachers and leaders.
He is married to Pat who is investing her life in working with women and children in the local assembly. They are both energized by their 3 children (2 married) and 6 grandchildren!
You can listen to pod casts from Randy’s show, “The Faith Factor,” by clicking here.
More Podcasts Below:
More Blogs
Peace Through The Christ of Christmas
Can We Be Holy? The Process of Sanctification
Images courtesy of:
Israel – Hand With Pen – leehuzysberg
Stairs- heathertruett
Brick –Unsplash
Warrior – Miguel Saavedra
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