Beloved, I invite you to take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to the book of Joshua, Joshua chapter 5. We are in our ninth message in this marvelous Old Testament book. This is a book I've been looking forward to preaching for many, many years, and it's been such a joy to be in this book, and then in particular in this chapter, I think Joshua chapter 5 may be the Christ-centered pearl of the Old Testament. So much wonderful Christ-centered truth within this text. Jesus is certainly walking through the pages of the entire Old Testament, but we sometimes see him more clearly in one place over another, and Joshua 5 is certainly one of those places. If you would please turn with me to Joshua 5, we'll look at verses 13 through 15 this morning, and if you are able, please stand for the reading of God's Word. 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? And he said, no, but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, what does my Lord say to his servant? 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. Amen. Let's pray. Our father, we thank you for your word. And you promised Lord that through your word and by your spirit, you will make us alive and that you will nourish life within us, united to your son. And so we pray, O Lord, that this morning you would not only show us the reality of our sin, but also the glories of your grace. Show us Christ, O Lord. From Joshua 5, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion. The question was asked by Susan Pevensey, a character in C.S. Lewis's whimsical tale, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Susan's question was directed to Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. She was inquiring about Aslan the Lion, the messianic hope of Narnia. Mrs. Beaver responded to the question by saying, quote, that you will be nervous, dearie, and make no mistake. If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly. Then he isn't safe, said Lucy, Susan's little sister. Safe, said Mr. Beaver. Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he's not safe, but he's good. He's the king, I tell you. And he'll put all to rights, as it says in an old rhyme in these parts. Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again. Beloved, as we come to our passage for this morning, we are introduced to an enigmatic figure, the likes of Aslan. And if we are reading our Bibles correctly, the mysterious person brandishing a sword before Joshua is not safe. He is a mighty warrior from heaven. But Joshua will also learn that while not safe, the man is good. Indeed, he is holy, sent by God to lead his people to victory over their enemies and secure their inheritance in the land of promise. And he is not just good and holy, he is worthy of Joshua's worship and utmost allegiance. And we will soon see why. Well, if you're taking notes this morning or simply want to follow along, I've divided these three verses into four headings. An unexpected appearance, an honest question, a humble response, and a fitting command. An unexpected appearance, an honest question, a humble response, and a fitting command. Let's begin with the unexpected appearance in verse 13. The text states that Joshua was by Jericho. How close was he to the enemy territory? We don't know. The text suggests that Israel's new leader was out by himself alone. In light of all of the spiritual preparations that have been taking place at Gilgal the previous week, it wouldn't be surprising if Joshua had taken some time to pray and to be alone with God. Remember, God did not want Israel to rush into battle after they crossed the Jordan River. Rather, He wanted them to stop, to be still, to cease their strivings. And remember, remember God's loving presence and covenant promises. remember God's covenant faithfulness. God wanted them, you remember, to be spiritually prepared before entering the conflict. They would remember God's covenant faithfulness through ordinary means of grace. Circumcision and Passover. Ordinary means that would one day be replaced by baptism and the Lord's Supper. Ordinary means that ultimately signify and point to God's Messiah. We consider these things last Lord's Day and the Lord's Day before that. For Joshua the previous week had been full of rich spiritual instruction, encouragement, and preparation as this new generation that had come into the land were circumcised and as they together partook of the Passover meal. He and all Israel were reminded through these means that God was with them, that his promises are true, And that living by faith means trusting his promises and obeying his word. Let me say that again. Living by faith means trusting in his promises and obeying his word. Joshua was likely reflecting on all that had happened. On so many things that had happened. The previous generation falling in the desert due to their unbelief and idolatry. Moses' death and his rise, and Joshua's rise to leadership. Israel's crossing of the mighty Jordan river by a miracle of God. All of this must've been so much to take in. So not unlike Jesus going out to a quiet place to spend time with his heavenly father in preparation for the days ahead, Joshua went out by Jericho. It may have also been a time for Joshua to reflect upon a strategy for war. Before we go on, Let me ask you, dear ones, have you had time to reflect lately? We may live in the most challenging age. In fact, I think it's silly to even say we may. We do live in the most distracting age in the history of the world. We are distracted by screens in our pocket, screens on the wall, screens on our desk, constant messages over and over again. I want to ask you, dear ones, do you leave margin in your busy schedules to think? Do you remember what that is? Think, to think. We live in a world where we are not encouraged to think. We are encouraged to buy. We are encouraged to covet. We are not encouraged to think, and certainly not about God. But do we leave time in our busy schedules to reflect and to remember God's faithfulness and His commands? In our world of screens, the 24-hour news cycle, social media, and never-ending sports, we do not live in a world that encourages quiet reflection and meditation upon the Lord, do we? But it's as important as ever. that you and I make time for this. If this is something that's disappeared in your life, I want to encourage you to renew commitment to that. Everyone is busy, we know. Everyone has commitments and responsibilities. Yes, we know, it's been that way since the beginning of time. And yet, Satan has, I believe, tricked many of us in thinking that we do not need time for reflection any longer. We're too busy for that. We're 21st century Christians. But this is not true. We need to spend time with the Lord. We need to not just read his word, but prayerfully reflect upon it. reflect upon your priorities as a Christian believer and make the Lord and His purpose your highest priority. This is something that we do, of course, every Lord's Day as we re-examine our lives and as we come to the table to receive Christ's forgiveness and His grace and wisdom and strength to carry on. So Joshua is by Jericho. He is there alone. He is contemplating. What happens next is highly unexpected. Look with me again at verse 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 hand. The sight of this mysterious warrior would have gotten Joshua's blood pumping, I'm sure. An unsheathed sword only meant one thing. The man, this man, was ready to fight. He was prepared for battle. But who was he? Joshua must have wondered. Theologians have been discussing his identity for centuries. Who was this man with a drawn sword? Before we go on, it's important to note that there are two other accounts in scripture with a somewhat parallel description of one with a drawn sword. The first one is in Numbers 22. verses 23 and 31, Numbers 22, verses 23 and 31, you'll remember the story of Balaam. God was angry with him and thus sent an angel of the Lord to stand in the road with a drawn sword. At first, the angel was only visible to the donkey, and so the donkey began acting erratically, but then later, Balaam saw the angel with the drawn sword, and you know how he responded? He threw himself down on his face before the angel. The second example is from 1st Chronicles 21 16. It was after David had sinned against God and quote, David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven and in his hand, a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders clothed in sackcloth fell upon their faces. In both of these instances, there are angels sent by God with their swords drawn, a sign of God's forthcoming judgment. In both instances, there is a response of reverence, of fear, and deep respect. But there are differences, aren't there, between these accounts and the account that takes place in Joshua. First, Joshua is not initially awestruck by the man he encounters. Indeed, he sees a man, not a magnificent angel. Joshua's first impulse is not to throw himself down at the feet of this man, but to ask the warrior whose side he's on. Remember, Joshua is near Jericho, and so it's a legitimate question he's asking. It's a question that all of us, if we were there, would have likely asked as well. Whose side are you on? Whose team are you on? Well, this leads to an honest question, our second heading for this morning, an honest question. Again, the text states, and Joshua went to him and said to him, are you for us or for our adversaries? Now before we consider Joshua's question, we shouldn't overlook the fact that Joshua went to him. Is this the kind of person you would have went to? That you would have approached? I think I would not have done that. Remember, the mysterious man's sword is unsheathed. Joshua approached him, not knowing which side he was on. Most of us would have gone in the opposite direction, perhaps to get help. But Joshua, he senses something different about this man. Therefore, with strength and courage in the Lord, he walks towards him and he says, are you for us or for our enemies? This man likely also did not look like an ethnic Hebrew. Hence Joshua's question. What a dangerous moment this must have been as Joshua approached him. So what did he say? Well, his response was in some ways more surprising than his appearance. He said, no. But I am the commander of the army of the Lord, now I have come. This doesn't seem like a very good answer to the question. Joshua asked him if he was for Israel or for Canaan. And he said, no. No? What does he mean by answering no? Or as some of your Bibles translate it, neither. Why does he answer in this way? It's likely that he's making the important point that Joshua was asking the wrong question altogether. Too often, it's not that we're just not asking questions, but even if we are asking questions in life or of life, we're not asking the right ones. And this is true here. Rather than asking, are you with us? What Joshua should have asked is, are we with you? Are we to follow you? Are we going to war with you? You see the man's response to Joshua was instructive. How so? As commentator David Firth explains, quote, Israel needed to join God's battle rather than wage war on their own. James Montgomery Boyce adds, quote, the point of the exchange seems to be that it was not for Joshua to claim the allegiance of God for his cause, however right it was, but rather for God to claim Joshua. The two would fight together, but Joshua would be following the commander of the armies of the Lord in his cause and battles rather than it being the other way around. And this isn't just a lesson for Joshua, is it? It's a lesson for each and every one of us that professes the name of Christ this morning. Please hear this. God doesn't exist for your personal battles and causes and to make life like you envision it. That's not God's role. He does not exist for this purpose. No, you beloved exist for His cause. You exist for His glory. I understand every voice in the world is telling you that you are the greatest star in your own life movie, that you are the star, you're the hero, you're the champion and everybody else, including God is kind of a supporting actor in that drama. But that is not reality. That's idolatry. We exist for Him and for His cause. Dear one, you have been redeemed to serve His purpose and to follow His commands and to carry out His mission. The blessed triune God calls you and me to a life of discipleship on His terms. and not on your own. You have been saved for His glory. If we are Christians, then we are not the commanders of our own lives. Jesus Christ is. We follow Him. We follow His plans for us. We don't ask Him to follow our plans. And what are His plans and purposes for us? While we don't know the particulars of God's providence, we don't know what's going to happen later this afternoon, or tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, or in 10 years. We don't know. Only God knows that as it concerns those particulars of God's providence and His plans for our lives. However, we do know that Christ has secured our victory over sin and death and has called us to a life of grateful obedience to his word, his word which is filled with clear instruction and guidance on how we ought to live in humble submission to his commands. So the enigmatic figure didn't answer Joshua's question, but he revealed his identity. And that was the most important thing. That's the most important thing. As the commander of the armies of the Lord, presumably meaning armies of fiery angels from heaven, he will defeat all of his and Israel's enemies. After all, how do you think the walls of Jericho fell down? You ever think about that? How did the walls of Jericho fall down? Well, here you have the commander of the Lord's armies leading a host of heavenly, fiery, mighty angels. It would have been hard for them to bring down the walls of Jericho. Of course, we see that God will see next week, God willing, that the Lord commanded Israel to do certain things, to walk a certain amount of times around the city and to blow their trumpets and to give a mighty shout and all these things. And yes, the Lord commanded them to do these things and they did them. But we know ultimately it was the power of God that brought the walls down. And while there is a debate about the identity of the man with the sword in hand, I believe it is none other than God's son. a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, the coming Messiah and warrior savior of his people. Why do I believe that? Why do I believe that? Because in part, we see the response of Joshua, which brings us to our third heading, a humble response. Look with me again at verse 14. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped. and said to him, what does my Lord say to his servant? It was as if Joshua had suddenly understood that standing before him was no ordinary man. He suddenly realized that he was not simply in the presence of military prowess or greatness, but in the presence of almighty God, it was a Christophany. a pre-incarnate appearance of God's Son. How do we know? Well, for a start, Joshua threw himself down before him and did something different than the others did with the angels. What did he do? He worshipped. He threw himself down and he worshipped. And the man did not stop him. If it was an angel, he would have stopped Joshua from worshiping. You may remember the Apostle John's blunder in Revelation 19, when that mighty angel appeared to him. And what did John do? He threw himself down at the angel's feet to worship him. Revelation 19 verses 9 and 10. report to us he fell down at the angel's feet to worship him but the angel emphatically said again revelation 19 verse 10 you must not do that i am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of jesus worship god do not worship me an angel a fellow servant with you of the Lord Jesus Christ, worship God." John was rebuked by the angel for worshiping him. Joshua was not rebuked for his worship because Joshua was in the presence of God. Back in chapter one, God declared to Joshua, be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Here God is showing Joshua that he is faithful to his promise. God and his armies of angels will lead Joshua and his armies into battle. The battle belongs to the Lord, not because of Joshua's military prowess or the might of the Israelite army, but because of God's power. and his sovereign purpose to give his people the land. Insofar as Joshua and Israel proceed by faith and obedience, God will crush their enemies. And dear ones, let us not miss the important aspects of Joshua's humble response, a response of a true disciple. The first thing he does is he reverently worships. He worships, he's compelled to worship. When he encounters the pre-incarnate Christ, he does not respond to him glibly or informally or casually. There's nothing informal about this encounter. He does not respond flippantly. No, Joshua acknowledges him with deep reverence and great respect. He worships. It's one of the problems that I have with many of the modern day expressions of worship in our own day. It's just frankly irreverent. And anytime we see men and women having an encounter with God in scripture, we never see it playing out like we see it playing out in so many expressions around our nation and the world. None of us worship God perfectly. but at least we should worship him with reverence and awe because our God is a consuming fire. Joshua acknowledges him with deep reverence and he worships. And let us learn, dear ones, as we enter the presence of God, as we hear Christ's voice in the reading and preaching of the word, as we see his visible word in the sacraments of the bread and the wine and the water, as his spirit is at work within us, may our hearts be filled with reverence, respect, and awe. May we worship God on his terms for his glory. When Joshua understood that he was in the presence of God, he immediately worshiped. And we should do the same. especially in the context of Lord's day worship when God has promised to bless his people through his means of grace. Secondly, we see that he humbly submits. He humbly submits. Did you notice Joshua's response? He says, what does my Lord say to his servant? He makes no demands. He puts no conditions. He makes no deals. He does not tell God his plans. He simply says, what do you say to your servant? He views himself as a servant of God and he is listening to God's voice. Dear ones, should it really be any different for 21st century Christians? By God's grace, we have been delivered from the bondage of sin and thus are no longer slaves to sin. We are now united to Christ and we are slaves of righteousness. And by God's spirit, we've been liberated to submit ourselves to God's word. We have been set free by Christ and by his spirit in order to serve and to love God and to obey his commands. The life of Christian discipleship is a life of humble submission to God. Indeed, in Matthew 16, 24 and 25, Jesus himself says, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. This is a way we ought to think about our lives as Christ's disciples. saying with Joshua, what do you say to your servant? Christ saved you, dear Christian, unto a life of humble submission to him. If this is not how you view your life, then you are not following Christ on his terms, and thus you may not be following him at all, which we will soon see is a very dangerous place, a very precarious place. And this naturally brings us to our final heading, a fitting command. Look with me at verse 15. And the command of the Lord's army, 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. The scene is reminiscent, isn't it, of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3. Joshua, of course, would have immediately thought of this as Moses would have spoken to him of this event many, many times over the course of the decades. Remember, God spoke to Moses in the burning bush, reminding Moses of his holiness and his power and his sovereignty. And he was sending Moses to Pharaoh to set his people free. And here God is revealing himself to Joshua, reminding him that God is with him and that he is standing on holy ground and he will lead the armies of the Lord against their enemies in Canaan. Moses and Joshua, would not have been prepared for all of the great challenges ahead without first dwelling in the holy and majestic presence of God, the covenant-keeping God of Israel, the maker and sustainer of all things, the God whose promises are true, whose presence is constant, and whose power is unmatched." And beloved, let us not miss this. Joshua asks a question which he thinks is the most important question at the moment. And like I said, we probably would have asked the same thing. Are you for us or against us? You got that big old sword out? What's happening here? He doesn't answer his question, but he reveals his identity as the commander of the Lord's army. And then Joshua asks him, what do you say to your servant? And rather than get some kind of long list of do's and don'ts and commands, what does he say? Take off your sandals, because where you are standing is holy ground. What will transform Joshua? What will transform Joshua as he is heading into battle is the reality of God's saving presence in his life, his acknowledgement of it, his worship, his basking in the glory and the majesty of God. You see, we as 21st century entrepreneurial-minded Americans, We're always looking for a list. We're always looking for a specific plan that we think makes a lot of sense to us. But what doesn't always make sense to us is being still, basking in His presence, glorying in His grace, taking it in as you are gathered for worship in his presence and hearing his praises and hearing his word and coming to the table and reflecting upon his goodness and his mercy and his grace in your life. We have a hard time being still and doing that, but this is exactly what God wanted Joshua to do. Joshua would have been strategizing, doing what he knows to do, But this was the most important thing and not just for Joshua, for all of Israel, as we've seen in past weeks in the consideration of the circumcision of that next generation, receiving the sign and seal of God's covenant of grace, and then participating in the Passover, being reminded of God's deliverance of his people from Egypt. through the Passover lamb, which ultimately points to the Lord Jesus Christ, which ultimately points to the Lord's table and our remembrance of Christ's work for us. So Joshua took off his sandals in obedience to God, basking in his holy presence, trusting in his saving promises and standing ready to obey his commands. Well, as we conclude, the main focus of these verses, we recognize, is not Joshua. The main focus of these verses is God. The focus is on His promises, presence, and power, without which Joshua and Israel would be lost, without which we would be lost. The man with the brandished sword is none other than God's Son, the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of heaven, who Joshua and the armies of Israel will join in the battle. Joshua will follow the commander of the Lord's army, not vice versa. This is not just for Joshua, this is for us. We follow the Lord and his will and purpose as we see set forth in his word. And one day, more importantly, The commander of the armies of the Lord, the mighty prince of heaven, will be sent into the world, not as an enigmatic man with a sword, but as a human baby in the arms of his virgin mother. He came not just for Israel, but for sinners from every tribe, tongue, and nation. He came not to judge, but to save. to save sinners through His atoning blood and His justifying righteousness, which we receive by grace through faith in Him. Indeed, through faith in Christ, sinners are forgiven. Through faith in Christ, sinners are reconciled to this holy God. In Christ, we are no longer under holy God's wrath, but objects of His covenant mercy. But dear ones, let us remember, Let us remember this sobering reality that while Christ came as a lamb in his first coming, he will return as a lion in his second coming. Once again, brandishing the sword of judgment against his enemies, against those who trust in idols, against those who trust in their own righteousness, against those who rebel against the Lord. Indeed, in Revelation chapter 19 and verse 15, it says, quote, Dear ones, this is the wrath that Christ bore on Calvary's cross for sinners. But this is also the wrath that will be leveled in the last day against all who are separated from Him. So may we all throw ourselves at His feet this morning and worship. May we all take off our sandals in His presence. May we all embrace His ways and purposes for our lives. May we all abide in His grace and trust in His promises and follow His word. Like Aslan the lion, our Lord can hardly be called safe. But He is good, He is holy, and He is full of love and mercy and compassion for those who come to Him by grace, through faith, with repentant hearts. Would you pray with me? Our Father, we thank You for this text, which shows us Your Son. Your son who bore your wrath and drank the cup of wrath down to the very dregs that we would one day drink the cup of blessing. Oh Lord, we pray that no one in this room would be under the sword of your judgment, but that we would all by your grace be in the arms of your love. And Lord, as you feed us from the table this morning, would you remind us powerfully of your mercy, of your love, of your forgiveness, as we come examining our lives, turning from sin and looking to Christ for grace and mercy and for strength to carry on, as one day we will all be together around that throne in glory, all the nations worshiping you. And we pray this in Jesus' name.