Joshua 5:13-15 - Who are you for?
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Who are you for?
Who are you for?
Don’t Let go and let God - Obey and have Authority
Who do you go to work for?
Who do you take care of your house for?
Who do you go to church for?
Who do you eat for?
Background
Background
1) Joshua becomes the leader
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Christians - Let go and let God - I am not going to be frightened or dismayed for God is with me wherever I go.
2) Sends spies into Jericho - they hang out with a prostitute who is in the line of Jesus
3) Israel Crosses the Jordan (Red Sea)
4) All the men Get Circumcised
Quebec
5) The 1st Passover in the promise - the Manna is gone
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 his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 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?” 15 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.
Strange event right?
When Joshua was by Jericho
When Joshua was by Jericho
Why was he by Jericho? - Developing a plan
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,
Startling
A man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand.
A man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand.
He is ready to attack
Are you for us or for our adversaries?
Are you for us or for our adversaries?
Which way was he facing?
Like the crane in Karate kid
The text doesn’t tell us, but the fact that Joshua is confused is a clue.
No; But I am the commander of the army of the LORD.
No; But I am the commander of the army of the LORD.
No
No
We have you over after church, 2nd or 3rd visit so you know Travis Loves bananas - I come in and see Samantha take a knife out of the drawn and has a banana in her hand, and I asked are cutting the banana for our guest or Travis? and she said NO, wouldn’t that be strange??
That’s the jarring feeling we need.
Joshua is asking the wrong question
But I am the commander of the army of the LORD.
But I am the commander of the army of the LORD.
God himself, Jesus, an Angel - if you care, read my paper…
It’s an Angel of the LORD.
Why?
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God has given delegated authority away to humans and divine council - see Job
This story is an example of the proper dominion and authority that Israel was supposed to have.
Not for or against any people group or place - Jericho, AI, Gibeonites…
They were to be God’s instrument - obedient
Now I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worship and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORDS army said, Take off your sandals, the place you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so.
Now I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worship and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORDS army said, Take off your sandals, the place you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so.
Inside Jericho outside Jericho - doesn’t matter it all belongs to God
So what does this mean for us today?
So what does this mean for us today?
We like it when God is caring for us in supernatural ways - Manna, but that wasn’t what God wanted for them forever.
How many of you are going to go home and want someone to put give you a baby bottle with milk in it?
God has done some supernatural things to get you where you are, but he wants you to have dominion and authority.
Who are you for?
We are to be God’s representation of him to others
Don’t be for or against any person or or any place - be God instrument
Work
Family
Church
A servant of God - because we know what happens in Chapter 6. God takes down the walls, but Israel had to show up and begin to take authority God’s way.