Military order. You see its presence in so many organizations of our society. Besides the five main branches of the military, you can see it in the police force, the fire department, and even in junior organizations like the ROTC. A structuring of authority that is concrete, official and there for a reason. You see, when you’re in a war you need to have clear and effective leadership that is battle hardened and ready to deal with all difficulties that lie ahead. As I study history and watch documentaries, it’s always interesting to me to see the Generals, Admirals, Colonels, Majors and Sergeants that lead the soldiers into battle. I really enjoyed the series Band of Brothers and sat on the edge of my seat as the officers led their men through the atrocities of World War II. But have you ever thought about Jesus in this light? What, Jesus Christ as a General? You might be asking what in the world would Jesus have to do with war, battle, fighting or conflict? Read on.
Today as we look at Joshua chapter 5, we find a very interesting encounter. The Lord has split the Jordan river and the Israelites are now safely across. And now that they are across, they know what’s coming. You see, the Promised Land is not empty, it is full of large cities that are full of large men and those large men are more than willing to fight to the death to defend their homes. The Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perrizites, the Girgashites, the Amorites and the Jebusites, all just waiting for their turn to fight off and hopefully obliterate the Israelites. (Jos 3:10) The only problem for these people groups? They’re shaking in their boots. You see, they have heard and seen what the God of the Israelites can do and they know that they don’t have a chance when their mighty God leads them into battle.
“As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.” Joshua 5:1
So as Joshua is preparing for these upcoming battles, he one day happens to look up and see a man standing near him with sword drawn. Now to wear a sword is one thing but to have it drawn is a sign of aggression. It’d be just like you wearing a handgun in your holster versus having it fully drawn. To have your weapon drawn means business is close at hand. It’s in this exchange that we get a rare glimpse of Jesus that few know.
“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.” Joshua 5:13-15
Picture this. Joshua is in charge, he has been commissioned directly by God, affirmed directly by Moses and then affirmed again by God in front of the entire Israelite nation. Then God allowed Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan, thereby garnering him great status among the people. (Josh 3:7) It’s safe to say that by now, Joshua was equipped, prepared and empowered to lead God’s people. But what we see in this exchange is a strong reminder to Joshua, and us, of who is really the commander.
What we see here is the pre-incarnate Christ and the true commissioning of Joshua. You’ll notice this encounter somewhat mirrors that of Moses and the burning bush, both men were prompted to remove their sandals as they approached the Holy ground upon which the pre-incarnate Christ was standing. What a moment this must have been for Joshua. I bet it was both frightening as well as tremendously encouraging. Here stands the Lord, sword drawn, claiming absolute and full command and responsibility for all of the battles that are about to take place throughout the Promised Land. Joshua got a valuable reminder, no matter your rank here on this earth, there is always one rank higher, that of Jesus Christ, our commander.
But I have a question for you. As you have your quiet time, prayer and Bible study this morning, how do you picture Jesus? Do you picture Him as in the painting you see in most churches where He has a few lambs in His arms? Do you picture Him as in one of those black velvet paintings where He stands with arms stretched out to both sides? Do you picture Him sitting and laughing as He is surrounded by lots of small children? Maybe you picture Him on the Cross, a beaten and bloody body about to die for the sins of the world. Or maybe you picture Him sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven, intercessing for our sins against God. But I bet out of all of these images, you probably don’t see Jesus as the commanding officer in full armor, wielding a long, sharp double-edged sword, drawn and ready to attack His enemies. I think our world today can only see Jesus as an absolute pacifist, incapable of violence, aggression or retribution upon those that attack Him. But folks, today we get a real glimpse of Jesus, and it differs greatly.
Do you have enemies today? Are you battling the schemes and lies of satan? Are you battling temptation and sin in your life? Is that sin stealing your joy, keeping you in shackles just a few feet away from the joy and freedom that Jesus intends for you? Are you fighting the evil that is in this world today? Are the flaming darts of the evil one finding their targets upon you, your family, your marriage and your relationships? Folks, these are true in every believers life and as a result you need a commander that can do battle. You need a Lord that is ready to combat the evil that is attacking your life. You need Jesus with a sword drawn.
We’re told in Ephesians:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12
Folks, on our own we cannot ever hope to battle satan and have victory. The victory is in Jesus and it is only through Jesus, the commander of God’s army, that the battles can be won. As you are in the midst of the battle today, don’t just see Jesus as the lamb, see Him also as the 5 star General of the Armies of Heaven. He is ready to do battle with the one that attacks His children. Today, call on your Savior, Jesus Christ, and let Him fight the battles that you cannot.
The victory you desire today lies in the hands Jesus.
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