In Place-1

IN (My/Your)PLACE--I—Joshua 5:13-15

Set for Restoration—Leadership—Ready to Rumble—Commanding the Battle

Attention:

A little girl who is a beginning/budding pianist.

She can only play ‘chopsticks.’

The teacher & master pianist kindly sets her in his lap in front of the keyboard & instructs her to begin playing ‘Chopsticks’ & to continue until he tells hers to stop.

While she is playing, he simultaneously begins playing within & beyond the ability of the girl/student.

Together, their ‘music’ becomes concert-worthy!

We, as God’s people, must know our place in order to accomplish His work.

Need:

You must recognize your place in God’s battle.

Joshua came face-to-face with the Commander/captain of the hosts of heaven.

God’s people must become aware of their place in the/God’s battle.

How can we take our proper place in the battle?

3 motivators that secure my place.

1—Those securing their place in the LORD’s battle are...

Open to His PRESENCE(:13)

Explanation:(:13)

:13—“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes & looked, & behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, & Joshua went to him & said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?”

“not in the city itself, but in the border of it[...]; or on the side of it[...]; on one side of which he was reconnoitering by himself, very probably seeking for a proper place where to make his first attack; [OR] if he could find out some avenue to the city, whereby he could enter more easily; [OR] it may be he was meditating a scheme how to subdue the city; [AND] it is very likely praying to God that he would direct him, & succeed him.”—John Gill

Joshua “lifted up his eyes”—possibly indiscriminately or possibly because something commanded Joshua’s attention.

However, upon “lifting up his eyes”, something of special spiritual significance is about to be perceived. Joshua is about to experience a spiritual unveiling with it’s resultant refocus.

Joshua beheld a M(m)an.

The man was “standing opposite” him.—Opposing, i.e., face-to-face or facing Joshua.

The man had a “drawn” “sword” in His hand.

Joshua approached(“went to”) the one wielding the “drawn” “sword.”

Joshua spoke to the man holding the “drawn” “sword.”

Joshua asked the man if he was [fighting]“for” Israel or [fighting]“for” Israel’s “adversaries”(Jericho/the Canaanites). Joshua wanted to know on who’s side the man stood. The man was obviously not an Israelite, so that he posed a potential threat to Israel. His identity is revealed in :14.

Unsure of the man’s intentions, Joshua gives Him the benefit of the doubt by directly asking him. The man’s answer would determine if he represented an enemy against Israel or an ally “for” Israel.

Notice that Joshua did not back down from confronting the “man.” Joshua had seen battle before(Num. 21:1-3, 21-32, 33-35; Num. 31:1-11ff.) & had been instructed in it’s God-ordained principles(Deut. 20:1-20; Num. 2:1-32).

Num. 21:1-3—“The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim, then he fought against Israel & took some of them prisoners. So Israel made a vow to the LORD, & said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” And the LORD listened to the voice of Israel & delivered up the Canaanites, & they utterly destroyed them & their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.”.....“Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying, “Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.” But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together & went out against Israel in the wilderness, & he came to Jahaz & fought against Israel. Then Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, & took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified. So Israel took all these cities, & Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon & in all its villages. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, & had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon. Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: ‘Come to Heshbon, let it be built; Let the city of Sihon be repaired. For fire went out from Heshbon, A flame from the city of Sihon; It consumed Ar of Moab, The lords of the heights of the Arnon. Woe to you, Moab! You have perished, O people of Chemosh! He has given his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, To Sihon king of the Amorites. But we have shot at them; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.’ “Then we laid waste as far as Nophah, Which reaches to Medeba.” Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. Then Moses sent to spy out Jazer; & they took its villages & drove out the Amorites who were there. And they turned & went up by the way to Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he & all his people, to battle at Edrei. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people & his land; & you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.” So they defeated him, his sons, & all his people, until there was no survivor left him; & they took possession of his land.”