In Place-2

IN (My/Your)PLACE-II—Joshua 5:13-15

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

Attention:

An antiques appraiser visits a San Francisco collectibles store.

Just inside the store, He notices a rather disheveled looking street cat drinking out of what he recognized as a genuine Ming Dynasty bowl—Worth hundreds of thousands of dollars!

The antiques appraiser assumes that the owner is obviously unaware of his treasure. So he schemes how to get the bowl.

The appraiser offers to buy the cat from the store owner for $100.

The owner quickly complies, selling his cat for $100!

The appraiser, acting as if on afterthought says, ‘By the way now that I have a new cat, I realized that I don’t have anything to feed her with. I’d like to buy her little saucer there. I’ll give you for $5 for it.

The owner says, “Oh, no sir. I can’t get rid of that bowl!” Its real strange that ever since I acquired that bowl on Monday, I’ve already sold 12 cats for ridiculously high prices!”

The bowl was in place & ...?...The antiques appraiser was Put in his Place!

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 guarantors that secure my place in the LORD’s battle.

We’ve found previously that Those securing their place in the LORD’s battle are...

1. Open to His PRESENCE(:13)

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

Open to His CONTROL(:14a-b)

Explanation:(:14)Authority/Command

:14—“So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, & worshiped, & said to Him, "What has my Lord to say to His servant?”

:14a—“So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”—

By replying “No”, the man revealed that he was neither for nor against anyone in particular. Rather his purpose was to lead the military host of YHWH. The man revealed to Joshua that he was “Commander”/captain/prince/chief/overseer of the “army” of the LORD.

“No”=“Neither”—Neither for one or the other but for the will of God.—God’s providence requires doing things by His power & His way! We must allow/submit ourselves to be directed by God!

“He didn’t come to take sides, He came to take control!”—Sidney Singletary(Deacon @ Providence BC, Whigham, GA)

*Thus YaHWeH’s forthcoming battle is that to which Joshua should put his hand!

We should examine our efforts at all times as placing ourselves at the LORD’s disposal for His chosen battles. We should not view our efforts—no matter how elaborate or time consuming or Christ-honoring—as that which is ‘supported’ by the LORD. To do so is to presume upon God that He will support our cause(pious though fleshly derived effort(s)) or to audaciously assume God is in support of our best efforts.

“Commander of the army of the LORD”—

Who is this “Commander of the army of the LORD”?...

From NAC:

a.—An angel with a special commission.

b.—God himself.

c.—A pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ.

—The English translators of the NKJV saw this “man” as the pre-incarnate Christ, given that they capitalize “Commander”, pronouns, & “Lord.”

Regardless, this “Commander” certainly carries YHWH’s authority!

Dan. 10 makes it plain that angels/demons are intimately & ultimately behind & interlocked in battles of nations.

Dan. 10:1-14—“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; & he understood the message, & had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes & looked, & behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms & feet like burnished bronze in color, & the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, & no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, & I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; & while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees & on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, & stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, & to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; & I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; & behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”