THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S (JOSHUA 5:13-6:5)
Once upon a time, there was an officer of the Royal Navy named Captain Bravado who showed no fear when facing his enemies. One day, while sailing the Seven Seas, his lookout spotted a pirate ship approaching, and the crew became frantic. Captain Bravado bellowed, “Bring me my red shirt!”
The first mate quickly retrieved the captain’s red shirt, and while wearing the brightly colored frock, the Captain led his crew into battle and defeated the mighty pirates. That evening, all the men sat around on deck recounting the triumph of earlier. One of them asked the Captain, “Sir, why did you call for your red shirt before battle?”
The Captain replied, “If I were to be wounded in the attack, the shirt would not show my blood. Thus, you men would continue to fight, unafraid.” All of the men sat and marveled at the courage of such a manly man’s man. As dawn came the next morning, the lookout spotted not one, not two, but TEN pirate ships approaching. The crew stared in worshipful silence at the Captain and waited for his usual orders.
Captain Bravado gazed with steely eyes upon the vast armada arrayed against his ship, and without fear, turned and calmly shouted, “Get me my brown pants (for peeing).”
Joshua had his work cut out for him. Jericho was Joshua’ first real battle since his appointment as the leader of the next generation of Israelites. So far, he had successfully commanded all tribes to enlist for battle (Josh 1:10-12), obtained a convincing spy report on Jericho and led Israel safely across Jordan River. Now the general was up against a wall, literally. As long as the gates were shut, no battle was possible. What should he command his army to do? Storm the gates, scale the walls or severe the supplies? What message did the Lord send to Joshua by visiting him at the brink of war, guaranteeing him victory in the fight and safeguarding the lives of all the Israelites?
What kind of soldiers and supplies do we need? What kind of war do we face and what sort weapons do we have? What is utmost important to know in a spiritual battle?
God is the Rightful Commander
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh 5:13-15)
One of the most renowned Chinese fables is the story of the fox’s impersonation of a tiger’s might. One day a hungry tiger caught a fox for lunch in the forest, but the fox howled, “You cannot eat me. Heaven has appointed me the king of the jungle. If you don’t believe me, follow me around and see how the jungle creatures fear my presence.”
The tiger took the fox’s challenge and followed closely the fox that was leading the way, so as to observe the animals’ movements in the presence of the fox. Of course the animals scampered for their lives upon seeing the tiger. Seeing the dramatic reaction of the creatures indeed surprised the tiger who did not realize that his presence was the sole cause and only reason for the commotion and flight.
The fox took the opportunity to say: “Didn’t I tell you they fear me?” The tiger acknowledged, “You truly have influence in the forest. Everyone fled at your presence!” The tiger then stuck to his agreement and let the fox go, not wanting to harm such a popular and central forest figure.
Like people God had chosen for a task so far – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, Joshua’s understanding of God was inadequate, incomplete and imperfect. He had a warrior mentality, a hero complex and a general’s bravado. His thoughts were fixated on clearing all obstacles, crushing the opposition and advancing his troops. The outcome of this “win at all cost” state of mind and way of thinking was that a stranger was either a recruit or an enemy to him. He was ready for combat but he could not differentiate if a man was from his camp or from the opposite camp or the heavenly camp. It did not occur to him that an enemy would have already attacked him instead of answering questions, that God made the first move to approach him even though it seemed like Joshua came near and that he was to speak only when he was spoken to.
Joshua asked two questions. Instead of correctly asking, “Who are you?” Joshua rudely asked, “Who are you for?” God was interested in Joshua as a person, not for his power. Joshua did not seek the identity of the armed swordsman, did not wonder why the two were left alone or give the visitor much of an option. On whether the stranger was on the side of Israel or her enemies, the visitor corrected: “Neither, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Joshua had an unhealthy and confrontational us-against-them, win or lose, and yes or no mentality. Like many mindless warriors in their empty campaigns, their futile quests and their senseless fights, Joshua had hardened himself for battle, the war had become personal and his motives were mixed. However, the visitor did not come to fight, ask or mention about fighting.
Knowing his mistaken role and myopic vision, Joshua fell on his face and asked a broader question: “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” The heavenly visitor did not come to offer, solicit or discuss warfare and strategy. Talk was cheap, secondary and minor. The commander of the army of the Lord had come with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua’s job was to get out of the way, get down on the knees and get back into line. He was never in charge of things or on top of things; The Lord was. God’s priority was Joshua’s character and not his courage or clout. His obedience, not the opposition and obstacles, was foremost.
Have you asked the Lord to sanctify you for His use? Have you asked Him to search your heart and check your motives in serving Him?
God is the Righteous Commissioner
After twenty years two college rivals bumped into each other. “Do you realize how I used to be so fat and flabby?” asked the first. “Well, I’ve been on an exercise program for a few years, and now I run marathons.” “That’s great!” replied the other man.
“And,” the first man continued, “Do you remember how I used to be shy, too, and a poor student? Well, I took a course in public speaking, and now I make hundreds of thousand of dollars a year on the lecture circuit.” “That’s great!” came the reply.
“What about you?” The first man inquired. “Have you changed at all?” “Yes, I have,” said the young man. “Remember how brutally honest I used to be and how when someone said something uninteresting, I would reply, ‘I couldn’t care less?’ Well, now I just say, ‘That’s great!’” (Reader’s Digest 1/97)
God revealed the truth behind Jericho’s fall. The real reason the nations were dispossessed was due their wickedness, not Israel’s righteousness; the Gentile inhabitants were idolatrous, sinful and evil ways and practices.
In Deuteronomy 9:5-6 the Lord reminded the Israelites of His goodness in expelling the nations, the wickedness of the dispossessed nations and the unworthiness of the Israelites: “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Deut 9:5-6).
Not only was Israel not righteous within, they had no integrity outside, too (Deut 9:5). The word “integrity” describes shape, form and build, meaning straight or even or upright. They were not righteous or upright. The “stiff-necked” condition the Lord attributed to (Deut 9:6) is even more powerful. The Israelites were a constant and chronic pain in the neck, with a mental condition that was not about to leave or lessen in a day or two or week. They suffer not from the soreness of the neck due to the stiffness that results from a poor night of sleep, an abrupt jerk of the muscles or a love affair with the computer, but a hardened spine and a stubborn spirit. God did not want them to be smug, feel superior or act self-righteous when they enter the Promised Land.
Israel did not do anything to deserve or secure God’s favor. It was not a fetch or an exaggeration to say that the Israelites were fairly uninterested, uncooperative and unpleasant along the way.
The nations were displaced from the land due their wickedness, not Israel’s righteousness. God detested and opposed Israel’s enemies for their carnal idolatry, their profane sacrifices and their bloodthirsty ways. Jericho was as wicked as any city in the land, but unlike other weaker nations, Jericho was a fortified city with walls to dissuade their enemies and to protect her citizens as well as to isolate them from attacks. Not only were they isolated, citizens were also prevented from leaving, defecting or surrendering. The city was tightly shut up, no one went in or out and the king and his fighting men were so complacent, confident and careless that when the walls collapsed, the Israelites walked right in. Jericho’s king and fighting men had provided little or no resistance to the Israelites, protection for the residents, preparedness training or plan B. The words “tightly” and “shut up” (Josh 6:1) were two words from the same root, of the same meaning, emphasizing the arrogance of the king, the confidence in the walls and its strong deterrent against a siege or a desertion.
God is the Reliable Conqueror
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.” (Josh 6:2-5)
More than twenty years ago I heard a lively old Negro spiritual recorded by Elvis Presley in one of his gospel collections. The title of the song was “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,” and the words to the chorus were:
“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho;
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
And the walls came tumbling down.”
The truth about the battle at Jericho was that Joshua did not even lift a finger, have a strategy or lose a soldier.
Jericho was one of those greater and stronger nations across the Jordan with large cities that have walls up to the sky (Deut 9:1). The ten spies Moses had sent were right. The men were fierce and their cities were fortified and very large (Num 13:28), but the Lord called the battle a walkover, a knockout, a capitulation before it began.
The Lord promised Joshua before it happened: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men” (Josh 6:2). What a special delivery it was to Joshua’s front door! Joshua won the fight without any of the king’s horses and all the king’s men. Israel’s toughest and ablest general – Joshua was a surplus to requirement; his skills, experience and leadership were unnecessary. Israel’s strategy was laughable, irrational and pathetic. They did not carry swords or spears, but trumpets and horns, in their hands. The plan did little to intimidate, frighten or panic the enemies from the start. The long and roundabout march was boring, uninspiring and belittling to the untrained eye and the godless mind.
Hebrews 11 tells us how the victory was secured. The faith of those who are in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, from Abel to Rahab, including Moses’ parents and the Israelites who passed through the Red Sea, was acknowledged. All the heroes of the faith had their names and acts noted immediately after the key phrase “by faith,” with the exception of Joshua. Instead, Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.” Of all Joshua’s heroic acts, from uniting the nation to leading them across the Jordan, the collapse of Jericho’s walls was singled out to show the least effort on Joshua’ part. It was all faith in God’s promise and His power.
Conclusion: Eph 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” God has shown Abram and all God’s children the only way to live a life pleasing to Him: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11) We live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Does your faith rest in men’s wisdom or God’s power? (1 Cor 2:5, Col 2:11) Does your zealousness compromise the plan of God? Do you do things for God’s glory or for your greatness?
Victor Yap
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