The Captain’s Captain

Joshua 5:13-6:2 THE CAPTAIN’S CAPTAIN

1. Joshua discovered the Presence of God - GOD WAS WITH HIM 13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?

(a) THE PROMISE OF GOD ASSURED HIM: Ch 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

a third time in Ch 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

(b) THE PEOPLE OF GOD ASSURED HIM: Ch 1:17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses

(c) THE POWER OF GOD ASSURED HM:

Rahab Ch 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. - Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The gospel of Matthew begins calling His name, Emmanuel, God with us. It ends “Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.”

2. Joshua discovered the Pre-eminence of God - GOD WAS BEFORE HIM

14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come

(a) THE LORD JESUS WAS THE SUPREME COMMANDER:

He has not come to take sides but to take over.

The psalmist “ The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

Elisha in Dothan The Syrian army had surrounded the city.

2 Kings 6:16 Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Gethsemane - Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? - 72,000.

(b) THE LEADER JOSHUA WAS THE SECONDARY COMMANDER:

14 And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? - Watchman Nee wrote, “ Not until we take the place of a servant can He take His place as Lord.”

“What saith”God’s Word“My Lord”God’s Will“His servant” God’s Work.

3. Joshua discovered the Providence of God - GOD WAS AROUND HIM 15 captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so

we cannot isolate the:-

(a) SACRED AND SECULAR:“ heathen territory,” was "holy ground."

(b) WORSHIP FROM WARFARE: Ps 149:6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;

Amalekites Ex 17:12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, ....13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

4. Joshua discovered the Purpose of God - GOD WAS FOR HIM

(a) THE ASSURANCE OF VICTORY: Ch 6:2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

(b) THE AGENDA FOR VICTORY: 3 And ye shall compass the city,

Hudson Taylor, said there were three ways to do God’s work.

(1) To do what you want to do and hope it will work out.

(2) To do what you want to do and ask God to bless it.

(3) To find out what God wants you to do and expect him to bless it.

THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS 1. Look it up 2. Let it in 3. Live it out