Joshua 5:9-15: a reflection

9The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day. 10The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. 11They ate unleavened cakes and parched grain of the produce of the land on the next day after the Passover, in the same day. 12The manna ceased on the next day, after they had eaten of the produce of the land. The children of Israel didn’t have manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 13When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?” 14He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.” Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15The prince of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

On the eve of the battle for Jericho, Joshua meets a mysterious figure with a drawn sword, and asks the natural question: Are you for us, or for our enemies? The answer reframes everything: No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD's army. The figure will not be enlisted on Joshua's side, as though the question were whether God was for Joshua's plans; the real question is whether Joshua is on God's side, under his command. And Joshua understands: he falls on his face, worships, and asks, what does my lord say to his servant? He is told to take off his sandals, for the place is holy. The encounter turns Joshua's question around: not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on his, submitted to his command, standing on holy ground before him. The real question is not whether God serves our cause, but whether we serve his.

Notice how the commander reframes Joshua's question. Joshua asks whether this figure is for Israel or for their enemies, as though the question were which side God takes in our conflicts, whether he is enlisted in our cause. But the answer is neither: he has come as commander of the LORD's army. The point is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on his. God does not come to serve our plans; he comes to command, and the question for us is whether we will submit to him, fall down and worship, and ask what he would have us do. Joshua rightly understands, and worships, and asks for his orders. This reframing matters: we often want to know whether God is for our plans, on our side; but the deeper question is whether we are on his side, submitted to his command. The ground before God is holy; the posture is worship and obedience, not recruitment. God is not ours to enlist; we are his to command.

That is worth taking to heart, for the real question is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are on his. We can approach God wanting to know whether he is for our plans, whether he will take our side in our conflicts, as though he were ours to enlist; but the commander of the LORD's army reframed Joshua's question: not whether God is for us, but whether we are for him, submitted to his command. God does not come to serve our plans; the question is whether we will submit to his. Do not merely ask whether God is on your side; ask whether you are on his, submitted to his command, as Joshua fell down and worshiped. Ask not whether God is on your side but whether you are on his, submitted to his command and ready to worship and obey, as the commander of the LORD's army answered Joshua's question, No, but I have come as commander of the LORD's army, and Joshua fell down and worshiped; for God does not come to be enlisted in our cause or to serve our plans, but comes to command, and the real question for us is not whether he is for us but whether we are for him, standing before him on holy ground in worship and obedience.

Lord, on the eve of the battle for Jericho, Joshua meets a mysterious figure with a drawn sword, and asks the natural question: are you for us, or for our enemies? The answer reframes everything: No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD's army. The figure will not be enlisted on Joshua's side, as though the question were whether you were for Joshua's plans; the real question is whether Joshua is on your side, under your command. And Joshua understands: he falls on his face, worships, and asks, what does my lord say to his servant? He is told to take off his sandals, for the place is holy. The encounter turns Joshua's question around: not whether you are on our side, but whether we are on yours. Show me how the commander reframes Joshua's question. Joshua asks whether this figure is for Israel or their enemies, as though the question were which side you take in our conflicts. But the answer is neither: he has come as commander of the LORD's army. The point is not whether you are on our side, but whether we are on yours. You do not come to serve our plans; you come to command, and the question for us is whether we will submit to you, fall down and worship, and ask what you would have us do. This reframing matters: I often want to know whether you are for my plans; but the deeper question is whether I am on your side. Take that to my heart, for the real question is not whether you are on my side, but whether I am on yours. I can approach you wanting to know whether you are for my plans, as though you were mine to enlist; but the commander reframed Joshua's question. You do not come to serve my plans. Keep me from merely asking whether you are on my side; help me ask whether I am on yours, Lord, submitted to your command, as Joshua fell down and worshiped and asked what you would have him do.