"No" - Joshua 5:14

“And he said, 'No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord.'” - Joshua 5:14

OK, back to Jericho. But this time more briefly. I chose the title for this little thought mainly because it's a use of the word that doesn't fit with the stock “When God Says No” message. It's actually kind of cool.

The key verse comes on the eve of the Battle of Jericho. Israel had entered Canaan and gotten the preparations underway for conquest. In true God-following fashion, they'd focused their energies on God and His commandments, but even so Joshua was understandably nervous. After all, he was the untested leader of a people already known for being troublesome, now dwelling in the midst of enemy territory. So, when he spotted a man a ways off and in a rather threatening posture, he thought it best to exercise caution. Hence his question of greeting in 5:13: “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”

There were probably a couple responses Joshua was ready for. One would have been “your adversaries,” in which case defense and/or retreat would have had to be effected. Another one would have been “you”, which would have been welcome news of reinforcement. Imagine his surprise, then, when the man said, as the NIV translates it, “Neither”, or, by the ESV, “No”.

The next sentence, where the person identified himself, made it clear who he was: the commander of the army of the Lord. It's apparent that this was to fully answer Joshua's question. And, in fact, it did, just not as Joshua had anticipated.

You see, Joshua made a critical mistake in his question. He asked “Are you for us...”, identifying the important distinguishing point as the person's relation to Israel. And this idea needed to be corrected. Because in his work and desire to lead well, Joshua had lost track of Who the real leader was. The Israelite enterprise was God's doing, not his or even Israel's. As such, it wasn't God's job to be for or against Israel – it was their job to be supporting Him.

In our lives, we face the same trap. It's a question of who's going to set our agenda. Are you making your plans and asking God to support you, or are you following His lead and then trusting Him to work it all out? And, when you see others, are you looking for allies in your own self-centered goals, asking “Are you for me?”, or are you searching out partners in ministry: “Are you for God?”

When the Commander came to Joshua, Joshua stopped, bowed before Him, and waited for His instructions. And, not surprisingly, the walls came tumbling down. Coincidence? I think not!