The Captain of the Lord’s Army Appears to Joshua (Ferdinand Bol, 1662)

Joshua, leading the people of Israel, crossed the raging Jordan river and prepared for the conquest of Jericho. Joshua set out to inspect the city’s walls, doubtless brooding over the massive task before him. As he approached the city, Joshua was confronted by a man with a sword, the Commander of the Lord’s Army. Friend or foe? Joshua asked. “Neither,” came the reply, followed by “take off your sandals, you are on holy ground.” Joshua complied and soon afterwards the Lord revealed the plan for taking Jericho (see Joshua 5:13-15).

Joshua stood between two hard places. His people could not turn back across the swollen Jordan river, and they faced an immovable obstacle in the walls of Jericho. Here, in this tight and difficult space, the Lord met Joshua. The Lord stays with us in challenging places, especially if the Lord has led us there.

However, stunning to me is the answer the commander gave to Joshua when asked, “are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither.” This sobered Joshua. God’s commander is not automatically on the side of God’s chosen people? What then does it mean to be chosen by God?

Can it be that God doesn’t take sides?

Note Joshua’s response. When told to remove his sandals since he’s on holy ground, Joshua immediately took off his shoes. God makes a way for those who humble themselves before him. That seems to me the most important aspect of this story.

God works in humility. Outside the walls, Joshua humbly removed his sandals and only then did the Lord reveal the plan to destroy Jericho. Inside the walls, Rahab humbly trusted the Lord, saved the Israeli spies and was then saved from the city’s destruction. She removed her sandals as well. How many others in the city refused to do so? How many could have been saved by humbly turning to the Lord? God loves both sides, he wants no one to perish.

Do you and I need to remove our sandals and acknowledge that we stand on holy ground? Perhaps the Commander of the Lord’s Army is closer than we think, maybe the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinner that we imagine? Even now, the Lord is waiting for me and for you, in true humility, to remove our shoes so that He can begin to work.