As I read the Bible, I generally visualize what is happening to the people. One of my favorite visual pictures is what we read about in Joshua 5:13-15. And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. Just like Joshua, it’s time to fight!
I love this passage of scripture because I think about Joshua. Joshua was on the brink of possessing the promise that God had made to Abraham hundreds of years earlier that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. When God made the promise, there were only Abraham and Sarah. Now, Joshua was leading a nation of what many theologians estimate to have been over a million people. Joshua was also returning to a familiar place. Joshua knew this land because he spent 40 days in it, 40 years earlier. He was one of the 12 spies that Moses sent to bring back a report. He listened as 10 of his fellow spies spoke defeat and discouragement to the Israelites. However, Caleb and Joshua spoke of faith in their God.
I think about Joshua serving Moses. Joshua saw Moses ascend the mountain and return with the 10 commandments. He saw people rebel against Moses’s leadership and the Lord deal with the rebels. He saw Moses enter the Tent of the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord descend upon it. He was so dedicated to Moses’s God-appointed leadership that when other people began to prophecy, Joshua wanted Moses to stop them. Now, Moses was dead and Joshua was the leader.
Joshua had been a slave in Egypt. He escaped through the parting of the Red Sea and watched the Egyptians drown. Now, he walked through the dividing waters of the Jordan to obtain the promise. He ate the bread of heaven for 40 years. Now, the manna ceased and he will eat from the land of Canaan. This former slave is going to lead the Israelites in battle. God had spoken words of encouragement to keep Joshua from being afraid. God had been preparing Joshua, and building his faith, with all that he had seen and experienced. What Joshua was tasked with was different than anything that had been previously required of him.
Then, Joshua encounters a Man. I believe that this Man was the preincarnate Jesus Christ because Joshua was allowed to worship Him (angel worship is prohibited). Jesus had come, with His sword drawn, and ready to fight with Joshua. Joshua could not avoid the fight because Jesus was with Him. However, he had help in the fight. Joshua did not even have a side. When he asked Jesus whose side was He on, Jesus replied that He was there for the purposes of God.
Just like Joshua, you may be on the brink of possessing a promise. God has been preparing you and your faith has been building. You have seen a lot of changes and transitions. The promises that you are entering will require something different from you. You will have to fight but God is fighting with you. You may have to fight against your own destructive thought patterns and behaviors, other people’s plots against you, a diagnosis, marital problems, financial issues, or the status quo. Remember that you must fight but the fight is spiritual. The promise being fulfilled through you is about the purposes of heaven being fulfilled in this generation. It is time to fast, pray, seek God, and then move in faith and obedience. It’s time to fight!
For more on moving forward in God, read Scratched Record.
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Copyright 2020 T.L. Lockley. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Thank you for this word, T.L.! Insightful and encouraging. What stuck out to me as I read chapter 5 was that God’s supernatural provision of manna did not come to an end until the day after they ate from the produce of the land. That encouraged me. I also thought of Exodus 14:13-14, and how God delivered his people and fought for them.
Carrie,
God is so faithful to us and to keeping His promises, not one Word of His will ever fail. Stay encouraged!
Blessings,
T.L.