|
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “Neither; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandal from your foot, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.” (Joshua 5: 13 - 6:2.) |
Around BC 1350, the Israelites are a vast family of people (descended from the patriarch Israel (alive around 1750 BC), grandson of Abraham) being led by Joshua. They have escaped from Egypt are have arrived in land just to the west of the Jordan river. This land was to be (and now is again) called “Israel”. At that time this land was occupied by other groups which were strong and heavily armed. Then the above incident took place…
The awful Israel Gaza war continues as I write. Today, whose side is He, the LORD God, on?
Some will rightly point out that the present nation of Israel (from 1947) is not the same as in Joshua’s day. Indeed, Joshua’s people were overtly worshipping YHWH (translated “LORD” in the above extract). Not so today. Also, in BC 1350 these people were all (with very few exceptions) confirmed physical descendants of the man named Israel. Not so today.
|
|
One genealogical fact is on the record. It is a fact that Jesus Christ was a descendant of this man Israel, through Israel’s son named Judah. So, when, as in the extract above, the LORD (YHWH) says something, it is something which was said those many years ago by the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
|
.
|
Back to the question posed (in effect) to the LORD by Joshua - in bold red above - around 1350 BC. “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” What do you think? Was the LORD, at that time, for Israel? Or was the LORD for Israel’s enemies?
“Neither,” said the commander of the LORD’s armies…
Is that answer the same today? Is the LORD (the “Our Father” to whom Jesus taught his followers to pray) neither for nor against Israel? Is he neither for nor against any group of human beings, by whatever name they call themselves? If so, what motivates the LORD to bless one group and not another?
Maybe we should update the question. Is the LORD for Ukraine today or for Ukraine’s enemies? Is the LORD for Republican Trump today or for Trump’s enemies? Is the LORD for Jersey today or for Jersey’s enemies?
|
|
| What happened next? Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandal from your foot, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
|
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (From Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, c. AD 27)
|
It seems to me that I need to re-think a lot of things… One of them is that the LORD is holy. Can he be on the side of any group of people which is not wholly holy?
When I think otherwise, I must be kidding myself. Joshua found that out when he and the Israelite army attempted to take the minor town of Ai by force. They failed because one single person in that army, named Achan, was an idolator hiding stolen goods among his possessions.
When Joshua was silent before the LORD’s holiness, the LORD spoke to him. Yes, He spoke to Joshua who was not wholly holy by any means.
Along with His utter holiness, the LORD is merciful to those who turn to Him. Because of the atonement for all sinfulness at the cross he is able to account as holy all who seek mercy from Jesus.
|
|
|
