Joshua 5:13-15

Joshua 5:13-15

[13] And it came to pass, when Joshua  was by Jericho,  that he lifted up  his eyes  and looked,  and, behold, there stood  a man  over against him with his sword  drawn  in his hand:  and Joshua  unto him, and said  unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?  [14] And he said,  Nay; but as captain  of the host  of the LORD  am I now come.  And Joshua  fell  on his face  to the earth,  and did worship,  and said  unto him, What saith  unto his servant?  [15] And the captain  of the LORD'S  host  said  unto Joshua,  Loose  thy shoe  from off thy foot;  for the place  whereon thou standest  is holy.  And Joshua  did 

What does Joshua 5:13-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

As Joshua contemplated attacking Jericho, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and assured him of victory. [1]
"The Canaanite spectre [2] had hatched in Noah"s tent ( Genesis 9:20-27), had evolved for generations, and now in Joshua"s day would be tolerated by God no longer." [3]
Evidently Joshua was reconnoitering near Jericho, which was only about two miles from Gilgal. He was planning his strategy when he met the Man who identified Himself as the Captain (Prince) of the Lord"s host (angelic army; cf. 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Kings 6:8-17; Psalm 148:2; Matthew 26:53; Hebrews 1:14). It is obvious that Joshua perceived this Man as a mighty warrior standing before him with sword drawn ready for battle (cf. Numbers 22:23; 1 Chronicles 21:16). As soon as the Stranger identified Himself, Joshua bowed before Him acknowledging His superiority.
"The stranger"s response put everything in proper perspective. God is sovereign. It is never a question whether God is on our side but whether we are on God"s side.... The purpose of this encounter was not to impart commands but to inspire Joshua with humility and reverence and to instill in him the confidence that God was with him and was in control (cf. Joshua 1:9)." [4]
The command to remove his sandals ( Joshua 5:15) would have convinced Joshua that this was the same God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush ( Exodus 3:5).
"As Moses went to investigate the bush ( Exodus 3:3), so Joshua goes to investigate the mysterious figure confronting him ( Joshua 5:13 b)." [5]
"The strange confrontation of Joshua 5:13-15 resembles that between Jacob and the man of God at Peniel ( Genesis 32:22-32) and that between Moses and the burning bush ( Exodus 3:1 to Exodus 4:17). In each case, the human protagonist encounters a divine messenger before facing a life-and-death conflict ..." [6]
One could also cite God"s visit to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre ( Genesis 18) and Jesus" self-revelation to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus ( Luke 24:13-35), though these were not life threatening encounters. Joshua would hardly have submitted as he did if he had not believed that this Man was the Angel of the Lord (cf. Exodus 3:5; Numbers 22:31).
"The scene thus pictures Joshua as the totally obedient servant doing precisely what the divine messenger requires." [7]
God not only instructed Joshua concerning what he should do in the battle ahead, but this theophany assured Joshua that Yahweh would also personally lead His people in battle. We need not conclude, however, that this divine Leader continued to be visible after this. There is no reference to Him in the record of the battle that follows. His appearance on this occasion simply impressed Joshua with the fact that God would be leading Israel.
"The whole sequence-circumcision, Passover, and theophany-emphatically declared that the Israel of conquest was the Israel of exodus. The God who had saved his people out of Egypt would now save them in Canaan." [8]