JULY 8, Joshua 5:13-15; 6:1-2

It is critical to know the condition of the enemy’s city before you attack it. So, Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. They were the ones Rahab hid from their pursuers. They dutifully reported all they saw and heard. That would include the agreement they had made with Rahab. Now Joshua had to plan a strategy to attack Jericho because he was the commander of the army of Israel.

How did Joshua begin to plan? We know that Joshua always prayed and God spoke to him. This time was the same for Joshua. While waiting for God’s orders, a man with a sword in his hand appeared before him. Naturally, Joshua asked the normal question as any soldier in the battlefield would ask: Friend or Foe?

The “man” revealed that He is the “captain of the host of the Lord” In other words, He is the COMMANDER of the LORD’s army. Joshua realised at once that it was the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus who had appeared before him to instruct him how to conquer the city of Jericho.

Children, do you know that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God is both fully man and fully God? The Lord Jesus existed even before He came down to earth as a baby in a manger and is now at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Are you surprised that He made pre-incarnate appearances in the Old Testament times? Don’t be. God is omnipresent. Jesus can be anywhere anytime. And more than that, He is in command over everyone!

Read Joshua 5:14,

          “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 my Lord unto his servant?

           Unscramble the underlined letters to read:
           

           ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Thought: Is Jesus the Commander of my life?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to learn from Joshua. As Jesus was his commander, may the Lord Jesus be mine too! Let me always pray and find out every morning what You want me to do for the day. This I humbly pray in Jesus’ name - Amen.