November 27

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 went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 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? 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 so. - Joshua 5:13-15.

LET us glance at the circumstances here recorded. Joshua had now passed the river Jordan. He had just commenced the course of his warfare, and was now favoured with a supernatural appearance. Observe the time of the manifestation. It was when he had performed the rite of circumcision and the ordinance of the passover. None of our services can be meritorious; “but them that honour me,” says God, “I will honour:” “draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to thee.”

Observe, also, the place of this manifestation. He was now under the walls of Jericho. What was he doing there? It is not possible for us absolutely to determine; he seems to have been alone, probably surveying the place, perhaps dejected at the difficulty of taking such a stronghold; perhaps he was praying, or perhaps, rather, musing in meditation, when, lifting up his eyes, he “looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand.” There was something dreadful in the aspect, and a timid man would have fled; but Joshua was full of Divine confidence and courage, and therefore unruffled.

Thus inspired, he approached his mysterious visitant, and inquired whether he is a friend, that he may entertain him, or whether he is an enemy, that he may engage with him. The armed messenger soon furnished him with an answer, assuring him not only that he was come as a friend, but that he was come to take the chief command. Joshua immediately pays him homage, asks of him orders, and is enjoined to render him the deepest reverence. Would any man, any mere creature, any created agent, have either required or have allowed this? Did Paul and Barnabas at Lystra? “When the people were disposed to sacrifice to them, they said, “Sirs, why do ye these things? we also are men of like passions with you.” Or would the angel of the Apocalypse have enjoined or allowed this, of whom John says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things; and the angel said unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant?”

We are therefore enabled to decide who this man was: the man who wrestled with Jacob until the dawning of the day, and. rested, and concerning whom Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved;” this is the man who, allied to our nature by engagement and anticipation, “rejoiced in the habitable parts of the earth before his incarnation, and his delights were with the sons of men;” he “whose goings forth were from everlasting.”