The Commander of God's Army

Let's begin our worship now. We're singing, firstly, tonight, from Psalm 18.

! In the Sing Psalms version, Psalm 18.

! The tune is Rockingham. That's on page 19.

And singing verses 1 to 6.

I love you, Lord, you are my strength.

A fortress is the Lord to me.

My rock and my deliverer for refuge to my God I flee.

He is my stronghold and my shield,

the Lord who saves me by his might.

I'll call on him and give him praise.

I'm saved. He puts my foes to flight.

The cords of death entangled me.

Destruction hit me like a wave.

Encircled by the snares of death,

I faced the terrors of the grave.

In my distress I called on God.

I cried out to the Lord for aid.

He from his temple heard my voice.

He listened to the prayer I made.

These verses in Psalm 18.

I love you, Lord, you are my strength.

I love you, Lord, you are my strength.

A fortress is the Lord to me.

I walk and I deliver

For refuge to my God I flee.

He is my stronghold and my shield.

He is my stronghold and my shield.

The Lord who saves me by his might.

And call on him and give him praise.

And save me through my foes to cry.

The thoughts of death.

The thoughts of death that I will be.

His heart shall live may like a wave.

And sacrifice the snares of death.

I face the terrors of the grave.

In my distress I call on God.

I cry now to the Lord for aid.

He confess the terrors of death.

He confess the terrors of my heart.

He listened to the grave I made.

And let's now call upon the Lord in prayer.

Let's join together in prayer.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

and we pray that you would fill us once again with a sense of wonder

that we should be able to draw near to the holy God

the God who exclaims his holiness to us so frequently in his word

and we thank you that that oh Lord lies upon the heart and minds of your people

as they come towards you they realize that it is by your grace alone

that they are able and provided for as they come into your holy presence

we thank you for all that makes you holy that makes you so far above us

in the life that you have as the uncreated God

and we thank you for the way that in your sovereign rule over us

you are unique in yourself

well we bless you Lord tonight that all your attributes that are set out for us in your word

many of which we find it so difficult to comprehend

that they are used Lord to the salvation of your people

that they are for the furtherance of your own kingdom

your wisdom and your power and your love and your might

your judgment

that all of these things together combine to make you God

and we bless you that in the unity of your being

you provide such a refuge and help for your people

bless us we pray as we come once again into your presence

we thank you for your word that guides us at all times

that teaches us that shows us the way of life

and we thank you that tonight we are privileged once again

to come around your word and to come seeking

that your word will place itself through your spirit in our hearts

and we thank you Lord for the worship of your church

for the way in which we can participate together

in the worship of your name

and we thank you for that corporate witness

that we are able to bear

in every community where your people worship

to the Lord who presides over all things

and we bless you Lord that you have in the past seen

to bless the gatherings of your people

not only to themselves and as they gather

but also to the world around them

we pray that that will be the case in our day too

that people will take note of us

that we have been with Jesus

that our life may be day by day transformed

so that it will conform to that

which your word sets out for us

is fit and appropriate for your people

and we thank you for every aid that you give us Lord

from day to day

and as we sing your praises in regard to your greatness

we give thanks that you have not stood aloof from us Lord

though we deserve that you should turn your back upon us

and we bless you that instead you have come into this world

in the person of your son

and done so in such a very personal and human way

and we bless you for the affinity you have with your people

and for the way that not only do you understand

and know their situation and condition as God

but you have entered in to take to yourself

our human experiences

even to the extent of being tempted

to the extent of suffering as you suffered in this life

and we give thanks that you went as far as to give yourself in death

the death of the cross

for the well-being and salvation of your people

Lord we pray that tonight your blessing will be with all your people

everywhere throughout the world

and we give thanks that on this day

many millions of people

have gathered in your name like we do here

and have come to seek to exalt and glorify

the name of the same God we worship

and we ask that your people everywhere will know your blessing

in these days in which we find

in our own locality and in our own nation

such a downturn

in the way in which people regard God

and regard his day and regard his word

and we do pray Lord that your kingdom will advance among us as well

that you will be pleased oh God to bless your people

in their witness

and that you be pleased to send forth your light and your truth

to draw people to yourself

may many tonight Lord who have hearts closed against you

and even those who publicly and vocally proclaim against you

may they come to be converted and quickened

and brought into your ways

and may there be many Lord who will yet

turn out to be great ambassadors for Christ

and to that end we pray that you would raise up

those who would come to preach the gospel

not only in our own denomination

and throughout our land

but throughout the whole world

that you would raise up those

who will be heralds of the peace of Christ

and will bring that message of the gospel

to a lost world

and we thank you for every encouragement you give us

and we pray that we may build upon these

to be all the more zealous and committed to your way

and to serving you in this world

and we think of those in your word

who when they were confronted with your greatness

and your holiness and your might

not only did they come to bow in your presence

and even prostrate themselves to the ground

but Lord also asked you Lord what will you have me to do

and so we pray that that will be the same for ourselves

that our concern might be Lord

to serve you faithfully

and to exalt your glorious and great name

bless we pray those tonight

who have particular adversities and difficulties to face

remember those belonging to this congregation itself

who have at this time Lord

difficult providences to contend with and overcome

bless them we pray

whether it be over the loss of loved ones

or an illness or anxiety over loved ones

in regard to their work

or whatever else causes

our anxieties from time to time

oh Lord we pray that we may draw our strength from you

and we pray that you would use even these times of trial

affliction and difficulty for ourselves

to be a means by which we will reach out

and take hold of you by faith

and so further our lives in relation with you

bless we pray tonight the unsaved

the many unsaved around us who care not

for the things of God or for their own souls

Lord we ask that you would send

your own spirit to quicken and to awaken many souls

and to bring us Lord to a sense of

a realization of eternal things

and so we ask that tonight your spirit will even be working

whether it be through those who are at home watching

online or in some ways not at all interested in the things of God

you have raised up for yourself in the past

a people who in certain times Lord did not

look out for you or reach out to you

and yet you came into their lostness

you came into their darkness and you quickened them and brought them to life

and so we pray that you would be abroad amongst all our communities to that end

we thank you again for your day

we pray that you would enable us oh Lord to

not only enjoy it for ourselves but to continue

to commend it to others

and where attempts are made locally or nationally to further erode

the importance of your day

and the sanctity of your day

oh Lord hear our prayer as we pray

in regard to these things locally especially

at this time

we ask that you would be pleased to bless

the crying of your people

to hear us as we pray

that you would ensure oh Lord

by your own blessing

and by your own power

that we may continue to enjoy

a restful and peaceful Lord's day

and that many will come yet to make it

a day of worship

and a day of seeking the Lord

while he is to be found

and calling upon him

while he is near

now bless all the troubled places in the world

that we hear of from day to day

and those we don't hear of at all

bless especially where there is war

and the threat of terror

and the massive loss of life

we pray that you would bless oh Lord

the people involved in such difficulties

in such stressful times

whether it be in the Middle East

or in Ukraine or Yemen

Lord we know that there is so much in our world

that causes people to cry out in pain

and so we pray that their cry may be addressed to you

we pray that you would bring peace

where there is war

that you would bring stability

where there is uncertainty

bring assurance we pray

where there is doubt

and grant that you would reveal yourself Lord

as one who is on the throne of the universe

and presides over all things

and is worthy

that we should fall down

and worship you

and serve you

continue with us now we pray

hear our prayer

and answer us we pray

in Jesus name

Amen

I'm going to sing again to God's praise

they're singing this time from

Psalm 18

this time from the Scottish Psalter version

and beginning at verse 27

June is Moravia

that's on page 221

verses 27 to 32

for thou wilt the afflicted save

in grief that low do lie

but wilt bring down the countenance of them

whose looks are high

the Lord will light my candle so

that it shall shine full bright

the Lord my God will also make my darkness

to be light

by thee through troops of men I break

and them discomfort all

and by my God assisting me

I overleap a wall

as for God

perfect is his way

the Lord his word is tried

he is a buckler to all those

who do in him confide

who but the Lord is God

but he who is

a rock and stay

does God that girdeth me

with strength

and perfect makes

my way

these verses to the tune Moravia

for thou wilt the afflicted save

for thou wilt the afflicted save

in grief and older life

but wilt bring down the countenance

of their blessings

all their blessings

and high

the Lord will light my hand

and his soul

and he shall shine full bright

the Lord my God

will also make my darkness

to be light

by thee through troops of men I break

and tear

e

!

e

This is me, the Lord is glorified.

He is a father to all those who live in him all night.

Who are the Lord, this hope of me, who is an all-nast day?

This hope that earth did me which served and perfected my way.

Now please turn with me to Joshua, where we're going to read God's Word this evening.

Joshua chapter 5.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

And we'll read through the whole of the chapter.

Joshua chapter 5, from the beginning.

Joshua 5 · chapter mention

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west,

and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea,

heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over,

their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

At that time the Lord said to Joshua,

Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.

So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gebeeth Haraloth.

This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them.

All the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war,

had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.

Though all the people who came out had been circumcised,

yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness,

after they had come out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.

For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness,

until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished,

because they did not obey the voice of the Lord.

The Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land

that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us,

a land flowing with milk and honey.

So it was their children whom he raised up in their place that Joshua circumcised.

For they were uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.

When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished,

they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.

And the Lord said to Joshua,

Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.

And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal,

they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month,

in the evening on the plains of Jericho.

And the day after the Passover, on that very day,

they ate of the produce of the land,

and leavened cakes and parched grain.

And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land.

And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel,

but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

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,

No, 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 worshipped 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 sandals from off your feet,

for the place where you are standing is holy.

And Joshua did so.

Again, may God, with this blessing,

follow our reading of his word.

Now we'll sing now some verses from Psalm 66.

Psalm 66 on page 83, verses 1 to 7.

Tune this time is Selma.

Shout loud with joy to God,

all earth your chorus raise.

Sing loud the honor of his name,

and glorious make his praise.

Speak thus to God the Lord,

how great your works of power,

so overwhelming is your might,

that falls before you cower.

All earth bows down to you,

they sing aloud your fame.

They never cease to celebrate the glory of your name.

Come, see what God has done,

his mighty works of old,

his deeds towards the human race.

How awesome to behold!

To let his people pass on foot

through waters broad,

he turned the sea into dry land.

Let us rejoice in God.

With might and power he rules,

on nations sets his eyes.

So let not rebels in their pride

against him turn and rise.

These verses in Psalm 66,

shout loud with joy to God.

singing singing singing

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

and now they've begun to enter the promised land and to settle in the promised land

and to face the adversaries that they meet and met within the promised land.

It's the final phase of their journey towards this land that God described for them

as a land flowing with milk and honey.

So in chapter 3 and 4 you find an emphasis on the crossing itself,

on the way in which they set up a memorial of stones.

And then in this chapter 5 we come to read about the circumcision of those who had been born since they left Egypt

and also the Passover that they kept when they reached this place at Gilgal.

And so all of these details are deliberate links with the past.

And that's important in the teaching that you find in the book of Joshua

in regard to the people coming to establish themselves under God and under Joshua's leadership in the land of Canaan.

There are links here with the past.

You find it in, as we said, in the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea mentioned, and circumcision.

So everything you find now in verses 13 to 15 must fit into the emphasis that you have here of links with the past.

And links with the past are important because Joshua and Moses especially are actually linked in the passage.

Things you read about here about Joshua are also things that you read about in terms of Moses

and how God had used him to lead the people out of Egypt.

The conquest of Canaan begins with this supernatural appearance

on the part of the man who calls himself the commander of the armies of the Lord.

And that means that it's a continuation really of God guiding his people,

being with his people, leading his people, blessing his people,

making them powerful in the face of their enemies.

All of that follows through from the time of Moses to the time now of Joshua under his leadership too.

The emphasis really is something that's very important for ourselves.

The Lord of Moses is the Lord of Joshua.

The Lord of Moses' day is the Lord of Joshua's day.

And the Lord of Joshua's day is the Lord of our day.

That principle of continuation of the Lord's provision for his people,

the Lord going before his people as their commander,

is something that's so crucial for us today as a church.

In that sense, nothing has changed.

The same God who delivers his people is the God who goes before them.

The God who brings them out of adversity and out of darkness

is the God who goes before them in whatever remains of their journey.

And so there are all these important links with the past,

but there are links that give them an assurance for the future.

And isn't that how it is for yourself tonight?

We look back over the history of this congregation,

even not to go beyond that,

or the history of our community,

and can reflect upon, as we're singing,

come and behold the works of God,

the great things which God did in the past,

the times of special blessing,

the times of revival,

the times of God coming in power amongst his people

and bringing many others into his kingdom.

Well, that same God is our God tonight.

He has not changed.

And we can look to him as one,

just as Joshua did in his day.

He looked to him as the God of Moses,

and we look to him as the same God

who has always been with his people down through the ages.

And whatever's been in your own life,

personally leading up to where you are tonight

in the providence of God,

be assured of this,

that the God who has been in the past with his people

is the God who will be with his people in the future.

And as you, if you're a follower of the Lord,

a Christian, someone who knows the Lord as your Savior,

this is really one of the precious things

that you've come to know, isn't it?

That the God who was with you yesterday

is the God who is with you today.

And the God who is with you today

is going to be with you,

God willing, if you live to see tomorrow.

He's going to be with you tomorrow as well.

It doesn't matter what adversaries stand in the way,

whether they're Canaanites

or present-day equivalents.

This remains very true.

And whatever changes in your providence

actually come your way,

however, things might change unexpectedly.

This is not going to change.

The same God will go before you into the future.

Well then, as you look at that,

there are three things here

that we can briefly look at.

First of all,

the passage speaks about a confrontation

where Joshua comes to see

this man with a drawn sword in his hand

and Joshua went out to him with this question.

So there's a confrontation there.

They come to meet together in this unexpected way.

Secondly, you find a revelation

because this man whom Joshua sees here

comes to reveal himself

as the commander of the armies of the Lord.

And he says to him,

I am the commander of the Lord's army.

Now I have come.

And thirdly,

there's an instruction given to Joshua.

As Joshua went to him,

what does my Lord say to his servant?

How often do you find that in the Bible,

don't you?

People who come in the presence of God

and virtually overtaken by the awesomeness of God,

instead of actually being repelled,

instead of what you might think

would be that they would just fall down dumb

and not really have anything to say,

just here in Isaiah chapter 6,

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

you find that same emphasis.

What will you have me to do?

What does my Lord say to his servant?

What command, what instruction,

what information do you have for me?

What do you require of me?

And the Lord answers,

this man answers,

take off your sandals from off your feet,

for the place where you are standing is holy.

And of course,

that again ties up,

doesn't it,

with Moses in the wilderness

at the burning bush,

at the outset of God's revelation of himself

in this way to his people,

as they're in Egypt at that time.

Of course,

here is God coming to reveal himself to them

and to say,

I've heard their cry.

I've come down to deliver them.

And he said to Moses,

take off your shoes from off your feet,

for the place on which you're standing is holy.

And just to link up again,

here's Joshua,

the new commander,

well,

the new leader,

with this commander of the Lord.

As we'll see,

it's the Lord himself in this form.

And he's given the same instruction,

as if to say,

God is still the same God in his holiness

as he was with Moses too.

A confrontation,

sudden,

dramatic,

unusual.

When Joshua was by Jericho,

he lifted up his eyes

and looked,

and behold,

a man standing before him

with his sword drawn in his hand.

And it's emphasizing

that it was a man.

He had the features of a man.

It was a human form.

And although we read

as you go through

the rest of the chapter,

it's obvious that this is God

in this form

that has revealed himself

here to Joshua.

Something that has anticipated

the coming of the Son of God

permanently in human form

in the incarnation,

the New Testament age.

But here it is,

this man.

It's emphasizing,

a man was standing before him.

Joshua saw a man.

Joshua saw a human form.

There's an important emphasis in that.

It wasn't an angelic form.

It wasn't anything other than human.

It wasn't something different

to God or to man.

It was a man that he saw.

So you see,

there's an affinity there

with Joshua and with his people.

As we said,

it's something that anticipates

the coming of the Lord

in human form

as he was born as a human.

And that's an important emphasis,

of course,

in so many ways.

It applies to Jesus especially,

the Son of God incarnate,

taking our human nature to himself.

Now through the Old Testament,

you find this figure

from time to time appearing.

Very often he's called

the Angel of the Lord.

But he has a human form

and you find him at different times

revealing himself

in the Old Testament.

And as always for a particular reason

in certain circumstances.

And theologians believe

that it's right to see this

as God in human form,

anticipating the coming

of the Son of God,

Jesus,

who came to be Jesus of Nazareth.

But here is something down

through the years

of the Old Testament

that anticipates that,

that prepares a way for that,

that really instructs the people

that God is going to come

and he's going to come

in a way that closely ties himself

to them,

even in a human sense.

And where is there

a more important truth tonight

for you and for me

than the fact that God

has come in the person

of his Son

and he's taken

and he's taken our human nature

to himself.

He's united our humanness

to his deity

and he remains God

and man.

You see,

when the Son of God

came into the world,

he came into the world

to die the death of the cross

and to rise from the dead

on the third day.

But he came into the world

as part of that

to engage with

our circumstances

as human beings

in this world.

He was,

as Hebrews puts it,

tempted in all points

like as we are

and yet without sin.

Tonight you can go to Jesus

and you don't need to be afraid

that he doesn't understand

your circumstances.

Because whatever

your circumstances are

as human circumstances,

as human sufferings,

as human situations

in this life,

Jesus has been there

before you.

And not only has Jesus

been there before you,

but he's been there

before you

so that he can take

from that

allied with

and joined

to his deity

to be the saviour

that you and I need.

We need a saviour

and we have a saviour

who is himself

touched with the feeling

of our infirmities,

who understands

what we're going through

and who's able

to deal with it

as the God-man

that he is

in a way that

nobody else can.

Here is a man

revealed to Joshua

with a sword

in his hand,

a drawn sword.

In other words,

what Joshua saw here

was a man ready

for combat.

Somebody was just

going out

to take on

his enemies.

He's ready for action.

His sword is in his hand.

And that draws

Joshua's mind

to ask him

this question.

Are you for us

or for our adversaries?

Now,

there's a question.

And you know,

in the experience

of Jesus,

there was never

a question

as to whose side

he was on.

But as he came

into this world

and went into

the desert

to be tempted

by Satan,

and you have that

in Matthew's gospel

and Luke's gospel,

the specific temptations

with which the devil

came to assault

the Lord,

trying to get him

to be deflected

from the path

he was on,

trying to get him

to leave this path

of obedience

to the Father.

That's really what

the temptations

essentially were about.

Because the devil

knew if he could

manage that,

then he would

disqualify Jesus

from being a savior

of his people.

I'm not saying

in any way

that there's any danger

of Jesus doing that.

Can you just imagine,

let's just say,

the inhabitants

of these angelic

armies of the Lord

of which he is

the commander,

just imagine,

if you like,

as it were,

as they look at

the Son of God

in our nature

in the desert,

tempted by the devil

and saying,

if you are the Son of God,

command these stones

that they be made bread.

You can just imagine

them holding their breath.

What's he going to do?

Whose Messiah

is he going to be?

Whose servant

is he going to be?

Who is he going to obey?

The Father who sent him

or the devil

who's tempting him?

There was never a question

in Christ's mind,

of course.

But remember,

the temptation

for him was real.

Something we cannot

fully enter into,

but we mustn't think

that because Jesus

never sinned

and couldn't sin

in that sense

that he was therefore

not really subject

to temptation

like you and I are.

He was tempted

in all points

like as we are,

yet without sin.

That means he was

truly tempted,

really tempted,

tempted as a human being.

And here he is,

and there's the question.

Are you for us

or for our adversaries?

Jesus in the wilderness,

tempted by the devil,

is he there for his people?

Will he continue

in that path to the cross?

Will he capitulate

to the devil

and so leave us

in our lostness?

And of course,

you know what happened.

He dismissed the devil

and not in any way at all,

giving heed to

obey his temptation.

And isn't it a wonderful

truth for you tonight?

Not only that you can go

to one who knows

your circumstances,

but one who's been in them

and has overcome them.

One who has faced the devil

and overcome him.

One who knows what it is

to be tempted

and yet never yielded.

One who knows

the power of temptation,

especially in the hands

of the evil one,

and yet who in himself,

not for one single iota

of a second did he capitulate

to what the devil

was asking him to do.

Now when you come

to your temptations

and you come like I do

to have to confess to God,

Lord, I shouldn't have done that.

I shouldn't have listened to that.

I shouldn't have capitulated

and given in to the temptation,

whatever it was.

You take that to the Lord.

You express your sorrow.

You express your repentance.

You come to the Lord

and how thankful

and how relieved you are

that the God,

the Lord,

the commander

that you bring

your concerns to,

that you bring

your confession to,

is one who's been there

and overcome

and says,

thank you for bringing

this to me.

I can deal with the problem.

Leave it with me.

I will give you

the capacity

because that's something

that I've proved

already to be mine

in overcoming your enemy.

this confrontation

and this question then

from Joshua,

are you for us

or for our adversaries?

And then you find

in answering that,

that this figure said,

he came to reveal himself.

There's a revelation

following the confrontation.

Are you for us

or for our adversaries?

And he said,

no,

but I am the commander

of the army of the Lord.

Now I have come.

And that seems

rather a strange answer

because he didn't answer

the question directly.

He didn't say,

no,

I'm here for you

and I'm here for the people

that you're the leader of.

He simply said,

no,

but I'm the commander

of the army of the Lord.

Now I have come.

Why such a strange reply?

Why didn't he answer it

directly yes or no?

Well,

I think one of the reasons

for that is that

here is the Lord,

as we said,

revealing himself

in human form,

but still saying to Joshua,

I am here as the commander

of the armies of the Lord.

Therefore,

I am here to direct you.

You're not here to direct me.

You ask me,

am I here for you

or for your adversaries?

I am here as the commander.

I am here to do my will.

I am here not to actually

meet your questions as such

because you don't control me.

I control you.

No,

but I am here

as the commander

of the armies of the Lord.

In other words,

he's not bound

by Joshua's questions.

He's not himself

duty bound

to answer Joshua's questions

the way Joshua

would like them answered.

He's demonstrating

that whatever Joshua

says to him,

he's not in charge

of this person's life.

He's not in charge

of the situation.

It is the commander

of the armies of the Lord.

The Lord himself

is in command

of the armies

of the angels of heaven.

He's now saying,

this is why I'm here.

I'm the commander

of the Lord,

of the army of the Lord.

Now I have come.

And that's an interesting

reference as well.

Now I have come.

He is for them,

but he's not under

Joshua's command.

Joshua is the commander

in human terms

of the people.

He's the leader

of the people.

He's taken over

from Moses.

He's been appointed

by God.

But here this person

is saying to him,

this figure is saying to him,

yes,

you're the commander

of the people.

That's what you've been

placed as.

But I am here

as your commander.

You don't command me.

I command you.

I'm in charge

of the situation.

And

where he says,

I am the commander

of the army of the Lord,

the commander

of the Lord's

army of angels,

I think he means.

It's really the same

as we said earlier,

a reference to

the angel of the Lord,

where you find that

in the Old Testament

described.

And he says,

now I have come.

And you see,

again,

he doesn't say,

now I have come

to help you.

Now I have come

for this or that purpose.

He simply says,

now I have come.

And through the Old Testament,

I'm sure these references

and these statements

lived with the people

of God

in their memories,

those of them

who could recall them.

And that itself,

too,

was for them

a sign of hope.

a sign of anticipation

or anticipation

of something

which was going to happen

as it did

in the coming

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And you remember

how Psalm 40 puts it.

Now I have come.

Hebrews picks that up

and says,

now I have come

to do your will,

O Lord.

There's Jesus

from the days

of the Old Testament,

the anticipation

of Jesus,

the servant

of the Lord.

And there is the voice

put in the mouth

of Jesus

before he became human.

And nevertheless,

it's there in prophecy.

It's there in the Old Testament

anticipating his coming.

Now I have come.

This is what the Old Testament

was waiting for

all these years.

And here's an anticipation

of it

on the lips

of this commander

of the army

who's speaking

to Joshua.

You find the same thing

in other parts

of the Psalms

as well.

Psalm 50 verse 3,

Psalms 50:3

Psalm 98

and verse 9.

And so when he says,

now I have come,

as that anticipates

the coming

of Jesus.

So you can look

back tonight

and say,

it's actually

really happened.

This very act

that the Old Testament

anticipated

through these events,

it's actually happened.

It's now in the past.

And it's a reality.

The Lord has come.

He's come as the commander

of the armies of the Lord.

He's come as the Son of God

in our nature.

He's come into this world

and He's come permanently.

It's God's arrival

to lead His people.

Is there anything

more precious to you tonight

than that the Lord has come?

That this weary world

so full of sin and sorrow

has somebody

who's come into it

who is set above it,

who is the commander

of the armies of the Lord,

who has come into this world

and now permanently remains

God and man

in the person of Jesus?

Is there anything

more precious to yourself

than to know this person?

Than to know this commander

of the armies of the Lord?

Is there anything

more wonderful

than to realize tonight

that the Jesus

you serve,

the Jesus you believe in,

the Jesus you've come

to trust in

by His grace

is none other

than this great figure

who was seen

by Joshua

and by Moses

and by others

in the days of the Old Testament

as the angel of the Lord?

Now I have come.

And here He is assuring you

through this very passage

of Scripture

and His fulfillment

in Jesus

that that coming

is permanent,

that that coming

is something

that's decisive

and definitive

in the history of the world.

it lies really

as the pivotal

point of history.

Whatever people

will say to you

as the most important

events in history

and there are many

events in history

that are historic,

that are really

crucial events.

Many times

in the history

of humanity

where discoveries

have been made

that people will say

surely that's one

of the pivotal moments

in history,

the discovery

of whatever it is,

whether it's some kind

of cure for this,

that or other

or some event

that demonstrates

the ingenuity

of human beings

and their inventiveness

and so on.

But here is

the event.

Now

I

have come.

I have come.

God

has entered

this world.

He's done so

in the person

of His Son,

the very God

of Moses

and of Joshua

and tonight

this reality

remains a reality

and will be

forevermore.

I have come.

Now here is

something

for you

and for me

that really

surely

instills

a sense of

dependence

upon this person.

Because here

you are

and I am

tonight

without human

needs.

Here we are

needing somebody

who can understand

our situation.

Somebody who

can appreciate

what we're

going through

in this world

whether it's

temptation

or suffering

or whatever.

Here is

somebody who

knows what

it is to

bear the

sin of

his people

successfully,

vicariously,

powerfully,

permanently,

forevermore

in the result

of it

on the cross.

Here is

somebody who

can deal

with your

situation

as nobody

else can.

Here is

somebody who's

saying,

by these words

I have

come.

He's saying,

I have

come so that

you can say

he's here for

me.

He's here for

me in my

situation

and I can't

do without

him and I

can't get help

from anyone

else the way

I get it

from him.

Lo, I

have come.

And the

fact that he

has a sword

drawn in his

hand, of

course that

was relevant

to Joshua's

situation,

the people's

situation then

when they

had to do

battle with

various inhabitants

of the land

to drive them

out and to

actually settle

in the land

and the

various ways

in which in

the following

chapters you

see the

defeats as

well as the

ways in

which the

overcame.

But all of

that is

important in

this context

of this man

being seen

with a sword

drawn in his

hand.

In other

words, Joshua

has been

assured that

this person

is here to

lead them,

to lead them

to be the

conqueror of

their enemies.

And that's

so true of

everything you

face as far

as Jesus is

concerned.

When the

Lord is your

Savior,

whatever you

have to

meet with,

whatever

enmity you

meet with,

whatever

opposition you

meet with,

you may

think,

I'm never

going to be

able to

overcome this.

The powers

in the world

are so great,

far greater

than I can

handle myself,

you might

say.

The things

that I see

in my life

loom so

large and

make such a

dark shadow

in my soul.

how can I

overcome

this?

Well,

look to

this person

because this

is how you

must always

see him,

with a

sword drawn

in his

hand,

ready to

conquer all

your foes,

all your

adversaries,

everything that

causes you

concern.

I mean,

in the

Gospels,

you find the

record of

the exploits

of Jesus,

the way

in which

he demonstrated

himself to

be someone

unique,

healing

diseases,

raising

people from

the dead,

all of

these things

demonstrating

that he

had come,

and he

had come

for the

benefit of

his people,

and that

such a

person is

worthy of

your trust,

such a

person surely

is someone

whom you

cannot bypass

to put your

trust in

anyone else.

Lo,

I have

come,

and not

only for

individuals,

but also

for congregations,

for denominations

as a church,

who do we

need tonight

to guide us

into the

future?

Who do we

need tonight?

Who do we

have tonight

to go before

us into the

advance of

his cause?

Who do we

have to take

on the forces

that we see

are seeking

to destroy

the gospel

and the

Lord's day

and the

Ten Commandments

and all the

things that

are precious

to the

Lord's

people?

Look to

Jesus,

because as

you see him

tonight,

he has his

sword drawn

in his

hand,

he's still

the commander

of the

Lord's

army,

he's still

the one

who has

the capacity

to be

on your

side,

to lead

you,

to guide

you,

to take

you through.

And that's

the case

for the

whole church

as well.

One of

Satan's

favorite

devices

is to

cause

discouragement

and

disconsolation

and doubt

in your

mind.

God's

It was

like that

from day

one when

he came

to Eve

in the

garden,

has God

indeed

said?

He wants

you tonight

to doubt

his word.

He wants

you tonight

to doubt

the validity

of the

Sabbath day,

of the

Lord's

day.

He wants

you to

doubt

whether it's

profitable

anymore.

Does it

fit into

the present

day in

our society?

He wants

you to

doubt the

importance

of actually

maintaining

not just

that but

every other

commandment

in terms

of your

moral integrity

!

And the

well-being

of our

community

and our

people.

And you

must look

to Jesus

who has

the sword

drawn in

his hand

ready for

battle,

who's always

prepared,

who's never

caught out,

who's always

fitted out

to lead

his people

in whatever

they meet

with,

in his

life.

And Joshua's

reaction is

the reaction

that shows

he realized

this was

God.

Joshua's

response is

he fell

on his

face to

the earth

and worshipped

and said

to him,

what does

my Lord

say to

his servant?

Now Joshua

would never

have offered

worship to

anyone other

than God.

And yet he

falls down

before this

figure and

worships and

says, what

does my

Lord say to

his servant?

an instruction

then comes

from this

figure.

Take off

your sandals

from off

your feet

for the

place where

you are

standing is

holy.

holy.

It is an

amazing thing

in many

ways that

a person

who comes

to realize

the holiness

of the

Lord,

whatever

measure we're

able to

realize and

appreciate the

holiness of

the Lord,

it doesn't

actually thwart

your desire to

serve him.

It's the very

opposite.

The better you

know the

Lord,

the more we

appreciate his

holiness,

holiness,

the more we

come to

realize that

this is none

other than

the holy

God,

our creator,

and this

commander of

the Lord's

army who's

here before

us,

who actually

comes to

bring us

into his

presence,

the more we

realize the

immensity of

God,

the holiness

of God,

the uncreated

being of

God,

the more in

realizing that

properly and

believingly and

lovingly,

the more you

will fall

down and

say,

Lord,

I'm here,

send me,

what will

you have

me to

do?

What does

my Lord

command of

his servant?

Let that

question be

your question

tonight.

Let that

request be

your request

and my

request.

The same

God who

was there in

the beginning,

who created

all things,

the God

who was

with his

people,

Israel,

at the

beginning of

their journey

from Egypt

to the

promised land,

who was

with them

through the

years of

the wilderness,

who was

actually here

with them

as they

entered the

promised land,

that same

God,

that's the

God tonight

who's seeking

your response,

who's looking

for your

question in

your heart,

Lord,

what will

you have

me to

do?

What does

my Lord

say to

his servant?

And as

it assures

Joshua of

the continuing

leadership of

God,

so Joshua

falls down

and worships.

And he

hears these

words,

take off

your sandals

from off

your feet,

for the

place where

you are

standing is

holy.

That's what

Moses heard

at the

beginning of

his leadership

of Israel.

This is what

Joshua hears

in this new

chapter,

with all of

these links

to the

past.

This is what

you and I

are hearing

tonight.

Many millions

of people

tonight in

our nation

would ridicule

you for

believing in

God.

I would

think you

are stupid

for emphasizing

the holiness

of someone

you cannot

see physically.

But friends,

you know

better than

that.

you know

better than

to think

that this

God is

just under

somebody's

control,

whatever way

you want

him.

And there

are people

who use

the Bible,

who use

Christianity

for that

purpose,

who come

to turn to

God at

certain moments

in their

lives,

who maybe

cry out to

God in

their extremities,

and then

when the

issue is

gone,

when things

have improved,

God recedes

into the

background,

if he's

really been

there

realistically

at all.

Hence,

let's make

sure tonight

we're not

serving God

in a way

that just

uses him

for our

benefit,

that uses

him for

our advantage,

to gain

something out

of the

moment.

if you

worship God,

you worship

this God.

If you

think of

God as

God,

then this

is the

God you

think of.

If you

really want

to know

what it

is to

serve the

Lord,

first of

all,

get to

know him

in his

holiness.

And as

you get to

know him

in his

holiness,

respect him

in all

his ways.

And ask

this question

each and

every day,

Lord,

what does

my Lord

say to

his servant?

What can

I do for

you today?

What will

you have

me to

do with

my life

today?

Maybe

here you're

tonight here

and you

haven't yet

started following

the Lord

for yourself.

Maybe you

still don't

know him

as your

own personal