Jericho
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing
in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and
asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as
commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown
to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for
his servant?” The commander of the LORD's army replied, “Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh.
5:13-15)
Joy Veron was
all alone in her hospital room. Alone with her fears, her pain and the memory
of the SUV rolling over her body. Vacation had become tragedy when her car
slipped out of gear and began rolling toward a steep Colorado mountain ravine –
with her three children inside. Joy and her parents were looking at a cabin that
her parents were considering buying. When they saw the vehicle moving, they sprinted
to stop it. Joy arrived first. Fearful she didn't have time to open the
driver's side door, she placed herself in front of the SUV. Her interference
slowed it down enough for her father to climb in from the passenger side and
bring the car to a stop. That was October, 1999. Her children still remember
the expression on her face as the car pulled her under. Joy's back was broken,
and her internal injuries were severe. Joy was airlifted to a hospital in
Farmington, New Mexico. Her condition was so fragile that the doctors waited
twelve days before performing surgery.
She emerged from
the operation with a dangerously high fever. Her medical team struggled to get
the fever under control, but for seven days her fever raged. And so did her
fears. She feared dying. Then she feared living as a paralytic. The physicians tried
to comfort her, but there was no comfort to be found. Joy pleaded with her mom
for help. Her mother, who had been maintaining a bedside vigil, stepped out to
call friends for prayer. "I'll be back soon," she told Joy. Joy was
all alone. But not for long.
A man opened the
door and walked into the room. Joy didn’t recognize him. All her nurses, per
her request, were females. If the man was a doctor, he wasn't one of hers. He
had a striking appearance, tall and dressed in white. He had high cheekbones, silver-white
hair that was parted in the middle and ran down his back into a ponytail, and
piercing blue eyes. The visitor stepped toward her bed and lifted her chart, casually
flipping through the pages, but Joy had the impression that he wasn’t reading
them. After a few moments he spoke to her with a soothing voice. "Joy, you’re
going to be all right. You’ll get through this." And then as quickly as he
had entered, he left. Joy instantly believed him.
When her mother
reentered the room, Joy immediately told her about the man. "Mom, he said I’m
going to be fine!" Joy's mom ran out into the hall to find the visitor but
saw no one matching his description. She then described him to the staff. They
knew nothing of such a man. They searched the hospital. They couldn’t find him,
and Joy knows why. She believes the visitor was heaven-sent just for her. She
treasures the words he spoke. The years have brought pain, difficulty and life
in a wheelchair, and Joy often turns to the memory of the pony-tailed stranger for
strength. "You’ll get through this." And she has. So, who was the
visitor? From where did he come? Did God send an emissary to bring her hope?
Joshua would like to weigh in on that question.
He has a story
that parallels Joy's – a divine encounter during a dark, difficult time. He
wasn't alone in a hospital, but he was alone with a challenge. "Joshua was
near Jericho." (Josh. 5:13) David had his Goliath. Elijah had his Jezebel.
John had the Roman Empire. And Joshua had the people of this fortified city. It
towered like a titan on the barren plains, north of the Dead Sea. Successive
walls encircled the stone houses. The outer wall was seven feet wide and
sixteen feet high. On top of this wall a second wall was built – this one eight
feet tall. A citadel guarded the north end. A thick forest of palm trees, eight
miles long and three miles wide, stood as a barrier east of the city. Steep
hills protected the western wall. High walls. Protected sides. Joshua and his
soldiers had never faced such a challenge. They had fought battles in the
wilderness, but always on their turf and terms on an open plain. Never, ever
had they fought a fortified city. They had never passed this way before. And perhaps
you haven't either.
Perhaps you’re facing
a challenge unlike any you have ever faced before. It looms on the horizon like
an angry Jericho. Imposing. Strong. It consumes your thoughts and saps your
strength. It wakes you up and keeps you awake. It is ancient, thick walled and
impenetrable. It’s the biggest challenge of your life. It sits between you and your
inheritance. Like Joshua, you can see it. Like Joshua, you must face it. And,
like Joshua, you don't have to face your Jericho alone. “Now when Joshua was
near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn
sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our
enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I
have now come.’” (Josh. 5:13-14)
When it comes to
heaven-to-earth communiques, God seems to follow one rule: there is no rule. In
the case of Abram, three strangers came for dinner. In the story of Moses, a
blazing bush left him wide eyed and barefoot. A talking donkey got the
attention of Balaam. A blazing angel guarded the empty tomb of Jesus. The Bible
is famous for surprise encounters. Yet no visit is more mysterious than this
one: the man with the upraised sword and confident air. Who was he? Let's
eliminate some options.
He wasn't an
apparition. Nothing in the language leads us to conclude that the person was
anything other than flesh and bone. He had muscles that held the sword, vocal
cords that created a voice. He wasn't a vision, spirit, ghost or figment of
Joshua's imagination. Nor was he an angel. We're tempted to think so. After
all, angels have swords. Angels can take fleshly form. Angels have courage and
defy enemies. But here’s the difference: angels don’t accept worship. When the
apostle John attempted to worship an angel, he was rebuked: "See that you don’t
do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony
of Jesus. Worship God!" (Rev. 19:10) Had this person been an angel, he
would have refused Joshua's worship. But this visitor accepted and encouraged
it.
Was the guest a
human being? A strong, imposing figure? If he was, then he sure had Joshua
hoodwinked because Joshua not only fell at the person's feet out of respect,
but also removed his sandals. This guest was no mortal. He wasn't an angel or an
apparition. That leaves only one option. This was God incarnate. This was Jesus
Christ. What Jesus did in Bethlehem for us, he did near Jericho for Joshua. He
became flesh and paid his servant a visit. The Commander spoke to his
commander. Do you find that a little curious? Jesus, BC? Is it difficult to
imagine Jesus as an active being before his birth on earth? If so, let me
challenge you to widen your imagination.
Remember,
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8)
"He was chosen before the creation of the world." (1 Peter 1:20) The
normal restrictions of time and place don’t apply to Jesus. We’d be wrong to
limit his corporal ministry to thirty-three years in Palestine. Long before
Jesus ate with Zacchaeus in Jericho, he shared a moment with Joshua near Jericho.
And what a moment it was. "I am the commander of the army of the
Lord," Jesus declared. The human eye saw two armies: the Canaanites and
the Israelites. Actually, there was a third. The Lord's army; God's angels.
This is the
heavenly host referred to in Psalm 103:20-21: "Bless the Lord, you mighty
angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands.
Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly."
Dismiss the notion of angels with chiffon wings and rosy cheeks. God's angels
were strong enough to close the mouths of lions for Daniel. According to the
book of Revelation, it will take only one angel to bind Satan and cast him into
a bottomless pit. Think about that. Just one angel can dispense with the devil.
So, imagine what thousands of angels can do. Hebrews 12:22 refers to
"thousands of angels in joyful assembly." When John was given a
glimpse into the heavens, he saw too many angels to even count: "The
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."
(Rev. 5:11) When God opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, the young man saw
that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around
Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17)
Angels are
"ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit
salvation." (Heb. 1:14) Their presence is a Promised Land perk. All God's
children can be sure of God's angels. They’re mighty in power; they’re many in
number. And Jesus is the Commander of them all. The message to Joshua was unmistakable.
Jericho may have its walls but, Joshua,
you have more. You have God. He is with you. Isn't that the word Joshua
needed? A reminder of God's mighty presence? And isn't that all any of us need?
We need to know that God is near; that we’re never alone. In our darkest hour,
in our deepest questions, the Lord of hosts never leaves us.
You need to know
this: your Father is here. Here as
the Commander. Here with his heavenly hosts. You will never face a Jericho
alone. This is the promise God gave Joy in New Mexico and Joshua near Jericho,
and this is the promise he gives to you. He’s with you. He’s still the
Commander of the hosts. "He is in charge of it all, has the final word on
everything." (Eph. 1:22) "He sustains everything by the mighty power
of his command." (Heb. 1:3) All authority has been given to him. He needs
only to lift a finger, and thousands upon thousands of mighty angels will
respond to his call. His presence is a part of your inheritance. "O LORD,
You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup." (Ps. 16:5)
He will come to
you. In the form of a hospital companion or Holy Commander? Perhaps. Or he may
come through the word of a scripture, or the kindness of a friend. But this
much is certain: God comes to his people. "The Commander of the armies of
heaven is here among us." (Ps. 46:7) You’re no exception to this promise.
His love includes all people. And isn't that the point of this curious dialogue
between Joshua and Jesus? "Are you for us or for our enemies?" Joshua
asked. "Neither," the Commander replied. God doesn't take sides. He’s
never against his children. Even the evil Canaanites, who had long ago turned
to worshiping idols, were candidates for his mercy. Had Jericho turned and
repented, God would have received them as he received Rahab. He’s for his
children. And he is for you. "If God is for us, who can be against
us?" (Rom. 8:31)
Are you facing a
Jericho-level challenge? Do you face walls that are too high to breach and too
thick to crack? Do you face a diagnosis, difficulty or defeat that keeps you
from entering your inheritance? If so, do what Joshua did. "When Joshua
was by Jericho, . . . he lifted his eyes
and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him." (Josh. 5:13) After
Joshua lifted his eyes, he saw Jesus. And as long as our eyes are only on our
Jericho, we won't see Jesus. We’ve got to look up. "I will lift up my eyes
to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made
heaven and earth." (Ps. 121:1-2)
Look to Jesus to
comfort you. Turn your gaze away from Jericho. You've looked at it long enough.
No need to memorize its circumference, or itemize its stones. Healing happens
as we look to our Commander. Lift up your eyes and bow your knees. "Joshua
fell on his face to the earth and worshiped." (Josh. 5:14) Joshua was a
five-star general. Forty thousand soldiers saluted as they passed. His tent was
the Oval Office. Two million people looked up to him. Yet in the presence of
God, he fell on his face, removed his sandals and worshiped. We’re never so
strong that we do not need to worship.
Worship-less
people have no power greater than themselves to call upon. The worship-less
heart faces his or her Jericho all alone. Don't go to your Jericho without
first going to your Commander. Let him remind you of the ever-present angels.
Let him assure you of his all-encompassing power. He has given you this
promise: "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." (Heb.
13:5) Jericho may be strong. But Jesus is stronger. Let him be your strength.
Grace,
Randy
No comments:
Post a Comment