Joshua stared steely-eyed across the dry grass plains, gripping his spear tighter as he looked for signs of weakness: a crack in the wall, an undefended segment of earth, a sewer drain, anything that might make this impenetrable wall a bit more penetrable. But the more he looked, the more he saw just how perfect were the defenses of the town of Jericho.
From his vantage point, Joshua could see everything, the long open field through which his men would be forced to charge while the enemy rained down arrows from the protected walls, those stone walls so high no ladder would reach to the top and so thick no axe could cut through, the heavy gates where Joshua and his men would face boiling oil poured from the defenders’ unassailable position high above.
This is going to be a slaughter, Joshua sighed hopelessly. And still, he knew that this was where God had directed him to lead the people.
Joshua had recently stepped into the position of commander of the Israelite army. His mentor and close friend Moses had died just under a month ago, and now Joshua found himself trying to fill the shoes of the greatest leader he had ever known. Though close to sixty years old, Joshua felt he was still just a young boy when it came to commanding a civilization like Moses had done.
And now, as he examined Jericho, he was certain that his leading (and his sixty years) would soon be coming to an end.
If the enemy doesn’t kill me, Joshua thought morbidly, the survivors will certainly finish me off.
Suddenly, a noise behind him caught Joshua’s attention. He turned around with surprising speed and raised his spear, ready to throw. His eyes fell on an unfamiliar man in heavy armor, pointing his unsheathed sword directly at Joshua. He was just a few cubits away.
“Who are you?!” Joshua barked with authority. This man, clothed for battle, unnerved the new commander, though he was not going to reveal that to the intruder. “Are you for me or for my enemies?”
“Neither,” the man spoke calmly. Joshua hoped that this man was just really good at hiding his fear, but he had the sensation that he was, in reality, not at all afraid or even concerned. The man locked eyes with Joshua, “I am captain of the army of God.”
Joshua’s heart skipped a beat, and he dropped to the ground immediately, bowing low. He couldn’t believe he had almost attacked the leader of God’s own army.
“Do you bring a message for me?” Joshua managed to ask. He surprised himself by the confidence with which he spoke.
“Only one,” the captain answered. Joshua, with his eyes to the ground, heard the sharp metallic sound as the captain sheathed his sword. “Remove your filthy sandals for this place belongs to God, and it is a sanctuary for purity.”
Joshua looked down at his feet, and speedily untied his sandals. As he did so, he was reminded of how, as a young man, he used to enter the tent of God with Moses. The very first thing each man did was untie his sandals and leave them outside, a symbol of entering into a place where God was, a place of purity and cleanliness where no shoes were necessary.
Joshua tossed his sandals to the side and waited for the message to continue. He stayed there for a long time, head bowed, eyes facing the ground, but no further message came. At long last, as he felt the coolness of the setting sun, Joshua lifted his eyes and sighed. The captain was gone, vanished without a sound or hint of footprints.
As he retied his sandals, Joshua sighed. He still had no idea how he was going to keep his men alive, much less how they would actually be able to take the town of Jericho.
Tags: angels, Joshua, Old Testament, worry
