I’ve been reading the book of Joshua recently and noticed a new “beginning”to the familiar account of the battle of Jericho. In the children Sabbath school bible lessons, the story always started in chapter six with God telling the Israelites to walk around Jericho for seven days before the walls “came tumblin’ down.” This time, I realized the story actually starts at the end of chapter five.
Joshua is “near the city”—a risky place for an enemy commander to be. In fact, I wondered what he was doing there. Was he on a reconnaissance mission? Was he studying the city walls, trying to come up with a plan of attack?
Suddenly, Joshua is interrupted when he looks up and sees a man in front of him holding a drawn sword. His battle instincts triggered, Joshua walks forward with a challenge: “Are you for us or our enemies?”
How does the man answer? “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Neither?
Joshua’s take on the situation had been clear: “This man is either for me or against me.” But that “neither” blew his friend-or-foe categories out of the water. The passage reveals that it is not just a man but God who was in front of Joshua - and God isn’t bound by “option A or option B” thinking.
“Take off your shoes,” Joshua hears, “for the place where you are standing is holy.” And soon Joshua is standing barefoot in the middle of holiness as God outlines His battle plan.
I don’t know about you, but I often get stuck in “this or that” mode:
People are either friends or foes.
A situation is right or wrong.
I can only choose between Door 1 or Door 2.
Sometimes I even batter away at God, trying to get Him to tell me which option He’s going to identify with. Joshua’s story reminds me that God may be replying to my “This or that?" questions with, “Neither.”
And just maybe, He would like me to recognize His presence, take off my shoes, and stand still for a while on holy ground so He can outline a perspective I’d never have considered otherwise.
-connie willems
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