The Commander of the Lord’s Army

5:13 When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?” 5:14 He answered, “Truly I am the commander of the Lord’s army. Now I have arrived!” Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground and asked, “What does my master want to say to his servant?” 5:15 The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Joshua sees a warrior near Jericho who says he is the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua bows in reverence, and the commander tells him to remove his sandals because the place is holy. The lesson is that the conquest belongs to the Lord, and Joshua must stand in humble submission before him.

Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man with a drawn sword. Joshua asked whether he was for Israel or for Israel’s enemies. The answer did not fit Joshua’s frame. The man said that he was the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua then fell facedown and asked what his master wanted to say.

The commander told Joshua to remove his sandals because the place was holy. This showed that Joshua was standing in the presence of God’s holy authority. The scene teaches that Jericho will fall not by Israel’s own strength, but by the Lord’s power and command. Joshua is the leader, but he is still a servant before God.

• God is holy, and his presence makes a place holy.
• Joshua must bow in reverence before the Lord’s authority.
• The conquest of Jericho belongs to the Lord, not to Israel’s independent plan.
• God’s people must not presume that he is there to approve their agenda.
• Human leaders are servants under God’s command.

• Warning: Do not treat God as if he exists to support human plans.
• Warning: Do not approach God casually; his presence is holy.
• Command: Remove your sandals, for the place is holy.
• Command: Bow in reverent submission before the Lord.
• Promise: The Lord himself is leading the conquest and will accomplish his purpose.

This scene comes at the start of the conquest of the land promised to Abraham. It shows that the inheritance is received under the Lord’s authority. The same holy presence that met Moses now meets Joshua, showing continuity in God’s saving and leading work. The passage also sits within the wider biblical story of God’s victory, while keeping Joshua’s scene in its own historical setting.

Believers should ask whether they are aligned with the Lord’s will, not whether the Lord is aligned with theirs. Service to God should be marked by reverence, humility, and obedience. Leaders should remember that their authority is delegated, not independent. This passage should not be used as a blanket approval for modern warfare or personal conflict.

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