Before the Battle: God’s Priorities and Our Posture

Joshua 5:1-15: 

1As 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.  2At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel  a second time.” 

3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4And 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. 

5Though 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 circum cised. 

6For 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. 

7So 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. 8When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in  the camp until they were healed. 

9And 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. 

10While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the four teenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 

11And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, un leavened cakes and parched grain. 

12And 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 of the fruit of the land of Canaan  that year. 

13When 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?” 

14And 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 worshiped and said to him, “What does my  lord say to his servant?” 

15And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your  feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Introduction:  

There are moments when everything seems poised for action. The  

door opens, the opportunity arrives, and we’re ready to move. But instead of  accelerating, God slows us down. He pauses the momentum not to frustrate  us, but to form us. 

Joshua 5 is one of those moments. Israel has crossed the Jordan. The land of promise is  finally underfoot. The manna has ceased, and the people taste the fruit of Canaan for the first  time. Jericho looms ahead. From a human perspective, this is the time to strike. But God hits  pause. Instead of launching the campaign, He commands circumcision and Passover. Instead  of giving Joshua a battle plan, He confronts him with a drawn sword and a holy question. This  chapter teaches us that before the battle begins, God prepares His people in two ways: 

I. Marked Before We March (Joshua 5:1–12) 

Before Israel fights, God marks them with covenant signs: Circumcision and Passover.  

A. Circumcision: (Initiation and Identification) 

God commands circumcision for the new generation (those born in the wilderness).  This act reestablishes their identity as God’s covenant people. It’s not just about physical  preparation; it’s about spiritual belonging. 

♦ Circumcision was the sign of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:10–14). It  marked those who belonged to the covenant community. The wilderness generation  had neglected this sign, and now God restores it. 

♦ Richard D. Phillips writes, “Before Israel could conquer Canaan, they had to be con quered by grace. The cutting away of the flesh was a sign that victory would not  come by human strength, but by divine promise.” 

♦ In the New Testament, circumcision finds its fulfillment in union with Christ. Paul  writes in Colossians 2:11–12: “In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision  not performed by human hands… having been buried with Him in baptism.” 

♦ Baptism, then, is not a bare symbol. Baptism is “a sign and seal of ingrafting into  Christ, of remission of sins by His blood, and regeneration by His Spir 

it.” (Westminster Larger Catechism) 

B. Passover: (Remembrance and Renewal) 

After circumcision, Israel celebrates Passover. This is the first recorded Passover in the land  of promise. It’s a moment of remembrance and renewal.  

♦ Passover recalls the night of deliverance, the blood of the lamb shielding God’s peo ple from judgment (Exodus 12). In the New Testament, Passover finds its fulfillment  in Jesus Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been  sacrificed.” Jesus is the true Lamb whose blood delivers us from sin and death. And  just as Israel ate the Passover meal in anticipation of God’s victory, we now partake  of the Lord’s Supper to remember Christ’s finished work and to proclaim His return  (1 Corinthians 11:26).

♦ The Westminster Confession of Faith – The Supper is a means by  

which believers “spiritually receive and feed upon Christ crucified,  

and all benefits of His death.” 

♦ The cessation of manna and the eating of Canaan’s produce (Joshua  5:12) marks a transition. It’s a WOW moment. 

Application: God prepares His people through covenant renewal, not clever planning. Victo ry belongs to the consecrated, not the capable. Ministry must flow from being marked by  grace, not driven by ambition. 

II. Bow Before You Battle (Joshua 5:13–15) 

Joshua, surveying Jericho, sees a man with a drawn sword. He asks, “Are you for us or  for our adversaries?” The answer is unexpected: “Neither. I have now come as commander  of the army of the Lord.” This is not a tactical meeting, but a theological confrontation. Josh ua must learn that God is not a tool to be wielded. He is the sovereign Commander, and the  only question that matters is: Are we wholly for Him? 

A. The Commander and the Question 

Joshua’s question, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” reflects a common human in stinct. We want to know if God is on our side. But the Commander’s answer reframes the is sue: “I’m not here to take sides. I’m here to take over.” 

♦ Tremper Longman writes, “Joshua’s encounter is not tactical—it’s theological. God  demands surrender before He grants success.” 

♦ Many scholars believe this figure is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ  (Christophany). 

♦ The drawn sword echoes Genesis 3:24, where the flaming sword guards Eden, and  Numbers 22:23, where the angel confronts Balaam. This is a moment of divine au thority. 

♦ In Revelation 19:11-16, we see this Commander again riding a white horse,  crowned with many diadems, and wielding the sword of His Word. The Lamb who  was slain is now the Warrior who reigns. 

B. Holy Ground and Humble Posture 

Joshua is told to remove his sandals just like Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5).  The ground is holy because the Lord is present. The real battle is not Jericho’s walls; it is  Joshua’s will. 

♦ This moment is not about tactics; it’s about surrender. Joshua falls face down and  asks, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” That is the posture of every faithful  leader. Not “What’s the plan?” but “What’s the command?” 

♦ Jesus modeled this posture at Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke  22:42). He submitted to the Father’s will, bore the sword of judgment, and opened  the way for us to walk in grace. 

♦ John Calvin - “True wisdom consists in submission to God’s Word, not in the clever-

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ness of human schemes. Joshua’s silence before the Commander is  

the beginning of true leadership.” 

Application: Leadership begins in submission. Ministry is not a platform, but  a response to grace. Christ bore the sword so we could bear fruit. Before we  battle, we must bow. Before we conquer, we must be consecrated. Before we speak, we must  listen. 

Conclusion: Church, the question is not “Is God for me?” but “Am I wholly for Christ?” Before the walls fall, before the victories come, God calls us to renewal and surrender. He  marks us with baptism. He feeds us at His table. He confronts us with His holiness. And He  leads us not as a consultant, but as Commander. So let us echo Joshua’s posture: “What does  my Lord say to His servant?”  

Rev. Jerome David/Sept. 7, 2025