The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Joshua 5:15,
"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."
After Israel crossed the Jordan, and as Joshua was near Jericho, the first city in the promised land for Israel to conquer, he came across the "commander of the army of the Lord." Joshua asked him if he was for Israel or for Israel's enemies. The commander replied, "Neither". When the commander identified himself as the commander of the army of the Lord, Joshua fell facedown to the ground, "in reverence and fear."
The commander told Joshua to take off his sandals, the place he was standing in was "holy." We read in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, "In the OT the adjective holy is a distinctly religious term and is used exclusively in relation to God. It may refer either to God himself or to what has been sanctified by him. Primarily, however, it is God who is holy (Exod. 15:11; Isa. 6:3). There is no holiness unassociated with him. Holiness is not a human quality, nor is it an impersonal concept. Its divine provenance is everywhere insisted on in the OT."
"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."
After Israel crossed the Jordan, and as Joshua was near Jericho, the first city in the promised land for Israel to conquer, he came across the "commander of the army of the Lord." Joshua asked him if he was for Israel or for Israel's enemies. The commander replied, "Neither". When the commander identified himself as the commander of the army of the Lord, Joshua fell facedown to the ground, "in reverence and fear."
The commander told Joshua to take off his sandals, the place he was standing in was "holy." We read in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, "In the OT the adjective holy is a distinctly religious term and is used exclusively in relation to God. It may refer either to God himself or to what has been sanctified by him. Primarily, however, it is God who is holy (Exod. 15:11; Isa. 6:3). There is no holiness unassociated with him. Holiness is not a human quality, nor is it an impersonal concept. Its divine provenance is everywhere insisted on in the OT."
Joshua's response by falling on his face in reverence and fear expressed clearly he recognized that God was leading this military campaign through his commander. The ground was holy.
At times I wonder if this reverence and fear of the Lord that God's holiness brings is somewhat lost in our day. I suspect that is a condition that will find itself rectified in a future not too distant.
What do you think?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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