Scripture focus: Joshua 5:13-15
Disclaimer: Please forgive any typographical, grammatical, and/or content errors in the following notes. They are not meant to be an exact transcription, but rather a helpful guide for those who appreciate the written word along with the spoken word. If you have any questions on what was taught, feel free to reach out on our ‘Contact Us’ page.
Text: Joshua 5
13 When 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?” 14 And 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[c] and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And 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.
When someone claims to be a kingdom influencer, how can we evaluate if they are a godly leader? From our text today we can see several pragmatic ways Joshua shows himself to be a godly, kingdom leader. Throughout Scripture we read about God manifesting Himself to people. The fancy word for this is theophany. Theos means ‘God,’ and the second part means ‘apprearing’ One of the most famous theophanies is the burning bush in Exodus where God says the same thing he said to Joshua to Moses- take off your sandals. In the new testament we have the incarnated God-man of Jesus who perfectly embodied the full divine quality of God in every way. He emptied himself of his divine prerogative to become a servant to die on a cross for you and I. Praise God he’s coming again. Revelation tells us he will return on a white horse prepared for battle and a sword will go out from his mouth. In Joshua we see him standing, ready for battle with a sword in his hand.
Let me be clear, this is a theological inference. Prior to the incarnation of Christ in the new testament, there are seemingly a few times that Christ appears and scholars call it a Christophany. Why is this? Warren Wiersbe says, “To Abraham the pilgrim (Gn 18) the Lord came as a traveler to share in a friendly meal; to Jacob, the schemer, he came as a wrestler to bring him to the place of submission (Gn 32); the three Hebrew men met him as their companion in the furnace of fire (Daniel 3); and Joshua met him as the captain of the Lord’s armies with a sword drawn. Our Lord always comes to us when we need him and in the way we need him.”
Again, this is a theological interpretation. In none of those instances does it refer to the man as Jesus Christ; however, the way they’re treated would suggest that they are of divine quality and in fact we see that here in Joshua 5. First, the man announces himself as the commander of the army of the Lord. Not the literal name in this case, but the meaning is given of Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, the Lord’s name for battle. Second, we see that Joshua fell and worshiped him and he was not stopped by the man. In other contexts we see people fall prostrate and angels will tell them to stop what they are doing because worship only belongs to God. Third, we see that the man’s presence has made the ground holy. Finally, in Joshua 6:2 when the man speaks it refers to him as the LORD, in Hebrew, Jehovah, God Almighty.
So we have here an individual acting a lot like God and for the sake of theological argument we’re going to say is Jesus, a pre-incarnate appearance. The beautiful thing is that as Joshua is trying to figure out how he’s going to accomplish what the Lord has called him to, he’s visited by the one who is actually in charge. Joshua didn’t even know his name. Praise God that we have the privilege of knowing his name – the name above all other names – Jesus/Yeshua. Crazy thing is, that is also Joshua’s name – Yeshua – don’t let that detail pass us by.
So we have a godly man meeting the true leader. Throughout our lives the Lord is going to call us to different tasks and work and as brother Warren Wiersbe said, the Lord will meet us in that place with exactly what we need and how we need it. He will manifest himself in a very clear way. Sometimes it’s through supernatural experiences, those are fun, amen? But, these are the exception to the rule. Why? Because the Lord wants to build our faith and if we are constantly in need of a supernatural experience then that is evidence that we are a babe in Christ. There’s nothing wrong with those experiences but as we grow and mature and are refined in our walk with the Lord they become less and less necessary to have a strong, vibrant, growing, maturing walk with the King. Sometimes the Lord just meets us right there and those times are amazing.
Sometimes the Lord sends us brothers and sisters to work alongside us and that, I would say, is far more of the norm. Jesus sent people out in twos and threes. Why? Because they had to work together as a team – a brotherhood, a sisterhood. Within his body the Lord works regularly that way and it’s why we come together in community, it’s why we use our gifts to build one another up and exhort each other, and within that context the Lord will call some to exercise gifts of leadership and oversight and that is a godly thing – praise God for those individuals. Scripture says in 1 Timothy 3 that the one who desires the office of overseer desires a good thing. There are LOTS of warnings that we need to be aware of and heed to make that the people who claim some sort of spiritual authority, position, or ability to influence are, in fact, following the Lord in that calling and not operating in their own strength, understanding, or self-glorification.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20, “15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Jesus is calling us to be discerning sons and daughters of his. To evaluate the fruit in our own lives first and foremost. There’s an order of operations here – we’re to take the plank out of our own eye before we deal with the speck in another’s. But the Lord does call us to be fruit evaluators, especially of those who operate with any degree of authority. Who was Jesus the most aggressive with throughout his ministry? It was the Pharisees, the people who were supposed to be the leaders in love, grace, faith, and truth. There’s a reason why Jesus was so strong in his words with them. Never in a sinful way, of course, but he rebuked them and well he should have.
So we see here in our text today, Joshua, really for the first time in the five chapters of this book, Joshua is acting. He is the one who is driving the action. It’s not the spies, people of Israel, or God speaking to him and then responding and doing what the Lord says; this is the first time we see Joshua actually out doing something.
7 practical qualities that show the fruit of a godly leader for us to inspect
Each quality has a proverb coupled with it because Proverbs is written to leaders in training – people who are being prepared, discipled, and equipped to yield some degree of influence.
- Godly leaders will lead from the front and by example. Joshua 5:13 – Joshua was by Jericho. He now longer sends spies to investigate this city which has prepared for war, he goes himself. There is going to be a degree of delegation that should occur because if they don’t then they’re just doing it by themselves and not allowing the body to operate. Proverbs 12:24 says, “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” We can’t be afraid to work, get our hands dirty, and get out there and do it ourselves. Now, there is of course the opposite – someone who’s just going and doing everything themself. But you also have the sloth, someone who’s just going and telling everyone else to do it for them which is just as destructive and perhaps more infuriating. David is an example of this. He fell into temptation with Bathsheba when he decided to stay home from battle when he was supposed to be leading his troops. Satan got him, prowling around like a lion looking for someone he may devour. Praise God that David was a man after God’s own heart and he repented, but if you read through the book of 2 Samuel you’ll know that this was a major turning point in the life of David after he had started so well in 1 Samuel.
- Godly leaders are courageous. Joshua 5:13 – Joshua went to [the man standing by him with his sword drawn in his hand.] The text doesn’t even say Joshua drew his own sword. It’s almost a non-chalant, “Hey, let’s check this guy out. By the way, are you for us or for our adversaries?” This is underlined in Joshua 1 when the Lord said to him several times to be strong and courageous. Why? Because I am with you! Now, let me be clear. This doesn’t mean that a godly leader has no fear, because courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is continuing the trust in the Lord and move forward in spite of whatever fear I may be feeling. It is the ability to have self-control over that fear – to not let it fill us or master us because we know the one who is really in control. I know what I’ve been called to do, I know who is with me. And even if the Lord doesn’t praise me I will still praise his name, which was said in Daniel 3 with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace where they met who? Maybe Jesus! An amazing presence of God who King Nebuchadnezzar says is the Lord Almighty. A godly leader will seek to be courageous in God’s power and presence as his Spirit leads them. Proverbs 14:26 says, “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” Who is the confidence in? The Lord, not yourself.
- Godly leaders are not quick to act, but are ready for action. Joshua 5:13 – Are you for us, or for our enemies? Joshua immediately begins to evaluate the situation, discern what’s going on, seeking to act wisely and reasonably not rashly, emotionally, or spontaneously. Spontaneity can be a good thing and fun in certain situations. When it comes to leading people, in the direction that God would have you go – well, God can be spontaneous, he’s allowed to do that, but we should be very hesitant to just act on pure emotion or pure logic or because we just feel like giving it a go. We should act in wisdom, listening to what the Lord would have us do in his Spirit. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:16 says, “One who is wise is cautious[a] and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.” Every single one of us is a leader to someone. We are called to be the priesthood of believers and minister to someone, mediating truth and the gospel to someone – that is a leadership position. So we need to look through lens #1 – are these qualities evident in my own life? And then lens #2 is to evaluate the “Pauls” in our life and discern the fruit in our leaders’ lives.
- Godly leaders know that they are a servant of those who the Lord has put under their care. It’s not about her/him. Joshua 5:13 – Are you for us, or for our adversaries? Joshua did not say, “Are you for me, or for my enemies?” Isn’t it sad when we read of the downfall of leaders in the church? They are always acting selfishly. Now, this is the natural condition of man – we’re all selfish and prideful; but it is especially tragic when someone is supposed to be serving others and we find that they ae serving themself. This is certainly not specific to the church – in your workplaces, friend groups – apart from the spirit of God, a leader will become a narcissist. It’s just what happens because our flesh creates it so. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are in love with themselves in the classic sense of the word, but they’ll have a pretty high opinion of themselves – their plans, their purposes, and their way. This is deadly to someone who is trying to be a godly leader because it’s so easy to justify yourself through your position and defend yourself through structure and organization and not be held accountable. If you ever hear someone tell you that it’s lonely at the top, alarm bells should immediately go off in your head. They just gave themselves up and showed what was going on in their heart because that top is of their making, not of God’s. God is at the top. A godly leader is not going to be at the top, in fact, they should seek to be at the bottom serving those around them. So, in your life, if you start to feel the weight and the pressure of being at the top – check your heart. Hopefully, you do not do what so many leaders start to do – isolate themselves and hold people at arms length so that there’s no one there to hold you accountable and to speak truth to you. If you in your seed groups ever feel like you can’t really get to know the shepherd over your group – that’s a problem. Shepherds, I’m going to talk to you for a moment. If you ever become unapproachable like that then check yourself because you’re dancing on thin ice. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” Always be mindful of someone who relishes a position of leadership, especially to the exclusion of others. Discipleship is so important. They will try to replace themselves to make themselves obsolete or at the very least have an ability to leave and not keep it solely rested on themselves. If in your life you find yourself trying to hold on to authority and influence, check your heart. Jesus, Paul, the apostles – they were constantly seeking to give influence away to godly disciples whom they were raising up. Jesus said it’s better that I leave so the Holy Spirit can come and you can do greater things than me. That is the heart of every godly leader, that others will do even more and glorious works for the Lord.
- Godly leaders must remain teachable. Joshua 5:14 – Joshua fell on his face. He immediately evidenced a heart that is open to correction. As soon as you’re around someone who thinks that they’ve arrived and know what they need to know then there should be more danger and warning bells alarming in your head. If you find yourself not surrounding yourself with those who have the ability to speak that truth to you or you’re not listening to them or worse, you’re surrounding yourself with yes-men or yes-women, then check yourself! There are so many Proverbs on this topic. Proverbs 19:20 says, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” Proverbs 10:17 says, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.” Remember, every godly leader is supposed to be a servant of the commander king. So if they’re stopping and hearing instruction and not heeding that means that they’re trying to make themselves commander and king because it’s only the commander and king can give the orders.
- Godly leaders must come back to a heart of worship. Joshua 5:14 – Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped. What is a heart of worship? It is a heart of thankfulness and praise for the one who has saved you, is leading you, is with you, and in control. No matter what may be going on around you God is king, I am not and I will praise him because he has saved me from myself. If you have a hard time singing praises to our God, please check your heart. I understand there are preferences and you may not particularly like the music, but can you close your eyes, listen and affirm the words? If you are someone who can sing, but doesn’t ever raise your hands, please check your heart on why that is. God wants to cultivate in our hearts worship that isn’t afraid of praising him before everyone undignified like David dancing before him in a loincloth. One of my favorite words is homothumadon – it’s when God’s people are all coming together and playing their parts like an orchestra. It’s a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together. Proverbs 13:9 says, “The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Fun fact, the word ‘worship’ does not occur anywhere in Proverbs, but joy is mentioned several times which is an approximation of the heart of worship.
- Godly leaders are obedient. Joshua 5:14 – And Joshua did so. This more than any other quality sets Joshua apart. In every single instance when Joshua is told to do something – he does it. The heart of a godly leader ultimately doesn’t want to lead, they want to be led by Jesus. Amen? This perhaps is why Joshua is such a type of Christ because Jesus said over and over again that I have come to do my father’s will, not my will. And Jesus is God! But he knew his position – his father is on the throne and he is at the right side and therefore, the son does the will of the father. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” That last part – praise God that men and women are found out because they have a chance to repent as a mercy of God. It’s a tragedy for the church when leaders fall, but it’s an individual mercy for the leaders when they are found out.
Now I want each of us to see here in each of these seven things that not a single one of them is dependent on giftedness or ability. Did you notice that? Not a single one of them was dependent on how good of a speaker Joshua was, how good of a fighter, musician, or personality. None of that matters. Giftedness can quite often be the mask that the wolf wears in the midst of the sheep. I hope you hear that. Do not get taken in by the giftedness of a person. By God’s grace, be an inspector of their heart. What is the fruit produced in their heart? When we start getting caught up in the giftedness and ability, that’s when we start excusing things, justifying. Pretty soon we allow someone to position themselves in such a way that if God is gracious he will allow a fall that they may repent. The tragedy is that in the midst of this, many can be led astray, not necessarily into a false gospel, but into a work of man rather than a work of God.
Every single one of these things is an evidence of a heart of humility – the quality that God is looking for in all of us. Isaiah 66:2 says, “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” As we are faithful with little, influencing whatever people or situation the Lord has called us to, and walk in godly fruit, not because of your ability, but because of your humble faithfulness, the Lord will increase that responsibility and allow you to share that fruit and to serve others not from the top, from the bottom.
Jesus is seeking to meet us precisely where we are to lead us to victory, not as we define it, but as he defines, which is to transform our hearts to be more and more like his, hearts that are humble that seek the face of God first and foremost and above all and trust in him. As Holy Spirit moves in us and through us, my encouragement is that we would all pray that we are walking in the good fruit of godliness as we serve those around us and share the truth of the gospel with those whom we have influence and conversely let us discerningly evaluate the good fruit of those whom we allow to influence us. Let us not fall victim to a wolf in sheep’s clothing, let us not get comfortable with having our ears tickled by words that merely affirm us but instead let’s grow into men and women who are discerning and who move in the direction that the Lord calls us to go and not that of the world, culture , or any single man. Amen?