Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear people.

The predicted rain has not yet hit here. No jog/walk this morning. We have another plan in the making. It may be kind of crazy with all the work upon me. But the season is fast getting away from us, and I still have not followed through this year to take Kaden with me on skis again (something we’ve talked about many times), so we’re planning to take the little boys up into the snow…and I hope to take them for a few rides up the chair lift and runs down the hill in my arms. I suppose I could send a photo to anyone who’d like one.

May your day go well as you do it with metaphorical bare feet.

Love, Dad/Ray.

While we as believers are instructed to continually “look at things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), it is not often that the LORD opens the physical eyes of His human followers so as to physically see things that are normally unseen. But Joshua is given a dramatic visit from “the commander of the LORD’S army.” And Who might that be? My best hunch is that this was a special divine encounter with none other than the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ. This personage is certainly not out of character with John the Revelator’s encounter of Revelation 1.

Even though Joshua had just been dramatically used in the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, he may have still been suffering from an overdose of human adrenalin—now on the verge of going into a decisive battle. This divine encounter would certainly have added confirmation to the fact that he and Israel were not alone in this conquest—added confirmation that “the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9). Is this not a point of encouragement for us in facing our own battles—“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

When Joshua was made aware that this was indeed a divine encounter, he did the right thing—He “fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant? (5:14).’” The only message given called for added awareness—“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” I wonder if Joshua was tempted to say, “Excuse me, but I’m not standing.” In lesson application, should we be barefoot all the time? No. But in the course of living to please our “Commander,” governed by a HEART AFTER GOD, there is no ground that you tread that is not holy—for “the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9). That’s powerful encouragement!

And the reason this simple point is so profoundly important (and worth repeating) is because this has to be the same standard the “LORD of the harvest” still uses today (Matthew 9:38).