“I have now come as commander of the Lord’s army.” Then Joshua bowed with his face to the ground in worship and asked him, “What does my lord want to say to his servant?” (Joshua 5:13–14)
God has a calling for you. He has a purpose for you wherever you’re reading this from–here on Oahu or away, taking a break at home or from work. We may not know what that calling is, but as believers and God’s adopted children, we can trust that He has our best interests and His glory in mind.
Likewise, God had a calling for the Israelites to return to the Promised Land, Canaan. In the last 40 years since God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God had been paving the way to fulfill His promise, preserving and sustaining His people to bring them to the Promised Land. So far, God brought them manna to eat and His Ten Commandments to obey, He saved and protected Rahab to allow Israel to infiltrate Jericho, and He dried up the Jordan to bring Israel closer to Canaan.
In Joshua 5, God continues to outwardly call Israel and seeks their faithful response. Reflecting on Ryan’s sermon of this chapter, God calls Israel (and all His people) for three reasons: He calls us as his people to consecration, to remember Him, and to bring us to His son, Jesus. When God calls us to consecration, setting us apart from the world, we may feel hurt and vulnerable, not necessarily like that of physical circumcision, but the momentary pain of God pulling us out of our comfort zone for His glory, to allow us to seek refuge in Him. When God calls us to remember Him, we can do so by recollecting God’s faithfulness, the way Joshua and the Israelites celebrated the Passover. You can simply share what He’s done for you this week with your community group, or celebrate Jesus sacrificing His body and blood for our sins by consuming bread and wine in communion. When God calls us to Jesus, the way God shows the commander of His army at the end of the chapter, He calls us to respond in faith and obedience, as Joshua bowed and removed his sandals from holy ground to respond to the Lord’s command.
Whatever God’s calling is for you, He does so because He is setting you apart from the world, He wants you to remember His faithfulness, and He is calling you to Jesus, to be more like Him so the world will see Jesus in your life. Are you ready to take God’s call?