The most interesting thing about the conversation between Joshua and the “commander of the army of the Lord,” is revealed in the Commander’s response to Joshua’s question, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The Commander of the army of the Lord has his own mission, which is the Lord’s mission. He doesn’t serve men, but the Lord. Thus, the question could be repeated back to Joshua, “Neither. Are you for the Lord or for his enemies?” The Lord doesn’t fight for the causes of men, but, instead, the Lord always fights for his cause. If men want to be on the victorious side they will find out what the Lord is fighting for and do the same. Remember, the Lord is not giving the Promised Land to Israel because they asked for it, wanted it or even had faith to take it. The Lord is giving Israel the Promised Land because he swore an oath to Abraham. The Lord is taking the Promised Land, and Israel is helping him.

In chapter 5 Joshua himself goes out from Gilgal to survey the land around Jericho in preparation for the battle. The phrase “he looked up” clearly gives the impression of surprise, since Joshua (who had served as a spy himself for Moses’ military expeditions) would not have been planned on walking up to an armed warrior that evening, particularly one of this stature standing in his way with a drawn sword. This was clearly a confrontation, and typical of Joshua’s style, he did not back down, but instead asked the armed warrior to state his business before Joshua engaged him in combat.

This Commander quickly identified himself and the purpose of his mission. He was the “commander of the army of the Lord,” which is an angelic army that fights in the spiritual battle. The Commanders’ mission was to come to Joshua with a message that is given at the beginning of the next chapter when the identity of the “Commander” is revealed as being the Lord himself. The Lord, who appears to men in the Old Testament as The Angel of the Lord, gave Joshua the battle plan and identified Joshua and Israel’s responsibility while fighting along side the Lord against Jericho:

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.’ ” - Joshua 6:2-5

“You never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there's a fire.
Likewise, if your church is on fire, you will not have to advertise it.
The community will already know it.”

The creation of man was planned by God who called everything he made “good” until he made man, and then he called his creation “very good.” Man’s creation was direct and immediate
(Genesis 1:27; 2:7), without the use of evolution. It occurred two times: once, when man was created from the dust; and, second, when woman was created from a part of the man. Mankind was patterned after God’s “image,” or tselem in the Hebrew, which refers to a fashioned image which is shaped as a representative figure in a concrete condition. But, man is also said to be patterned after God’s “likeness,” or demuth in the Hebrew, which refers to being similar, but in the abstract way in an attempt to capture the concept.