Captain Of The Host of the Lord

Joshua’s spectacular meeting with an angel is described as him being with the captain of the host of the LORD. As with Moses, Joshua was told to loosen his shoes from his feet. This angel stood before Joshua with a sword drawn in his hand.

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua. Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15)

The Lord promised Joshua that the city of Jericho and its king would be given into his hands. He then gave Joshua the exact instructions on how to accomplish this. These were unusual commands, which are covered in Joshua chapter six, but Joshua did as he was instructed, and the walls of Jericho fell. The scripture also states in Joshua 6:27: “So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.”

Toward the end of Joshua’s life the angel of the Lord chose to speak to the people. The words the angel spoke caused the people to weep. “And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swear unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.” (Judges 2:1-4)