Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 2
The teacher argues this commander is likely Jesus pre-incarnate because he receives worship and calls the ground holy; how would early Christians—who confessed Jesus as Lord and read the Old Testament as pointing to him—have heard this scene, and what difference does it make if the commander is Jesus versus an angel?
Another way to ask: If early Christians thought the Old Testament pointed to Jesus, how might they have understood this commander scene? What changes if the commander is Jesus before his birth instead of an angel?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, early Christians would likely hear this as a moment where the Lord himself confronts Joshua and claims authority over the battle, fitting their conviction that Scripture points to Christ. If the commander is Jesus rather than an angel, the scene emphasizes direct divine lordship and worship, not merely a created messenger delivering orders.
- The speaker says the commander’s response “would seem to indicate that this was Jesus pre-incarnate” because Joshua “fell on his face” and the commander accepts it.
- He notes, “I’ve never seen an angel allow somebody to worship them and then tell them to take off their shoes because they’re on holy ground.”
- The command “Loose the shoes… for the place… is holy” echoes a divine-holiness moment, strengthening the “seems like… Jesus himself” conclusion.
- The speaker admits limits: “we can, I think, only speculate on that,” and mentions others think “Michael the Archangel.”
- Regardless of identity, the commander comes “for a reason”: “to give Joshua the instructions he needed to conquer Jericho.”