new life in Jesus Christ whose death and resurrection bring it about. 5:13 God had promised his presence to Joshua (1:7–9), and here he began to fulfill it. Joshua encountered a man with a drawn sword. In Nm 22:23 Balaam’s donkey stopped before such a figure. 5:14–15 The man’s title commander of the LORD’s army suggests someone of importance. The relevant question was not whether he was for or against Joshua, but how Joshua regarded him. Joshua bowed to worship. The man’s command to remove his sandals