The Commander Book Review | Benjamin Kabula Koikoi | Joshua & the Pre-Incarnate Christ
The Commander: Before Whom the Ground Is Holy — A Full Review
By Benjamin Kabula Koikoi | Evangelist, North West Kenya Conference, SDA
There is a moment in the book of Joshua that most Bible readers pass through too quickly. It sits quietly at the end of chapter five, wedged between the circumcision at Gilgal and the famous account of the walls of Jericho falling.
Most readers hurry to the trumpets and the shout. But something extraordinary happened before the battle even began.
A man appeared. Armed. His sword already drawn.
And Joshua — commander of Israel's army — approached him and asked the only question a soldier would ask an armed stranger:
“Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?”
The answer shattered the question itself.
“Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.”
He had not come to join Joshua’s army.
Joshua’s army had joined His.
That moment — that encounter outside Jericho — is the heart of The Commander: Before Whom the Ground Is Holy.
Why I Wrote This Book
For years I have preached from the book of Joshua. But deeper study revealed something many readers overlook:
Christ was already present in the Old Testament story.
The pre-incarnate Christ led Israel through the wilderness. He was the Rock from which they drank. He was the Angel of the Lord who spoke from the burning bush.
And He was the Commander who stood outside Jericho with a drawn sword.
“That Rock was Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 10:4
This book follows that thread from Joshua 1 through the fall of Jericho and reveals the deeper presence of Christ in the narrative.
What You Will Find Inside
The book is written in the narrative theological tradition familiar to readers of The Great Controversy, combining storytelling with biblical insight.
Part One: The Weight of a Calling (Joshua 1)
With Moses gone, Joshua must lead Israel across the Jordan. The voice commissioning Joshua is examined in its theological depth — the voice of the pre-incarnate Christ.
Part Two: The Woman in the Wall (Joshua 2)
Rahab, a Canaanite woman, confesses faith in the God of Israel. Her scarlet cord becomes a powerful symbol of redemption.
Part Three: The River That Stopped at Adam (Joshua 3–4)
The Jordan miracle carries profound symbolism. The waters stopping at a place named Adam connect the story to the broader arc of redemption beginning in Eden.
Part Four: The Man With the Drawn Sword (Joshua 5)
Joshua meets the Commander of the Lord's army. The acceptance of worship and the command to remove sandals reveal His divine identity.
Part Five: The Strategy That Made No Sense (Joshua 6)
The fall of Jericho was not merely military strategy. It was divine liturgy designed to leave no room for human credit.
The Theological Spine of the Book
Jericho was not simply a battle between nations. It was part of the cosmic conflict between Christ and the adversary.
The verdict on Jericho had already been decided in the courts of heaven.
Joshua’s role was not to determine the outcome — but to participate in the victory already secured by God.
Who This Book Is For
- Adventist pastors seeking deeper study of Joshua
- Bible students exploring Christ in the Old Testament
- New believers studying the conquest narratives
- Anyone facing what seems like an impossible wall
A Final Word
When Joshua removed his sandals on the plain outside Jericho, the Bible records it simply:
“And Joshua did so.”
No argument. No hesitation.
The Commander had spoken. The ground was holy.
And the sword carried outside Jericho was eventually laid down on a Roman cross — so that we would never face our impossible walls alone.
Get the Book
The Commander is available now.
Read more biblical studies at Benjamin Kabula Koikoi's official website.
Benjamin Kabula Koikoi is an Evangelist with the North West Kenya Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and author of several theological books exploring biblical narratives through deep study.
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