Roughly forty years after Moses at the burning bush, Joshua meets the same situation as Israel prepares to enter the Promised Land. Moses has died and God has chosen Joshua to lead. Near Jericho, Joshua asks a figure whether He is for Israel or for their adversaries, and He answers that He has come as Commander of the army of the Lord. This is Jesus Christ. Joshua falls on his face and worships, asking what his Lord says to His servant. The Commander then tells him, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy," and Joshua obeys. The wording parallels the command to Moses exactly. Like Moses, Joshua readily understands that he is in God's presence and standing on holy ground, because God's presence is what makes a place holy. The repetition shows that this was not a one-time event. God's people must constantly consider how to honor Him and show Him respect, reverence, and humility. Removing the sandals signified putting off the profane before approaching what is holy, and it acknowledged human vulnerability before God. The same lesson appears in the priests ministering barefoot in the Tabernacle, and it applies today to the Sabbath, where God has placed His presence.