Day 70 - Joshua 3-7

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 70 - Joshua 3-7 (Is God For You or Against You?)
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"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "AreYou for us or for our adversaries?"   So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"   Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so."  (Joshua 5:13-15)

Joshua asked the same question I posted as my title for this post but as Joshua found out, we too shall discover that the question is altogether not valid.  Why?  Because with God, it is not a question of whether or not He is for us but rather whether or not we are for Him.

In response to Joshua's daring question to the pre-incarnate Christ who appeared to Him as a warrior with a drawn sword, God said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come."  By saying no, God was not saying that He was not for the Israelites nor was He saying that He was not for Israel's adversaries.  Rather, God was implying that He does not side with any group but as Commander of the army of the Lord, as God Himself, He does not answer to anyone but that all must answer to Him.

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was supposedly asked if God was on his side.  "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side," said the president, "my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God's side is always right."

In order for Joshua's life to be spared, God commanded Him to remove his sandals for the place where he stood was holy ground because of God's presence; and Joshua did so and was spared.

There are at least two lessons for us to learn and apply in our lives from our Scripture text above: First, let us be careful that we do not ask God to be on our side but rather, let us ask God to help us to be on His side.

Second, let us be careful to give God the proper reverence due Him.  How? By removing our dirty "sandals" which are the sins we have accumulated in our hearts and minds as we walk this earth we live in.  We can do that through the act of confession and repentance followed by appropriating the full forgiveness of all our sins through the shed blood of Christ:  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  (1 John 1:9)

"Lord, please help me to always be on Your side and to always give You the proper reverence due You.  Please help me to come under the fountain of Your blood that was shed for the remission of my sins and give me the strength to put away my sins and not keep putting it back on.  In Jesus name, amen.