Who is on the Lord's Side?

Over at Refreshment in Refuge, Gina wrote a nice little piece about God not taking sides. Based on Joshua's encounter with the Commander of the Armies of Heaven in Joshua 5, she has several good points. She says, for instance, that "He doesn't take sides. He is the God of Republicans and of Democrats. He is the God of Northerners and of Southerners, of blacks and of whites, of rich and of poor." So true! She says, "We are not in control, no matter how much we'd like to be in control, we are not." Very true! The idea, I suppose, is that of cooperating with God.

I have a real difficulty, however. At the outset here I need to say that I like Gina and don't wish to take issue with her. It is the idea here that I am addressing. It is an extremely pervasive idea, and when it is taken to its logical conclusion, it is extremely problematic. At one point she says, "He doesn't take sides, He is ready to take over if only we would move over and let Him take over." The idea is that of a "gentleman", very popular today. It posits that God doesn't invade or overpower; He simply waits for people to allow Him to operate. Admittedly the same people that hold to this also hold to the idea of a "sovereign God", but this is far from "sovereignty". Gina (rightly) says, "Without God humans can do nothing." However, the ramification of a "gentleman God" is precisely the reverse -- without Man God can do nothing. He's standing there, waiting to work things out, begging, pleading, maybe even demanding, but ultimately on hold until we "let Him take over."

When I read the story in Joshua 5, I don't get the impression of a gentleman God. I get the impression of a militant God. When Joshua demands, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" and the "man" (who turns out to be no mere man) replies "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD" (Josh. 5:15-16), I don't hear "So if you please, let me take over." Instead I hear, "I'm on My side, and you may either submit or be destroyed." There is no "gentleman God" there in that conversation. The captain of the host of the LORD isn't making an offer; He's making a demand. He is taking sides -- His own. He is holding up to Joshua the same decision that we all face all the time: "Are you going to take earthly sides, or are you going to submit to God?" I hear the Captain saying, "It's not about you, Joshua, or your enemies; it's all about Me."

I have no idea if Gina intended to imply a "gentleman God" in her post. I am not trying to put words in her mouth. That very well may not have been her intention. But this idea is so prevalent today that I needed to comment on it. God is on God's side. We can be on His side or not, but He isn't going to wait for our permission. He isn't going to submit to our desires. He isn't going to hold off until we cooperate. God will do what God will do. It will always be right and it never depends on us. Because God is on God's side, it is true that "He is the God of Republicans and of Democrats. He is the God of Northerners and of Southerners, of blacks and of whites, of rich and of poor." These are our distinctions, not His. And something we must never forget is that "Without God humans can do nothing." But never make the mistake of thinking that God is waiting for anything from us. He does whatever He pleases whenever He pleases. It is always the right thing, always at the right time, and always in the right way. Count on it.