Verse of the Day 9/9

Through the Bible - Proverbs 17-18, 2 Corinthians 3

Good morning,
At some time, some point in our lives, I'm sure that we have felt personally and for our nation that God was on "our side". In our lives and our churches we meet someone new and try to figure out, maybe even ask "are you for us, do you agree with us, our are you against us."

For today's verse we'll go to the book of Joshua. Joshua is facing Jericho with what seem to be large impenetrable walls. How is he going to defeat them? He meets a Man, an imposing figure with sword drawn and asks him a question.

Josh 5:13 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, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"

14 So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." NKJV

Joshua comes to realize that this is no ordinary man, ordinary soldier. He is the Commander of the Lord's army, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, (a Christophany) and as a Messenger.

But notice the answer. He didn't say that He was for or against Joshua, He said "no". Basically, Joshua had it wrong, it was the wrong question. What should it have been.

Erwin Lutzer writes in "Is God on America's Side", "I marvel, as I am sure you have, at the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, America's most admired president. He was asked whether God was on his side and he replied, "I do not care whether God is on my side; the important question is whether I am on God's side, for God is always right. "Yes, that is the important question: Are we on God's side?.

In this day and age people are still asking the question. Some, perhaps many assume that God is on our side as a nation. In this political season the question should be asked of us, of our leaders, of our nation "are we on God's side? If so it will be evidenced our in our actions and decisions.
The following verse from Romans may come to mind:

Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? NKJV
How is this different?
If you have some time read Romans 8. If we are on God's side, He for sure will be on ours.

Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Josh 5:13-6:1

The Commander of the Army of the Lord

13 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, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"

14 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?"

15 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.

NKJV