Neither Side

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘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 he said to him, ‘What do you command your servant, my lord?’” –Joshua 5:13-14, NRSV

Who is this “man” who appears before Joshua? There is nothing to suggest that the appearance of the “man” was anything supernatural, yet his answer is explicitly that. And He not only accepts worship from Joshua (which angels do not do, see Rev 19:10), but goes on to say that the ground before him was holy (v.15), just as Moses heard from the burning bush (Exo 3:5). This is no mere angel; He is THE Angel (see Jdg 13:19-23; Zec 3:6-7), the manifestation of God in the flesh (John 1:14)—the Son of God who commands the armies of Heaven (Rev 19:11-14).

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!” –Isaiah 6:3b, NET

Now let’s look at Joshua’s initial question, and the Lord’s reply. Joshua’s inquiry was a relevant one after seeing a stranger, most likely powerful in appearance, suddenly before him. Joshua needed to determine which camp he belonged to, in order to discover the man’s intent—to help them or do them harm. 

The NET notes suggest that “Neither” is a “product of aural confusion,” concluding that the reading of many translations “is problematic, for the commander of the Lord’s army would hardly have declared himself neutral.”

But I disagree. Within the context of the verse, it is suggested that the “man” commands an altogether third camp that remains unseen. MacLaren’s Commentary paraphrases his response, “Upon neither the one nor the other. I am not on your side, you are on mine, for as Captain of the Lord’s host, am I come up.”

God does not join sides of mortals as if playing favorites. He is impartial (Rom 2:11), and He is holy (Psa 99:9)—altogether separate from His Creation (Rev 4:11). The plans He conceives are “superior” (Isa 55:9), and made without our counsel (Eph 1:11). They can never be thwarted (Job 42:2). He is unmovable (Num 23:19), “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8). If we join arms with His enemies, then we are the ones who set His thundering anger against ourselves (Psa 1:1; Nah 1:2-3). God is not some idol that we can carry into our camp so that we can gain victories over the battles of our choosing (1Sa 4:3). Rather, we are called to come out from the city of destruction (ex: Gen 19:15-17; Rev 18:4), to separate ourselves from those under judgment (ex: Num 16:26).

Like Christian in the Pilgrim’s Promise, we must come out from the city of destruction. Yet while we must spiritually separate immediately, our physical departure is delayed for a purpose. We will find ourselves in distinctive physical groups (camps) while we reside in the world. But we are NOT to draw identity from them. Rather, once God has rescued us out of the world (John 17:15-19) and we surrender ourselves to His command (Jos 5:14), we become His ambassadors (2Co 5:20) in that camp in order to disciple and urge them to move out and follow the LORD with us (consider Num 9:17-19). Thus, our camp does not identify where we belong, but where our missional field resides.

But wait. Does God not favor those in relationship with Him (Gal 4:9)? Is he not “for us” (Rom 8:31)? Absolutely. He works all things for our good (Rom 8:28) because we are His “dearly loved children” (Eph 5:1). Yet this does not mean He is always on our side. God in Heaven may be our Father, but He is also the impartial judge.

“Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, because I am holy.’ And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.” –1 Peter 1:14-17, NET

How often have I heard this from my daughter: “You always take his side!” anytime I try and point out her part in the constant war that wages between her and her older brother.

“No,” I say, “I am on neither side.” I must be on the side of truth.

Which reminds me of a scene from Tolkien’s literary classic “Lord of the Rings.” The ever-patient Ent Treebeard who is always cautioning, “Let’s not be hasty,” has several questions proposed to him by his two new hobbit friends. One of which is, “Which side are you on?”

“I don’t know about sides,” he says. “I go my own way; but your way may go along with mine for a while…. I am not altogether on anybody’s side, because nobody is altogether on my side.”

Likewise, we should not bother ourselves with sides, but seek only to go THE Way (John 14:6). The only allies are those that we find focused on that same purpose (John 17:22). There may be those that appear beside us for a season, but we dare not lock arms with any that merely walk beside us simply because their path’s trajectory runs parallel for a moment. If we do so, we will inevitably be pulled from the straight and narrow (Mat 7:14). We must remember that we are called to His uncompromising standard: to be altogether separate (holy) from the factions of this earth (1Pe 1:14-16). 

Yet how often are we entrapped by the culture around us, pulled into choosing a “side” on cultural debates and personal disputes. We are so quick to identify with one side because of skin color (black/white) or politics (red/blue) or uniform (black/blue). We quickly declare innocence and guilt after listening to only one side (Pro 18:17). But such hasty judgments cause us to sin. We leave the blameless path and take pleasure in the slander and harm of others (Psa 15:2-3). This does not reflect our God (Eze 18:32). We should be ashamed of ourselves. No wonder we are unable to settle even our own disputes within the church (1Co 6:1-8).

Being partial makes us corrupt judges.

“Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits?” –1 Corinthians 6:2, NET

Are we not called to reign as kings and queens (Rev 20:4)? Are we not promised the earth as an inheritance (Mat 5:3,5,10)? And is not the duty of rulers to judge (Rom 13:4)? Yet how can we judge justly when we are partial to parties, preferring one nation or skin color over another (Pro 24:23; Lev 19:15)?

“Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare among you.” –Exodus 34:12, NET

This makes me rethink some things. Should we be pledging our allegiance to any other kingdom or party? Whether that be a nation, a political platform, a religious denomination, a local church gathering, or even a friend—we compromise ourselves when we do so. This is not to say that we do not participate and serve and love in all these spheres, bringing truth and life into even the darkest of places (Mat 5:13-16). But when we make a covenant with a people (ex: Exo 34:12), we pledge our hearts to a side, and we can no longer objectively moderate. We have become partial in our assessments, and can no longer be just in our judgments.

We should learn a hard truth form the shattered legacy of Ravi Zacharias and the collapse of the RZIM ministry (not to mention the many other fallen leaders we've heard about in recent years). “Let’s not be hasty” in any dispute, blindly trusting one human being over another. Every person is capable of great evil. The only one who can do no wrong is Jesus (1Jo 3:5). He will be declared true, and every man a liar (Rom 3:4).

So let us remain committed ONLY to the Lord (Deu 6:5; 1Ki 8:61). Whether it be Job in his affliction, or his three friends who waxed eloquently about God, let us listen to all, and then rightly rebuke them wherever each side errors as one who has received the breath of the Almighty (Job 32:8). We must be as Solomon and appeal to the Lord for wisdom above all things (1Ki 3:9; Jam 1:5-6). Only then can we rightly call for the Sword of Scripture (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12) and divide truth from error (1Ki 3:23-28) as the wise rulers we have been called to be.

Being partial blinds us to our own idolatry. 

“Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, ‘Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!’ But the king said, ‘What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because the Lord has said to him, “Curse David!,” who can say to him, “Why have you done this?”’” –2 Samuel 16:9-10, NET

We must think of ourselves as humble children (Mat 18:4), as the chief of sinners (1Ti 1:15) and the least of men (Phi 2:3), so as to not be partial even to our own person. For we all favor our own position, and so are unable to judge ourselves (1Co 4:3-5). The purposes of the human heart are like a deep well, and only an understanding person can draw it out (Pro 20:5). We all drag behind us idols of our culture and heritage—and we must destroy them if we are to be used by the LORD (Jdg 6:25). But how can we unless they are identified. So we must cry out to the LORD to search us for any “idolatrous way” (Psa 139:24), keeping our ears open for such sin to be exposed—even through lying prophets (1Ki 13:20-22) and those we like least (1Ki 22:8,17-23).

When Tiffany Arbuckle Lee (Christian recording artist, Plumb) was separated from her husband Jeremy and on the brink of divorce, they had a group of friends that surrounded them with love and fueled the hope of restoration. Yet Tiffany confessed in a Focus on the Family interview, “There were a couple of friends that quickly took a side, and we had to prune them out.”  For Tiffany, that meant even disconnecting from her own parents for a while. Jeremy then recollects, “We went to a Christian counselor, and she said ‘If anyone is in your corner, then they don’t need to be the ones you are talking to.’”

We all have blind spots, and we cannot see what we cannot see. Therefore, we are “stupid” if we despise reproof (Pro 12:1). God is faithful to reveal the “idolatrous way,” and will use others to bring them to the surface (Pro 28:23)—one of the many purposes of doing life closely together with others (Luke 17:3). Therefore, let us not be too quick to listen or dismiss the words of those who curse us, nor to the advice of those who stand in our allegiance. Rather, let us be as David as he departed Jerusalem, with our mind only on the LORD’s message to us in all circumstances (2Sa 16:5-12). 

Being partial divides the Body of Christ.

“What I mean is that each one of you says, I follow Paul, or I follow Apollos, or I follow Cephas, or I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” –1 Corinthians 1:12-13, ESV

Yet we divide ourselves against brothers and sisters when we take our identity out from beneath the cross of Christ. We circle up behind personalities and preferences and focus on constructing large local congregations and communities that do not reflect the diversity of God’s family. We rally behind denominational banners and seek to find the perfect “affinity group” where we can be off mission and avoid the friction of perfecting (Pro 27:17; Jam 1:4). But we misunderstand that Jesus walks among multiple lampstands (Rev 1:12-20), and that the visible church (Rev 2-3) will not reflect the spiritual Bride of Christ (Eph 5:32; Rev 21:2,9-14) until He returns to separate the tares from the wheat (Mat 13:29-30). No wonder we see so many congregations split and old church buildings abandoned—God is actively confusing our efforts and causing us to abandon the towers we are building for our own glory (Gen 11:3-8).

If we claim identity in being an “American,” our patriotic love will link us more strongly to our flag-loving, pagan neighbor who in truth hates our Father, and we will consider little our true sister-in-Christ in Uganda. If our skin colors our identity, then we will inevitably see incorrectly (1Sa 16:7). We will call our enemy “brother” if he appears like us, and forsake the love of our true brother who is adopted from another ethnicity (1Jo 5:1; Rev 5:9; 7:9). If we embrace a political platform, then we will shatter our unity with God’s children sent to minister to the opposing party.

It is time we stop thinking ourselves so right, and others so wrong. Please do not misunderstand this to mean we shrug our shoulders at knowing TRUTH. Rather, we need to realize the intricacies of any matter and the multifaceted wisdom of God (Eph 3:10). We should humble ourselves to the fact we have much to learn (Pro 12:15), and stop judging the hearts of others (Mat 7:1). For we so easily bludgeon others with the bat of “truth” (or so we think). But in reality we are arrogantly swinging the stick of opinion. Truth must be held in the hand of love (Eph 4:15; 1Co 13:2) and wielded gently with humility (Eph 4:1-3; 2Ti 2:25; Tit 3:2).

Only Jesus should be the one wielding the sword of division, separating even the most intimate earthly relationships (Mat 10:34-36). We are united in Christ ALONE (John 17:22-23). There should be no further divide. So let us seek that beautiful bond of unity with all true believers (1Co 1:10), regardless of what “camp” we find them sitting in.

Being partial takes us off mission.

“Then Jesus came up and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” –Matthew 28:18-20, NET

“Some churches are more into politics, some are more into the social concerns, for other churches the great interest is in education. All of these things are good. But not one of them is a part of the commission God gave the church. Simply because a person cloaks something in religious terminology, does not make that thing an approved work of God.” –A.W. Tozer

We are called to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We were never instructed to solve the world’s problems. In fact, God is the one who has stirred them up to bring prideful men to their knees (Psa 107). Do not get me wrong, we should be moved to compassion when we see a hurting and dying world. If we are being conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), then we must walk as Jesus walked (1Jo 2:6) and do as Jesus did (ex: Mat 14:14; 15:32; 20:34).

We are commanded to remember the poor and oppressed (Gal 2:10 ex: Lev 19:9-10), to take care of the “orphans and widows in their adversity,” (Jam 1:27), to give generously to all in need (Luke 11:41), to actively help the hungry (Isa 58:10), and especially care for those who belong to the family of God (Jam 2:15-16; 1Jo 3:17). Yet the world’s efforts to eradicate poverty will fail, “for you will always have the poor with you” (John 12:8), and God has designed poverty to be its own blessing (Luke 6:20; 1Ti 6:6-8).

We are to seek to live peaceably among all people (Rom 12:18), to proclaim the equal value of all people as image bearers of God (Gen 1:27), and be mediators between warring factions (Jam 3:17-18). But if we join in the world’s efforts to rid the world of racism and strife, we will neglect our own house (1Co 5:12-13) and work against the LORD Himself who stirs up division to thwart the godless unity of men (Gen 11:7; 2Ch 15:6).

We should see wicked behavior and cry out against it (ex: Mark 6:18; Acts 26:20), especially when the LORD implores us to speak (ex: Jonah 1:2). We should disciple all men to obey all that Christ commanded (Mat 28:20). But if we join in the fight to uphold culture morality by legislation, then we have forgotten that is by the power of grace alone to rewrite the condition of our hearts (Jer 17:1; 31:33). Merely having the law will not reshape men to obey, but bring about only further judgment (Rom 2:17-23). We end up actively struggling against the God who is tearing down religious façades that keeps men from seeing the destructive outworking of wicked hearts.

Our heart must be moved more by the spiritual condition of the lost—for they are “like sheep without a shepherd,” (Mat 9:36). We know the good Shepherd they desperately need (John 10:14), so we must devise ways to restore the banished (2Sa 14:14). If all we do is provide clean water to “all who are thirsty” (Isa 55:1) yet fail to let them taste the “living water” of Christ Jesus, their thirst will never be quenched (John 4:10,14). If we give the hungry “something to eat” (Mat 14:16) yet fail to bring them the “Bread of life” (John 6:35), we are only numbing starvation pains. If we provide healthcare to the world yet do not make Jesus our chief physician, we are only providing pills to mask symptoms and leaving people to perish from their cancer of sin (Mark 2:17).

How can we love our neighbor if we only give him financial relief but fail to tell them about the One who paid all of our debts (1Jo 2:2; Rev 1:5)? How can we really be educating the children if we instruct them in science and literature but fail to tell them about the Author of life (Act 3:15) who holds all things together (Col 1:17), and the fear of Him is the foundation of understanding (Deu 11:19; Psa 34:11; Pro 9:10; Hos 6:6)? What good will our efforts be in helping bring about peace and unity among people groups if they all end up marching into hell together (Gen 11:1-4; Psa 2:2-6; Rev 19:19-21)? Without Jesus, all things are meaningless (Ecc 12:8; Col 1:16-20).

When we unite with nonbelievers in a “common purpose” we allow another agenda to supersede God’s kingdom (Mat 6:33), and our understanding of justice becomes compromised (Pro 28:5). Thus, partiality hinders us being able to maintain a kingdom perspective and puts up barriers and walls to limit our outreach. We must remain singular focused on His kingdom purpose (Mat 6:33).

In conclusion

We are citizens of heaven (Phi 3:20), a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36), and so set apart from the world even though we remain in it (John 17:15-17). We are united as one people in His hand (Eze 37:17), not because we seek unity in the flesh, but rather oneness with and in Christ (John 17:20-23), fully surrendered to His command alone (Eph 4:15; 5:23).

So let us seek to be only in the camp of the LORD, as we bow the knee as Joshua and ask, “What do you command of your servant?”