Four years ago, President Donald Trump took the oath of office and all over America hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protest, some of them violent, all of them deeply concerned. Christians from Catholic, mainline, Black, and Brown churches expressed shock and concern over the appointment of a man who seemed to delight in exploiting women and to cozy up to dictators while snubbing America's allies. They feared that the most vulnerable members of our cities, especially immigrants and people of color, would be further marginalized by an administration aimed at the angst of blue-collar workers in rural America who were watching their way of life disappear. Meanwhile, many Evangelicals celebrated the possibility of greater religious freedom, conservative appointments to the judiciary, and legislation that upheld traditional family values and protected the unborn. Charismatic prophets heralded President Trump as God's man for the job.
Today, President Joe Biden will take the oath of office. Those troubled by the outgoing administration are breathing a sigh of relief, hoping for four years of police and prison reform, support for schools, greater equality women and minorities, and better cooperation in international concerns such as immigration and climate change. It remains to be seen how President Trump's supporters will respond, but the breach of the US Capitol building two weeks ago is still a vivid memory. Evangelicals who celebrated a Trump presidency are nervous about losing their freedom -- some desperate enough to break past police barriers to make their voices heard. The Coronavirus pandemic has already curtailed religious gatherings. Evangelicals fear that a Biden presidency will mean more pandemic-related restrictions that will cripple businesses and prevent the church from being the church. They fear a legislative agenda that will make it more difficult for faith-based organizations to live by their values.
Our nation is deeply divided. Many families are split right down the middle over politics.
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| Photo: Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash |
Scripture provides a crystal clear answer to this question. Tucked away in the book of Joshua is a brief episode that should stop every one of us in our tracks. It stopped Joshua. It stopped me.
First, some context. Moses died. Before he did so, he passed the baton to Joshua as Israel's new leader. The people have just crossed the Jordan River and are preparing to take up residence in the land God promised them. Their first battle will be at Jericho.
Joshua is alone, apparently scouting the territory around Jericho, when he encounters a man with sword drawn. Joshua asks him a logical question:
"Are you for us or for our enemies?" (Joshua 5:13 NIV)
The answer comes loud and clear:
"Neither," he replied, "but as the commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." (Joshua 5:14 NIV)
Neither?! This is remarkable. Joshua is the authorized leader of the only nation with whom Yahweh ("the LORD" in English translations) has made a covenant at Sinai. He has instructed them to enter the land and drive out its inhabitants. He has promised them this land. And yet -- with all these things in their favor, the commander of Yahweh's armies will not pledge exclusive loyalty to the Israelites.
God is not on their side.
And he is not on ours.
God does not take sides. Not then and not now. He acts of his own free will. We are the ones who must decide if we will be on God's side. He refuses to back human agendas. He calls us to surrender in obedience to his will.
Joshua gets this. He falls on his face before the angel of Yahweh, asking if God has a command he needs to fulfill.
If God was not unequivocally on the side of the Israelites -- the covenant people he rescued from Egypt and led through the wilderness to the land he promised -- if God is not on their side, then God is not on ours. He does not side with the United States (or modern day Israel, for that matter!), and he does not side with the Republicans or the Democrats. God does not take sides. Instead, he asks our full and complete obedience. Our allegiance to anyone other than God is idolatry.
The truth of the angel's words is borne out in the chapters that follow. Joshua and his soldiers win their battle with Jericho, having followed God's unconventional instructions for war (Joshua 6). Feeling cocky, they attack the next city with only part of their army (Joshua 7). They lose miserably. God does not fight for them because a single Israelite man has violated God's strict instructions regarding the battle at Jericho. Achan keeps some of the plunder for himself, hiding it under his tent, rather than devoting everything to God. This battle was never meant to make the Israelites rich. They were not to fight out of greed, but out of obedience. The moment they forget this, they lose their divine protection.
God knows what's under the tent, then and now.
He's asking us to clean house. To search our hearts. To release our hold on what does not rightly belong to us.
God did not lose this election. Neither did he win. He wasn't running for office.
Joshua 5 offers American Christians the foundation for a renewed political theology, one not tied to a political party or a certain candidate, but marked by deep humility. We must stop presuming that God is on our side, supporting our favorite candidate. It's the other way around. This scene issues an invitation for us to bow before the presence of the only one who deserves our allegiance. This is the only way forward.
Thanks Carmen!! Really good and helpful, and needed!!! Appreciate your heart for Jesus and his church...
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWell said. Every time someone says the USA is a Christian nation, I'm reminded of what Jesus said "my kingdom is not of this world."
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteGod is always on the side of justice and righteousness. Christ's strongest words of condemnation were against those who "tithed of mint, rue and cummin" yet neglected the weightier issues of the law: justice, mercy and faithfulness". The author is correct in saying our allegiance must be to God. Obedience to Him is paramount. But God is not neutral. Nor was the angel with the sword neutral. The fact that the angel led the Children of Israel to victory over Jericho shows this clearly. Today, those who are on God's side must not neglect justice, mercy and faithfulness". We are not to focus so much on "straining gnats" that we end up "swallowing camels". In Matthew 25, Jesus made it clear that "what we do to "the least of these" we do directly to Him. And while there are many suffering, poor and needy people who deserve our loving care and protection, who is there, in January 2021 who qualifies more as "the least of these" than an innocent unborn child?
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right that God's agenda is solidly on justice, mercy, and faithfulness. However, there is no need to limit the work of justice to one issue. Both parties have their strengths and their blind spots. I long for a day when we do not feel we have to choose between helping the unborn and helping the refugee.
DeleteYes! Two things can be true at once!
DeleteCarmen, So good. I will share this. I just finished a documentary on Christian nationalism where we look at how Jesus has been reduced to mascot duty by republicans and democrats alike. Would love for you to check it out. Postcards From Babylon. https://live.postcardsdoc.com/index/premiere
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting us know about this, David. Looks excellent!
DeleteExcellent Carmen and will be sharing this if I may, thank you so much.
ReplyDeletePlease do! Thank you.
DeleteI agree with the big picture point: God transcends people, nations, and politics. God is not Democrat or Republican.
ReplyDeleteBut, I offer a few humble suggestions to tweak a few things along the way.
Joshua is apparently scouting the area around Jericho, in anticipation of attacking Jericho. He encounters a stranger, who appears to be a soldier, with a drawn sword. Joshua, as any military scout who come upon such an unknown armed combatant, demands to know: are you a soldier in the Army of Israel, or a soldier in the enemy army. That logically and contextually is what the question is about. Whose army are you a part of? So Joshua is not asking whose side are you on, as in who do you support. But whose army are you a part of. The answer is neither, because the Man is the captain of a different army, the Lords army. Joshua quite rightly understands this to be a theophany, and he falls to the ground and worships.
One theological point here is that God transcends human armies, nations, politics. Yes. God is not part of Israel army or the enemy’s army.
But does that mean God has no dog in the fight? No skin in the game? No interest or involvement or participation or will or purpose in who wins or loses, or what happens in the upcoming battle? Is God just a neutral observer? God is not on Israel side?
The text of Joshua as a book, and chapters 1-6, seems to clearly answer God is definitely with Israel in terms of his presence, participation, command, purposes, will, and glory. No unconditionally, and not to further human plans or purposes or will, but definitely to further and pursue God’s will, purposes, and glory, if Israel is obedient, holy, and humble before God, and serves and worships Yahweh.
Where do we see this in the text?
Chapter 1:8 - Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Chapter 2 – Rehab recognizes and knows Yahweh is the God of Israel, giving victories and doing miracles on Israel’s behalf.
Chapter 6 – Yahweh essentially takes command of Joshua and his army, and lays out a battle plan for the army of Israel to defeat Jericho. Yahweh is not part of Israel’s army, but indeed He now command that army and promises them victory if they do just as Yahweh commands. But there is more. Part of the battle plan is for the ark, the very thing that represented Yahweh’s imminent presence and power and glory, was to go out onto the battlefield with the army of Israel. Yahweh is in a very real sense actually present with the army of Israel on the battlefield. How much more “with” Israel at that that moment could Yahweh be?
The battle is declared to be under herem, everyone is to be killed, and all plunder is to be devoted to and handed over to Yahweh. Yahweh takes command of the battle, Yahweh participates in the battle via the ark of the covenant, Yahweh fights for Israel in knocking down the walls of Jericho, and all plunder in the battle is devoted to Yahweh alone.
Chapter 6:27 – So the Lord was with Joshua.
Chapter 7 does indeed teach the theological point that Yahweh is not with Israel or Joshua unconditionally.
And indeed, in the largest context theologically, God is not only with or for one person, or one people, or for one nation. God ultimately and in the largest most truest sense, Loves all, seeks to bless all, to be present with all, redeem all, and live in peace and joy and holiness with all. But, in the pursuit and fulfillment of God’s will, purposes, and glory, in particular times and places and contexts, God is with a person (Abraham), a people (Jacob), a nation (Moses/Joshua), a leader (David), a politician (Hezekiah, Josiah, etc.). Not unconditionally. Not to further human purposes for will. But to accomplish God’s plans, purposes, will, and glory. So to categorically say, God is not with us, or not with the U.S. or not with Israel, or not with a leader, or not with a politician, ever, seems to not be align with scripture. God has. And in His sovereignty, can again.
Thank you for these very pertinent and perceptive observations! I have been wrestling over the past few days with Psalm 124, which also suggest that God was "on our side" (that is, Israel's). You're absolutely right that God does fight for Israel in the battle against Jericho and in many other battles. But as we both noted, God is not unequivocally on Israel's side. It all depends on whether Israel is putting their energy into God's mission or their own. It can turn on a dime (as the contrast between Jericho and Ai shows powerfully). I did not mean to suggest that God does not have a "dog in the fight," but rather that we need to be very careful not to assume that God is backing our side -- our politician, our political party, our agenda. God is interested in politics and in politicians and in policies. We need to make sure, and keep making sure, that our allegiance is to him and his mission rather than to a human agenda, party, or person. Thanks again for engaging with this!
DeletePostscript to my previous comment:
ReplyDeleteMy father fought in world War to in the pacific against Japan. He spoke about unbelievable evil and horror he came up against in that war. History books tell what Japan did in Korea, China, and other places. Things of similar evil to the holocaust in Germany. He absolutely believed that God was with the United States and Great Britain in fight Japan and Germany in that war. And I must confess personally, so do I.
Sorry we all lost the election for they set up furthered to never be another honest election again. See when the courts turned down the president for a hearing and the media abused the freedom of the press to suppress the presidents freedom of speech it set a president that no matter how bad the fraud from this point forward there will never be a trial over it. In truth they set it up so no election wi ever have to be fair again and there is NOTHING me you or even the president of the USA can do about it. We lost our voting integrity and that means your vote will never matter again. You now have selected monoarcs not elected public servants.
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