Against the backdrop of God saving the children of Israel from Pharaoh and Egyptian persecution, Exodus 15:3 calls God a warrior. How he parted the Red Sea so his people could safely cross, then closed it on the pursuing Egyptian army never really seemed that odd to me. I want a warrior who is on my side, fighting against my enemies. Don’t you? When it comes to how God deals with me and my own sin, however, a warrior isn’t how I want God to show up. Rather, I want him to be the God of Exodus 34:6.
“The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…(Exodus 34:6).
Are these really the same God? As I was preparing for this post, I spent some time reconciling these seemingly disparate views, and how they both show up in the person of Jesus Christ.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17).
We all know John 3:16, but verse 17 is the key verse here. Jesus Christ came to earth to accomplish God’s purpose. His purpose wasn’t to oppose the world, but to do whatever he could to save the world and reconcile it to a perfect God. As such, Jesus is warrior against anyone or anything that opposes God or his plan for the world. At the same time, he is a warrior / advocate for anything or anyone who is working with God or his plan for the world.
My challenge for each one of us today is to look inward and consider which side you’re on. Jesus is a warrior king that we know wins the ultimate battle. Is he your warrior/adversary or warrior/advocate?