Switching Teams

I like God's sense of humor.
Sometimes I find humor in places in which it was not intended.

Our Bethel Bible Study is looking at the nation of Israel in its infancy; one reading came from Joshua 5.   Joshua, who was learning that he would be the new leader of the budding nation, encountered a "man" with a drawn sword.

The "man" was obviously not ordinary (my opinion is that this was a pre-incarnate encounter with Christ) and so Joshua wisely asked:  "are you for us or for our adversaries?".

This is where I like God's humor.

The "man" replied, "No."

I can just see Joshua looking all confused and askance - as if to say... "wait, that wasn't one of the choices".

I believe it was Tony Evans that I heard say once in a Promise keepers meeting that when God shows up, He doesn't come to pick sides . . . He comes to take over.

I like that.

The implication to Joshua was that the question was phrased incorrectly. As the "man" continued, He pointed out that He was come as the "Commander of the Lord's army"; so clearly Joshua should have asked - "whose side am I on?"

God is steadfast.  He doesn't switch teams.  So if there is any changing to be done - we have to be the one's to do it.

In Matthew 16, Simon Peter appears to have "switched teams" within about 8 verses.  In verse 16 he confessed that Jesus was "the Christ" and Jesus affirmed him and his statement, and called it "the Rock" on which He would build His kingdom and Peter's stock appeared to be on the rise.
However, about a paragraph down the page, at verse 23, we find Peter rebuking  Jesus - to which the Saviour replies "get behind me, Satan!".  

From "the Rock" to "Satan"; Peter, just whose side are you on?

That's me, more often than I would like to admit - like Joshua and Peter - I fail to see how I should quit trying to get Jesus to join my team.  Instead I should be figuring out how to be on His.