THE NEED FOR A MEDIATOR

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Job replied:

“When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him. If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.”

“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery. If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him? Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.”

“Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; I despise my own life. It is all the same; that is why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it?”

“My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey. If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’ I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.”

“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.”

“I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked? Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees? Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man, that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin — though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?”

“Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.”

“But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. If I am guilty —woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction. If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.”

“Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me. If only I had never come into being, or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave! Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness, to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.”

Job 9:11-35, 10:1-22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How great is God?

At the beginning of Job, Chapter 9, Job tells us based on what he understood about Him.

In sum, Job viewed God as having the following qualities:

- Displays profound wisdom.

- Possesses vast power.

- Ability to move mountains or even overturn them if He so wanted to.

- Ability to shake the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble.

- Could control the sun to include not allowing it to shine.

- Could seal off the light of the stars.

- Was the only One who could stretch out the heavens and tread on the waves of the sea.

- The Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

- Performs wonders that cannot be fathomed.

- Performs countless miracles.

In other words, no one was like God and no one could rival Him.

But Job didn’t see this all powerful God as a help to Him…as someone who would save and rescue him from his pain and affliction. No, Job viewed God as an opponent, one he would love to be able to defend himself against but couldn’t because…well…who could challenge God?

We know Job’s frustration and feelings through his words. Looking at the passage, we see Job say the following:

“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy. Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing.”

“…if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him? Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty.”

“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more.”

Job felt helpless and hurt before a powerful God and he fully understood that he had no chance against God. As we look back at the scriptures, we see all the things Job felt God could do to a mere mortal like him:

- “He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason. He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.”

-  “Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?”

- “If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion and again display your awesome power against me. You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger toward me; your forces come against me wave upon wave.”

We also see through Job’s words that he still believes there is injustice to what is happening to him, questioning God over his circumstances. In fact Job said, “…I am blameless” inferring that God was afflicting an innocent man. He asserts that God makes it His regular business to go after the innocent because he can. After all, He is God and who can do anything about it?

We know this is Job’s attitude through the following statements:

“He destroys both the blameless and the wicked. When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges.”

“…I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent. Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.”

“I say to God: Do not declare me guilty, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked? Do you have eyes of flesh? Do you see as a mortal sees? Are your days like those of a mortal or your years like those of a strong man, that you must search out my faults and probe after my sin — though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand?”

“…this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. If I am guilty —woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.”

Powerless against the all powerful. Unable to form a defense for himself. These were Job’s feelings before God…and guess what? They are ours as well.

This is why Job saw the need for a mediator then, why we should see the need today, and why generations still to come will need to seek and find one in the future.

Fact: No one has a chance against God Almighty without a mediator...and there is only one true Mediator (capital “M”)…Jesus Christ.

Ever since Adam and Eve committed the first sin, mankind has been sin-afflicted…every man, woman and child, sure of receiving God’s eternal judgment short of having a mediator, someone who could save them from their sins.

Enter Jesus, God’s one and only Son.

Before Jesus, sacrifices were rendered to atone for the sins of the people of God. When Jesus was sacrificed through crucifixion on Calvary’s cross, His shed blood atoned for the sins of all mankind…and His subsequent resurrection from the tomb paved the way for those who placed their belief and trust in Him to follow. Jesus rose from the grave to sit at the right hand of God the Father…and became the only way for us to get there as well. Jesus told us as much in John 14:6 saying that no one could come to the Father except by Him.

So how does this fit this devotion?

Picture yourself having to stand before Almighty God to give an account for your life. No one will ever stand blameless before Him. All of us are already destined for a guilty charge and condemnation through damnation. But just at this moment, Jesus steps into the scene. You believed and trusted Him as your Savior during your life and did your best to follow in His ways, despite your imperfections. Jesus looks at His Father…your Father…and says to Him, “This person is pardoned. I have already paid the penalty for their sins.” And immediately, the Father releases you from your consequence and instead sets you free to live with Him and His Son Jesus, your Savior, forever.

All because you had a Mediator.

Friends, there are many people like Job out there, hurting and suffering and trying to make sense of it all. They see God as a disciplinarian and wonder if there is really justice in what He is doing to them. And they maybe see themselves as helpless before an all powerful God, wishing they just had someone who could intercede with their Father on their behalf. They need to know their Mediator.

This is why Jesus as He departed gave all His disciples orders to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching others to obey all that Christ commanded. There are countless thousands upon thousands who need to know their Mediator…just like Job did…and find their very salvation in the process.

Maybe you or I will be the very one to help them find Him. It should be our daily calling.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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