Job 9:32-33 - "For He is not a man, as I am, that I may
answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator
between us, who may lay his hand on us both."
In this passage Job is longing for a mediator between himself and God. He realizes that there is a big difference between the two of them, and that there is an obvious separation because God is great and man is not. Earlier in the chapter Job spoke about the greatness of God. In Job 9:5-15 he says - "He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not withdraw His anger, the allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge."
Job recognized the fact that God is far greater than man, and that there was an obvious separation between us. That separation is talked about in Isaiah 59:1-2 which says - "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Because of our sin we are not worthy to present ourselves before God. And because of who God is in His very nature, it is impossible for Him to present Himself to us. There's a gap. Job longed for a mediator between him and God. He needed someone who could reach up to heaven and lay his hand on God and at the same time reach down to Job and lay his hand on him. This is a longing that I think most people have. Even people who don't believe in God. In a time of crises, whether personal or national, people will go to church to try and find God. Or they'll come to you and ask you to pray for them, even if they don't have a relationship with God. People at their lowest point long for a mediator between themselves and God. Someone who can present their case to God. But before (and apart from) Jesus, no such person existed.
In the Old Testament there were priests who would represent the people to God, and later on in the Old Testament there were the prophets who would represent God to the people, but there was never one individual that would do both. Until the Lord Jesus died on the cross. He was the fulfillment of our deepest need. Because He is fully God He is able to reach into heaven on our behalf, and because He is fully man He is able to reach down to us, and act with sympathy and compassion toward us. Through Jesus we are able to enter into the presence of God. In Hebrews ten we're told that because of the shedding of His blood and the tearing of His flesh, because He lived a perfect life, a life pleasing to God, the veil was torn and we are now able to enter into the presence of God. Jesus bridged the gap.
1 Timothy 2:5 - "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
In this passage Job is longing for a mediator between himself and God. He realizes that there is a big difference between the two of them, and that there is an obvious separation because God is great and man is not. Earlier in the chapter Job spoke about the greatness of God. In Job 9:5-15 he says - "He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger; He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea; He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; If He moves past, I do not perceive Him; If He takes away, who can hinder Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’ God will not withdraw His anger, the allies of the proud lie prostrate beneath Him. How then can I answer Him, and choose my words to reason with Him? For though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge."
Job recognized the fact that God is far greater than man, and that there was an obvious separation between us. That separation is talked about in Isaiah 59:1-2 which says - "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Because of our sin we are not worthy to present ourselves before God. And because of who God is in His very nature, it is impossible for Him to present Himself to us. There's a gap. Job longed for a mediator between him and God. He needed someone who could reach up to heaven and lay his hand on God and at the same time reach down to Job and lay his hand on him. This is a longing that I think most people have. Even people who don't believe in God. In a time of crises, whether personal or national, people will go to church to try and find God. Or they'll come to you and ask you to pray for them, even if they don't have a relationship with God. People at their lowest point long for a mediator between themselves and God. Someone who can present their case to God. But before (and apart from) Jesus, no such person existed.
In the Old Testament there were priests who would represent the people to God, and later on in the Old Testament there were the prophets who would represent God to the people, but there was never one individual that would do both. Until the Lord Jesus died on the cross. He was the fulfillment of our deepest need. Because He is fully God He is able to reach into heaven on our behalf, and because He is fully man He is able to reach down to us, and act with sympathy and compassion toward us. Through Jesus we are able to enter into the presence of God. In Hebrews ten we're told that because of the shedding of His blood and the tearing of His flesh, because He lived a perfect life, a life pleasing to God, the veil was torn and we are now able to enter into the presence of God. Jesus bridged the gap.
1 Timothy 2:5 - "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
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