Mediator Series

“God is Good…All the time!”

We Need A Mediator!

Job 9:2, 32-35

Over the past two months, we’ve been studying the Book of Job. Most of you know the plot. Job is a prosperous and happy man. Satan presents the allegation to God that the only reason Job worships Him is because God has bribed him with all his blessings. Satan says if Job lost it all he would curse God. God gave Satan permission to do anything to Job he wanted–except to take his life. In a short period of time, Job lost his wealth, estimated to be about $45 million in today’s currency. Worst than that, his 10 children were all killed when they were in a house destroyed by a tornado. But Job didn’t fold. His wife said, “Curse God and die!” But Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) Most of the book is devoted to the cycles of conversations between Job and three of his so-called friends who came to so-call comfort him, but actually ended up adding to his torment.

During this time of suffering Job makes some profound discoveries about himself and about God. After Bildad’s observations in chapter eight, Job cries out in Job 9:2: “Indeed I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God?” Then as he continues with this thought, he expressed his frustration at not being able to talk to God as an equal. He cries out for an umpire, a mediator. Read Job 9:32-35. In this message I’ll address this issue from two perspectives. First, I’ll briefly examine the problem, and then I’ll talk more about God’s solution to the problem.

I. THE PROBLEM: WE DESPERATELY NEED A SPIRITUAL MEDIATOR.

Job makes two important observations causing him to come to a logical conclusion.

1. God’s not like us.

Job says God is not a man like him. God is eternal; we are finite creatures. God is perfect; we are imperfect. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) I was reading some of the “dumb criminal” stories recently. In Kansas City five guys were placed in a police lineup. Each of them was asked to say, “Give me all your money, or I’ll shoot.” When they came to the fifth guy he said, “But that’s not what I said!” Spiritually speaking, we’re all like that guy. In God’s court, we all stand accused and guilty. On the other hand, God is sinless. He is holy. He can’t even look at sin. God doesn’t really have eyes like we do, but when the Hubble Telescope captured an image of the Helix Nebula; they named it God’s eye. The Bible says, “Oh, God, are you not from everlasting? Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.” (Habakkuk 1:12-13)

2. Our sins is what separates us from God.

The second part of our problem is our sins have broken our relationship with God. When Adam and Eve were created in the Garden of Eden, their souls were pure and undefiled. They could walk with God and talk with God in the cool of the evening. But when sin entered their lives, that precious intimacy was lost. The Bible says: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.” (Isaiah 59:2) After making these two fundamental observations about man and God, Job comes to this profound conclusion:

3. You and I can’t relate to God without a qualified mediator.

In the midst of his pain and suffering Job cried out that he needed someone to lay one hand on God and one hand on him to work out their problem. He needed someone to negotiate with God so His rod of punishment would be withdrawn. In other words, Job needed a mediator. He needed a person that was appointed to settle a dispute that individuals or parties have been unable to resolve; an arbitrator.

Too many people think they don’t need this spiritual mediator. They think they can find God on their own. But if you’ve ever committed one sinful act, or had one sinful thought in your life, you have disqualified yourself from being a mediator with God. Sometimes in court cases, a defendant chooses to be their own attorney. That’s allowed under our legal system. But among lawyers, there’s a saying that “the person who has himself as his own attorney has a fool for a client.” That’s what Job was recognizing. We all need someone to arbitrate or mediate between us and God, which brings us to point two.

II. THE SOLUTION: GOD HAS GIVEN US A SPIRITUAL MEDIATOR.