The Need for an Arbitrator

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Job 9:32-35 New International Version (NIV)
“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.

The Message (MSG)
“God and I are not equals; I can’t bring a case against him. We’ll never enter a courtroom as peers. How I wish we had an arbitrator to step in and let me get on with life—To break God’s death grip on me, to free me from this terror so I could breathe again. Then I’d speak up and state my case boldly. As things stand, there is no way I can do it.”
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“For God is not a [mere] man, as I am, that I may answer Him, that we may go to court and judgment together. There is no arbitrator between us, who could lay his hand upon us both [would that there were]. Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me. Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him; but I am not like that in myself.” -AMPLIFIED

We find Job responding to Bildad’s accusations with an acknowledgement that he was indeed a sinner, but he felt that the suffering that he was enduring was far more than his sin deserved. (Notice, he was comparing himself to others.) Job wished to have his day in court. He wanted to voice his complaints to God.
“Then Job spoke to them. Sure, I know all of this is correct, but tell me this: how can a person set things straight with God?” -Job 9:1-2 (VOICE)

Job never once denied that he was without sin. What he desired was God’s justice in his personal situation. He felt that he was unable to make his own defense to God Almighty; so by the end of his argument he states that he is in need of an Arbitrator. An arbitrator is the mediator, the go-between, the settler of a dispute. Job felt inadequate when it came to making his case before the Almighty. He felt that he could not argue with God and God could not answer him.

We find Job including in his contention a beautiful piece about God’s greatness. He does not deny God’s mighty power, or His ability to do great and marvelous things. What he does not understand is why God is not using that power and greatness to work on his (Job’s) behalf.
“It is God who removes the mountains, and they do not know it, when He overturns them in His anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble; who commands the sun, and it does not shine; who seals up the stars [from view]; who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea; who made [the constellations] the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the [vast starry] spaces of the south; who does great things, [beyond understanding,] unfathomable, yes, marvelous and wondrous things without number.” -Job 9:5-10 (AMP)

What bothers Job is that fact that God’s judgement falls upon the just and the unjust. He felt that this was not fair. (He failed to consider that what was happening to him and his life was an attack from the Enemy of his soul.) Jesus himself made this statement:
“For He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].” -Matthew 5:45b (AMP)

Job realized that he could not place himself on equal footing with God. God alone is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Job could not contend with that fact. Job realized that he need someone to be the arbitrator between them; to bring his case before the Almighty One. Job’s plea at the end of this chapter is:
“The Lord . . . He is no man, like me, whom I could answer, no human being whom I could face in court. There is no judge to stand between us who can lay his hands on us both, who can remove God’s rod from my back and stave off the terror of Him that haunts me. I long to speak and defend myself without fear of Him and His reprisals; but as things stand now and as I am within myself, that’s not possible.” -Job 9:32-35 (VOICE)

“[Jesus] stands between us and God, and for that very reason he stands between us and all other men and things. He is the Mediator, not only between God and man, but between man and man, between man and reality. Since the whole world was created through him and unto him, he is the sole Mediator in the world.” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer-The Cost of Discipleship

Who will be our arbitrator? Who will make our case before the Almighty? Scripture gives us this answer:

* “For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom [a substitutionary sacrifice to atone] for all, the testimony given at the right and proper time.” -1 Timothy 2:5-6 (AMP)

* “This is why Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant: through His death, He delivered us from the sins that we had built up under the first covenant, and His death has made it possible for all who are called to receive God’s promised inheritance.” -Hebrews 9:15 (VOICE)

* “…Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant [uniting God and man], and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance].” -Hebrews 12:24 (AMP)

* “A similar thing happens when we pray. We are weak and do not know how to pray, so the Spirit steps in and articulates prayers for us with groaning too profound for words.” -Romans 8:26 (VOICE)

* “But as it is, Christ has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is more excellent [than the old Levitical priestly ministry], for He is the Mediator (Arbiter) of a better covenant [uniting God and man], which has been enacted and rests on better promises.” –Hebrews 8:6 (AMP)

“And since Jesus is both God and man at the same time, He became the Mediator. The God man builds a bridge between God and man, and that bridge is made of the rough hewn timbers of the cross. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men – Himself a Man – the Christ Jesus Who gave Himself a ransom for all. How can man be just with God? His name is Jesus.” ~Adrian Rogers

Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have taken on the role of Mediator and Arbitrator on our behalf. They make our case known before the Almighty. They represent us individually and they take their job very seriously.

“As long as we have accepted Jesus as our Advocate and our Substitute, He will work for our release from the shackles of sin. The Bible tells us that Jesus never gets discouraged and that He will win the victory. Can we turn down such a fantastic setup?” ~Amazing Discoveries

My Prayer:
Jesus, I am trusting you to be my Advocate, my Arbitrator, my Mediator. I realize that there is no way to the Father, but through you. I accept your help that you have given so freely. I will trust you to do your good work in my life. Whatever comes my way, help me, Lord, to trust you; even in those difficult situations.