Job 9:32–33: “For He [God] is not a man, as I [Job] 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.”

December 4th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

God is not human. He is not a flawed man that we can simply sit down and meet with on equal footing. Job understood that God was holy and he was not. He recognized that he was spiritually bankrupt before God and couldn’t even approach Him without there being someone to represent him, a mediator or go-between. Jesus said in the New Testament, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3), those who have an understanding of their spiritual poverty before God. Job had that understanding and because of it was going to be so blessed in just a few short chapters. Sadly, many of us today are much more blind to our own spiritual condition than Job was. In our arrogance, we seem to have no trouble placing ourselves on the same level as the Creator of the universe. We often hear people say to God, “Why are you doing this to me?” Spiritual eyesight is essential if we are to have a relationship with God.

I read of a 50-year-old man who underwent a delicate new surgical procedure on both eyes. He had been born blind and had never experienced sight. When he woke from the successful surgery, he was overwhelmed. “I never would have dreamed that yellow is so—yellow,” he exclaimed. “I don’t have the words. I am amazed by yellow, but red is my favorite color. I just can’t believe red. You could never know how wonderful everything is.” Mr. Eldens is probably right in that those of us who have lived a lifetime with sight, take it for granted and will never know just how wonderful it must be.

However, every one of us is born spiritually blind. Jesus told a religious man named Nicodemus that a second birth was required for spiritual sight (John 3). Jesus is waiting for us to recognize our poverty and to understand that we need someone to go to God on our behalf. The good news is He has already done just that on the cross. He is our mediator, our go-between, our surgeon, who has made a way for us to come before God, made a way for us to receive an amazing operation on our spiritual eyes so that we can go from dark blindness to vivid sight.

“LORD, please be our Mediator again this day between our sinful flesh and holy God.”

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Job 9 KJV

¹ Then Job answered and said, ² I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?  ³ If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. ⁴ He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? ⁵ Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. ⁶ Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. ⁷ Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars. ⁸ Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.  ⁹ Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.  ¹⁰ Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number. ¹¹ Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. ¹² Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?  ¹³ If God will not withdraw his anger, the proud helpers do stoop under him. ¹⁴ How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him? ¹⁵ Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge. ¹⁶ If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. ¹⁷ For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause. ¹⁸ He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness. ¹⁹ If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead ? ²⁰ If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say , I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. ²¹ Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. ²² This is one thing , therefore I said it , He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. ²³ If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. ²⁴ The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? ²⁵ Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good. ²⁶ They are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.  ²⁷ If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself: ²⁸ I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent. ²⁹ If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain? ³⁰ If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; ³¹ Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.  ³² For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. ³³ Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.   ³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: ³⁵ Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.