How does Deuteronomy 5:5 connect to Jesus as our mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5? The Texts Side by Side • Deuteronomy 5:5 – “At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain. And He said:” • 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” The Setting at Sinai • Israel confronted the blazing holiness of the LORD on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19). • Fear drove the people to ask for distance: “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but do not let God speak with us, or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19). • Moses stepped “between the LORD and you,” functioning as a go-between so the covenant could be delivered without annihilating the hearers. Moses: A Human Go-Between • He conveyed God’s words to the people and the people’s words to God (Exodus 19:7-8). • He offered intercession after Israel’s sin with the golden calf (Exodus 32:30-32). • He typified mediation but could not remove sin—animal sacrifices were still required (Leviticus 4:20). Foreshadowing the True Mediator • Hebrews 3:5-6 explains Moses was “faithful as a servant… as a testimony to what would be spoken later,” while Christ is the Son over God’s house. • The pattern—people, mediator, God—points to a greater fulfillment in Christ, who bridges the same gulf Moses temporarily spanned. Key Parallels Between Moses and Jesus 1. Both are chosen by God to stand between Him and the people. 2. Both proclaim God’s word: Moses delivered the Law; Jesus embodies the Word (John 1:14). 3. Both intercede: Moses pleaded for mercy; Jesus “always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). 4. Both inaugurate covenants: Moses the old (Exodus 24:8); Jesus the new “in My blood” (Luke 22:20). Crucial Contrasts That Show Jesus’ Superiority • Single vs. temporary: “one mediator” who remains forever (Hebrews 9:15). • Sinless vs. sinful: Moses struck the rock in disobedience (Numbers 20:12); Jesus “committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). • Sacrifice of Himself vs. animals: Christ “offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14). • Access opened vs. distance maintained: the veil torn (Matthew 27:51) replaces the boundary ropes of Sinai. Living in the Reality of the One Mediator • We approach God “with confidence” through Jesus’ blood (Hebrews 10:19-22). • We no longer need an earthly priesthood to stand in the gap (Hebrews 8:1-2). • Our prayers ascend “in Jesus’ name,” resting on His finished work (John 16:23-24). • Assurance flows from His continued intercession—“if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous” (1 John 2:1). Deuteronomy 5:5 pictures a mediator who stood in the fire’s shadow so the covenant people could hear God; 1 Timothy 2:5 announces the final Mediator who entered the fire of divine wrath Himself so we can forever draw near. |
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