How does Job 16:21 connect with Jesus as our mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5? Job’s cry for an advocate (Job 16:21) “Oh, that a man might plead with God as a man pleads for his neighbor!” • Job, crushed by inexplicable suffering, longs for someone who can stand in the gap—a human representative who can speak to God on his behalf. • His words are literal history and Spirit-breathed prophecy at the same time, accurately capturing the universal human need for a mediator. • Earlier, Job had lamented, “There is no arbiter between us who might lay his hand on us both” (Job 9:33). By chapter 16 he is still yearning: If only such a person existed! The promised answer (1 Timothy 2:5) “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” • Paul declares the exact provision Job pined for—a genuine man who can represent us before the holy God. • Jesus, fully God and fully man, uniquely fulfills the role; no other go-between is needed or possible. Threading the two verses together 1. Same need, same solution • Job’s cry: “A man to plead with God.” • Paul’s proclamation: “The man Christ Jesus.” 2. Heavenly courtroom language • Job pictures legal advocacy (“plead”). • Hebrews 7:25 reinforces that Jesus “always lives to intercede for them.” 3. Representation based on righteousness • Job had no answer to Satan’s accusations; he needed a righteous spokesman. • 2 Corinthians 5:21 shows Jesus providing that righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” 4. One mediator only • Job envisioned a solitary, sufficient advocate. • Paul nails it down: “one mediator.” No saints, angels, or personal merit added. Supporting Scriptures • Hebrews 9:15 — “He is the mediator of a new covenant.” • 1 John 2:1 — “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” • John 14:6 — “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Practical takeaways • Confidence in prayer: we approach God “with boldness” (Hebrews 4:16) because Jesus pleads for us. • Assurance in suffering: like Job, we may not understand our trials, but we now know the Advocate’s name and work. • Exclusive trust: since Scripture literally presents one mediator, we rest our hope in Christ alone. |
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