How does Job 33:23 connect with Jesus as our mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5? The Need for a Mediator in Job’s Story • Job 33:23: “Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him.” • Elihu pictures a suffering man (Job) who cannot plead his own case before the holy God. • God graciously supplies “one mediator in a thousand”—rare, unique, appointed. • The mediator’s task: – Stand “on his side” (represent the sinner). – “Tell a man what is right” (declare God’s righteous way). – Bring deliverance from impending judgment (vv. 24–28 show the rescued man “restored”). The Singular Mediator Revealed in Christ • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” • Paul identifies the solitary mediator foreshadowed in Job: Jesus, fully God and fully man. • Parallels to Job 33: – “One mediator in a thousand” → “one mediator between God and men.” – Mediator’s advocacy brings life (Job 33:28) → Jesus “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6). Why Only Jesus Fits the Job 33 Pattern • Exclusivity: Job hints at rarity; Paul declares exclusivity—no other name (Acts 4:12). • Identification with humanity: “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) embodies Job’s need for a representative who understands suffering (Hebrews 4:15). • Divine authority: The mediator “shows man what is right” (Job 33:23); Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). • Effective intercession: Elihu’s mediator secures pardon (Job 33:24); Jesus “always lives to intercede” for us (Hebrews 7:25). Benefits of Christ’s Mediation • Pardon from judgment (Romans 8:1). • Restoration of fellowship with God (Ephesians 2:18). • Ongoing advocacy when we stumble (1 John 2:1–2). • Assurance of eternal life (John 17:3). Living in Light of Our One Mediator • Trust His finished work—no additional mediator is needed or allowed (Galatians 2:21). • Approach God confidently “through Him” (Hebrews 10:19–22). • Proclaim the uniqueness of Christ to a world seeking many paths (2 Corinthians 5:20). |
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