Christ the Arbitrator
Job 6-9
Christ the Arbitrator: Job 6-9. How often have we felt just like Job? Our world is crashing down around us and our prayers to God seem to bounce off the ceiling. Thankfully the book of Job does not end here; we know from God's Word that we do always have an arbitrator in Christ, our Lord and Savior.
He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14, ESV
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2
“How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a
great wind? 3 Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert the
right? 4 If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered
them into the hand of their transgression. 5 If you will seek God and
plead with the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright,
surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful
habitation. 7 And though your beginning was small, your latter days will
be very great.
Job 8:1-6, ESV
32
For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should
come to trial together. 33 There is no arbiter between us, who might lay
his hand on us both. 34 Let him take his rod away from me, and let not
dread of him terrify me. 35 Then I would speak without fear of him, for I
am not so in myself.
Job 9:32-35, ESV
Christ the Arbitrator
Job 6-9
Job is one of the most helpful books of the Bible for the Christian. We are so used to reading fiction or watching TV where the "reality" shown is one of cardboard characters. Real life is just not that simple. Because the dialogue between Job and his friends, and later God, continues over several chapters, I will try to pick up some of the dialogue from each section to cover in the devotion for that day.
As a little background I do want to make a comment about the conversation
of Eliphaz in chapters 4 and 5. Though cloaked in supposedly comforting
words, it was obvious that Eliphaz had one opinion of the cause of
Job's suffering when he said in Job 4:8, As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. Elizphaz through Job received exactly what he deserved.
Job's terse reply in Job 6:14 was, He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
The wounds of a friend are much harder to bear because we assume that
they know and understand our Godly character. Yet, often, they are the
first ones to turn against us.
After Job then challenges his friend to innumerate the "wicked" things he has done, friend number two, Bildad, replies, How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind?
Becoming overwhelmed by everything that is happening, Job finally says in Job 9:33, There is no arbiter between us [God and Job], who might lay his hand on us both.
How
often have we felt the same way? Our world is crashing down around us
and our prayers to God seem to bounce off the ceiling. Thankfully the
book of Job does not end here; we know from God's Word that we do always
have an arbitrator in Christ, our Lord and Savior. No matter how Godly
we may be, we can never reach the righteousness of God, but the blood of
Christ, shed for us, covers our sin so that God only sees the perfect
righteousness of Christ.
There
is our hope! As we continue to journey through the book of Job we will
continue to see the sovereignty of God displayed before us. Praise God
that we have an eternal, undying hope in God and our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Truly, He is Christ the Arbitrator for us as His children, too!
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