Day 4

He is not a man like me that I might answer Him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of Him, but as it stands with me, I cannot.

(Job 9:33-35)

Most people don’t think of the book of Job when they think of Christmas. But let’s take a deeper look at Job’s plea. He was one of the richest men on earth – in his heart and in his pocketbook. He was loyal to God. But the enemy took everything from him – with the permission of the One in whom Job trusted. As readers, we have the privilege of knowing why he was going through pain and suffering. Job, however, had no clue.

Job spent hours and hours in painstaking conversation with 3 friends who were trying to find out what he had done wrong to deserve such suffering. But Job knew he lived an upright life, and he desperately wanted to talk with God about it. Yet he also knew there was a deep, impassable chasm between himself and his Creator. Yet in his pursuit for answers, he stumbled upon the key to Eternal Life and Grace itself: the need for an Arbitrator between himself and God.

Please allow me the attempt to paraphrase what Job was saying; “There’s no possible way I can simply meet up with God and get all this settled. If only I had someone who would be a perfect Middle-Man, someone who would place one of His hands on me and the other on God, Someone who would remove God’s wrath from me. Then I would be able to stand in His presence and have an actual conversation with the God of Holiness without the fear of dying. Then I could speak my mind with Him in His throne room, and He would listen without finding fault with me.”

Do you see God’s marvelous plan of the Gospel in Job’s plea? Do you see how God brought Job to this startling and prophetic revelation? Job’s faith was real because his hope was real. His “If only there was someone” points to Christmas, to the Christ-child. Little did he know that his request would one day come true less than 100 miles away in the small town of Bethlehem. Jesus would be the One who would place one hand on mankind and the other on His Father.

Application:

• Where are you in your life this Christmas? Are you trusting in Jesus, the Christ-child born in Bethlehem? Let Him place one hand on your life, for His other is already on the Father. Go to Him with your plea. He will not find fault with you; instead, He will hold you. He is the true Reason for this season.