Scripture -> Job 42

Review / Introduction 

We are continuing our study on the ...The Doctrine of Christ.

Last week you heard a sermon from Charles Spurgeon Christ as the Mediator.

The week before, we spoke about the need for a proper understanding of the holiness of God.

We spoke about how the Israelites, at the base of Mt. Sinai, recognized their need for a mediator.

They understood the need for a mediator

• someone to approach the throne of God for them.

Once we get a glimpse of the holiness of God

• we will stop trying to ascend there
• we will beg for a mediator to ascend for us.

Our Need for a Mediator

So should we also recognize our need for a mediator

• But, sometimes when it comes to our own sins
• We don’t recognize how sinful they really are
• We don't face our sins honestly and objectively.

When we start to recognize our sins

• And the feelings come in
• And we begin to sense that kind of abject sinfulness
• And we begin to perceive in ourselves our true nature
• We're more inclined to run
• It seems too difficult for us

Through this process, we hope that we will begin to understand as Job –

"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." Job-42:5

Let’s take a look and see if we might be able to learn from Job...

Our Need for a Mediator – Instructions from Job

Job's Acceptance and Repentance with God

verse 7 - "for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath"

• What did Job say?
  • In his repentance, in order to understand it, we must put it in its proper context.
  • There was a time when Job had spoken in such a way that the Lord responds"

verse 2 =- “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?”

• Job was a guy speaking about that which he doesn't understand.
• Job was accusing God of things when he ought rather have kept his mouth closed.
• Job responds "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further."

Job comes to the end

• Listen very carefully to what he says
• I know that thou can't do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee

Notice, first of all, Job is confessing that God can do everything.

• He had not confessed that before this point.
• Job had brought God into doubt, and his uprightness.

1. 3 -> He repeats the Lord's own question back to him in (Job-38:2)
2. 4 -> Job continues "Behold, I have uttered that which I understood not things too wonderful for me, which I knew not."

Job's Repentance

Notice, Job is now repeating what God is saying about him

• That is what confession of sin is.
• confession (Romans 10:9) - homologeo - to admit, to acknowledge, to share a common view or be of a common mind about a matter

To confess of sin, then, is to really say the same things that God says about us

We take God's side against ourselves in the confession of our sin

• instead of defending ourselves
• instead of rising up to our own defense
• instead of making excuses for our behavior
• instead of holding to our own righteousness and justness

We begin to say what God says about us

• we draw God's words against ourselves
• such that we stop defending ourselves and take up self-accusation.
• That's the beginning of repentance.

verse 5 -> You'd expect him, as in Job 40, to stop talking.

• Instead, he says, I've got one more thing to say. I've got one more demand from you, My God, please, don't ever stop speaking to me.
• Don't turn your face away from me.
  • Although I deserve it
  • Please, keep dealing with me
  • Please, keep speaking to me.

"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."

• All the knowledge that I had of you before Job says, is like hearing a conversation across the room.
• That you can only hear bits and pieces

But now, in your own self-disclosure of yourself now

• in the opening of my heart
• in the chastisement of my judgmental attitude towards you
• Now I see

Job's Confession

So what is his confession?

• is that I am a perfect and upright man? No.

His confession is I am vile and wicked, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

• self-abhorrence is a biblical concept.
• This is not hate speech.

Most Christians today are taught

• how wonderful they are
• how perfect they are
• how you need to be affirmed for who you are or what you do

Christianity, today, is all about who you are and how you feel

• how lucky God is that they are on His team
• When we begin to recognize our sin, we have nowhere to go but on our knees in shame

And when you do that, when you are brought to this condition...

Then you might taste the great relief of knowing that you have such a mediator in Christ.

• Then, instead of being overwhelmed by your sin and guild and drowning in your own wickedness
• You will, instead, be filled with thankfulness and joy that will come after recognizing the provision God has made your need of a Mediator
• And you must be sure that you have the right Mediator

Christ is the Only Mediator

Christ, Alone, Is the Resurrection and the Life -John 11

Christ is making a very intentional effort to make sure that people hear

Notice what he says, beginning in verses 21-22

• Martha has some conception of the mediation of Christ.
  • "Even if you ask your father to raise my brother from the dead, he'll do even that."
• Jesus says "...I am the resurrection of the life"
  • It must come through me or it comes not at all.
  • Do you believe that?
• Not that he'll be raised again with everybody else at the end of days.
• But do you believe that that resurrection comes from me?
• Do you believe that?
• Do you see what Jesus is doing?
• He's honing down her faith?
• He's making it more specific.

Do you get the importance of that for Christ's intercession?

• there's not a prayer
• there's not a request
• there is not an intercession offered by Christ

that the Father does not hear

• they are in complete harmony with one another.

Christ, Alone, is the Perfect Mediator – Hebrews 5:7

You can see how it's all tied into his intercession here.

What is the reason given for the efficacy of Christ's priesthood?

• his piety ->
  • he was heard
  • in that, he feared
  • on account of his complete obedience to the covenant arrangement that he and his father had before the world was created.

Christ is the obedient son, to whom all things are given.

He was heard in his intercession because he was perfect.

He was heard

• because of the greatness of his perfect obedience
• because of his perfect person

He intercedes and will be heard

• because he is perfectly pious in all that he does.

Why is it that we cannot make intercession for ourselves or someone else?

• because of our imperfection
• because we are defiled
• because we are fallen
• because we are sinful and guilty

There is nothing that we can do to remedy that condition.

• Everything we do, only makes it worse.
• Everything we try only makes it worse
• Everything we do makes it more egregious and a greater violation
• we do something good we take credit for it
• we make it a self-righteous act, instead of a righteous act.

But Christ is heard because of his piety

• He is heard because of His perfection
• He is heard because he is the obedient son to whom the Father will not say "no".

Everything for which he asks is indeed in accordance with his own will and with the Father's Will, and is all Yea, and amen.

This is your mediator.

Beloved, this is your friend.

This is the one who has power with God on your behalf.

• because of his piety
• because of his obedience
• because of His perfection
• because there is no defect

Conclusion

Don't be afraid to let the flood of guilt come in. Because your mediator is always heard by the Father.

He is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.

He will always be heard by the Father

Who else could stand and, and have mediation and intercession with God?

When once we consider the merits of Christ, His divine-human person, his perfect obedience, His atoning death, along with all his other perfections, it is clear that no one else could ever rise in his stead.

With His divine-human person is where we’ll pick up next....