Reflections

 29 Since I am already found guilty,
       why should I struggle in vain?

 30 Even if I washed myself with soap
       and my hands with washing soda,

 31 you would plunge me into a slime pit
       so that even my clothes would detest me.

 32 “He is not a man like me that I might answer him,
       that we might confront each other in court.

 33 If only there were someone to arbitrate between us,
       to lay his hand upon us both,

 34 someone to remove God’s rod from me,
       so that his terror would frighten me no more.

 35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,
       but as it now stands with me, I cannot.  Job 9: 29-35 NIV

Job really wanted to confront God about what He had done.  However, Job believed that he had no chance to argue his case before God and plead his innocence.  Job questioned whether or not anyone is innocent before God.  He concluded that God treats the blameless and the wicked all the same – He judges them equally.

Job understood that there really is nothing we can do to cleanse ourselves of sin and stand before God blameless.  There is no work we can complete on our own that would allow us to claim righteousness.  Job knew that none of his righteous acts saved him in the eyes of God.  Job says that we need an arbitrator, someone that is between us and God; as Job states “someone to remove God’s rod from me…”  Job saw the need for a savior.

Job was wrong about God treating us with judgment and wrath, because out of His love for us God sent an arbitrator – Jesus.  Jesus stands between us and God the Father.  It is because of Jesus we can stand before God and argue our case just like Job wanted to do.  We can stand before God and not be afraid because Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness.

We are righteous before God because Jesus paid our debt of sin and death.  Even when we sin Jesus still arbitrates our cases before God.  It is in Jesus that we have the confidence that God will forgive us of our sins and return us to our righteous state.

Job is right – without Jesus no one can stand before God and claim his innocence.  We are all guilty and have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  There is no human act that can justify us.  It is only the shed blood of Jesus that saves us.  Jesus is the only one that can stand between us and God; declare our innocence, and ask God to have mercy upon us.  Praise God for Jesus our Arbitrator.