Fri.’s Devo - Jesus Our Mediator

Read: Job 8:1-11:20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 21:28-29 Bilhad spoke up and challenged Job’s statements. He asked if God twisted justice. Surely Job or maybe his children sinned. There had to be a cause and effect for all this to be happening. He suggested that Job intercede for his children, (something Job had done regularly.) *** Bilhad said if Job would pull up the root of the cause then he would once again be able to experience joy. *** Job agreed with Bilhad’s principle, it just didn’t apply to his situation. How could a mortal man ever be declared innocent in God’s sight. He did not think it was possible to reason with God and win. Job definitely didn’t think he was innocent, he just knew he had not done something to merit what had happened to him. *** Job wished for a mediator who could bring him and God together. (Thank God, we have that mediator…Jesus Christ.) Job desires to know what he has done that has so offended God. He wants to know why God created him in the first place. *** Zophar gave his opinion. He thinks Job is mocking God with all his words. The said that God is doubtlessly punishing him far less than he deserves. Who was Job to question God? Zophar tells him to repent and get rid of his sins. *** Isaiah, who came much later said, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”(Isaiah 1:18) God does want to have conversations with us and he proved it at the end of Job. *** In Corinthians, Paul challenges the teaching that there is no resurrection. Paul reminds them that there were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection and their whole gospel is built on that principle. Christ was the first of a harvest of souls that will be resurrected. Christ is the answer to death. Death came in through Adam and was defeated by Christ. When Christ comes back, all will be raised. Once every ruler and authority and power is defeated,the Kingdom will be turned back over to God. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death. Then God will be supreme over everything everywhere. Lord, thank you for your resurrection power. We look forward to the day that death is defeated and God reigns supreme. May we occupy until Christ comes doing your will.