Job 9:33

If only there were an Arbiter between us,

   Who could lay His hand upon us both.

Based on my view, I see this as a description of Christ. Both God and man, able to understand each side and to provide the renewing of the intended relationship. Even if Job did not understand, I know God understood when He had the author include this statement.

“Arbiter” was also “umpire”, “someone to arbitrate”, “mediator”, and “daysman”. “Between” was also “betwixt”.

The lack of variety is more than I’ve shown, but most of it was just slight variations on the same thing.

I was in our Sunday School class today, and it had a somewhat lively discussion. The oddest thing was that a visitor was the most vocal and seemed content to ramble on about things she either was not sure of or did not know she was wrong about. I may meet this lady sometime and this might be funny (or not) someday, but I disagreed with her attitude. I also disagreed with at least one statement the lesson teacher said and even more so with something the seminary and former minister at the next table said. (I did not call them out in class.) But I liked the fact we were discussing the topics at hand and making them personal. I liked that many people were sharing, even if one did over share (yes, the visitor). I added my two cents a couple times, and I hope they helped bring clarity to the topic.

I hear the cat whining like a baby. It just wants to eat the hibiscus on the porch, but I am tired of him throwing up in the garage afterwards. I know the cat is asking me to go a certain way and I am refusing. Jonah was the topic today and he too heard someone calling and wanted to ignore it. He was content to die rather than do what God asked him to do. Even after God saved him from death, Jonah was not happy about this duty. Especially when his enemies were saved from destruction.

We all face challenges each day. The seventh grader, what to watch. The college freshman, a whole lot of new things. The cat mom, how to get the cat to stop whining. The dad, all of the above. Our goal each day, each moment is to hear the call of God and follow. Jonah was called to save the Ninevites. We are called to save the lost in far away, unfriendly lands, to save the Jews (according to some Baptists), to save our neighbors, to save our friends, to save the people at church who still do not understand that faith saves. Thankfully God provider our Arbiter in Christ and faith still saves.

(Written 10/2, Posted 10/29, Job 205)