WORDS
f *7 6 & te ¿ 4 P O W E R
from the
WORD by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Director, Talbot Theological Seminary Daysman
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(I) he incomparable Book of Job deals I with a problem as old as the hu man race, namely, the suffering of the godly. In book after book of the Old Testament this theme is touched upon, and a different facet of truth revealed. Job’s case is the most thor oughly treated in the Word of God. But the solution to his problem was far beyond the best minds of his day. They all turned out to be nothing more than “miserable comforters” and “ physicians of no value.” In the midst of his physical distress and soul anguish, Job cries out (9:32,33): “ For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, That we should come together in judgment. There is no umpire betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.” Where the American Standard Version (and other modern versions) reads “um pire” or “ arbiter,” the Authorized Version renders “ daysman.” The Hebrew word for “ daysman” is mochiah, the original occurring some ten times (singular and plural forms). Nowhere is this word trans lated “ daysman” but here. Even the other references in the Book of Job (32:12 and 40:2) are not so rendered. The basic thought of the Hebrew verb is “ to argue, decide,” as we find it so clearly in Isaiah 2:4. The word “ daysman” was common in the six teenth century A.D.; the oldest oc currence is said to be the end of the fifteenth century (1489 A.D.). Tyn- dale’s translation of Exodus 21:22 is “ daysmen” for our “ judges.” An in teresting sidelight has been pointed out in 1 Corinthians 4:3 which reads: “ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment.” The Greek for “man’s judgment” is “man’s day.” It is so translated in Coverdale, Rheims, Tyndale and Wycliffe. It is known that the word “ day” in many languages has the special sense of the day set aside for judgment. But what is it for which Job is earnestly longing? He yearns for one who can stand in the position of um pire between two contending parties in a suit, and then decide upon the merits of the case at issue. See for the verb and the concept Genesis 31:37. It has been suggested that in the East it was a custom for a judge
to place his hand on the heads of the contending parties, thus indicating his right to adjudicate between them and his desire to render an unpreju diced decision. Job realizes full well that a human judge would be'Tap- able of acting as an umpire on his own claims, but what man could hope to fathom the requirements or the objectives of the Lord? Who could “ lay his hand” upon the Migh ty God? He knows of no one to whom both God and he would be answer- able with power to adjudicate be tween them. It is well expressed in the words of Eli the priest: “ If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?” (1 Sam. 2:25.) Job, centuries before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, uttered the longing of the human heart which could only be filled by Christ and His work for sinners. The cry is a universal one to be heard in all ages, languages and areas of the earth. It has been denied, however, that the language of Job could properly be referred to Christ. The reasons given are: (1) Christ is not an umpire in a controversy such as Job indicates; (2) He is not a judge in a suit be tween man and his God (3) and He is not the tribunal to hear the argu ments of the litigants, arid then to pass judgment. It is claimed that Christ is Mediator in the sense of pleading our cause before God. Our answer to these arguments is that the concept of mediator is much b r oade r t han some will allow. Though some may deny it, the long ing of Job does anticipate the Media tor whom God has provided. Yes, Job’s desire is fulfilled in 1 Timothy 2:5: “ For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men,” (the mesites of Gal. 3:19,20 and Heb. 8:6). He can lay His hand upon God, knowing the requirements of God’s holiness and the overwhelm ing necessity to manifest His love, for He is God’s Equal, His Fellow (Zech. 13:7). He is able also to lay His hand upon man, realizing man’s temptations, frailties and failings, for He is the tempted, yet sinless Son of man (John 5:27). What a Mediator! END.
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