"Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!...But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God...." (Job 10:18; Hebrews 10:12)
Our texts are a contrast between utter despair and the Hope of the ages, a poor, suffering, lonely soul who, as we know, eventually saw, "This Man," Jesus. His life changed forever.
It is not unusual for a person in deep suffering, depression, or remorse over how their life turned out, to feel as Job expresses here. There are probably more people who feel this way than one can imagine, joys, if any, are in the past, perhaps the distant past. Where did life go wrong?
If you should be in such a state today, I strongly encourage you to stop for a moment and consider, "....this man." Far too many speak of God alone and have only a distant god, an "up-there" god, one of whom they speak, even "worship," yet from whom in the depths of their being feel so detached. The loneliness produced by such erroneous believing is overwhelming. Jesus is not primarily a "with me" Savior. "But this Man," is in me, right here, right now. I never grow tired of reminding myself of Jesus in me. I know I wright on this alot, but I do so because Jesus, "Christ in [me is] the hope of glory," is my hope, my trust, my salvation. We don't know how long Job struggled in his suffering and despair. We do see, however, that he found redemption-deliverance in, "But this Man...." Job came to the end of himself into the Blessed Trinity, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."
The context of our Hebrews text is speaking of an "earthly" priesthood, which was, as the Law, "having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things." The priesthood was, "having a shadow of the good [Man] to come...." And just as we need the Blood of Jesus because, "it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins," we need faith/trust in, "This Man," because it is impossible for any "priest" or friend or super saint to relieve the pain of a lonely soul such as Job. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone ('This Man') a tested Stone ('This Man'), a precious Cornerstone ('This Man') for the [secure] foundation ('This Man'), firmly placed. He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] ('This Man') will not be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic]."
When life seems as though it is attempting to destroy you and a "sudden panic" may be upon you, just turn your face into the approaching storm and declare to the, "principalities and powers of the air, " what our text declares, "But this Man...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You for, "This Man." Amen.
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* DC, Thursday, Feb. 11: Supreme Court Building, Capital Building, White House, David's Tent.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
