An Appeal for Mercy
Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
Job 9:15
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An Appeal for Mercy
Job concludes that he is in a no-win situation. God is too powerful, no one can stand against Him. Therefore, the only thing left to do is to throw himself at the mercy of the court. And it is in this court room imagery where we get the clearest picture of what God has done for us, and why we in fact cannot answer for ourselves, but have an Advocate who answers for us. This is the devil’s tactic. He thinks he can force God into abandoning you, by appealing to God’s justice and righteousness. God has said He will not be in the presence of a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. The devil, therefore, rightly points out that we are sinner who deserve eternal damnation. According to God’s own Word He must carry out the sentence. And in fact, God does, just not in the way the devil expected, nor in the way any of us would expect. God’s cup of wrath was given and consumed to the point of death, but not by you or I or anyone else. It was taken by God himself, in the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. He drank the cup of wrath meant for you and for everyone else. He took the sins of the world with Him to the cross and there God’s holy justice was meted out. So now when the devil demands punishment, Christ your Advocate speaks for you:
Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him. (LSB 656)
Job 9:15
+
An Appeal for Mercy
Job concludes that he is in a no-win situation. God is too powerful, no one can stand against Him. Therefore, the only thing left to do is to throw himself at the mercy of the court. And it is in this court room imagery where we get the clearest picture of what God has done for us, and why we in fact cannot answer for ourselves, but have an Advocate who answers for us. This is the devil’s tactic. He thinks he can force God into abandoning you, by appealing to God’s justice and righteousness. God has said He will not be in the presence of a sinner and that the wages of sin is death. The devil, therefore, rightly points out that we are sinner who deserve eternal damnation. According to God’s own Word He must carry out the sentence. And in fact, God does, just not in the way the devil expected, nor in the way any of us would expect. God’s cup of wrath was given and consumed to the point of death, but not by you or I or anyone else. It was taken by God himself, in the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. He drank the cup of wrath meant for you and for everyone else. He took the sins of the world with Him to the cross and there God’s holy justice was meted out. So now when the devil demands punishment, Christ your Advocate speaks for you:
Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none,
He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him. (LSB 656)
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