Job asks a profound question, "how can
a man be in the right before God?"
He recognizes God's holiness and that no one can stand before Him. He understands God's power over all things
and yet realizes that he, a mere man, cannot argue his case before Him. His conclusion is simple, "I must appeal
for mercy…" He longs for an
arbiter, a mediator, between himself and God.
Job is a wise man, he sees the truth about God and the distinction
between God and man and desires one who will plead on his behalf. He maintains his innocence, which we know is
real based on chapter 1, but he needs someone else to take up his case. Jesus stands in that mediatorial role for us,
Job was right about our need.
The promise Jesus makes here concerning
rivers of living water comes during the last day of the festival when they pour
out water jars in faith, believing God will send the rains. Jesus makes an incredible offer in connection
with this faith ritual of coming to Him, it is the same offer He made to the Samaritan
woman at the well in John 4 but the crowd isn't as receptive here. They believe that Jesus comes from somewhere
other than Bethlehem and He could set that right but doesn't, the issue isn't
about origins. The standards for judgment
remain the same, where is he from and what do the leaders say. The leaders are incredibly cynical about the
people they have been given to lead, "…this crowd that does not know the
law is accursed.” Nicodemus tries
to intercede and simply becomes suspect, no argument rebutting his
argument.
In the midst of Peter's sermon about Jesus
the Holy Spirit falls on all who heard the word. It must have been an interesting thing for
all concerned. The people with Peter are
surprised and amazed by this development, God giving the same gift of the Holy
Spirit to these Gentiles. The Lord is
making these unclean persons clean by the proclamation of His Word concerning
Jesus, bringing them into the fold. What
in the world are the Jewish believers to think about God's work here? He only commands baptism, they have already
received Jesus' promise of rivers of living waters so let's seal the thing with
baptism in response to Jesus' command in the Great Commission. What Peter "knew" is suddenly not
true any longer.
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