Even now my witness is in heaven.
My advocate is there on high.
— Job 16:19
WARNING: AWESOME PRE-TRINITARIAN GLIMPSE AT THE TRINITY!
Job is doing his whining about his friends thing. If you’ve read even a few chapters of Job, you understand how this works. Job mopes about his life being awful (because it all went down hill really fast) and declares his innocence. His “friends” tell him how sinful he is and spout out wisdom at him. He tells them they stink at being good friends. It’s a very established pattern.
Also in the pattern is a general amount of hopelessness.
This one verse seems to be a departure from that hopelessness. It also has a fantastic lesson for us in the part of the calendar called A.D.
Whether or not Job is innocent (that’s later in the book), he has faith in an advocate in heaven, witnessing to his character and faithfulness.
We know this advocate today to be Jesus Christ himself. 1 John 2:1 tells us “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.” Jesus ascended to heaven, and sits at the right hand of the father (Heb. 1:3). He is right beside God the Father, advocating our innocence by his blood.
No matter the consequences we set into motion by our sin, the ultimate consequence of our eternal destiny is absolutely advocated for. Just as Job needed this mediator (v. 21), so we also need and yet have a mediator in Christ.
There is hope amidst the brokenness and sin and sorrow and downfall. Christ is our advocate. Our hope is sure.
-Zachariah
P.S. Take the chance to listen to this song, and mediate on how Christ advocates for our sake. He “ever lives and pleads” for us. Praise God!