Joel M Bradshaw

25“If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?”–1 Samuel 2

Eli was on the downside of his priestly career and his two sons were sinning as fellow priests. He confronted them with this line I highlighted above. It’s actually a profound theological question. It gives us a hope an a need.

1. HOPE. If you sin against me or I against you, God inserts himself in the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. So if the person who wronged you owned their sin and humbly asked for forgiveness, they are leaving their state temporally in your hands and ultimately in God’s. God is the one who makes the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation and he alone truly knows the heart states of both parties. Because God mediates, the repentant sinner can know true forgiveness. The forgiving victim can also have closure guaranteed by God.
2. NEED. The sons of Eli weren’t just sinning against God, but against other people. So Eli’s point wasn’t precise to their situation. But he still raised a good issue regarding forgiveness. When our sin is only against God, who possibly could stand in between? We require a mediator who is qualified to mediate. The only way possible for mediation when I have sinned against God is if God forgives me for his own sake. Otherwise we would require a person to guarantee both repentance and forgiveness that could represent both man and God. Here’s a couple of verses that stand out.

First God speaking in Isaiah 43 (with emphasis)…

25“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.

Second the only mediator possible that meets all conditions. 2 Timothy 2…

5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

One final point. I sometimes journey with people who say they need to forgive God for the hard things they have endured. God doesn’t sin, so Biblically this is impossible. On what basis do you forgive God? Are you in God’s place and God in yours? How would there be a mediator for God with you? Others say they need to forgive themselves. How would there be a mediator between you and yourself?

Regarding the forgiveness of God, the counsel is humility and trust in God’s goodness. Regarding the forgiveness of self, the counsel is to no longer condemn yourself when God no longer is. (Romans 8:1).–JMB