Ministry — December 27, 2025

1 Timothy 2:5–6 — One God, One Mediator

Let us read a few verses together in 1 Timothy chapter 2, beginning at verse 5:

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

It is one of God's purposes that there should be a testimony to His truth and to His dear Son. This scripture is just such a testimony.

It begins: there is one God. In a world full of a multitude of things that men worship, this is a distinct testimony. It is called monotheism — there is just one God.

Coupled with that is a grand truth concerning our Lord Jesus Christ: there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. This is the secret of salvation. In order to come to God for the forgiveness of sins, we must come through the Lord Jesus Christ — because it says one mediator. If there had been two, it would have said so.

A mediator is someone who puts one hand out on one side and the other hand out on the other side, so as to bring two parties into connection with each other. It is necessary for the soul to be saved that there should be a mediator.

And this mediator gave himself a ransom for all, which means, among other things, there was a debt that had to be paid — and the one who paid the debt is the one who is the mediator. One could imagine, perhaps, a mediator who had nothing to do with paying the debt. But that is not God's way. God's way was to so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It is the one mediator, the one who died upon the cross — for Christ died for the ungodly. Not for good people did Jesus die, but for the ungodly.

This is one of those precious scriptures that assures us God has not left us without a mediator. There is no hindrance, no reason not to come to God.

Not Limited to Salvation

And this is not limited to salvation. As the scripture says, man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. At such times what we need is a mediator between us and God, that we might know God's will for us. There is no one like our Lord Jesus Christ, because there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He is the only resource when we face one of those decisions in life — which way to turn, what to do, where to go.

There is no one to ask before we ask the Lord Jesus for help with the decisions of life, because He is the one mediator between God and men. Why have so many of us made wrong decisions and fallen into trouble afterwards? Because we did not ask Him first.

This is not spoken against getting help from other people. As the scripture says, in the multitude of counselors there is safety. But the Lord Jesus has the honor of the first place — He is the first one to whom we should give the opportunity to provide truth and counsel in a time of trial, trouble, or difficulty.

Adonijah and the Wrong Mediator: 1 Kings 1–2

I would like to say a few words about what happens when we do not turn to the Lord Jesus Christ but turn to someone else instead. Turn with me to 1 Kings, chapter 1. We begin at verse 1:

"Now King David was old and stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king and ministered to him, but the king knew her not."

The people of Israel loved King David. If you do not remember much about the man who killed Goliath and the Philistines, it is well worth going back to read it — for what David did was Christ-like. The men of Israel loved David, and what they did was find a representative of the twelve tribes to express that love for him in his old age, when he could no longer maintain his own warmth. That is Abishag the Shunammite. She is the expression of the love of Israel for David. Keep that in mind.

In 1 Kings 2, verse 1, the days of David drew near that he should die — and in verse 10, David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. Then, verse 12: Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly.

Now Adonijah — a son of David who had said, "I will be king" — comes to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. Read from verse 13:

"And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign.

Howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's, for it was his from the Lord. And now I ask one petition of thee — deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not say thee nay, that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well, I will speak for thee unto the king."

Now you can see why we needed to read about Abishag the Shunammite in chapter one. She was the expression of the love of the people of Israel for David the king. Adonijah — the young man who said he would be king, but to whom God gave the kingdom instead to Solomon — now wants to marry Abishag. And he comes with a petition.

Notice: he is looking for a mediator. He will not go directly to Solomon. Instead he goes to Solomon's mother, because he believes that if he asks her, Solomon will not be able to refuse. All he has to do is persuade Solomon's mother to ask Solomon — and he can get what he wants.

But we have just read that there is one mediator between God and men — and it is not his mother.

And perhaps we would say: well, I was not really interested in approaching God through the human mother of the Lord Jesus. Very well — but is there some man, perhaps, who stands between you and the Lord Jesus? Someone to whom you would go first, before going to the Lord Jesus? That will not work either. There is one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus. Just one.

Let us finish the story. Verse 19, 1 Kings chapter 2:

"Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother, and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not say thee nay."

Notice how well it seems to be going. And it is not Bathsheba's fault — she said just what she was asked to say. Verse 21:

"And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.

And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, Why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also — for he is mine elder brother, even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, God do so to me and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore, as the Lord liveth who hath established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell upon him that he died."

There are other passages of scripture one might turn to concerning the matter of mediators. But of all of them, this is perhaps the plainest illustration of the importance of going directly to Christ — the one to whom we must turn.

I bear my testimony, pitifully small as it may be: in all my life, whenever I turned first to the Lord Jesus, He never failed me. Sometimes He said yes, sometimes He said no — but always, when the dust has settled, I have found His way is best. It has always been a great blessing to discover that when I bow and submit to His will, His love has done all for me that could be done for someone as poor and failing as I am.

I commend these thoughts to you, dear brethren: always turn first to Christ, whatever the time, whatever the circumstances. And for that reason, God has given us His word.

A Final Thought on Abishag the Shunammite

One more word about Abishag the Shunammite. The petition of Adonijah was that he might be put in the place of receiving the affections of Israel — because Abishag had carried the love of the whole people to David. Now David had died, and that place was empty. Adonijah wanted to be put in that place — the place of receiving all the love of Israel that had formerly been conveyed to David through Abishag the Shunammite.

It was not a casual request. And the wisdom of Solomon is shown in the judgment that fell upon Adonijah, because he thought he had found a way to obtain a favorable answer through an intermediary. What would have happened had he gone directly to Solomon? That is not recorded in the Bible. What is written here is written for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.

Second Speaker: James 4 and the Book of Esther

Could we read a verse in the book of James? James chapter 4, verse 1:

"Whence come wars and fightings among you? Is it not hence, from your pleasures which war in your members? Ye lust and have not; ye kill and are full of envy and cannot obtain; ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask evilly, that ye may consume it in your pleasures."

Our brother was speaking about the wrong idea of intercession — the notion that we should beseech the human mother of the Lord Jesus to intercede for us. That is a wrong thought. But there is also a question about asking itself, is there not? That is the very practical question James raises here.

I want to refer back to the passage our brother read in 1 Kings chapter 2, verse 19 — Bathsheba going to King Solomon to speak for Adonijah. And then turn with me to the book of Esther, chapter 5, verse 1:

"And it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house. And the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance to the house. And it was so, when the king saw queen Esther standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight. And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand, and Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? And what is thy request? And Esther said, If it seem good to the king..."

Did you notice the difference between Bathsheba's approach to Solomon and Esther's approach to the king? I do not read that Solomon said to his mother, "What can I do for you?" She came in, was given a seat of honor as was fitting, and launched immediately into what she wanted. We already know how that ended.

Was Bathsheba not under the condemnation of James? At the very least, she was foolish. She did not seek the counsel of the Lord with respect to the request she was going to make for Adonijah — a request that was such an affront.

Now look at Esther. She is standing, waiting for the king to recognize her. Who was this king? He was a king who had set aside his queen because she refused his request. This was not a constitutional monarch. This was a man who held the power of life and death in his hands.

What does Esther do? She comes with the greatest of reverence, waiting — as the scripture says — to obtain grace in his sight. Had you and I not obtained grace in the sight of the Lord? Do we come to Him and say, surely He will not refuse my request because of my relationship with Him? James condemns that approach. That is the wrong start.

The first thing Esther does when she draws near is to touch that golden scepter — the symbol of the king's authority and power. It is an act of reverence toward the one before whom she stood. We would do well to remember that reverence when we come before the Lord.