MEDIATOR, MEDIATION

Among the Semitic peoples, however, the name of the Medes continued long to be more familiar than that of the Persians, partly by reason of their greater antiquity, and partly because the Medes formed the principal portion of the Iranian population. Hence the word is more frequent than ' Persia,' except in the later books of the OT. Madai is mentioned in Gn 10^ among the sons of Japheth, with no allusion to the Persians. So the Medes and not the Persians are mentioned in prophecy as the prospective destroyers of Babylon (Is 13" 21', Jer 25«i 51"; cf. Elam, p. 211i>). In Ac 2' the Medes are vaguely mentioned, where the reference is to Jews or proselytes living in Media and using the language of the country. Media was of great importance in the history of rehgion, since it was there, probably in the early years of the 7th cent. B.C., that Zoroaster Uved and taught. J. F. M'Cdrdy.

MEDIATOR, iQiy)IATION.— The word 'mediator' (Gr. mesltes) occurs in the NT, once of Moses as the mediator of the Law (Gal S"- ™), in the other instances of Christ as the "one mediator between God and man' (1 Ti 251, and the mediator of a 'better' (He 8«), or 'new' (9'5 12", in latter passage 'new' in sense of 'recent') covenant. The verbal form occurs in He 6" [RV 'interposed (Gr. mediated) with an oath']. The LXX has the term once in Job 9^ (EV 'daysman'). But the idea of mediation, that is, of God deaUng with man, or man with God, not directly but through the interposition of another, has a leading place throughout Scripture. Different aspects of mediation, however, need to be distinguished. As regards the fundamental relation of man to God, Jesus, in the NT, is the one and sole Mediator.

1. The most general form of mediation is intercessory prayer. This is the privilege of all (cf. Ja 5"). Well- known Scripture examples are the intercession of Abraham for Sodom (Gn 18»-"), of Moses for Israel (Ex 32»»-"), of Samuel for Israel (1 S 7'-"). Jeremiah (150 singles out Moses and Samuel as the chief representatives of this form of prayer. Probably an element of inter-cession enters into all effective mediation. St. John (ch. 17) preserves the great intercessory prayer of Jesus after the Last Supper). and intercession is declared to be a chief exercise of Christ's mediatorial function in heaven (Ro 8", H^' 7^, 1 Jn 1'). Intercessory prayer is a duty of the Christian (1 Ti 2'- =), but always and only in the name of Christ, who in the same context is declared to be the 'one mediator' (v.').

2, Mediation has a peculiar place in the formation of the great covenants. It is the singular fact in connexion with the covenant with Abraham of which St. Paul and the Epistle to the Hebrews in different ways take notice, that it involved no mediator (Gn 12'-3 15. 17). It was a covenant of promise absolutely (Gal B'^-'s). This seems to be the force of St. Paul's peculiar saying, 'Now a mediator is not a mediator of one; but God is one' (Gal 3^; there were not, as in the covenant through Moses, two contracting parties; the covenant proceeded solely from God, and was unconditional). In He 6"-" this is carried further. God himself took the place of Mediator in this covenant, and, because He could swear by no higher than Himself, 'interposed (mediated) with an oath ' in ratification of His promise (cf. Gn 22i«-'8). It is different in the covenant vrith Israel at Sinai, where Moses is throughout (by God's appointment and the people's own desire. Ex ig'^-^s 20i"-2i) the mediator between God and the people (Gal S", point of contrast between law and promise). Finally, mediation is the law in the 'new' and 'better' covenant, as the passages in Hebrews declare. The reason is that this perfect and eternal covenant, pro- curing forgiveness of sins, and removing all barriers to access to God, could be formed only on the basis of a reconciling sacrifice; and this Jesus alone, the Son of God, had the qualification to offer. It is noticeable.

MEDICINE

therefore, that all the passages that speak of Jesus as 'Mediator' do it in direct connexion with His sacrificial death; 1 Ti 2* 'one mediator between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesys' connects with v.^ 'who gave himself a ransom for all'; He 9" declares: 'For this cause he is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant' (cf. Ro 3M); 12^', where to come 'to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant ' is to come ' to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better than that of Abel'; so also 8' (cf. the context, v.'). It is this fact, that Jesus has made the perfect sacrifice for sin, coupled with His unique dignity, as Son of God, which constitutes Him the Mediator sui generis.

3. Here, accordingly, is brought to consummation the last great aspect of mediation in the OT — the media-tion of a sacriflcing priesthood. Prophets also might be called mediators, as commissioned revealers of the will of God to the people; but mediation is pecuUarly connected with the functions of the priest. In earUer times the head of the family was the priest; an interesting example of patriarchal mediation is given in the Book of Job (1' for his sons; cf. 42'-» for his friends). Under the Law the people could approach God only through the Aaronic priesthood; but the mediatorial function was peculiarly vested in, and exemplified by, the high priest . To him it pertained, on the one hand, to represent the people before God (cf. the ephod and breastplate, with their precious stones graven vrith the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, Ex 39""), and to offer sacrifices for their sins (He 2" 8'; he alone had the right of entry into the Holiest of all on the great annual Day of Atone-ment, He 9'); and, on the other, to represent God to the people, in declaring His vrill by the Urim and Thummim, and blessing in His name (cf . Dt 10^ 338, pre-rogatives of the high priest). This twofold aspect of the high-priestly function, as the Epistle to the Hebrews seeks to show, is in a perfect and abiding way realized in Christ, who is thus the one true Mediator, our ' great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens' (4"). See Atonement, Propitiation, Reconciliation.

James Obr.

MEDICINE. — Palestine was probably a compara^-tively healthy country in Bible times, as it is now. Its natural features in most localities would protect it from the usual endemic diseases of Oriental lands, and its want of harbours would to a great extent prevent the importation of epidemics (contrast the reputation of Egypt, as attested by Dt 7" 28M, Am 4i»); moreover, the legislation of the Priestly Code, if it was ever observed, would have operated to prevent the spread of disease, and the existence of far-reaching destitution. These provisions, and the common occurrence of external and internal warfare, must also have tended to elim-inate overcrowding as a cause of disease; but the ratio of population to area in ancient times is very difficult to estimate; the figures in 1 Ch 21' and 2 8 4' are clearly untrustworthy.

1. Jews believed in a definite connexion between health and virtue (cf. Is 58«, Jer 8"- 22). Disease was popularly regarded as penal (Jn 9"), and as sent by God either directly (Ex 4», Dt 32") or permissively by means of others (Job 2', Mk 9"- »>). It might also be caused by human envy (Job 5^), or by bodily excess (Sir 37'<'- "), but even so its vera causa was God's direct authorization.

Under these circumstances healing was treated as a token of Divine forgiveness (Ex 15'»). And the connexion of priest vrith physician was correspondingly close. On the whole, the medical knowledge of the Bible peoples was very defective; nor are there any traces of medical education in Palestine. Jacob was em-balmed by Egyptian physicians (Gn 50'), but there must probably have been some Jewish practitioners at the time when Ex 21" was compiled. The word in

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