Pastor’s Thoughts – 10-05-2025

The book of Job is considered by scholars as the oldest book in the Bible. It was written just before the time of Abraham, following the Tower of Babel, or around 2000 BC. It is a book declaring God’s mysterious testing of our faith. Job was a real person who was purposely struck with immeasurable trials. During his difficulties, his three friends came to console Job. However, they added to Job’s miseries as they wrongfully accused him of harboring sin and claimed that was the reason God had removed his blessings. Job sought to vindicate himself and amid his answers to his three friends he, under inspiration, makes this amazing statement, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I will see God, whom I, on my part, shall behold for myself, and my eyes will see, and not another. My heart faints within me” (Job 19:25-27). Job stated this as a response against his accusers, and as a vindication that he had a right relationship with the true and living God.

The phrase, “I know” expresses his utmost confidence in what he knew God had promised. In the prior verse (Job 19:24) Job spoke of having his words engraved in rock. He was declaring his unwavering confidence in God and what he knew to be true, and that what he was about to declare was worthy of remembering for all time. What does he tell us in these few words that reveals the depth of theology for salvation and future events? First, consider that this was written more than two thousand years before the New Testament writers, yet his doctrine and understanding is in perfect harmony with the apostles John, Paul, Peter, and Christ Himself. These men and others wrote of this same resurrection event.

Consider what Job says by inspiration even though pressed beyond measure by trials. First, he states, “My Redeemer lives.” It appeared God had forgotten him, but Job was confident that was not so. Despite Job’s immediate circumstances this statement includes a sense of peace that God is on His throne. Secondly, Job goes further, “And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.” A careful study of Job’s language in conjunction with the next verse (V. 26) points to a visible manifestation of a Divine, yet human Redeemer, even though written long before the unfolding of the incarnation. He further states this will occur, “on the earth;” which when taken literally from the Hebrew language means upon the dust. This is not referring to heaven, but to the Redeemer (Christ) coming to the earth for a future resurrection. This points to our Lord’s literal coming and ultimately the establishment of His promised kingdom. Third, Job declares when this will take place. He says, “At the last.” This is a reference to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, again at His second coming to the earth to judge and establish His kingdom. Then Job goes further and says, “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:26). This is one of the clearest descriptions of bodily resurrection in all of Scripture. If Job believed this emphatically while undergoing the most stressful of circumstances, and before any of the other books of the Bible were written, what does this tell us? Knowledge of God and key promises later to be found in Scripture had been passed down from Adam and Eve, Enoch, and others. God has always had His message and those who believed in Him from the beginning.

Then Job says in conjunction with his resurrection; “Whom I myself will behold, and from my eyes will I see and not another” (Job 19:27). He makes it clear that he is not addressing his offspring as those intended in seeing a future Redeemer, or that this is some kind of spiritualized dreamy condition, but that he will be seeing his Redeemer with his own eyes and will be restored and glorified by God. Put another way, those in every age who are in right relation to God, with the same kind of faith as Job, will be restored to a glorious bodily existence on the earth, and physically see with their own renewed eyes the Redeemer of their soul. Not only do we now look back on the first coming of the Lord, spoken of by Job as our Redeemer, but we have more than 4,000 years of additional history and God’s perfect revelation, the Bible. From this we should stand in awe at the accuracy of this statement of Job as it is in perfect harmony with verses written two thousand years later.

This reminds us of the divine origin of God’s perfect Word and how we can rely upon it. If Job could make such a statement in his misery to his troublesome friends, how much more should we today be steadfast in our confidence in what God has promised. The inspired statement by Job meant to him exactly what it means for Christians today. It is a statement of the certainty of the outcome of our salvation. Job’s last statement in verse 27 is, “My heart faints within me”. He wasn’t making these bold claims of redemption based on his own strength. To the contrary, this last phrase shows the desperation of his physical being. This means to us that no matter what our circumstances are in the immediate, it is well with our soul. Our future in Christ Jesus is real, and we will see Him in glorified eyes. Hallelujah! Look to God and His promises and He will provide the peace we need in our immediate circumstances.