Job 19

Job sat in misery…misery of body and soul. We can’t fathom the emotional pain of losing ten children and all his wealth. We can’t comprehend the physical and emotional suffering—ulcerous sores (2:7), persistent itching (2:8), loss of appetite (3:24), continual pain (30:27), fear, depression, and anxiety (3:25-26; 30:30). That’s just a partial list of his symptoms, but I’ll stop there. Yet, we will see today that Job has “a magnificent burst of faith.”[1]

At this point in our story, three friends persistently suggest to Job that his situation is self-induced; he has sinned against God and must repent. Job’s responses to his friends revolve around five themes: disappointment with their advice, disappointment with God, praising God, wishing for death to free him from his pain, and ultimately, seeking a court date with God. His emotions fluctuate from distress to praise to anguish. Such emotional ups and downs are common when we face difficult times. John Henry Jowett was once called “the greatest preacher in the English-speaking world.” He wrote to a friend: “I wish you wouldn’t think I am such a saint. You seem to imagine that I have no ups and downs, but just a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy…. By no means! I am often perfectly wretched, and everything appears most murky.”[2]

No believer maintains “a level and lofty stretch of spiritual attainment with unbroken joy.” But in chapter 19, as Job desires a court day with God, we’ll focus on his “magnificent burst of faith.”

Job held so tightly to his integrity that he desires a written record of his innocence. He said,

Job 19:23-24
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! ²⁴ Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

Job desired that his words be recorded on parchment and preserved in book form. Or better yet, his testimony should be carved in stone, with hot lead poured into the letters. This would ensure his story is “engraved in the rock forever.” Job didn’t realize it, but God answered his prayer! His story has been read and studied throughout history, and Job has served as a master teacher for all who love and follow God.

Following his wish for a permanent record, Job proclaims this “magnificent burst of faith”:

Job 19:25-27
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. ²⁶ And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, ²⁷ whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Let’s spend some time understanding the richness of this proclamation.

The word translated as “Redeemer” is the Hebrew term goel. This term describes a person who advocates for another’s cause. In the Old Testament, when an individual could not pay a debt or defend themselves, they would call on a close relative for payment, legal assistance, or protection on their behalf. This relative was known as their “kinsman-redeemer.”[3] Job used this word to refer to God, knowing that while he would die, his Redeemer (Defender, Protector, Vindicator) would continue to live. Job believed that God would one day stand on the earth, like a witness at a court trial, to proclaim Job’s innocence. In this way, “all would not only read of his uprightness (Job 19:23-24) but also all would hear of it—from God Himself!”^[4]

Job recognized that his body was wasting away. His skin was literally decaying (2:7; 30:30), yet he knew he would transition from death to life. In one of the earliest books of the Bible, we read about the resurrection! Job believed he would see God in a resurrected body and was so confident in this truth that he reiterated it: “Yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” This knowledge emotionally drained him, causing his heart to faint within him.

I will wrap up with two points:

First, our kinsman-redeemer, is Jesus. He took on flesh so he might be tempted as we are, yet he never sinned (Heb. 4:14-16). Jesus provided the ultimate payment for the debt we could not pay. He died for our sins on the cross and rose again, defeating death once and for all. He is our Defender, Protector, and Vindicator. When we appear before God, the righteous Judge, he declares us “Not guilty!” based on our trust in the completed work of our Redeemer. And because of Jesus, we will pass from death to life.  We will see our Lord and he will welcome us home.

Second, Job reminded his friends that they would stand before God as well (19:28-29). Did they have the same confidence that their Redeemer lived, and they would see him? Do you have that confidence today? Have you trusted in Jesus as your Redeemer—the One who paid the penalty for your sin and provides you the freedom to live forever?

There’s an old story about Albert Einstein taking a train to a big city. When the conductor came to collect tickets, Einstein searched through all his pockets but couldn’t find his. The conductor recognized Einstein and said, “Oh, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry. I know who you are. I trust you. You don’t need to show me your ticket.” A few minutes later, the conductor returned and saw Einstein on his hands and knees, peering under the seat for his ticket. The conductor assured him that there was no problem and no need to find it. At that point, Einstein looked up and said, “Young man, this isn’t a matter of trust, but direction. I am searching for my ticket because I don’t know where I’m going.”[5]

Only by accepting the Redeemer can you know your destination. Are you assured that you have trusted Jesus as the only way to a relationship with the living God? Is he the One guiding your life?

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Job 19. Consider Job’s confidence in his Redeemer. Do you have that confidence? Are you worshiping the One who paid the way for you?

Talking to God
Thank God for sending Jesus to do for you what you could never do for yourself.

Have Questions?
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[1] W.B. MacLeod, The Afflictions of the Righteous (London: Hodder & Stoughton, n.d.), 173.

[2] Arthur Porrit, John Henry Jowett (Hodder & Stoughton, 1927), 290.

[3] See Lev. 25:23–25, 47–55; Num. 35:19–27; Prov. 23:10–11; Jer. 50:34; et. al.

^[4] Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 741.

[5] Charles Swindoll, Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance (Thomas Nelson, 2004), 161.