But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. Job 19:25
Job didn’t know at this point in his life why he was suffering. He felt that to the best of his ability he had lived his life pleasing to God.
In fact, God said in the first chapter that Job was blameless and a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.
Well, a meeting took place in heaven. It says, members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan, came with them and the Lord asked him where he came from?
His response was that he had been patrolling the earth, checking out everything that’s going on. God asked him if he had taken notice to His servant Job?
“Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. And he fears God and stays away from evil.” Job 1:8
Satan reacted by accusing God of giving Job special treatment.
- Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God.
- You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property.
- You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
- But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” Job 1:9-11
God Gave Satan A Green Light With Job
God told Satan he could do anything to Job except harm him. So Satan didn’t waste any time, he went straight to work. It wasn’t long until 4 different messengers reported to Job.
- The Sabeans raided and stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands. Job 1:15
- The fire of God has fell from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. Job 1:16
- Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. Job 1:17
- His sons and daughters were feasting. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all his children died. Job 1:18-19
Even after all the misfortune Job suffered, God still considered him the finest man in all the earth. Again He called him blameless and a man of complete integrity.
Satan indicated that taking away his stuff was no big deal. He said, take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
“All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. Job 2:6-7
So right up toward the end of the book Job lived with boils, sores, and in extreme pain. Of course, he didn’t understand why, he believed he suffered under the hand of God.
Job Continued to Declare, “I Know My Redeemer Lives “
Even with everything Job experienced and suffered. His wife even told him to curse God and die. But through it all he still held on to his declaration of, “I know my Redeemer lives.”
The visit of his 3 friends certainly didn’t help matters either. They accused him of offending God. Job, however, wanted to plead his case to God. Maybe a mediator could bring them together.
If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. Job 9:33
Isn’t that something, Job referred to a mediator some1600 years before the birth of Christ. He understood that sinful humans could not stand before a holy God.
Little did he know as sure as God lives, He would supply a mediator who first became our Redeemer. Job wasn’t the only one in the Old Testament who talked about a Redeemer.
The Prophet Isaiah referred to the Redeemer who lives for His chosen ones a number of times. I’m sure he would have loved to have known who he was writing about.
Isaiah Made Reference to the Redeemer
For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. Isaiah 41:13-14
He also mentioned that kings would stand before Him. And princes would humbly bow their lives to the Redeemer.
The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: “Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” Isaiah 49:7
The New Testament doesn’t use the word Redeemer but it does tell us how He affects our lives.
For God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:4,7-8
Jesus our Redeemer Lives
Yes Jesus our Redeemer lives! And because the Redeemer lives in us we are marked as the children of God.
The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:14
Job of old had no idea who his Redeemer was. But it didn’t stop him from declaring “ I know my Redeemer lives.”
Lord, sometimes we don’t know why we go through the things that happen to us. But no matter how bad things get, help us to always be able to say these words. “I know my Redeemer lives.”
To receive each new devotional post delivered to your inbox, subscribe below by giving us your first name and email address.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about prayer.
