Do You Know That Your Redeemer Lives? Resurrection Hope for a Suffering Sin-Cursed World.

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

These verses are from one of the oldest accounts in the Bible, the Book of Job.  Job was a righteous man who lived not long after the flood.  We learn in this account that Job was suffering great physical and emotional pain while he was in the process of trying to live for the Lord (See Job 1 for why suffering came).  What caused his pain? His pain came from loosing almost his entire family, loosing his wealth, and loosing his health.

In this pitiful, painful state of suffering, Job makes the statement of faith that is copied for you in the above verses.  His statement gives hope to all, including you, who are suffering today.  Job lets us know that suffering for the one who trusts in his Redeemer is only temporary. Lets us break down his statement and examine how Job, although he was suffering greatly, was able to have this certain hope of deliverance.

1. Job knew he had a Redeemer who was living.
• Job had a certain faith--he knew he had a Redeemer!   
• The word used for "know" here refers to certain, experiential knowledge.  
• Job was certain that whatever happened to him, even in death, he has a Redeemer.
• In the Old Testament, the word "Redeemer" refers to a kinsman-redeemer, one who will avenge or take up his cause on his behalf.  The Scriptures speak of God being that very Redeemer for those who trust in Him (Isaiah 41:14).  God will always take up the cause of His people when His people are living according to His Word.
• I believe Job, through faith, is looking at the Lord Himself as being his Redeemer.  We know from later Scriptures that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who was born in the manger, paid the ultimate redemption price and fulfilled forever the role of being the Redeemer of all who place their faith in Him (Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5; Titus 2:14).  
• Job then, and all believers in Christ today, can rest for certain knowing that the Lord God who created everything, will always do what is best and good for His people (Romans 8:28).  The Lord is the Redeemer, the only One who will come to aid and save His people.
• Job knew his Redeemer was alive.  
• He wasn't stating he had a hope in some dead memory of someone that would help him, or in some great ideology that would rescue him. 
• Job's faith was in the person of the Lord who always has existed in eternity past, and will always live forever (Hebrews 13:8)!
2. Job knew he would one day see his Redeemer
• Job states that after death, in his own flesh, he would see God with his very own eyes! 
• How can Job have such certainty that he will see his Redeemer?  Job's certain hope lies in the ultimate reality of the historical event of Christ's resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 1-28).  Since Christ overcame the grave, sin, and suffering, so all who in Him also will overcome and live forever (John 3:16; John 11: 25-26).  Although Job may of not know all the details of how he would see God after death in his own resurrected body, yet his faith rested in what he knew at that time that God would send one born of a woman who crush the Serpent fatally (Genesis 3:15).  His faith rested in the knowledge that there was a certain hope of resurrection of life for the righteous man who trusted in God.

The main thing I learn from Job here is that no matter what suffering may be going on to me in this sin cursed world, I know my Lord will take care of me.  I know that since my faith rests in the Righteous Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who is alive, I too have a certain hope of eternal life (John 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  What about you?  Do you know that your Redeemer lives today?  Do you like Job understand that although death is certain for you, you too can in your own flesh see God?  Salvation from sin and judgement, and eternal life forever all hinges on the reality of what took place that Good Friday where Christ died for our sins and then resurrected that Easter Morning (John 6:40; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  No matter what you are going through right now in life, you too can have a certain hope--a hope that never will perish--because your Redeemer lives forever.  If you have not placed your hope for heaven and eternal life in Christ yet, do so today before you perish in your sins.  I close with the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

Rev. Steve
Psalm 119:89