Job 19:23 – 25
“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”
Four friends were talking about death. One of them asked the other three, "When you are in your casket and people are mourning you, what would you like to hear them say about you?" The first man said, "I’d like to hear them say that I was a fine physician in my time and a great family man." The second fellow said, "I’d like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and a teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow." The third man replied, "I’d like to hear them say, ’Look, he’s moving!’"
Christ wants to give hope for those who feel like giving up. The Easter message has been custom-tailored for the wearied heart and the searching soul. Jesus is Alive! And it is that fact alone that gives us strength and hope to press on. We have the proof that He is alive.
The evidence of the four gospels which tell of the resurrection.
The evidence of the empty tomb.
The evidence of the grave clothes that were left.
The evidence of the changed lives of the disciples.
The evidence of the change of the Christian day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
And most of all, because of the evidence that He lives in us!
Have you ever noticed that beginning with the resurrection, every event recorded that had important religious significance fell on the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day? For example:
Jesus arose from the dead.
Jesus ascended into heaven for the first time.
Jesus appeared to the disciples for the first time while they were in the Upper Room and bestowed peace on them.
Jesus first broke bread with His disciples.
Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples so that they might know the Scriptures.
Jesus commissioned the disciples to the task of world evangelism.
Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples so that they might know the Scriptures.
Jesus commissioned the disciples to the task of world evangelism.
Jesus first broke bread with His disciples.
Jesus breathed on the disciples, imparting the Holy Spirit to them.
The Holy Spirit descended from heaven at Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit directed Paul to gather the believers together and preach to them.
The first day of the week was established for believers to set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income.
Jesus appeared to John on the isle of Patmos.
“Firsts” are very important to God. We’ve heard it said so many times that we must put God first in our lives and we should. But I want you to see just how God modeled this principle for each of us. If you go back to the hours leading up to Christ’s resurrection, you will find Him in the Garden praying. It was there that we see just how much of a priority that you and I were in His heart. If it had been “Christ first”, He would have relieved Himself of all the pain and anguish of the trial and the beating. But in the Garden, He prayed “... not my will, but thine be done...” He thought of you and me first.
Hundreds of years before Christ arose for the dead; a man by the name of Job understood this truth. He was given a revelation and insight into something so great, that he wished it could be preserved forever. Job had suffered and literally lost it all. He lost all ten of his children, his friends abused him by charging that all of his misfortune was a result of some disobedience in his life, he lost all of his possessions and he lost the faith and confidence that he once had in his own wife. But in the midst of his pain, God gave him a revelation. Job perceived that his story was not being told completely in this life and that a later day would vindicate him. In fact, he perceived that there was an individual who would vindicate him, whom Job calls “my Redeemer”. This individual would stand on the earth in some future day, would raise Job from death and would enable him to see God. Job’s wish was fulfilled. Not only were his words preserved in a book, but they have been preserved in the Book of Books, the Bible.
The Hebrew word for “redeemer” refers to a relative who performs the office of a redeemer for his kin. Visualize a situation in which a Hebrew lost their inheritance through debt. Because of a lack of money to meet the debt, the possession is about to be lost. This is what happened in the story of Naomi and Ruth. They had a “goel or redeemer” named Boaz who came and saved the day for Ruth. Job had lost it all and as he spoke these words, he was in dire physical condition. But he said that there will come one who will redeem him. Years may go by, but the time when come when my redeemer shows up. A second duty of the goel was to redeem by power if necessary. Abraham did this for Lot when he was captured by the four kings. Finally, a goel had a duty to avenge a death. Imagine an Israelite that has been attacked and dying. The goel learns who has struck his relative and takes off to avenge the murder. We have hope today because Christ is our avenger. We are dying people, but we have a Redeemer.
If Job had been able to say merely that he had a redeemer, that would have been wonderful. But a redeemer had to be living in order to buy back the estate, recover the prisoners and defeat the enemy. Job does not say that he had a redeemer ... he says that he has a redeemer and that he is a living redeemer. We too have a living Redeemer whose name is Jesus. This is the hope that we have today. It is the thrust of our testimony on Easter Sunday and indeed on every other day of the week.
Not only does Job affirm that he has a redeemer, but he goes on to say that he has a personal redeemer. He says that He is his Redeemer. He says, “I know that My redeemer liveth ...” This is what we desire, is it not? We are human and we desire personal relationships.
Not only does Job refer to his redeemer; and not only does he say that he is a personal and living redeemer; but he goes on to state his confidence in these things: “I know that my Redeemer lives...” Do you know this? I’m not asking if you know about this. I’m not asking if you know some of the facts concerning this. What I want to know is whether or not you possess the assurance today that you are a Christian.
I’ve heard some answer “I don’t know” or “I hope so” or “I would like to believe” or “I think”. But nothing could be faultier. The truth is, Jesus lives! Believe it! Declare it! Act upon it! Say with Job “I know my Redeemer lives” and realize the benefits of believing it.