THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOB
"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” Job 19:25-27 NLT
I want to start today’s message by asking your indulgence in my use of the word “gospel” in expounding upon Job’s great declaration that is today’s text. I use the term in its broader form meaning “good news”. The book of Job is believed by many to be the oldest book in the Bible. We can safely conclude that if it is not the oldest book in the Bible it is probably the sixth oldest, following the Pentateuch. To take a text from such an ancient book that clearly declares our Lord’s great redeeming power is both awesome and overwhelming.
Job’s trying experiences only served to deepen his faith in God. He was able to say: “I know my Redeemer lives!” The Hebrew text has been translated “Redeemer and Vindicator” (Amplified Version). I believe you will see that the points in the sermon both justify the title and, most certainly, constituted “good news” to those who heard Job declare such a great message of faith and hope so many years ago. I am not asserting that all the “good news” of Job’s declaration is extrapolated in the following points, but I will assert that the following points most certainly are.
I. JOB EXPRESSED BELIEF IN THE NEED OF REDEMPTION
Job called God his Redeemer. This tells us that Job was aware of his own sin and sin’s penalty that required redemption. That Job was an upright person is declared in the very first verse of the book. “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” Job 1:1 NIV) It is clear that Job did not rely on his high moral character to make him righteous in the sight of God but looked to God as his Redeemer. One does not claim God as his Redeemer unless he feels the need of redemption. As it is true of us, so it was with Job, that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Redemption from sin’s penalty is found in Calvary’s crimson flow. Paul tells us that “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7
The Amplified Bible reads: “Redeemer and Vindicator”. As our Vindicator, Christ delivers, avenges, exonerates, absolves (sets free), justifies and defends.
II. JOB EXPRESSED HIS BELIEF IN THE LORD’S SECOND COMING
This is not to say that Job fully understood our Lord’s first coming would be as "The Suffering Servant" and that, at a later time, He would return to earth to establish His kingdom. But what he did understand and declared was that our Lord would stand triumphantly upon the earth in the last time.
Job’s declaration “and that He will stand upon the earth at last (or “in the last time”) is more descriptive of our Lord’s triumphant return than to His incarnation. Our Lord’s first coming is best described in Isaiah’s prophecies of the Suffering Servant whereas John describes our Lord’s second coming as the conquering King of kings, writing, “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” Revelation 1:7 (NASB)
III. JOB EXPRESSED HIS BELIEF IN THE BODILY RESURRECTION AND THAT HE WOULD SEE GOD
“And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God.” Job proclaims this with absolute assurance. He said, “I will see God.” Paul confidently declared this truth when he wrote, “It is the same way for the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die.” 1 Corinthians 15:42 NLT
Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT
John expressed this wonderful truth, writing, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I John 3:2
CONCLUSION
If our faith is firmly anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning blood we can be just as confident and certain as was Job that when our Lord returns for His own, we will see Him as He is.
AMEN!
