The Bible Study Hour

Guest (Male): Have you ever received a profound insight or revelation after prayer or meditation on God's word and wished you could preserve it in your memory forever?

Welcome to the Bible Study Hour, a radio and internet broadcast with Dr. James Boice, preparing you to think and act biblically. Perhaps you've raced for a pen and paper to write something down so you wouldn't forget it. If so, you can identify with Job's proclamation of a great life-changing truth: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that one day he shall stand upon the earth."

Stay with us now as Dr. Boice plumbs the wonderful depths of this great revelation of the coming of the Messiah, a revelation that came long before that thought or idea ever occurred in the hearts of men.

Dr. James Boice: I want to take you to a very special verse from the Old Testament. It is Job 19:25: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." I do not know if you have ever had the experience of gaining an insight or receiving a revelation so important that you've wished that it could be preserved forever. But if you have, or if you've experienced that even in a partial way, you'll immediately understand the tone in which Job was speaking as he wrote these lines.

We hear something said in a particularly vivid way and we say, "Oh, if I could just remember that." Or we have an insight and we say, "If I could just get that written down so I won't forget it." Well, this was what Job experienced just before he said this. He had suffered a great deal as we know, first by the loss of his possessions, then by the loss of his ten children, and eventually the loss of his own health. His friends came to comfort him but actually abused him, charging that his misfortunes were the result of some particularly outstanding sin in Job's life.

Job replied, and then in the midst of one reply, he gave vent to this insight. It was an insight that his story was not being told completely in this life and that a later day would vindicate him. In fact, it was an insight that there was an individual who would vindicate him, even the Lord Jesus Christ, whom Job calls my Redeemer. This individual would stand in some future day upon earth, would raise Job from death, and would enable him to see God.

Can you imagine Job's excitement as he received this revelation and gave expression to this profound hope? There were not many who shared it in Job's day, and few would understand it. So Job said that he wished that his words might be preserved. "Oh, that my words were now written," he said. "Oh, that they were printed in a book, that they were engraved with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever." Fortunately for us, Job's wish was fulfilled. Not only were his words preserved in a book, they have been preserved in the Book of Books, the Bible, and that book will be preserved forever.

"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." This revelation is for ourselves and our children. Now we need to look at this statement word by word, and the first part that we need to look at is its keyword, "Redeemer." This is a rich and particularly illuminating term. In Hebrew, the word is "Goel," and it refers to a relative who performs the office of a redeemer for his friend.

We must visualize a situation such as this. A Hebrew has lost his inheritance through debt. We would say that he's mortgaged his estate and that because of a lack of money to meet the debt, he's about to lose it or has already lost it. This happened, you'll recall, in the case of Naomi and Ruth, so that although they had once possessed land, they had become impoverished. In such a situation, it was the Goel's duty as the next of kin to buy back the inheritance, that is, to pay the mortgage and restore the land to his relative. Boaz did this in relation to Ruth.

Now, this is what Job refers to in his great expression of faith in his divine Redeemer. And it's why this passage must refer to Job's own resurrection. As Job speaks these words, he is in dire physical condition. He's lost family and health. He must have imagined that he's about to lose his life too. He will die. Worms will destroy his body. But that's not the end of the story, he says, for his body, like land, is his inheritance, and there is one who will redeem it for him.

Oh, years may go by, but at the latter day, the Redeemer will stand upon earth and will perform the office of a Goel in raising his body. He will bring Job into the presence of God. Now, I recognize that there are different ways of translating the phrase which says, "Yet in my flesh shall I see God." Some versions read almost the opposite: "Yet without my flesh." But these fail to make full sense of the passage.

What is redeemed if it's not Job's body? Not the soul or the spirit, certainly, because these are never forfeited, and not Job's physical possessions because the chapter is not even considering them. It's the body that will be redeemed. Consequently, it is in this body and with his own physical eyes that Job expects to see God.

Now, a second duty of the Goel was to redeem by power if this should be necessary, and this too throws light upon the term. Abraham performed this duty toward his nephew Lot when Lot had been captured by the four kings who made war against the king of Sodom and his allies. Abraham armed his household, pursued the four kings and their prisoners, and then attacking by night, recovered both the prisoners and spoil.

This is what the Lord Jesus Christ is to do, is it not? He will attack in power. We speak rightly of resurrection power, and he will break death's hold. Now we look forward to the redemption of our bodies in that great and final resurrection. Finally, the Goel also had a duty to avenge a death. Imagine that an Israelite has been struck by a sword and is dying. The Goel comes and learns who it is who has struck his friend and relative.

Immediately he snatches up his own sword and dashes off to avenge the murder. Well, Christ is likewise our avenger. We are dying men, but we have a Redeemer. Thus, we read of his future activities and triumph. We read, "For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

As we think about Job's words in slightly greater detail, however, we discover next that he took confidence not only in the fact that he had a Redeemer but that he had a living Redeemer. This is important because it's obvious that the Redeemer must be living to perform his function. If Job had merely been able to say that he had a Redeemer, that would be wonderful enough. If he could further say that the Redeemer of whom he speaks is Christ, that would be even more wonderful. To have known such a one, to have been related to him, to have been able to look back to what he had once done, all this would be both pleasant and comforting.

But, and this is the point, so far as the present need was concerned, it would be inadequate. He could have said, "I had a Redeemer and I value that," but Job would have undoubtedly added, "Oh, and I wish I had him now." You see, a Redeemer must be living if he is to buy back the estate, recover the prisoners, and defeat the enemy. But Job does not say that he had a Redeemer. He says that he has a Redeemer and that he is a living Redeemer.

In the same way, we too have a living Redeemer, the same Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ. This is the thrust of our testimony on Easter Sunday, and indeed on every other Lord's day also. We testify that Jesus rose from the dead and that he ever lives to help all who call upon him. The evidences for this fact are overwhelming. There is the evidence of the narratives themselves. These are quite evidently four separate and independent accounts.

For if they were not, there would not be so many apparent discrepancies: the time at which the women went to the tomb, for instance, the number of the angels, and so on. But at the same time, it's also obvious that there's a deep harmony between these accounts, and not a superficial harmony either, but rather a detailed harmony that's increasingly evident as the accounts are analyzed. In fact, the situation is precisely what we should expect if the accounts are four independent records of those who were eyewitnesses.

One writer summarizes the evidence like this: It's plain that these accounts must be either a record of facts that actually occurred or else fictions. If fictions, they must have been fabricated in one of two ways: either independently of one another or in collusion with one another. They cannot have been made up independently; the agreements are too marked and too many. And they cannot have been made up in collusion; the apparent discrepancies are too numerous and too noticeable. Not made up independently, not made up in collusion, therefore it's evident that they were not made up at all. They are a true relation of facts as they actually occurred. So says Reuben Torrey in a small book entitled *The Bible and its Christ*.

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is also proved by the transformed lives of the disciples. Before the resurrection, two negative things may be said about them, and this by their own confession. First, they had failed to understand Jesus' teachings about both the crucifixion and resurrection. And second, they were cowardly. Peter had said that he would defend Jesus to the death and that he would never deny him. But on the night of the arrest, he did deny him and he abandoned him, as did the other disciples.

On the day of the resurrection, but before Jesus had appeared to them in the upper room, we find the disciples hiding for fear of the Jews. Some, like the two Emmaus disciples, were scattering to their homes. This is the picture that we have. But then, only 50 days later, we find them standing up boldly in Jerusalem to denounce the execution of Jesus and to call for faith in him. Moreover, when they were later arrested, as many of them were, we do not find them cowering in fear of the future, but rather giving full testimony to Christian faith and doctrine.

What made the difference? What made cowards bold, a scattering body of individuals a cohesive force, a disillusioned following evangelists? Only one thing accounts for it: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Well, there are many evidences, but I cannot help but mention a third: the change in the day of worship. Before the resurrection, the followers of Christ, who were Jews, worshipped as did all Jews on Saturday. The need to do this would not even have been questioned. It had been practiced for centuries.

Yet from this time on, we find the newly formed body of Christians meeting not on Saturday but on the first day of the week, on Sunday. Why the change? Well, clearly because of the resurrection. Jesus arose. He lives. Consequently, he is for us, as for Job, a living Redeemer.

There's a third point to Job's statement. Not only does Job declare that he has a Redeemer, and not only does he affirm that he's a living Redeemer, he adds quite properly that he is his Redeemer. "My" is the word he uses. "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Do you know that "my" in relation to Jesus Christ? It's a reminder of the need for a personal religion.

Moreover, this is what we desire, isn't it? We're persons, and we desire personal relationships. We are made in God's image as persons, and so we desire a personal relationship with God. In my church in Philadelphia, there are many young people, and I notice that the young people often have a great deal of appreciation for one another. There are young girls, for instance, who greatly appreciate certain young men. And there are young men who greatly appreciate certain young women, even though they sometimes fail to say so.

Well, this situation is a wonderful thing. I am glad that virtue and good looks are noticed. But I have noticed that in addition to that, there are also many young women who would like to be able to say not only, "Look at that fellow, how handsome he is," but also, "Look at my fellow." And some of the young men would like to say, "Look at my girl." Well, admiration is good, but a personal involvement is better.

In the same way, this is our privilege in our relationship to Christ. It's good to admire him. He's the risen Lord of glory, after all, and it would be foolish not to. But how much better to know him personally, as Job did. Jesus came to earth to die for sin and to rise again. But can you say, "My God came as my Redeemer to die for my sin and to rise again for my justification"? Can you say that? You give no real evidence of being a Christian until you can.

So can you? If not, you can say it now. Commit yourself to him. Don't delay. You can say, "I'll do it next year," but don't say that. I can give you no guarantee that you will be here next year, and as a matter of fact, I can guarantee that some who hear these words will not be here next year. So do not delay. Tomorrow may be too late. The Bible says, "Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." I wish that everyone who hears these words might be able to repeat Job's testimony.

Moreover, I would like you also to possess Job's assurance. This is the fourth point. You see, not only does Job refer to his Redeemer and declare that he's both a living and a personal Redeemer, he also says that he knows these things. "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." You should possess such assurance if you are a Christian.

I do not know why some people think that it's somehow meritorious to express doubt in matters of religion. We know people like this. They think that it's somehow vain or impolite to be certain and that it's humble and therefore desirable to say, "I don't know. I hope so. I would like to believe. I think that maybe God will help us." Ah, nothing, nothing could be further from the truth of Christianity. The truly humble man is the man who bows before God's revelation and accepts it because of who God is. It's the proud man who thinks that he knows enough about anything to doubt God.

Besides, God says that to doubt him is the equivalent of calling him a liar because it's as much as to say that his word is not trustworthy. Jesus lives, and stand upon it. Believe it. Declare it. Act upon it. Say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer lives," and that certain important consequences flow from it. And what are the consequences? Well, we've already alluded to some of them.

The most obvious is that we who believe in Jesus Christ will also live again. Job refers to it by adding, "And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Because our Redeemer lives, we shall live. His resurrection is the pledge of our own. And too, we shall see God. This is the second consequence. We shall live again, and in that living form, we shall see God. "I shall see God." What a wonderful thought, and how much more wonderful than anything else that might be said.

Notice that Job does not say, "I shall see heaven." That was true enough, but it was relatively unimportant when viewed against the fact that he would see God. Spurgeon noticed this fact and wrote, "He does not say, 'I shall see the pearly gates. I shall see the walls of jasper. I shall see the crowns of gold and the harps of harmony,' but 'I shall see God,' as if that were the sum and substance of heaven."

Nor does he say, "I shall see the holy angels." That would have been a magnificent sight, at least it seems so to us as we look through the eyes of John the Evangelist who wrote the Book of Revelation. I find few scenes more thrilling than John's description of heaven and the angels, but this too pales beside the gaze of the soul on God. Notice finally that Job did not even say, "I shall see those of this world who have gone to heaven before me," even though this would be a great joy and his departed children would be among them.

Job would see all these things: the pearly gates, heaven, the holy angels, his children, but over and above and infinitely more glorious than any of these, he would see God. Do not think that this is a narrow vista, wonderful but small, like looking at one of those old-fashioned pastoral scenes within a candy Easter egg. God is infinite, and in him all things are centered. So to see him is to experience perfect contentment of the soul and to be satisfied in all one's faculties.

Well, I trust that this and the other truths we have considered are real for you, or that they will become real this Easter time. Can you remember them? One, there is a Redeemer. Two, he is a living Redeemer. Three, he can become your Redeemer. Four, you can know that he is your Redeemer. And five, you can look forward with confidence and delight to those consequences which follow from these facts: you shall live again and you shall see God.

Our conclusion is this: If Job, who lived at the dawn of recorded history, centuries before the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, if Job, I repeat, knew these things, how much more should we know them? We who know of Christ's resurrection and have witnessed his power in our lives. Job lived in a dark and misty time before the dawning of the Lord Jesus Christ, that Sun of Righteousness who has since risen with healing in his wings. Job lived in an age before Jesus had brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. If he had failed to understand about the resurrection and had failed to believe in it, who could blame him? Nobody.

And yet he believed. Well, how much more then should we? Do you believe it? Can you say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God"? If so, then live in that assurance. Do not fear death. During the next 12 months, death will certainly come for some of us, but there will also be a resurrection.

Beside, Jesus is also coming, and if that should happen soon, well, then he will receive us all. May I add one more thought? We believe these things, yes. But let's not only believe them. Let us pass them on so that others may share in this great resurrection faith also. What was Job's desire after all? It was that his words might be preserved and that his faith in the resurrection might be saved for coming generations. Job wanted his testimony to be engraved in lead and chiseled in stone.

Now, I don't know whether his wish was fulfilled in a literal sense, except in the fact that his words have been cut into many millions of gravestones. But I do know this: figuratively, the faith of Job has been cut into many millions of hearts, so that those who have believed as he believed have become so many millions of living memorials, living stones in which the resurrection hope is made manifest. The resurrection hope has come down to us through many centuries of church history. Let us pass it on to our children and to our children's children, until the living Lord Jesus Christ returns in his glory. Jesus Christ lives. He lives. Then let us tell others and let us shout with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

And now, our Father, we thank you for this great resurrection hope, established beyond doubt in the resurrection of our Lord. If there are any listening who do not know him as Savior and as the risen Lord, grant that they might have no peace until they rest in him, for he's the source of all peace. And upon all of your own who do believe, may there be a new sense of the wonder of this hope, the glory of it, and a desire to tell others what we already know. For we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

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