Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Apostle Tom <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:40:53 -0500
To: <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Subject: Morning Manna (June 17); BP: Job 19; RBTTY: Acts 3; Neh. 7-9
June 17 “The Shout of Victory”
“For I know that My Redeemer lives 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—Whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.”
Job 19:25-27
When we know this, there’ll always be a song and a shout even in the midst of suffering.
Faith.
It’s been called “the sure and steadfast Anchor of the Soul” that has two, unbreakable “chains” and three “hooks” (Heb. 6:17-20). But, its strength in not rooted in “something”—i.e., theological truths; it’s rooted in Someone: The Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!!
Job and his friends knew nothing of “a place prepared” (Jn. 14:1-3) and “streets of gold” (Rev. 21:21). They only knew that when you left this life you went to a place of shadows—a place called Sheol, where both good and evil persons dwelt in some type of almost meaningless existence.
It certainly wasn’t a place to look forward to; but, at least, there you could at least be at rest (Job 3:13). But, before getting there, you had to face Death, the “king of terrors” (18:14; I Cor. 15:26), who’d snatch you away, causing your “remembrance to perish from the earth as others soon forget all about you” (18:17).
Thus, it’s interesting in the midst of his suffering and his “friends’” accusations. . . when Job felt like God was out to get him (19:6-13). . .his “family and friends had forgotten him” (vv.14-19). . .and he cried for pity from his friends (v.21). . .that he still uttered today’s Manna with calm assurance.
Here, in the oldest book in the Bible—thousands of years before Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection—Job declared, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And, even though the worms shall devour my flesh in the grave, later on I’m going to see Him face-to-Face.” Glory!!
For Job, a “Redeemer” (Heb. “ga-al”) was one who freed one from difficulty, danger or bondage, usually by the payment of a ransom price. He could buy back property (and even enslaved people) sold under duress (Lev. 25:23-32). Likewise, he could also redeem property and firstborn livestock (Lev. 27:1-33; Ex. 21:28-30), in addition to serving as an “avenger of blood” by taking the life of one who’d murdered his relative (Num. 35:12-28). Boaz was a type of “kinsman-redeemer” for Ruth (Ruth 3:13-4:10).
But, none of these could compare to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer from “the curse of the Law, sin, death and the grave” (Gal. 3:10-13; Rom. 6:23; I Cor. 15:12-28, 35-58)! One of these days this One with nail-scars in His Hands will come back for those who’ve trusted in Him. What a glorious day that will be!!
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