I Know that my Redeemer Lives

Scripture is so amazing that even a verse or part of a verse can contain such meaning. Every once in a while a passage will really just come alive for me. It is not often, but it is just an amazing thing. Recently this happened with me on just part of a verse; and while it is a famous verse, one that I have blogged about before there was more. In Job 19:25a we are told;

“I know that my Redeemer lives”.

Just six words but what can we take from them; what came alive for me? I have a friend who gave me some great advice that when studying scripture it will sometimes help to break the structure of the verse down. So it helped me to break this verse into two parts; I know that; and My Redeemer lives. I see so much in each of those segments.

First, I think we can learn a little about faith. Notice with all Job is going through, all that he has lost he says I know that…he doesn’t say I hope that or I suppose that or I think that; he states emphatically, I know that! Can you see the great faith Job shows; great faith even though just five verses earlier he tells us he has lost everything but the skin on his teeth. It’s truly a faith that seems to surpass understanding, a faith we can read about in Hebrews 11 with the heroes of faith. It is a faith we can see in Genesis 22 with Abraham; a faith that no matter the trial or circumstance knowing the lord will provide.

That reminds me of a story of a man and his son that live in an old farm house. One night the house catches fire and the father manages to get everyone out except for his son. The father stands staring at the inferno when suddenly from the highest window in the house he sees his son crying for help. There is smoke everywhere and the father yells for his son to jump and I will catch you; but the son replies I can’t because I can’t see you. The father replies; Son I love you and it doesn’t matter that you can’t see me, what matters is that I see you. By faith (not blind faith, but trusting faith) the boy jumps and the father catches him.

So what I take from this is that faith enables us to face life, its circumstances and tragedies not because we see all or know all the answers, but because we are seen and we are known. We can have faith in all circumstances.

The second part of the verse; my Redeemer lives, is equally amazing to me. I notice first the word my – how personal is that and it’s followed by Redeemer lives. So to me each of us has a personal living redeemer; one that pays our debt that we are unable to pay, one that sets us free, one that recovers us, one that delivers us from penalty, one that atones and restores; one that buys us back; a personal and living Lord and Savior.

So bringing it all together; by faith we can enter into a personal relationship with our personal redeemer and it would seem to me that prayer would enable that relationship, prayer would enhance that relationship, and prayer would build that relationship.

I once heard of some missionaries that reported that some recent tribal converts just became so devoted to prayer. In fact each of these recent converts had a spot in the jungle where they would spend time praying their hearts out to God. Over time there became some well worn paths to these prayer spots. As a result if someone started neglecting prayer the others would say; brother, the grass grows on your path!

So may the grass never grow on our path which brings us back to Job 19:25a; “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Charles Spurgeon said of this verse, “A living redeemer truly mine is joy unspeakable!”

Grace and Peace!