My Redeemer Lives

My Friday morning men’s group is continuing to study Heaven. Randy Alcorn has written a tremendous book on the subject; thought provoking, scripture based and instructive. We are making great progress. Just last Friday, we were looking at continuity in Heaven; the thought that on the new earth there will be continuity not just spiritually, but also in some amazing way physically.

Alcorn uses Job 19:26-27 to illustrate, but those that know me know I must go a little further so I started at verse 25 and was amazed.

25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

I do see the continuity, but look at the prophesy. I do see that in the end Christ Himself will stand on the earth and even after death we will see God in our own flesh, but this passage has caused me pause. There is some debate as to when Job was written, but most agree it was at least 500 years before Christ. As such I was simply amazed. Through all Job’s trials and suffering in life, he still lived with this expectant hope of a Redeemer; a Redeemer that lives and that he yearns for. I just can’t get this out of my mind.

It brought to mind another verse. In Psalm 119:71 we see;

71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

Maybe that explains a lot. Pastor Scotty Smith wrote about this verse saying; “Most grace-full Father, only a deep conviction about your love for him could have moved King David to praise you for the gift of affliction and pain. The same is just as true in my own life.” He concludes in a very uplifting way; “Lord Jesus, because you took all the afflictions I deserved as a sinful rebel, I’m now only afflicted as a beloved son.”

I know this probably seems a little disjointed, but it just amazes me that Job and all he went through still looked forward with confidence that our Redeemer lives and that one day all will be right and he will see God; it amazes me that King David acknowledges that his afflictions are good so that he might truly know his God; and it amazes me to learn that despite my broken and sinful nature that Christ’s work on the cross ensured that any afflictions in this life will come to me as a beloved son.

Abba Father, how amazingly loving and grace filled you are. Thank you and may we all live expectantly, looking forward to truly knowing and loving you as a beloved son! Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace!