"As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!"      
Job 19:25-27

I love to read this wonderful, ringing affirmation of confidence from Job, one of my Biblical heroes. In ancient Israel, a redeemer was a family member who bought a slave's way to freedom, or one who took care of a widow as Boaz did for Naomi and Ruth, remember?  If not, please read the book of Ruth.

What tremendous faith Job had! Remember that Job had no knowledge of the conversation between God and Satan and he thought God had brought trials and hardships upon him for some unknown reason. 

Satan, the accuser, had come before God claiming Job was trusting Him only because he was wealthy and everything was going well for him. 

Now in the face of death and decay, and thinking he was about to die, Job speaks these wonderful words of affirmation that are the center of this great book. Could we do the same under similar circumstances?

Can we trust God no matter what happens?  I hope I can. 

It is well for us to know that when the Book of Job was written, Israel had no law or a well-developed doctrine of the resurrection.

Job was struggling with the idea that God was against him for some reason; yet he firmly believed that at the end God would be on his side. Job believed this so strongly that he was the first to talk about the resurrection of the body.

To add to this thought, David wrote in Psalm 16:10, "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One (Christ) to undergo decay." 

Later, Isaiah wrote in 26:19, "Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits." 

Then Daniel wrote in 12:2, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." 

The last part of Daniel 12:2 – regarding the ones who reject Jesus being resurrected to an eternity of disgrace and contempt - is quite a severe statement.

But in verse 13 Daniel makes a statement to the redeemed:  "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into the rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age." Uhuhuh.

No wonder Job finished with a trembling heart as he wrote, "My heart faints within me."  When we, the redeemed of God washed in the blood of the Lamb, contemplate the wonders of God and through spiritual eyes see the wonders and glory of God, we cannot but tremble and feel our hearts faint in the wonderful thought of it all.

Hang tough, dear readers, for we know that our Redeemer lives and at the end of our time we shall see Him as He is:  In all His splendor and majesty. In the meantime, be free and happy in Him who set you free from the condemnation of eternal death.

Father, we come to You today in humble adoration, in high praise, sincere worship and grateful hearts. Thank you for saving us from an “eternity of disgrace and contempt.”  In the name of your wonderful Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank you, Amen.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy life with God as your copilot.

Love you all, Daniel Leal