A Promised Redeemer – A Messianic Prophecy

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.  My heart faints within me!.” –Job 19:25-27 (ESV).

The Hebrew noun, goel, translated “Redeemer,” is often used in the Old Testament to mean “kinsman redeemer,” or one who is legally responsible for vindicating a family member.  We see it in the familiar case of Boaz who married the widow Ruth who chose to go with her mother-in-law Naomi from exile in Moab back to Israel.  Use of goel with reference to God in the Old Testament indicates that He redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:6).  God also is noted as the Redeemer of individuals.  Joseph (Genesis 48:16) was redeemed and paved the way in Egypt for his whole family from Israel to escape famine. David in Psalm 19:114 called the Lord his “strength and redeemer.”  Job made the statement, often quoted, “I know that my Redeemer lives and at last He will stand upon the earth.”  Even though Job had suffered much since calamities befell him, he held faith that even though he should die he would still see God.  “My heart faints within me!” indicates the depth of Job’s physical and emotional suffering.  But I like to think that as Job thought of the marvelous truths revealed to him, my Redeemer lives…I shall see God” that his heart welled up so much within him he could not help but exclaiming (even as we do sometimes, just thinking about God’s provision for us): My heart faints within me!” Translated, this could mean, “I can hardly take this in (understand it)!”

In New Testament fulfillment of Job’s Messianic hope, we turn to these scriptures:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.” (John 5:25-26).  “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4).  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

With the meaning of redemption from Old Testament and New Testament teachings, the idea is not abstract but concrete.  Behind the words redeem, redemption is the custom of buying back something which formerly belonged to the person but for some reason had been taken over by another.  The original owner could get back the land or whatever the item by paying a redemption price for it.  And God made provision through the Redeemer, His Son, to pay the redemption price for man’s sin.  Before sin entered the human race, man was innocent.  But with the disobedience of Adam and Eve, a curse was therefore set upon mankind and he no longer had fellowship with Creator God.  Jesus became the Redeemer as he bought back man’s degradation from sin.  “Without shedding of blood there is no remission for sins” (Hebrews 9:22b).  It was remarkable that Job could foresee the time when the Redeemer would come to earth to do the work of redemption, to buy back man from the terrible penalty of sin, spiritual death, and separation from God.

Prayer.  Lord, pausing to think of how the Redeemer set us free is a heart-knowledge but again a thought too wonderful to comprehend fully.  We thank You and want to live for You in the sure knowledge that we are redeemed.  Amen.

Jesus: The Resurrection and the Life

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this’?  She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’” –John 11:25-26 (ESV).

It took a funeral of a good friend for Jesus to reassure Lazarus’ sister, Martha, who came to meet Jesus as he approached their house of mourning, that He was, indeed, ‘the resurrection and the life.”  Imagine, if you will, the setting for this statement and the subsequent miracle of resurrection.  Jesus had been summoned, for Lazarus whom He loved was very sick.  Jesus delayed His going to Bethany and arrived after Lazarus died and was already in the tomb for four days.  Why had Jesus delayed?  Even Mary, the one who sat at Jesus feet earlier to hear him teach while her sister Martha was “encumbered with much serving,” reprimanded Jesus and told Him if He had been there, her brother would not have died.  Jesus delayed so that God could be glorified in the situation of death…and subsequent life.

Jesus showed his compassion.  He, too, wept (v. 35).  Jesus joins his friends in their sadness with heartfelt sorrow, even though He knew that resurrection and joy would soon follow.  Did His weeping not show us that heartfelt mourning in the face of death is a natural and normal human emotion?  Someone has also suggested that Jesus wept because He had decided to call forth Lazurus from death and eternity to return to this sad world of sin and its trials.  When we weep under such a sad circumstance as death it does not indicate our lack of faith but shows our honest sorrow for parting and for the reality of suffering death brings to the family members that remain.  But the mourning at Bethany would soon turn to joy.  Jesus simply commanded, “Lazarus, come out!” (v. 43). Someone has written that had Jesus not called Lazarus by name, all the dead in that cemetery in Bethany would have come forth, for He who holds life in His hand and in His Word was speaking.  The Resurrection and the Life was commanding the dead to live!

Jesus, in telling Martha (and any about her who might have heard His words), “Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life?  She responded yes, she knew He was the Christ.  And therein lies the transfer from death to life—by simple belief.  Unsaved people aren’t just tainted and sick because of their sins.  They are “”dead in trespasses and sins”  (see Ephesians 2:1, 5).  And “by grace through faith” we are saved to walk in newness of life with Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Resurrection to newness of life means abundant and meaningful life in our remaining time on earth while we await the consummation of our sanctification, eternal life with the Father.  Unless the Lord returns to earth before our death, we know physical death is sure for every living person:  “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  But for us who trust in Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, we have “eternal life and will not be judged…[but will] cross over from death to life (John 5:24).  For those who have had a near-death experience, as in the recent book entitled Heaven is for Real, tells us, what Jesus taught us about His being the Resurrection and the Life is also for real!  He conquered the last enemy, death, and so can we, through Him!  To God be the glory!