Job's Sure Knowledge

Difficulties of translation very great. We prefer a candid reading to one which might be obtained by pious fraud. It would seem that Job, driven to desperation, fell back upon the truth and justice of God. He declared that he should be vindicated somehow or other, and even if he died there would certainly come a rectification after death. He could not believe that he would be left to remain under the slanderous accusations which had been heaped upon him. He was driven by his solemn assurance of the justice and faithfulness of God to believe in a future state, and in a Vindicator who would one day or other set crooked things straight. We may use the words in the most complete evangelical sense, and not be guilty of straining them; indeed, no other sense will fairly set forth the patriarch’s meaning. From what other hope could he obtain consolation but from that of future life and glory?

I. JOB HAD A TRUE FRIEND AMID CRUEL FRIENDS. He calls him his Redeemer, and looks to him in his trouble

The Hebrew word will bear three renderings, as follows,—

1. His Kinsman.

   • Nearest akin of all. No kinsman is so near as Jesus. None so kinned, and none so kind.
   • Voluntarily so. Not forced to be a brother, but so in heart, and by his own choice of our nature: therefore more than brother.
   • Not ashamed to own it “He is not ashamed to call them brethren”: Hebrews 2:11. Even when they had forsaken him he called them “my brethren”: Matthew 28:10.
   • Eternally so. Who shall separate us? Romans 8:35.

2. His Vindicator.

   • From every false charge: by pleading the causes of our soul.
   • From every jibe and jest: for he who believes in him shall not be ashamed or confounded.
   • From true charges, too; by bearing our sin himself and becoming our righteousness, thus justifying us.
   • From accusations of Satan. “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan!” Zechariah 3:2. “The accuser of our brethren is cast down”: Revelation 12:10.

3. His Redeemer.

   • Of his person from bondage.
   • Of his lost estates, privileges, and joys, from the hand of the enemy.
   • Redeeming both by price and by power.

II. JOB HAD REAL PROPERTY AMID ABSOLUTE POVERTY. He speaks of “my Redeemer,” as much as to say,—“Everything else is gone, but my Redeemer is still my own, and lives for me.”

He means,—

1. I accept him as such, leaving myself in his hands.

2. I have felt somewhat of his power already, and I am confident that all is well with me even now, since he is my Protector.

3. I will cling to him forever. He shall be my only hope in life and death. I may lose all else, but never the Redemption of my God, the Kinship of my Savior.

III. JOB HAD A LIVING KINSMAN AMID A DYING FAMILY. “My Redeemer lives.”

He owned the great Lord as ever living,—

As “the Everlasting Father,” to sustain and solace him.

As Head of his house, to represent him.

As Intercessor, to plead in Heaven for him.

As Defender, to preserve his rights on earth.

As his Righteousness, to clear him at last.

What have we to do with the dead Christ of the church of Rome? Our Redeemer lives.

What with the departed Christ of Unitarians? Our divine Vindicator abides in the power of an endless life.

IV. JOB HAD ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY AMID UNCERTAIN AFFAIRS. “I know.” He had no sort of doubt upon that matter. Everything else was questionable, but this was certain

His faith made him certain. Faith brings sure evidence; it substantiates what it receives, and makes us know.

His trials could not make him doubt Why should they? They touched not the relationship of his God, or the heart of his Redeemer, or the life of his Vindicator.

His difficulties could not make him fear failure on this point, for the life of his Redeemer was a source of deliverance which lay out of himself, and was never doubtful.

His caviling friends could not move him from the assured conviction that the Lord would vindicate his righteous cause.

While Jesus lives our characters are safe. Happy he who can say, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Have you this great knowledge?

Do you act in accordance with such an assurance?

Will you not at this hour devoutly adore your loving Kinsman?

Rough Thoughts

“My Redeemer.” The word has the general meaning “ransomer,” “deliverer,” and specially denotes one who takes up a man’s cause and vindicates his rights, either by avenging him on his foes, or by restoring him or his heirs to possessions of which he has been defrauded. Job has already expressed a wish that there might be an umpire between him and God: then he goes further, and desires an advocate: then declares that he has a witness, one who exactly knows his rights, in Heaven: then calls upon God himself to be his advocate. He now takes a stronger position, and declares his certainty that there is One who adds to all these conditions that which gives them solidity, and assures his final triumph: there lives One who will vindicate his righteousness, and clear his cause completely.—Speaker’s Commentary.

In times of sharp trials believers are (1.) Driven out of themselves to look to their God, their Redeemer. (2.) Driven to look within themselves for a knowledge sure and unquestioning—“I know.” (3.) Driven to hold by personal faith to that which is set forth in the covenant of grace—“my Redeemer.” (4.) Driven to live much upon the unseen—the living Redeemer, and his advent in the latter day.

Tried saints, when greatly in the dark, have been led to great discoveries of comfortable truth. “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Here Job found an argument from the justice of God for his own comfort. God could not leave his sincere servant under slander: therefore if he died undefended, and years passed away so that the worms consumed his body, yet a Vindicator would arise, and the maligned and injured Job would be cleared. Thus the Spirit revealed to the afflicted patriarch a future state, a living Next-of-Kin, a future judgment, a resurrection, and an eternal justification of saints. Great light came in through a narrow window, and Job was an infinite gainer by his temporary losses.

A weak faith is glad to look off from all difficulties, for it shrinks back at them: as Martha, considering Lazarus was four days dead, and began to putrefy, her faith began to fail her; it was too late now to remove the gravestone. But Faith in its strength considers all these, urges these impossibilities, and yet overcomes them: as Elijah, in his dispute with Baal’s priests, took all the disadvantages to himself. “Pour on water,” said he; and again, “Pour on more water;” faith shall fetch fire from Heaven to inflame the sacrifice. “So,” says Job, “let me die, and rot, and putrefy in the grave, nay, let the fire burn my body, or the sea swallow it, or wild beasts devour it, yet it shall be restored to me; death shall be prædæ suæ custos, like the lion that killed the prophet, and then stood by his body, and did not consume it” Job’s faith laughs at impossibilities, is ashamed to talk of difficulties; with Abraham, considers not his own dead body, but believes above and against hope; knew God would restore it.—R. Browning.

These words are ushered in with a solemn preface, containing in them some notable truth: “Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know,” etc. Surely such a passionate preface will become no other matter so well as the great mystical truths of the Christian faith.

Faith is, or should be, strongly persuaded of what it believes. It is an evidence, not a conjecture; not a surmise, but a firm assurance. We should certainly know what we believe: “We know that you are a Teacher come from God,” John 3:2. “We believe, and are sure, that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God,” John 6:69. “We know that we have a building of God,” 2 Corinthians 5:1. “We know that we shall see him as he is,” 1 John 3:2. “Be you steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 15:58. Invisible things revealed by God should be certainly known, because God has told us that such clear, firm apprehensions become us. Faith is not a bare conjecture, but a certain knowledge; not “we think,” “we hope well,” but “we know” is the language of faith. It is not a bare possibility we go upon, nor a probable opinion, but a certain, infallible truth. I put you upon this, partly because we have a great argument in the text If Job could see it so long before it came to pass, should not we see it now? Believers of old shame us, who live in the clear sunshine of the gospel. Job lived long before the gospel was revealed; the redemption of souls was at that time a great mystery, being sparingly revealed to a few; only one of a thousand could bring this message to a condemned sinner, that God had found a ransom. Job 33:23.—Manton.

If we are sure about anything, let it be concerning the Redeemer. If we have an indefeasible claim to anything, let it be to our Redeemer. If we cling with tenacity to any truth, let it be our Redeemer’s resurrection and life. Everything hangs here; this is the keystone of the gospel, the foundation of our faith, and the pinnacle of our hope,—“Because I live you shall live also.” Oh for more of Job’s certainty, even if the cost were Job’s afflictions!