- Psalmody: Psalm 139:18b, 5b–6a; 1–2ab; Psalm 118:24, 1;1 Corinthians 5:7b, 5:8a, c; Psalm 76:8b–9a
- Lection: Job 19:23–27; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8; Mark 16:1–8
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The words of the prophet Job span countless years of our history. They stood boldly upon his tongue the day he uttered them. They reach to and comfort us on this joyous Easter Day. They go before us guaranteeing what is yet to be. I know that my Redeemer lives! Immediately before that proclamation though, we heard him also say, “Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever!” It’s easy to assume that the words for which he desires such preservation are the ones that followed, which confessed a living Redeemer, but they aren’t. Their meaning is pulled from the overarching events in the 42 chapters of Job. Most of the book bearing his name are words of dialogue among him and his three companions, and eventually the LORD Himself. Bookending all those lengthy chapters is narrative that gives context, and resolution, to their intense debate. Recall how the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” to which the evil one replies that the man is only like that because the LORD has shown him much favor, given him ten grown and healthy children, thousands of all sorts of livestock, and placed a hedge around him. He then tests God, and Job, by saying that if the Almighty stretched out His hand and touched Job with affliction upon all that he had, that he would surely curse His Maker.
Confident in the faith that He had instilled in Job’s heart, and the righteous man’s faithful response, even amidst much bounty of life, the LORD allowed Satan to sift him like wheat. In a short period of time his oxen and donkeys were raided, stolen, and the servants attending them killed. Fire from heaven struck his sheep and burned them and those servants alive. His camels likewise were raided and those servants murdered. And finally, as all 10 children had gathered in one brother’s house in joyous sibling company, a great wind struck the house, it fell upon them, and they all died. Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Still confident that Job possessed true faith, the LORD allowed the Accuser to push the test even further into the man’s own body saying, “stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” And Job was struck with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Witnessing the demise of the ”greatest of all the people in the East”, as Job was deemed to be, even the young children in his community despised and spoke against him, shooting out the lip and shaking the head. Unfortunately, fallen human nature leads us to stay clear of one another in times of deepest need, especially if we deem the sufferer to be at fault for their woes. Lord have mercy upon us all! Yet, Job did have three friends that didn’t shun him completely. They at first came just to be with him, sitting in silent mourning and sympathy for seven days before allowing their afflicted friend to be the first to speak. Thus, began the great dialogue. Thus, began their certain assertion that Job must have some guilt, some sin, some offense in the sight of God for this magnitude of calamity to befall him. In the limited strength he had remaining, Job defended his innocence and it is those words of defense which he so deeply desires to be inscribed, first thought in a book, but no, much more permanent: engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! His idea is that if those in his present will not hear out his innocence, then may his defense be preserved for vindication from future generations when they learn of his plight. How wonderful it is that his prayer was answered and that we have more than his words. His innocence is part of the Word of the Lord that endures forever. The Scriptures cannot be broken. By that same word, we know the mysteries surrounding his affliction: Satan’s accusations and His enticement of the LORD; Job’s refusal to curse God and die. For I know that my Redeemer lives.
His hope for vindication, by whatever future means unknown to him who was to return ashes to ashes, dust to dust, isn’t even his greatest hope though. He knows and confesses in what we heard in our small portion from midways in all the talk, that though he suffers, and at that from some of the greatest darkness able to be inflicted in this short span of earthly life, all hope rests in the fact that he has a Redeemer Who lives. He worships One Who can not only fully see and measure the price to be paid to set aright all things, not merely possessions, status, friends, family, goods, house, home, animals, but righteousness, joy, beauty, namely summed, life. Christ, by the purchase price of His shed blood, and by His victorious rising from the dead, redeems all from death to life who have faith in Him, the living Redeemer.
Hear how Job’s faithful confession rings a joyous song in the heart burning within you as you draw near your Redeemer Who lives: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job knew that no matter what came of the remainder of his days, that there was only a remainder. His skin would be destroyed and return to the dust That remainder was as certain to continue in affliction just as it does for us all unto physical death. Then, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
But Easter is given for resurrection hope. Indeed, hope for your sure resurrection and all the bliss it will bring in a glorified body. But not even that hope is the ultimate joy to be heard in Job’s words. Possessions regained, innocence preserved, vindication had, flesh restored; those are the less caused by the greater. The Glorious Prize awaiting that outshines all others, yes, greater than even your own resurrection in the flesh, is the truth that you may in joyous faith utter: I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth… I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold. Beloved, the greatest joy in having a resurrected Redeemer Who lives is that He shall resurrect you so that you may see, and thus be with Him as you dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
For He is the One better seen in the book of Job. There is none like Christ on the earth, a blameless and upright Man, One Who fears God and shuns evil. In all His suffering, He did not sin nor charge God with wrong. He did not sin with His lips, but blessed a thief as His life blood drained. He, forsaken by God, struck down by Satan, descended into the pit of affliction and suffering for you. Yet, He never cursed God even though He died. He held His innocence intact unto death, even the death of the cross. But remember how Job ends; He rose again out of the pit: the LORD…accepted Job. And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; … Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning...” It is finished. Christ is risen! It is a resurrection story so that on this glorious Easter Day, you may rejoice that through the glory of the Father the greater Job has been restored, He has been raised from the dead that you might join Him, knowing that your Redeemer lives, confident that though your flesh shall thus be destroyed, He shall raise you on the Last Day and with your own eyes, lifted up alongside resurrected Job, you shall see God. You shall behold Him. You shall see Christ for yourself, and your joy shall be forever full. Glory be to Jesus, our risen Redeemer Who lives!
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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