Redeemer

Job 19:25:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth.

 

Well, I have good news and bad news. I think it’s good practice to end with the good news, so let’s start with the bad.

I have loved this verse and the many musical settings of it (especially Handel’s) for years. It has brought me comfort and hope, knowing that God lives and will outlast anything that may come. While those things are true, the bad news is that this isn’t what Job is referring to in this instance. When I started planning this devotion, I read the commentary in my New Oxford Annotated Bible, and I’ll be really honest. I was not happy. The author writes, “The Redeemer or Vindicator is usually the next-of-kin and heir. Although God is sometimes called ‘Redeemer’ (for example in the Psalms), Job is not referring here to the deity. He has already called for a mediator to come between him and God and for a witness who will defend him before God; now he hopes to obtain through a vindicator a direct audience with God.” Knock me over with a feather!

I really felt betrayed when I learned this. You mean to tell me that all those times we have sung and heard this, it was out-of-context?!? Good gravy!  With a perspective-inverting revelation like that, what could possibly be the good news?!

Let’s step back and look at the Book of Job and the spot he’s in. If you’re familiar at all with this book of the Bible, it’s probably no surprise that this comes at a low point in Job’s life…since they’re mostly low points. He describes his friends turning against him, his family being estranged from him, his breath even being repulsive to his wife! He is not only lonely but also emaciated, physically hurt, and he’s lost everything. In this deep, deep valley of despair, though, he still has a glimmer of hope. He knows that, even if he is so despondent and broken that he doesn’t have it within himself to call upon God, someone will do so on his behalf, and he will be with God once more. I’d say that’s faith that isn’t very common. I pray that I would have such faith, but I also pray that I never have to find out.

But here’s the other thing. He knows that someone will call upon God on his behalf, that God will recognize his suffering through someone else. I think when we hear this, we are tempted to consider ourselves from Job’s perspective, but what if we are the Redeemer or Vindicator in the story? What if our job is to recognize the hurt and suffering our friends are living through and pray to God on their behalf? And along with that prayer, we do whatever is in our own power to help them — to be the answer to that prayer. To help redeem them.

There have been times in my life when I have needed a Redeemer to help me through a tough spot. But I have been fortunate to have been able to be the Redeemer more often. Hopefully none of us nor our loved ones will go through the terrible hell that Job does, but when any of us goes through hardship, I pray those of us in a position to be a Redeemer will take up that call.  

Let us pray.

God, help us to find our redeemers and to be redeemers for others, and may we both be able to offer and to accept the help that comes along. Amen.

 

This devotion was written and read by Dwight Dockery.

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