Redeemed

The book of Job is famous for many things: the betting arrangement between God and the Devil, Job having the patience to absorb tremendous punishment from life, losing everything over time, his friends and even his wife saying he must have done something to bring this on.

But seldom is it used as a funnel for faith. Today I'm preaching a funeral and I'm using Job as a symbol of hope.

Look at what Job says WHILE things are falling apart: "I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God..."

Some say this is the oldest book in the Bible, yet, there is Job saying he knows his redeemer lives. Knows. Lives. Not will live some day in some future. Lives.

Oh, to have that kind of faith today when things go poorly. To have that kind of faith when things are near the end. That's what we long for, strive for, hope for.

In the end, Paul tells us, three things remain: faith, hope and love. And of these three, love is the strongest. I would argue, however, that without the first two, we live what can only be described as a difficult life without much to look forward to. Hope, that certainty that exists as faith without seeing, is what we have in our back pocket when things get their worst.

Job knew. KNEW. Job knew his redeemer lives. I hope so do we all.