The Well

MY REDEEMER LIVES

It would be an interesting study to somehow research how many songs have come from these words out of the mouth of Job in the midst of his storm. In the commentary I often refer to, Mastering the Old Testament, the writer says, "Job has plummeted to the depths of physical pain, emotional despair, spiritual futility, and relational loneliness. From his community, he needs solace; from his household, he needs respect; and from his family, he needs intimacy. Instead, he is avoided by brothers, estranged by acquaintances, failed by relatives, forgotten by friends, alienated by maidservants, ignored by manservants, rejected by his wife, despised by urchins, abhorred by friends, and betrayed by loved ones." Not good ministry, do you agree?

At this stage in Job's journey, his friends too are saying, "Job, admit your sin and then God will forgive you and we too will restore our relationship with you." But, Job knows there is no sin he has committed that would deserve this punishment. He feels hopeless in this situation, as far as life on this earth is concerned. So, he looks toward the future and utters today's scripture, a moment of prophecy if you ask me.

Based on our understanding of when this book was actually written, no one had prophesized a coming Messiah who would redeem sins. Yet, with no human to turn to for understanding, Job did the wise thing and internally tuned these people out and turned upwardly to God. I can almost imagine God giving Job a sacred moment's view of Jesus Christ and the price paid for Job's reconciliation with God. He sees that on this earth he may never regain the respect he has lost in his community, but one day he will be rewarded because he will see God!

Maybe like many of us, Job's friends were saying that he was emotionally unstable. Funny isn't it that when people don't understand what God is doing in our lives they resort to grasping at straws and hurling ugly accusations at us? Like Job, we do not have to pick up that title and wear it. We can crawl inside our shell of protection found in the cross of Christ. We know that our Redeemer lives and that we are hidden in Christ.

Yes, there are probably times when we do become emotionally unstable. Two professors from the University of Washington devised a stress scale that measures common life experiences. They found that when a person goes through a series of stresses in the period of a year that range from 150 – 299, a person becomes sick – physically and psychologically. At such times a person needs encouragement not stones thrown at them. Do you know someone who has undergone more than their share of crisis recently. Take some time with them to just listen, you'll be surprised what a moment of compassion can do to reduce their stress level. (Check out the stress scale at woestowows.org/ministries/stress.html.)