Job 19:6. “Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.”
WRONG ACCUSATIONS. It cannot be denied, the events have really happened – But what is the source of the pain? The enemy rallied to bring to his baseless charge – “Job is really a faithless man.” It is true Job didn’t know, nor did he understand – Why all this was happening to him. But he was sure in spite of all he went through – God knew the “root of the matter” was within.
He wanted his testimony to be abundantly clear – In spite of all that happened, he knew God lives. The iron pen of testimony carved his words out plain – He knew the Redeemer was really his. What he didn’t know, and often we don’t know - Is the source of our suffering and pain. God allows certain things to come as a testimony to others – The losses are far less than all the gains.
As other people learn what a believer can go through – And still his faith remains fully intact. It stirs in the hearts of those who look on and wonder – “What makes him with such confidence to act?” But the time may come when we least expect – That the testing time will bear its fruit. And through God’s eyes then we will see and bless – That by His grace He has brought us through it.
In a permissive act, God allows the enemy - To test us for reality. We have this assurance that He will not allow - The enemy to gain the victory. No doubt we learn more of God and ourselves When these hard testing times do come. In the future we may see the value and reason – From the viewpoint of our heavenly home.
“I have been wondering Father, why we haven’t seen some saved in these meetings. But now, hopefully seeing things from Thy viewpoint, I see there is more being done here than preaching the Gospel. May the will of the Lord be done. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Job.19:27. “Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” I SHALL SEE. “I shall see for myself”: Job had the confidence of resurrection, even before it had been clearly taught. This assures us that God has placed eternity in the hearts of men. Within the very being of man, there is the truth of the resurrection of the body. Many spiritual things are within man by nature, setting him apart from all other forms of creation. God’s law is written in the heart of man. Without even being taught by others, the principles of right and wrong are within us. An awareness of God Himself is within the heart of man. Some try to put a form to this with idols or the worship of large and strong created things. Job had longed for the things he knew to be written in a book with an iron pen and carved in stone. He had absolute confidence in his Redeemer and His lordship over all of earth. He also had confidence in the fact of his own resurrection and knew he would see his God.
“Mine eyes shall behold”: Resurrection was not an imaginary thing; it is not intangible; it is not smoke and mirrors; it is a real act of God when He raises the dead. Job was not expecting to look through a dark glass. He had the confidence that he would fix his gaze on his Redeemer. Words from other people wouldn’t assure him of the reality of His Person. John the Baptist called on others to “Behold the Lamb of God.” John the apostle said he “beheld the Word of life.” Faith now gives way to the object of our faith when our eyes behold Him.
“Not another”: Job was not looking for a substitute. He was not looking for a stranger. He was looking for his God. He would not have known that behind the scenes of all the disasters that were upon him, was Satan at work to bring him down. To him it seemed that all that had come upon him was from God, not just allowed by God. Yet his faith in God assured him that justice would triumph. He was confident in his God even though he didn’t understand why all the troubles had happened. Abraham must have felt the same way when he was called upon to offer Isaac. We have our times too, when we wonder at all the things that are happening and, in spite of ourselves, question the reason. But Paul said it best when he said, “I know in whom I have believed; and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed, unto Him, against that day.”
“Though my reins be consumed”: Job’s heart was yearning for relief and release from the problems of his life. He was willing and wanting to die if this was what God wanted. But greater than that, was that his reins (the longings of his heart) were consumed with an earnest desire for the day he would look upon his Redeemer. He knew he belonged to God by purchase. It was God that bought him, and God could do what he wanted with him.
“My Redeemer God: again, I am reminded that I am not my own. Everything I might try to claim for myself, including my body, soul, and spirit belongs to Thee. I am called upon to present it to Thee (Rom.12:1) even though it has been purchased with “the blood of His own.” So please help me loosen the grip of self-will and false self- ownership from anything I might try to claim. Amen.”