Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
– Job 19:23–27
What a triumphant declaration of faith in the middle of suffering, in the middle of questions that Job is wrestling with. He comes to this point where he says, “Mark it down. I wish I could write this in a rock that would stay forever. I know this that my Redeemer lives,” Redeemer with a capital R. “The one who will make all things right. He lives and one day he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been destroyed, when my life is gone, yet in my flesh, I shall see God”. What a declaration of hope. What a statement of faith.
Job 19:23–27 reminds us we have hope because our Redeemer lives.
Now, keep in mind, Job still has unanswered questions. Job is still struggling in many ways, yet he knows deep within him that God is a Redeemer and that in the end he will see God, the one who alone can make all things right. And I want to encourage you with this hope today. If there is any temptation to hopelessness in your life, any temptation to despair, I want to encourage you in a greater way than even Job realized. We know our Redeemer, Jesus, lives. He has conquered death. He’s conquered sin, he’s conquered the grave.
So no matter what comes at us in this world, we always, always, always have hope because our Redeemer lives. Not only does he live, but he lives to intercede for us. He’s at the right hand of God interceding for us, ready to give us everything we need to bring us through whatever trials we face in this world. And bring us through is the right terminology because one day we will see God.
Job 19:23–27 reminds us of the promise of final redemption in Jesus.
This is where all the Scripture culminates in the people of God seeing the face of God, him wiping every tear from our eyes and making all things new, redeeming everything, making all things right. And so we pray, God, you are our hope. Jesus, you are our Redeemer, and we praise you as the Redeemer who lives, the Redeemer who has conquered sin and death and has made redemption, resurrection life possible for all who trust in you.
God, we trust in you as our Redeemer, and we pray that you would work out your redemptive purposes in our lives today, tomorrow, every day of our lives. In everything we face, we pray that you would work your redemptive good, wise purposes, bring it all together just as you promise, oh God, for our good, for our conformity to the image of Jesus, for our restoration to you and the life we are designed to have in you, with you, ultimately seeing your face.
God, we praise you for the hope of that day to come, and we pray that you would help us to hold on to that hope, moment by moment, day by day, year by year until it comes. And not just to hold onto it, but to rejoice in it and to spread it. Oh God, we pray that you would help us to spread the good news of your redemption, of your redeeming love, of hope that conquers despair in you, Jesus, to people around us today, help us to encourage people around us today with the good news that there’s a Redeemer who lives, and God, we pray that you would help us to spread this good news to the ends of the earth.
Prayer for the Kayastha People
We pray specifically today for the Kayastha people of India and Bangladesh. Almost 10 million Bengali-speaking, Hindu men, women, and children. Most of whom have little to no knowledge of Jesus, the Redeemer. God, we pray that the Kayastha people would be reached with the good news of your redemption… That they might have hope in you.
We pray that you would bless all those who are working for the spread of the gospel to the Kayasthas. And that you would use our prayers even right now. Oh God, bring about your redemption among the Kayastha people. Redeem this people group. These Bengali-speaking Hindu men, women, and children. Draw them to faith in Jesus, to joy in Jesus, to hope in Jesus. We pray all of this according to your Word in Job 19:23–27, which we love. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Redeemer. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
