Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Job 19 – Job Trusts In His Redeemer. According to Bible scholars, the events of the book of Job took place approximately before 2100 B.C.
I encourage you to turn to Job 19 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Job 19 with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scriptures that you find highlighted in purple in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Job 18, we read about Bildad’s discourse on the wicked’s punishment. Well, in this Bible study on Job 19, we will read about Job’s response to Bildad – Job trusts in his Redeemer. As I have already mentioned before, most of the chapters of the book of Job are conversations between Job and his friends. They go back and forth.
Without any further delay, let us read and see what is Job Chapter 19 about, shall we?
Job Friends Have Wronged Him
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times you have reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you have wronged me.
4 And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
5 If indeed you exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
6 Know then that God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.
In Verses 1-6 of Job 19, Job answers Bildad and his friends and asks them how long would they torment, humiliate and break him with their words. They had already reproached him many times and yet they had no guilt that they had wronged Job by humilating him even in his worst condition. Job went on to say that if he had sinned, his sin remained with him and would go down with him. However, if his friends continued to act self-righteous and exalt themselves and point out his condition/suffering/sin, then Job thought that surely God had wronged him and set a trap for him using even his friends.
Everything Is Against Job
7 “If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
8 He has fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
9 He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My hope He has uprooted like a tree.
11 He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And He counts me as one of His enemies.
12 His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.
In Verses 7-12 of Job 19, Job explains his situation. If he cries for justice, he is not heard. Accoridng to Job, God has put a fence around the paths he walks so that he could walk/go no further beyond the fence. He has surrounded his paths with darkness so that he cannot see where he is going. To him, God has stripped him of his dignity, respect, health, wealth, possessions and family. He finds trouble on every side he turns and there is no one to listen to him. Job concluded that God considered him as one of his enemies. Otherwise, He wouldn’t be punishing him, he thought.
Job’s Loved Ones And Strangers Despise Him
13 “He has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger;
I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am repulsive to the children of my own body.
18 Even young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
19 All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
20 My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
In Verses 13-20 of Job 19, Job talks about how both his loved ones and strangers despise him. Job’s brothers, acquaintances, relatives and close friends have forgotten him and have estranged from him completely (They were closer to him when he was rich and thriving). The people who were living in his house temporarily and his servants considered Job a stranger. Even if he called on his servants for a drink of water or for help they pretended to not hear him. He had to beg them to help him. His servants behaved as if they were Job’s master.
Job’s wife hated Job’s breath. Even young children and his close friends hated him. In short, everyone whom Job loved had turned against him. Job had the appearance of skin and bones because of his illness and turmoil. He had barely escaped death.
Job 19: 13-20 Commentary
There is much to be said about general human behaviour when they see another person in misery even though there could be a few exceptions. Job’s own blood relatives despised him because of what had happened to him. He was well-known, and well-loved when he was the wealthiest man in all that region. However, when he lost everything his own wife despised him. People whom he grew up with, people whom he knew and didn’t know hated him. There was so much hate being thrown at Job.
To have suffered everything that he suffered and to have constant hate thrown at him from everyone at every side would have been a real terror for Job. And for a servant to treat his master as a servant, would have been an even bigger blow to him. He was unwanted at that point. This proves that they didn’t love Job for who he was. They loved him because of what he had and because of what God had blessed him with. Isn’t this the case even today in many people’s lives among friends, relatives and strangers. When all is merry, there would be a thousand people to take part in your happiness, whereas, when trouble comes, you wouldn’t find most of them, if not none, by your side.
Job Pleads For Pity From His Friends
21 “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me!
22 Why do you persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
In Verses 21-22 of Job 19, Job pleads for pity from his friends because the hand of God has struck him. He asks them to have mercy on his situation and to stop rebuking him with their harsh words. In short, he asks them to be of comfort to him at least until he dies. He asked them, why they persecuted him along with God despite seeing his situation and physical condition.
Job Trusts His Redeemer For Justice
23 “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
In Verses 23-27 of Job 19, Job said that he trusts His redeemer for Justice regarding his situation and false accusations (of sin) against him. He said that he knew that His Redeemer (God) lives and He shall stand on the earth at last. Even after his death, he shall still see God and no other (nothing else) with his immortal flesh. Job’s heart yearned for the day to see God face to face.
The Sword Of God’s Judgment
28 If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
29 Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”
In Verses 28-29 of Job 19, Job said that if his friends continue to search for ways to perscute him by thinking in their hearts, ‘We have found the reason for his suffering. He has surely sinned, therefore he suffers’, then they would have to fear the sword of God’s judgment against them. And it would be their punishment from God. For, Job is certain of not sinning and his friends claim that he has sinned when had not sinned at all.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Job 19. Job in replying to his friends maintained his integrity yet again and reminds them of divine justice. They couldn’t behave as self-righteous men and exalt themselves above Job, just because they were well and healthy and did not face what Job had to face. I hope you learnt something from this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey.
If you have any comments or questions for me, kindly leave them in the comments box below. I highly appreciate it. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until Next Time!