Would you turn with me to Job
19? Job 19. In verse 23 and 24 of Job 19, Job
said, oh, that my words were now written. Oh, that they were
printed in a book. that they were graven with an
iron-painted lead in the rock forever. Job desired more than that those
words might be written on a piece of paper. He desired that his words, the
words that we're getting ready to look at right now, Those words that were actually
an expression of his heart, out of the abundance of a man's heart,
his mouth speaks. Job wanted those words to be
to him an assurance of God's everlasting covenant of peace
toward him and Christ. I want to know that. I want to
know that God Almighty has had mercy on me, that the Lord has
looked upon me in Christ. What Job was about to say proceeded
from the assurance that Almighty God has eternally joined him
in electing grace to the surety himself. If the Lord's done that
for me, I've got all hope. I know this, I'm secure. Oh may it be that truly, that
not only for Job, but for this sinner, and I pray that you say
this for yourself, that these words be graven with an iron
pen and lead, God's promise to show mercy to his people in the
rock." Now that expression, graven with
an iron pen and lead, sets forth symbolically, you know that,
the promise of the Lord to his people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Job had No comfort anywhere else. Job 19, 13 to 19, he said, he
hath put my brethren far from me. Mine acquaintance are verily
estranged from me. My kinfolk have failed. My familiar friends have forgotten
me. They that dwell in mine house, my maids, count me for a stranger. I'm an alien in their sight.
I called for my servant, he gave me no answer. I entreated him
with my mouth, my breath. It's strange to my wife, though
I entreated for the children's sake of mine own body. The young
children, that is the margin says here, the wicked, despised
me. I rose, they spake against me. All my inward friends abhorred
me, and they whom I loved are turned against me. All outward
comforts, everybody had turned against him. And humanly speaking,
Job, humanly speaking, was brought to the end of his rope. And he cries out concerning his
only hope, this is all I've got. He is all I have. The one that
Job could find some comfort in. Here Job was, his substance,
his kids, his health was gone. The sole of his foot, crown of
his head, just hooves and balls. took a piece of pottery, scraped
himself. Mr. Gill, I read that, Mr. Gill
said, to either relieve the itching or to remove the pus. Pitiful, pitiful. Everything
taken away from him. Everybody turned against him.
Dire straits, you know, humanly speaking. All of these things, Job did
not accuse God falsely, didn't charge the Lord falsely. I think
what mercy, what grace. And Job cried out, this is all
my hope right here, this is all my hope right now. Verse 25,
for I know that my Redeemer liveth. Liveth. Preserves and maintains. That's what it says. Liveth.
Oh, He's alive. He's alive. I know that my Redeemer. It's wonderful to know that there's
a Redeemer. But that He's my Redeemer. That
He's redeemed me. Scripture. Back in Leviticus,
hold your place right there, Job 19. Turn to Leviticus 25. Here's the law concerning the
right of redemption. Here's the right of redemption.
Leviticus 25. If thy brother be waxen poor,
and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his
kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother
sold." Now here's, this is the law. This was the law. If one was brought to poverty,
had to sell his possession, the cause of being brought to that
state of poverty than a kinsman. And the nearest kinsman, the
nearest kinsman, had the right of redemption. No hindrance could
be made. If a near kin comes, he shall
redeem, he shall. If that kinsman was willing and
able willing and able. Remember when Ruth, Naomi, and
Naomi had made a stipulation in her will, and here was the
stipulation. Her piece of property could be
redeemed by the near kinsmen. And there was a closer than Boaz,
there was a closer than Boaz, nearer than Boaz. But here was
the deal. The one that was the nearest
kinsman, he was able, he could do it. But you know what stipulation
was? You get Naomi's property, but
you gotta take Ruth too. And you gotta marry her. He said, I'm not going to be
able to do that. And he fell to Boaz. Had to be
willing and able, the nearest kinsman. The price of redemption
had to be to the nearest of kin. Oh, what a beautiful picture
we see concerning the one who from all eternity has stood as
the near kinsman redeemer of his people. The father had chosen
him a bride, gave him, and that bride fell in Adam's rebellion. Lost everything. Lost everything. What'd you lose? Well, number
one, she lost life, I know that. In the day you eat thereof, you're
gonna surely die. And die she did. Man's born spiritually
dead. If the Spirit of God ever teaches
a man that, a woman that, that'll end all this, you know, self-will
stuff. I don't have any ability. I'm spiritually dead. How can
a dead man react and establish righteousness and get something
from God? He's dead! He's dead! He lost life. He lost the presence
of God. God expelled him out of the garden. Lost the presence of God. He
lost his freedom. He's bound in trespasses and
sin, the bondage, and is in need of redemption. Lost his security. A man outside of Christ, he's
bound up to Satan. And without God Almighty showing
mercy to him, he's going to hell. I need a Redeemer. I need a Redeemer. Because I can't do anything. You take another human being. What's another human being going
to do for me? I can't do anything for myself.
What are you going to do for me? I remember Scott telling me one
time that some young fellow came up to him and said, are you saved,
brother? And Scott said, if I'm not, what are you going to do
about it? That's true, isn't it? What are
you going to do? I need a Redeemer. I need one willing and able. What is another dead sinner going
to do for this dead sinner? We're all is a unclean thing.
Vile. Let me tell you why I can't do
anything for myself and no one else can do something for me
as being born in Adam. Because of the price of redemption. Let me tell you what the price
of redemption is. Death. I'm a sinner. What is the wages
of sin? What's the price? Death. The wages of sin is death. I needed a near kinsman. I need a near kinsman. I need
a man. I need a man, Neil. I need a
man to redeem me. I need a man. As a man, I rebelled
against God. I need a man to redeem me. The
Lord Jesus Christ, the Word Himself, was made flesh. I have in Him the near kinsman. I need one that can satisfy God
for me. I need one that can answer for
me before God and accept me in Him. For God Almighty to look
upon me in my near kinsman, in my Redeemer, and accept me on
His merit. That's a miracle of God's grace
that that can be. That's what it's going to take.
That's what it's going to take. And I'm telling you, it's going
to have to be so. God Almighty is just. If there's
any unrighteousness here, if there's anything not fair here,
it's not going to fly. Not before God. It might fly
before you, but not before Him. I need a Redeemer. I need a near
kinsman. I need a man to answer for me. In Him, I have a Redeemer. And Job, by the grace of God,
said this, I know. I know. Boy, that's a settled thought.
I know it. It's not that I, if I'm, you
know, if I'm unsure if He's able or willing, I know. I know, according to His Word,
He'd give me a heart to believe Him. I know that my Redeemer
has satisfied the justice of God. He died being made sin. I don't understand all the fullness
of that, but I can tell you this. Based on that wording, He was
made what I am, hanging upon that cross. He was made sin. And God Almighty forsook him.
And he died. Justice was satisfied. I know
that. I know that. I know that he walked
this earth and established righteousness obedience. Now understand that
word, obedience. He obeyed God. He obeyed God. and established righteousness
that I couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't do that. In word,
in thought, in deed, he never thought anything. How do you
know? Because God said, this is my
beloved son whom I'm well pleased. You hear him. He said, I do only always those
things that please the Father. I tell you one thing, he never
deviated in prayer. I'm thankful. Oh, God Almighty has given a
Redeemer to His people. Job said, I know that my Redeemer
liveth. And I tell you, that's not all
Job knew. I'll tell you what else he knew. I know this. He's
coming back. I know that. I know that my Redeemer
liveth, that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. I know that. I know this. My Redeemer, right now, is in
the heavens. And He's done whatsoever He has
pleased. I know that. He's seated at the
right hand of the Majesty on high. I know that. How do you
know? God Almighty told us that in
His Word. And God cannot lie. I know that. I know this. I know He liveth.
He ever liveth. Ever maintains. Ever sustains
His people. And I know this. I know He's
coming back. I know he is. The one that walked
this earth in the days of his humiliation, the one that calmed
the sea, the one that raised the dead, fed the 5,000 men plus
the women and children, that one That one that ascended up
into heaven, they had been talking to him. He was standing there.
He had told Thomas, he says, Thomas, look, touch me. Look,
look at these hands. Look at this right here at my
side. Put your hand right here. He said, I'm not a spirit. He was flesh. He was flesh. God in human flesh. And they
watched God in human flesh ascend into heaven. Clouds received
Him. You men of Galilee, why stand
you here gazing into the heavens? This same Jesus. Right now, the Lord of glory,
our Redeemer, there is a man seated on the throne of God right
now. ruling and reigning in this world right now. And let me tell
you what, He's coming back. And I can tell you exactly where
He's coming back to. Zechariah chapter 14. I'll tell you where He's coming.
He's coming back to the very spot that He left from. Zechariah chapter 14 and verse
4. Now let me tell you what God
has to say about him coming back. Zechariah 14.4. Now listen to
this. This is as plain as it can get. And his feet shall stand in that
day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on
the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof
toward the east and toward the west. And there shall be a very
great valley, and half the mountain shall remove toward the north,
and half of it toward the south." I know this. I know that he's
coming back according to this prophet, under the inspiration
of God's Spirit. His feet shall stand in that
day upon the Mount of Olives. Well, where was he when he left?
Turn to Acts 1. I can tell you exactly where
he was. Acts chapter 1, verse 9 to 12. Part of what I just quoted. Acts
1. unto Jerusalem from the mount
called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. Where did he leave? From the
Mount of Olives. Where is he coming back to? The
Mount of Olives. Job said this, I know that my
Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth. But that's not all. Job knew
that the Lord was going to resurrect him. Job 19.26, and though after
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. I said a few minutes ago, Job
was quite aware of the frailty of his flesh. He was just covered
with those oozing sores, scraping himself. And he knew that he
was going to die. And he knew that worms were going
to strip whatever was left of that skin from his body. I know
that's what he said, though after my skin, worms destroy this body. But he says yet, in my flesh shall I see God. The believer,
all men are going to rise. But the believer is going to
rise first. Those that died in the Lord are
going to rise first. Paul said, we that remain on
this earth, we're not going to precede them. We're going to
come out of that grave. And we're going to come out of
that grave changed. I know this. It's going to be
an actual resurrection. It's not going to be, it's going
to be a changed body. This mortality must put on immortality. This corruption must put on incorruption. I know that. But according to
this word, Job said, yet in my flesh a resurrection means that
the body that went in came out. Same body. The body in which
our Lord died is the body that He came out with. Now again,
somebody could say, well then explain to me how it's going
to change. I don't know how it's going to change. But I know it's
going to change. Because the Lord said it was
going to change. This mortal, I'm getting older. I mean, that's
pretty obvious. I can look and see that the effects
of sin takes its toll on us. And we're getting older. But
I can tell you for a fact, in my flesh, Job said, in this body,
in this body, with these eyes changed, but these eyes, with
this hand that just turned that book, those pages right there,
this hand right here, these feet that I'm standing on right now,
in my flesh, Job said, Shall I see God? I'm going to see my kinsman redeemer. I'm going to see Him who sees
me. Look at 1 John 3.2 as we close. 1 John 3.2. 1 John 3.2. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear, it's going to, but it doth not
yet, what we shall be. But we know that when He shall
appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We're going to see Him. Job said,
I know that my Redeemer, my kinsman Redeemer, liveth, and that He
shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after
my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God,
whom I shall see for myself, mine eyes shall behold. and not
another. It's going to be somebody else
looking for me. It's not going to be a new creation. Not a new
creation. Job said it's going to be me.
It's going to be me. The me. Changed but me. Though my reins be consumed within
me. That is, my heart is consumed. with the anxiousness and anticipation
of seeing Him. In that day, no more by faith. Right now, there's so many things
we don't know. I just, I don't know. Like I
said, I don't know. I know it's going to be this
flesh I know this corrupting flesh
is going to put on incorruption. What will we look like? I don't
know. But I can tell you this, though
that doth not yet appear, I know this. I'm going to see Him. I'm going to see Him. And I'm
going to be like Him. And His will is going to be fulfilled
when He said, Father, I will. John 17, 24, I will. That those
that Thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold
my glory. Oh Lord Jesus, come quickly. For Christ's sake we pray.