Certainty Amid Calamity
To say that our times are calamitous is an understatement. We live in perilous times with no calm in sight. Daily destruction of life and property, whether by psychological torture, sickness, or death, seems to be the order of the day. Scripture warned us that this would be. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come”—2 Timothy 3:1. Job understood this well. Driven to desperation, he fell back on the truth and justice of God. He declared “I know that my redeemer liveth”—Job 19:25. There are three things that Job had that gave him hope and certainty amid calamity. I entreat you to let them be instructive to you in these turbulent times in which we live today.
First, Job had a true friend amid cruel friends. He looked to his Redeemer friend in his time of trouble. Even as his so-called friends abandoned him, his kinsman, vindicator, and redeemer Friend was always there. For every false charge and true charge, Jesus, our redeemer, bore our sin Himself, becoming our righteousness, thus justifying us. Everywhere Satan places guilt and sin, Jesus places grace and mercy. He redeems us both by price and by power. We never need worry when we have the Redeemer as our true Friend.
Second, Job had real property amid absolute poverty. In other words, when everything else was gone (see Job 19), Job still had the Redeemer as his own who still lived for him. Reduced to abject poverty, Job still owned a piece of heavenly real estate called “my Redeemer.” To Him Job would cling forever with unabated tenacity. The redeemer would be his only hope in life and death. He may lose everything, but never the redemption of God and the kinship of his Savior. Likewise today, we too may own a piece of that real property in the midst of this world’s calamity.
Lastly, Job had absolute certainty amid uncertain events. The words “I know” had no sort of inherent doubt. Everything else might be questionable, but this was certain and sure. His faith made him certain. It made him “know.” His trials could not make him doubt. In the midst of Job’s dark night of sorrow, he discovered the bright light of God’s justice which declares with absolute certainty, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him”—Job 13:15. And even if he died undefended and years went by while worms consumed his body, yet a Vindicator would arise and restore Job’s body to life again. That’s the kind of light that streamed through the narrow window of Job’s citadel of faith. His faith then could laugh at impossibilities. His faith then was ashamed to talk of difficulties. Job stared down death and declared, “Mr. Death, one day, I will attend your funeral.”
Job lived long before the Savior burst upon this earth. But what an honor it is for us who live in the clear sunshine of the gospel to embrace Job’s Redeemer, Kinsman, Vindicator, and Friend. In the midst of this world’s calamities and woes, we have a Savior, we have a Redeemer, ‘tis Jesus Christ our Lord.
Donald
G. King is president of the Atlantic Union
Conference and chairman of the Atlantic
Union College Board of Trustees.
Atlantic Union GLEANER
March 2007
