I Shall See God
Read Job 19:25–27 and compare it with John 1:18 and 1 Timothy
6:16. When and under what circumstances was Job expecting to
“see God”?
Life is not fair. We see this especially when we see the “good” suf-
fering and the “unrighteous” prospering (see Ps. 73:12–17 and Mal.
3:14–18). For example, Job was “blameless and upright” and “feared
God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1, NKJV). Even so, God allowed Satan to
afflict him in several disastrous ways. Physically, his body was ravaged
by painful disease (Job 2:1–8). Materially, he lost large portions of his
livestock and properties (Job 1:13–17). Within his household, he lost
his servants and even his own children (Job 1:16, 18). And emotionally,
he was surrounded by friends who accused him of being an impenitent
sinner who deserved what he was facing (Job 4:1–5:27, Job 8:1–22,
Job 11:1–20, etc.). Even his own wife stated, “ ‘Do you still hold fast
to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ ” (Job 2:9, NKJV).
Job did not realize that he had become the epicenter of a deep cos-
mic struggle between God and Satan. Afflicted by those struggles, Job
regretted his own birth and wished that he had never been born (Job
3:1–26). Yet, his unconditional faithfulness to God is well expressed
in the words “ ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’ ” (Job 13:15,
NKJV). Even imagining that soon his life would end, he kept his assur-
ance that death would not have the final word. With strong conviction
he stated that although he would die, his Redeemer would one day stand
up and he, Job himself, would see God in his own flesh (Job 19:25–27).
“This is an unmistakable glimpse of the resurrection.”—The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 3, p. 549.
What a glorious hope in the midst of such a tragedy! Surrounded
by sickness and pain, economic collapse, social reproach, and emo-
tional breakdown, Job could still anticipate the day when he would
rise from the dead and behold his beloved Redeemer. Actually, Job’s
statement about the resurrection was filled with the same assurance
as found centuries later in Martha’s utterance to Jesus: “ ‘I know
that he [Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection at the last day’ ”
(John 11:24, NKJV). Job, like Martha, had to claim this promise by
faith, even though, unlike Job, Martha would soon be given powerful
empirical evidence for her belief.
How can we learn to trust God even amid the harsh unfairness
of life?
