After the inspiring Sunday evening sermon a week ago, we sang the hymn that starts with Job’s triumphant exclamation, “I know that my Redeemer lives!,” written by Samuel Medley in the late 1700′s.

Apprenticed as a youth to an oil-man in London, Samuel Medley escaped from his agreement by joining the Royal Navy. It was while recovering from a severe battle injury when Medley read a sermon by Isaac Watts that led to his conversion to Christianity. A pastor later urged him to enter the ministry and Samuel was soon preaching, especially to seamen. It was common for pastors to write hymns in Medley’s time. Often the hymn summarized a sermon.

I’ve not given myself to writing hymns or even one hymn, but I did look at each phrase of “I know that my Redeemer lives” and found an appropriate Scripture. I’m not saying these references are the Scriptures Medley used to compose his hymn. There might even be better selections than the ones I have made, I’ll leave that to you and actually, I welcome and encourage your input.

1. I know that my Redeemer lives; Job 19:23-27
What comfort this sweet sentence gives! 2 Cor. 1:3
He lives, He lives, who once was dead; Rev. 2:8
He lives, my ever living Head. Col. 2:9

2. He lives to bless me with His love, Rom. 5:8
He lives to plead for me above. Job 16:21
He lives my hungry soul to feed, Psa. 107:9
He lives to help in time of need. Heb. 4:16

3. He lives triumphant from the grave, 1 Cor. 15:54
He lives eternally to save,2 Tim. 2:10
He lives all glorious in the sky, Titus 2:13
He lives exalted there on high. Psa. 97:9

4. He lives to grant me rich supply,Phil. 4:19
He lives to guide me with His eye, Psa. 32:8
He lives to comfort me when faint, Heb. 12:3-5
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint. Psa. 55:2

5. He lives to silence all my fears, Psa. 34:14
He lives to wipe away my tears Rev. 21:4
He lives to calm my troubled heart, Mark 4:39
He lives all blessings to impart. Eph. 1:3

6. He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend, Lk. 6:35. Jude 25, Pro. 18:24
He lives and loves me to the end; Mat. 28:20
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing; Psa. 13:6
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. Lk. 1:76, Heb. 3:1, 1 Tim. 1:17

7. He lives and grants me daily breath; Gen. 2:17
He lives, and I shall conquer death: 1 Cor. 1:12-26
He lives my mansion to prepare; John 14:1-6
He lives to bring me safely there. 1 Thes. 4:14

8. He lives, all glory to His Name! Psa. 105:3
He lives, my Jesus, still the same. Heb. 13:8
What joy the blest assurance gives; Heb. 10:22
I know that my Redeemer lives! Job 19:25

When all is said and done, how can this great hymn of Jesus Christ’s resurrection not inspire us and reverberate throughout the innermost recesses of our soul? I know that my Redeemer lives!

Hello Everyone!

I suppose by now you have given up on my fulfilling my promise. While I am two days later than I thought I would be, here I am. I think you will especially enjoy what I have for you today—you may exclaim as some say, “it was worth the wait.”

Pastor Rigsby preached from Job 19 Sunday evening. Included below is my poor attempt at transcribing and reducing to a reasonable length his exposition of verses 23-27. Not finding a reasonable break to spread over two weeks, I have included all of this portion of the sermon. Written words cannot convey the expression and emotion accompanying what was said. But the spirit and the Truth of what was said is here.

If what you read here urges you to hear more, an audio copy of the entire sermon is available for the asking on CD, cassette, or on our website. You can access the sermon now by clicking here.

May you be blessed and encouraged from this written word as much as we who listened Sunday night. (Jim)

Chiseled in Stone

October 22, 2006 • Pastor Rigsby, Bell Gardens Baptist Church

Now we come to an apex [in Job 19]. Job knows he might be going to die but he wants [what he is about to say] to be set down in stone. He makes an affirmation in verses 23 and 24.

“Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

1. A book never means what we mean by a book where you turn pages, it means one that you roll up, a “scroll.” Books [as we know them] weren’t invented until the 3rd century A.D. Job is earlier than that time, even about 20 centuries before Christ!
2. A work done in rock is intended to be permanent.
3. When you chisel stone there is a danger that it will crack, allowing water to get in and break the stone to pieces. To stop [erosion] they would fill the chiseled letters with molten lead which would insulate [the stone] from letting any water get in there and cause the thing to come apart. I’ve only seen one or two [ancient markers] that have the lead still in it because the lead often comes out. I’ve been told to get the lead out sometimes myself, but that’s not the same thing.

This is Job’s affirmation. Job wants [his words} written down in a permanent form. He wants everybody to know this is the most important thing he has said. He wants everybody to read [these words] either in the scroll or on the stone.

Then, the greatest words of assurance in the book of Job and some of the greatest words in the whole Old Testament are expressed [in verses 25 and 26]. I want to give you a Hebrew lesson tonight.

“For I know that my 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 and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: though my reins be consumed within me.”

Job says, “Do you want to know why I want you to make a permanent record? Because I know…”

1. The word “I” is repeated, “I myself,” or “I personally know this without any doubt whatsoever.”
2. The form of the Hebrew verb “know” is a perfect. Hebrew perfect doesn’t mean the same as a Greek or English perfect. The Hebrew perfect means “complete action.” The action is a done deal. This verb is also used in the indicative mood, which means it is stated as a fact. By contrast, we could say, “I don’t have to worry that maybe someday [this Redeemer] is going to live. Or maybe [He] used to live.”
3. There are several words for the word “know” in the Hebrew language. This [word for "know"] never just means “awareness of a fact” (which is a much shallower word for “know”). This word for “know” is “total, complete knowledge that is only [ascertained] by experience.” This verb’s tense and mood tell us, “I know this for sure. I have experienced this. I have knowledge of this in the deepest kind of a way. And it is an absolute, completed fact.

Job says, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

The word for “Redeemer” is one of the richest words in the Bible. It is the word [transliterated here] “goel.” There are three characteristics about a “goel” or “redeemer.”

1. Job knows a “goel” has to be kin to you. Somehow Job understands that the only way that God can pull it off to save him, to be redeemed, is if God could become his kinsman. Job has been complaining that his kinsman have all alienated themselves [from him].
2. Job knows a “goel” has to be willing to save you. Job was aware that none would serve as his “goel.”
3. Job knows a “goel” has to be able to save you. Somehow Job knows about the incarnation [of Jesus Christ. The incarnation, God become flesh, fulfilled the third characteristic of a "redeemer," making Jesus legally able to save]. How did Job know? The Holy Spirit must have explained this wonderful truth!

Job says, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

1. The word “liveth” is a participle. Stated another way, “I know that He is a living one.” This implies continuous action. He is not living for a little while. He is living—period! He is alive now. He was alive then. And “he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” Job knows that it would be true now and in the future.
2. [Comparing his condition with the living Redeemer,] Job probably looks down at his [dying] body, and says [verse 26], “my skin is about gone.” The Hebrew doesn’t have the word “worms,” but implies that they “destroy this body.” The word [destroy] is a plural verb. “They destroy,” Job says, “the worms are working on my skin.” They destroy “this” is what the text literally says. It doesn’t say “this body.”
3. After contrasting his dying body with the living Redeemer, Job [boldly declares], “Yet,” meaning, “in spite of [what the worms will do], in my flesh (the Hebrew says ‘from my flesh’), shall I see God.” Paraphrasing Job, “My redeemer lives. Worms are working on destroying my whole body [which will die], but I know that I am going to see my redeemer.” As the hymn says, “I long to see my Saviour first of all.”

In case Job’s friends were asking, “how can you say that?,” Job responds, [in verse 27] with [three assertions].

“Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: though my reins be consumed within me.”

1. “Whom I shall see for myself.” Again, the pronouns are intensive: “I myself, personally”. Again, the verb “see” is a Hebrew perfect, indicating complete action. Job understood the incarnation [of Jesus Christ] and considered it as good as done.
2. “And mine eyes shall behold and not another.” Job uses the usual word for “see,” (behold) with your eyes. He used a couple of different words for “see” earlier. Job [was declaring by faith he would see] his living Redeemer and intensifies his words with the phrase “and not somebody else.”
3. “Though my reins be consumed (kidneys are eaten away) within me.” Job expresses his confidence that seeing his Redeemer is as sure as his body is being consumed and destroyed. Seeing his Redeemer was [as good as] a completed action in Job’s life, even though it was yet future.

This is a chapter to remembered. These are verses that deserve to be written in a book and chiseled in stone and lead poured into the chiseling so that it will last forever. Job has given us a chapter that we can enjoy, which is different than those chapters we have been laboring through week after week. Job’s assurance is absolutely wonderful [and his assurance can be our assurance, too]!

It seems I gathered several tidbits of information this week, some of which I thought might be of interest to many of you. In the process of gathering or sorting or moving or somewhere along the way, I lost at least 3 files. Searches on the internet have not been profitable. By “lost” I mean I must have accidentally trashed the files, otherwise, I could find them again.

I would be happy to share with you the 4 tidbits that I still have possession of.

Statisticians believe the population in the United States will reach 300 million this Tuesday, October 17, 2006. Thirty-eight years ago, the population was 200 million. During these years, has overall attendance in church services proportionately increased? Of more importance, have an equally proportionate number been genuinely saved by Jesus Christ? Or a greater percentage? From all appearances we must say, “No.” The old Gospel hymn says, “mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.” “God continue to be merciful to us (grateful forgiven sinners) and to those around us who desperately need Your saving grace, please open wide the flood gates.”

Those who attended church here through most of the 1970′s will remember the huge painting of Christ knocking at the door that hung on the north wall of the sanctuary. Do you know who the painter of that very famous painting and several other famous paintings is? He is Warner Sallman. In this week’s Christian History newsletter, an article on the story behind another of his famous paintings, “The Head of Christ” was presented. Here is the link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2006/003/11.11.html

I was saddened to read this week that John W. Peterson died on September 20, 2006. He was 84 years old. If you are scratching your head, think music. He penned many hymns that became favorites (around here, anyway). He probably gave new life to more hymns than he penned with fresh arrangements. And, just how many of his cantatas over the years did our choir sing at Christmas and Easter? Don’t you wish we had recordings of each of those presentations? In comparison with today, it is hard to imagine that the technology to record was still unavailable in most of those days. I was unaware that the John W. Peterson Music Company had a website. You might like to read a short (and incomplete) biography. Go here: http://johnwpetersonmusic.com/johnw_.htm. It is unfortunate that it took Peterson’s death for me to begin rummaging through all the music we have—there are many excellent selections hidden in those old cantatas.

There is one more tidbit. It was on this day, October 15, 1949 that “Billy Graham skyrockets to national prominence with an evangelistic crusade in Los Angeles.” That location on Washington Blvd. is commemorated with a plaque in front of where the Traffic Court Building now stands. I know that because the first time I served Jury Duty (3 successive weeks in 1985) I was (thankfully) transferred from Superior Court to Traffic Court after the first week. The majority of the cases in Traffic Court are DUI. Since I am a “totaler” (I don’t even like tea), I was mostly there to occupy space and fulfill my civic duty. I do remember a couple of lawyers being rattled that I would cost them one of their dismissal cards, if they so chose. They wanted the Judge to dismiss me without surrendering one of their cuts. The Judges didn’t give in. I was dismissed. I guess that means the Lawyers lost. It sure doesn’t work like that on TV. I never realized just how powerful answering “No” to “do you drink?” could be. How did I get on this? I wonder if Billy Graham preached against drunkenness in one of his messages in that location back in 1949? Anyway, If you want to read more about Billy Graham, you can purchase a copy of Christian History, Issue 65, “The Ten Most Influential Christians of the Twentieth Century” here: http://cti.stores.yahoo.net/is65moinchof.html. Otherwise, some of you can relive and relish the memories you have of being there—can you believe this?—57 years ago.