Job 19:25-27
‘Then Job answered…: “I know my Redeemer lives!…. He shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth — and though after my skin-worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God…for myself. My eyes, and not another’s, shall behold!”‘ Job 19:1,25-27.
Luther translated this: “I shall, after death, be re-clothed with my flesh. And I shall see God!” Job does not here speak of the immortality of the soul, but of the resurrection of the flesh!
Calvin remarks in his Institutes II:10:3,19 & III:25:4: “The Apostle Paul demonstrates that the Old Testament has special reference to the future life…. The most remarkable passage…is that of Job — ‘I know that my Redeemer lives 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 I shall see God Whom…my eye shall behold and not another’…. He who saw that the Redeemer would be present with him when lying in the grave, must have raised his eyes to a future immortality…. Job…, when more like a dead body than a living being, trusting to the power of God, hesitates not: as if in full vigour to rise to that day!”
In his Sermons on Job, Calvin adds that Job ‘knows that his Redeemer lives…. I know that my God is alive, and that in the end He will rise up upon the dust!’…. Meanwhile, we should perish. But He intends to make us partakers of His strength…. He makes the dust to awaken out of hand, and sets it up again…. Job intends to declare that God does not hold the said power enclosed only in His Own Being, but also spreads it out upon men…. Job says…that the worms…will also gnaw and fret away the rest of him…. Yet…he says that he trusted to see God…in his flesh — that is to say, by being restored again…. I shall see him, and none other…. Although…the remnant of me…be eaten away under my skin — yet shall I see my God…. When my body is laid in the grave, and there consumed as it were to nothing — yet…it shall be restored again at the last day!…
“Meanwhile, my soul shall be in safe and sure keeping. Because…, when I am dead, God will have it in His protection…. Then I shall behold much better than I do now, the life that our Lord Jesus Christ has purchased for us by His blood…. He says that his skin was worm-eaten and consumed…. He was as good as dead…. Yet he protests that he will not cease looking to his God….
When Job says ‘that he shall see his Redeemer in his flesh’ — his meaning is…that he shall be restored to a new state, though his skin were so eaten…. He says expressly that his bone shall be consumed, and nothing of him shall remain whole….
“Afterward, he adds — ‘I shall see God in my flesh.’ And how shall he see Him in his flesh?…. I shall be set in my former state, and see my God yet again!…. God has assured me that He will make me strong again…. My eyes shall then behold Him, and none other…. Job then means that he shall see God…by being set again in his former state!”
Job knew his Redeemer lives and would arise after his skin was again made whole. Job would behold God and see Him with his own eyes. They, after decomposing, would yet see God!
