Connect360: I Know That My Redeemer Lives 

• Lesson 9 in the Connect360 unit “Praise Him in the Storm: When Life Falls Apart” focuses on Job 19:20-27.

Notice the evidence of grief that enveloped Job’s life. Job went from happiness to grief at the loss of his prosperity, but when Job turned from his friends toward God, he began his rebound from the hands of Satanic attack. This was Job’s turning point: Job prayed. The wisdom of Job began to take form even though Job did not understand the reason behind his turmoil, but he did understand what he knew about God … and so Job spoke to God. The wisdom of Job is on full display, and he knew his words were worth recording.

Job wanted his story to always be remembered, so he prayed his heart’s desire. Job’s prayer had prophetic undertones. Prophecy is not predicting the future, but rather speaking truth so boldly in real time that it becomes truth for times in the future. Job’s fall at the hands of Satan was an epic fall. In Job’s lifetime, the prevailing theological belief concluded no one suffered as Job did without a sin to confess or some wicked behavior from which to turn. This was the argument of his three visitors, but Job knew others coming behind him would need a truth on which to hold. Job did not want to leave his story to the inconsistencies of oral tradition.

The genre of storytelling can change over time if it’s not written down. So, Job prayed his story would be recorded. Job then focused his prayer to include how he wanted his words recorded: (1) written on a scroll—Job requested his words be written in a book. Books would outlast him and would be a written record of his ailments; (2) inscribed with an iron tool on lead— ironworks has characteristics that cannot be changed easily; and (3) engraved in rock—chiseled in stone. Books, iron and stone are three ways to capture and keep history. Job wanted his story to outlive him.

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