The book of Job is the story of a righteous man who experienced horrible suffering and total disaster. Job loses all of his children and property, and then he is afflicted with a devastating disease.

How does Job react to these terrible tragedies? Job 1:20–22 (New International Version) tells us:

[He] fell to the ground in worship and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.

May the name of the Lord be praised.”

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

That type of positive perspective is amazing after having gone through such tragic experiences.

Now we raise some important questions. Did that positive attitude continue? Was Job patient and passive during this entire heart-wrenching experience?

No! Chapter 3 of Job is an angry tirade which presents us with another side of Job. Job 3:1–2 says, “After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.

He said: ‘May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, ‘A boy is born.’”

Think about these words: “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11).

Or, “Why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?” (Job 3:16).

After saying all of these heartrending words he ends, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil” (Job 3:26).

These are words which describe a man with an emotional time bomb ready to explode. They do not support the idea that Job was a patient man at this point in time.

We may wonder: “Is this type of tirade OK? Does God approve of such anger?” Someone might say, “Jeremiah had the same mindset.” When Jeremiah watched the sinful conduct of Israel he was overwhelmed with grief. He responded to this sordid situation by saying, “Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed!” (Jer. 20:14).

     

So how do we respond to the words of Jeremiah and Job? Certainly, both men experienced tragic times. They were overwhelmed with grief. But if they had not verbalized their grief, they would have stuffed their emotions, thus leading to a painful plight.

That is true for us as well. Maybe someone in our family dies from cancer, Covid-19, or a car accident. Maybe someone suffers from dementia. Maybe a newborn baby is snatched from our arms after taking one last breath.

How do we react to these painful situations? Do we stuff our emotions, which can lead to painful psychological problems, or do we cry out loudly and verbalize our hurts and anger? Remember, if we are silent, God knows what we are thinking anyway.

What happens after Job whimpers and wails? Our gracious God steps into the picture. With the warmth of his love he motivates Job to make this testimony in Job 19:25–27:

“I know that my redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

yet in my flesh I will see God.

I myself will see him . . .

How my heart yearns within me.”

Think about these words. What is Job getting at here? He realizes that at some point he will die. He talks about his skin being destroyed. This is Job’s way of saying that death is around the comer for him. But even though he will die, his Redeemer lives. His Lord and Savior is alive. Jesus arose from the dead. He lives in heaven in the flesh. And Job believes that someday he will arise from the dead and he in his own flesh will see God.

This will happen because when Jesus returns to earth, he will raise our bodies from death and breathe into them the breath of life.

Think again about Job 19:25. It says, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that at the end he will stand on the earth.” That phrase “He will stand on the earth” can also be translated “He will stand on my grave.”

That’s amazing! When Christ comes back at the end of the world as we know it, he will also stand on our graves. What does that mean? It means that Christ is victorious over death. Death will be done when Christ comes back. When Christ stands on our grave he will be saying, “Satan does not have the last word. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

That’s why Job could say, “How my heart yearns for him. I want to see Jesus. I, with a resurrected body, want to be with my Savior.”

According to Revelation 21:1–5, when Jesus comes back at the end of world history, heaven will come down to earth. And there will be no more pain, or tears or death, as Job experienced. Instead we will live in a perfect world, with perfect bodies. God will be with us, and we will be with God. Everything will be peace and joy in the Lord.

Think about Philippians 3:20–21: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

So, can we say with Job, “My heart yearns to see Jesus, my Lord and Savior.”

If we do believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we will see him some day. Our future will be bright with promise, for our bodies will be raised from the grave, and our souls will be reunited with our bodies. We will then live in a perfect world, face to face with our Savior. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Calvin Vander Meyden is a retired Christian Reformed Church pastor. He and his wife, Marge, are members of the LaGrave CRC in Grand Rapids, MI. Pastor VanderMeyden graduated from Calvin College and Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary.