It seems that Job despairs of ever being vindicated in his lifetime. His friends seem more interested in vindicating their own beliefs at his expense than consoling him by agreeing that he is righteous. Nevertheless, Job’s good name is important to him. He wants to be vindicated more than anything else. Therefore, in Job 19:23-24 he expresses the desire that his words would be engraved in stone with a pen of iron and that molten lead would be poured into the letters for clarity, and that this record would stand for all generations to follow (cp, Job 16:18). Whether or not posterity would agree with Job or with Job’s friends doesn’t seem to be the point. Rather, Job simply wishes that his protest of innocence would be recorded and available to be read by all generations to follow. Why(?) is the point of what is to follow.[1]
What we have recorded in the Book of Job is a controversy over whether or not there is a resurrection. It is similar to the controversy between the Sadducees and the Pharisees (cp. Acts 23:6-8). The friends embrace the doctrine that there is no resurrection, while Job embraces the hope that there is one. It is in this vein that we must understand the friends’ coldness toward Job. Religion is of utmost importance and often divides families and friends. The friends must protest Job’s guilt, because to die as an innocent man, in such a state as Job was, would constitute proof of the error of their theology, and they were unwilling to admit such a thing even for the sake of their friendship.
On the other hand, Job did believe there must be a resurrection, probably because he met with events similar to his own in the lives of others, and justice demanded a future restitution. Job was more of a realist than his friends. They were of the type that say: “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it!” Such an attitude precludes any real investigation. Nothing is laid on the line, and it doesn’t take much courage to embrace such a conclusion. Nevertheless, Job was willing to die, while facing his accusers and without an acceptable explanation that would vindicate him. He clung to his faith in a future restitution that demanded a resurrection, whereby God, himself, would rectify all contradictions in order to vindicate his own name. Therefore, in saying: “I know my Redeemer lives, and he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth…” (Job 19:25), Job is actually placing his own good name alongside that of the need for the Lord to vindicate his own good name. In other words, Job looks for his own vindication in the latter day, when the Lord decides to judge the world and set all things aright.
In that day, Job says his flesh would have been long since consumed by worms, and his body destroyed, yet, even though his tabernacle in which he presently lives no longer exists, he (Job) would see God with the eyes of a body he couldn’t describe. Nevertheless, it would be Job in that undefined tabernacle (Job 19:26-27; cp. Job 14:14-15).
Therefore, the root of the debate is not a moral one, even though the friends sought moral grounds to accuse Job (Job 19:28). Neither was Jesus’ trial before the high priest over moral issues. Jesus was tried and crucified, because he claimed to be God’s own Son—a theological issue. He was crucified, because he preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, which proclaimed him as the promised Messiah. This wasn’t a moral issue. It was a political one, but because the Jews submitted themselves to a Theocracy, it was also a theological one.
Just as it was for Jesus, so it was for Job. He was the root of the matter. The question of correct theology was solely based upon him and what he claimed to be true. They persecuted him, because he contradicted their worldview (Job 19:28). Jesus was crucified, because he contradicted the worldview of the Jewish authorities. Job claimed there must be a future judgment (Job 19:29, cp. 19:25-27), but the friends believed all matters pertaining to divine judgment occurred during one’s present and only lifetime. Therefore, Job’s resurrection, when it occurred, would vindicate him, just as Jesus’ resurrection vindicated him (Matthew 12:39-40; cp. Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5). Therefore, the friends needed to beware of that coming judgment, because they judged Job wicked and slandered his good name. Not only so, but they did so by claiming God’s part in Job’s suffering proved their theology and justified their behavior. If they were wrong, the friends were also guilty of slandering God!
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[1] Some believe that what Job wishes to be engraved upon stone is what follows in verses 25-27, but I don’t believe this is so. Job’s desire to be vindicated was very important to him, but his words fall upon deaf ears. He realizes that death is near, and his time is running out. Therefore, he wants his protest of innocence to be recorded alongside his accusers’ statement of his wickedness. The vindication will come in the Lord’s time, at the latter day (verse-25).
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