Job 19:23-27 deals with Job expressing his concerns with his life in response to the discourse of his friends Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar.  Nowhere in God's Word is a more poignant expression of someone wondering why these calamities are happening and the belief that God will eventually take care of it.  It's a wonderful lesson for us today.

1)  JOB DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY
     A. Have we ever asked ourselves why we are going through certain things? Job felt the same way.
     B. His friends were not much help. 

2)  HE DIDN'T LOSE FAITH IN THE FUTURE
     A. He wanted relief and vindication.
     B. He gave three reasons for hoping his words would be recorded
         1.  25a - " I know that my Redeemer lives"
              a. What does "redeemer" mean?  Hebrew word is goel - an avenger, vindicator, defender, deliverer.  In the OT the primary use was family law.
                  1.  Lev 25: 47-49 - if someone had to sell himself into slavery, a near relative could redeem him.
                  2.  Lev 25:25; Ruth 4: 1-6 - Had to sell property to pay debts?  A relative could help
                  3.  Num 35 - Avenging a death of a relative by taking the life of the one who was guilty ( refuge cities).
          2.  Goel can also be used of God - Psa 19:14 - "My Redeemer"
      C.  In all the passages, the theme is the same, deliverance from trouble - coming to the aid of a loved one.Bold
      D.  No matter how bad things got for Job he always knew he had a redeemer. Someone who would have the last say. 
           2. 25b - "and at the last He will take His stand on the earth" - "stand" here is a legal term.  After all is said and done God will have the last say and the truth will be know and right will be done.
           3. 26,27a - "even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God, whom I myself shall behold." -Is he expressing a faith in a bodily resurrection?  Remember, this is long before the NT teaches about the resurrection. (1 Pet 1: 10-12).
               1.  1 Thess 4: 13,14 - if we die before the Lord returns, our bodies decompose and our spirits go back to the Lord who gave it.
               2.  1 Cor 15: 50-54 - But, at the resurrection, our bodies will be raised and changed into a glorious body that is no longer corruptible or mortal. 
           4.  Job had what David and other patriarchs had: a faith that death would not break of their communion with the Lord.
       E.  27b - "My heart faints (yearns) within me" - it was his heart-wrenching passion.

Two striking things about this passage - Job had some questions, but ultimately his faith carried him through although he didn't understand why everything was happening.  Also, Job was a godly man.  He suffered terribly, but many times we also suffer, too.  Godly people can suffer as painfully as anyone else in the world. Are we so naive to think we'll get through this life without hurting and grieving and being tested?  What did Peter say? (1 Pet. 4:12)

"I believe in the sun when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I am alone.  I believe in God even when He is silent." (WW II refugee).

3) APPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
      A.  It's not wrong to want vindication - 2 Thess 1: 6-8, Rev 6:10
           1.  But, to pray to God to"avenge our blood is a dangerous prayer, because we can be hypocritical or let sinful thoughts creep in.  But, on the other hand, if we are too nice to hate what God hates, then we are too nice.
      B.  It's possible to have the kind of integrity Job had
           1.  Job was not sinless,  but he was blameless  Job1:1,8; 2:3 - a godly faithful life is possible
           2.  Some say, "you know I'm only human."  To me that's not an expression of humility, it's an excuse for irresponsibility.  We need to quit making excuses and live the kind of life Job lived.  (and Enoch, Abraham, Daniel, Joseph, etc.)
      C.  We need to be honest enough to see when our integrity is not what Job's was
           1.  We may call on the Lord for vindication, but we may be in the wrong.  Job was right, but that doesn't mean that we are.
           2.  Look at Malachi's day - Mal 3: 1,2, the day of the Lord will be a fearful day for not only the wicked but many churchgoers. Rom 2: 17-24.
      D.  Someday there will be a Redeemer who will stand up and do what is right.

Conclusion:  we need to have Job's faith, his grit. Also, God has given us monumental evidence of his Son's resurrection and that He can be trusted.  If we have doubts we can hang onto two truths, His existence and benevolence.  In the end God will settle every account.