Ep 164: Job’s Hidden Messianic Clues

"Have you considered Job? Job reveals suffering’s purpose through messianic hints: a heavenly witness, an arbiter, and the declaration of a living Redeemer. These themes point to Christ as mediator and kinsman-redeemer, offering hope beyond guilt, accusations, and pain."

Job is usually treated like a book you survive, not a book you savor. We come at it from a different angle: Job as a Christ-centered story packed with messianic prophecy, mediation language, and resurrection hope that shows up long before the Gospels. If you’ve ever wondered why suffering can feel so personal and God can feel so distant, Job’s words are strangely direct, and they push us toward a solution that’s bigger than willpower or good advice.

We walk through four distinct passages where Job’s pain breaks open and a clear theological signal shines through. Job longs for an “arbiter” who can stand between him and a holy God, then he insists he has a witness in heaven who will testify for him. From there we hit the line that has carried generations through grief: “I know that my Redeemer lives.” We connect those statements to core Christian doctrine about Jesus Christ as the Divine Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor, and we talk honestly about why that matters when guilt, shame, and accusations start to feel louder than grace.

Then we dig into the Hebrew word Goel, the kinsman-redeemer, and trace the redemption pattern from Job into Ruth and ultimately to Christ’s incarnation. We also zoom out to the full narrative: Job’s friends offer confident but wrong counsel, God answers from the whirlwind, and the twist is that Job becomes an intercessor for the very friends who misjudged him, a powerful type of Christ. If you want deeper Bible study, biblical theology, and a fresh way to read the Book of Job, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

This program was made possible by the Plays One Word family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at playsonword.org

Plays On Word Newsletter Sign Up • Support Plays On Word Radio & Plays On Word Theater • The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

Plays On Word website
Plays On Word YouTube
Plays On Word Facebook
Plays On Word Instagram
Email us: team@playsonword.org

Transcript

Christ Our Willing Redeemer

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Lord, you know. Now let's gonna play is the best. And that pictures Christ, our Redeemer, is one of us. God with us, Emmanuel. He became one of us. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, became human so that he could redeem fallen humanity. But he is he's also the one that was willing to do it for the joy set before him. He endured the cross, the spies and the shape. He was willing to do what he did. He wasn't forced to do it, he didn't have to do it, he wanted to, and he wanted to do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Hello and welcome to Place on Word Radio, where we discuss, analyze, work, and play on the Word of God. Thank you for joining us on the Sixth Thursday today. Let's join Pastor Teddy, also known as Fred David Kenny Jr., the founder of Place on Word Theater, as he does a deep dive into the Word of God.

Why Job Might Be Earliest

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Okay. Plays on Word Radio. My name is Fred David Kenney Jr. Thank you very much for being here on the air with me. And uh thank you very much, Katie Kenny and Josh Taylor, for that fantastic introduction. And uh something we're we're gonna do something today that you hear about in the intro. We're gonna do a deep dive into the scripture, and I'm gonna share with you guys something that we did at a recent teaching that we uh did for my home church, where I am the pastor of Calvary Chapel of Southport in Southport, North Carolina, and we are doing a series called GPS to the Messiah, and we we kind of dove into a little section about Job, and I think that you will be blessed by this. So sit back, kick back, and absorb and enjoy this in Jesus' name. We kind of looked at the the first five books, the the Torah, the law of Moses, and pointed out major prophecies of Messiah and some themes. There's a book that many believe predates the writing of Genesis, like when Moses actually wrote Genesis. There's there's actually a book of the Bible, and I don't know if I don't know, it doesn't say when it was written. Could it be written before that? Yeah, it could be written before that. Um, so I don't take a hardcore stance on when it was written, but any idea on what book I'm talking about?

unknown 2:57

Job.

Job Longs For A Mediator

A Witness Who Pleads Above

I Know My Redeemer Lives

Goel And Ruth Explain Redemption

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Job. Or job if you're from Puerto Rico. Uh yeah, that's that's my my my buddy Orlando. He says the book of Job. And I'm like, wait, Job? What kind of Bible you got, man? But there are in the book of Job, it's fascinating, it's amazing. And I don't say that because of the caffeine. In the book of Job, there are four distinct passages where there's all this suffering going on, and it's as if in three of them it's Job, and the fourth one it's Elihu at the end, who is a type of Christ. He he he kind of pictures Christ. Um, but it's like all this suffering, and then Job just sticks his head up for a second above the water and makes amazing statement and then comes back down to the suffering. So we're gonna look at those four statements in Job. And just so you guys know, the story of Job, the story of Job is a type, a picture and type of Christ. Um it's fascinating from the perspective that Job starts out, he's offering sacrifices for just in case his children might have sinned. He's he's he's acting as a priest of his household, he's offering sacrifices to God. And so he's offering sacrifices, and then the Lord who takes the credit for harming Job. Um, a lot of people want to say, Well, look what Satan did, look what Satan did. The Lord's the one who takes the credit for it. The Lord says, You incited me against my servant Job. Um Satan was just a tool that the Lord allowed to test Job, but God is the one who takes credit. And well, actually, let's get into it and then I'll make my the main point. So the first messianic prophecy in Job is very curious. It's one of Job's speeches, it's in Job 9, 33, and he's just out of nowhere, he says, there's no uh arbiter between us who might lay his hand on both of us. And it the idea the word arbiter, uh uh dazeman or an umpire, that's like the idea, the theme. There's not somebody that can stand between me and God. And when he says lay hands on both of us, it's not to punch, it's it's to be in between. There's no one. And look at this quote from Walter Kaiser. I got only someone who can go between both God and human and a human being can affect the needed reconciliation period. But how can that desired individual be a mere mortal to adjudicate this dispute? Remember, we have offended a holy righteous God because of our sin. Okay, to adjudicate this dispute, this mediator will himself need to be divine. It can't be a human because humans are sinful. So we need a oh, we need a mediator, and this mediator needs to be divine. One can see the logic building for some person who will be no less than the son of God if he is to bridge the gulf created by this situation. That's pretty well said by Walter Kaiser. And if you look look back at what Job says in 933, there's no there's no umpire between us. And what Kaiser just said is and it can't be a man. The umpire can't be a man because man is sinful. I needed someone to be in between me and God, and this person needs to be God, needs to be divine. So that's the first one, just to ponder. It's amazing because Job is it's all this suffering and everything, and then just adding, oh, if there was just somebody that could be between us, an umpire between me and God, lay hands on both of us, and then it goes back to whoa, whoa, whoa,'s me and that kind of thing. And then his friends, listen, when you look at what Job's friends say, you can't pay attention to what they say because they're all wrong. They're wrong, and you know they're wrong because at the end of the book, God is like, you're wrong. You were you were wrong about me. So a lot of people read the book of Job and also get bogged down with it. It is it's poetry, the way it's constructed. When we get to it on our Sunday study, we'll look at how it's constructed because it's it's the way it's laid out is is is Hebrew poetry. Uh but let's look at the next one. Job 16. He says, it's right in the middle of suffering, right? And he's like, Oh my goodness, this is terrible, this is terrible. And then he says, Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high. My friends scorn me, and my eye pours out tears to God, that he would argue the case of a man with God as a son of man does with his neighbor. He's it's amazing he says this. Like, my witness is in heaven. Like he has insight. This is this is a my witness is in heaven. And Jesus, it says in John 1, let's see, do I yeah, I do have it. In in 1 John chapter 2, listen to what John says about Jesus. He says, My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Let's go back to what Job said. Oh, my witness is in heaven. He who testifies of me. Christ testifies on our behalf. And if we go over one more in the book of Romans, Paul says, Who shall bring any charge against God's chosen, God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus, the one who died, but more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Job was on something, he knew it. My witness is in heaven. We, as believers in Christ, we say the same thing. My witness is in heaven. He who testifies for me is on high. Why? Because Christ Jesus, who is at the right hand of God, is interceding for us. That's amazing, man. That is amazing. And this is one of the gifts that he did not have to give us. This shows the grace of God, how gracious he is to have to intercede when we make mistakes because we're in the process of sanctification. He's declared us righteous, declared us right, he has perfected us for all eternity, but yet practically we still have to live this life and we still make mistakes. And we, that's why we he wants us to confess our sins. Because he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It all ties together. But that's I'm telling you, you ever get down, the enemy ever gets a couple arrows in and lies to you about what you should do, what you should have done, or who you are, you're not this, it's Christ who's interceding for me. I have a witness on high. Okay, let's let's move on to one of my all-time favorites in in the book of Job and in the scripture altogether. Job 19. Job says, Oh, oh, oh, that my words were off, my words were only written down. Oh, that my words were inscribed in a book or that with an iron pen and lead that they were engraved in a rock forever. Now look at what he says in verse 25. How he knows this, I don't know, but this is Holy Spirit breathed scripture. He says, For I know that my redeemer lives, and at the last, some translations say, and in the end, he will stand upon the earth. This is the same witness, this is the same advocate that he's been calling for. He will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh, resurrection, I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, I'm gonna see him, and not enough, somebody else is gonna tell me about it, I'm gonna see him. Oh, my heart faints within me. And I can relate to that. My heart faints within me when I think about that. When it's all said and done. I just had a um my Greek professor, he just passed away two days ago. And uh I I love this guy. He's he's um, you know, he was 92, he was just faithful, had his hand at the plow for, I don't know, 50, 50 years. I think he started, planted this church 50 years ago, had his hand at the plow. I interviewed him for the for our podcast. Um, and he's just, you know, just a dear soul. He actually corrected me on a couple things I got wrong on a play I did. Uh he pulled me to the side. He said, Hey, um, you know, I want to uh will you will you accept any kind of criticism? I said, sure, man. Tell me, please. He spoke it in love and corrected me. Only a fool would say, I don't need to listen to that. And I said, I went and re-engineered a couple part of the scene and everything like that. And I was grateful for that kind of correction. You know, the fool's the one who thinks that they're they're they've arrived and they can't learn anything. That's the fool. Um, so yeah, and he's he's with the Lord, he's with it's a he's with the Lord, and now he knows. And it's I would just love to see the expression on his face as the realization of knowing as we are known is just coming to him. And he's like, Oh wow, I knew it, I was right. And he's gonna be no doubt, he's like, Oh, I oh, I mean, I got that wrong. Wow, that's even greater than I thought. I I'm just so excited for glory for all of it, and there's not enough people in pulpits and in positions of teaching that talk about that and emphasize it. Because it's coming like a freight train for every single one of us. We will be in glory if our faith is in Christ. It's coming, and it's it's good to ponder that. You know, it's it's good to ponder that. What's it gonna be like when we're in his presence? Because that's happening. If your faith is in Christ, your Redeemer lives, and you're gonna see him with your own eyes, talking about flesh, talking about the resurrection, even after you've been in the dirt, if if God forbid, you know, if if the Lord tarries and our day comes, even after that, with our eyes, we're gonna see the King of Kings. And uh somebody else isn't gonna tell us about it, you know. That is a blessed hope, amen. That should get you excited, like man, and another that's another thing he didn't have to do, he didn't have to do that, but he but he did because he loved us now. Oh, and uh how can I forget that word redeemer in the Hebrew? You know, I don't believe this. That word redeemer in the Hebrew is Goel. The entire book of Ruth is about the Goel, who is Boaz, it means kinsman redeemer. Boaz, in order to redeem Naomi and Ruth and all that was lost from a limelech's land, uh all that was lost to redeem everything, he had to be, first of all, a family member, someone close enough, and he also had to be someone that was willing to do it. And that pictures Christ, our Redeemer, is one of us, God with us, Emmanuel, he became one of us, the word became flesh and dwelt among us, became human, so that he could redeem fallen humanity, but he is he's also the one that was willing to do it for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. He was willing to do what he did. He wasn't forced to do it, he didn't have to do it, he wanted to, and he wanted to do it, and he did it. So that when you ever you whenever you look at Job and you say, or you hear that term, I know that my redeemer lives. Remember, that word is goel. And I actually, my father-in-law, when he was transferring over to glory, he was at Mount Sinai Hospital. Go figure. He was at Mount Sinai Hospital, and I opened up the book of Ruth. And the way I do Christmas Joe, I actually reenact the book of Ruth and I I dramatized it a little bit. And I and I was basically like I was just talking to you guys, I said, and Boaz is a kinsman redeemer, he's a Goel, and Christ is our greater than Boaz Redeemer, Goel. And as I'm doing that, I'm looking at my Bible, I look, I looked down the hall or out of the hospital room into the hallway, and there were three rabbis like this. They had the hats, the curly cues, and everything going on, man. And they were like, and then they they saw that I saw them, and I wish I didn't see them because they were they were like this. Because I was coming right out of their book that they knew, and I was talking about Yeshua, who is our he's our redeemer.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

The interesting thing I find is that the gold hill is not only the Christian redeemer, he's also the avenger of us.

Elihu On Ransom And Mercy

Job’s Story And Friends’ Errors

God Speaks From The Whirlwind

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Yeah, both. Yeah, he is all uh all judgments given to him, all authority, it's it's about him. Like we said in the beginning, you search the scriptures, you don't realize they're about me. That's what Jesus says. Job, that's 19. And then the last one, this one's from Elihu, who um speaks right about God, because there's no rebuke for him. He's right, he speaks right about God. Um, and in the middle of it, he says, Elihu speaking to Job, if there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, verse 24. And he is merciful to him, and he says, Deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. Verse 25. Let his flesh become fresh with youth, talking about resurrection here. Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor. Then a man prays to God and he accepts him. He sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. He sings before man and says, I have sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. That's mercy right there. I messed up, I screwed up, I messed up real bad, and I didn't get what I deserve. And then verse 28, he says, He has redeemed my soul from going down to the pit. Don't ever miss that. David says uh something similar, and my life shall look upon the light. And just through this alone, right there, the mediator, again, that's that idea. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Right, first Timothy 2. He is our mediator, he's our goel. Christ is the mediator, um, he's greater than an angel, and uh this one here is also one of those messianic pictures and types. Now, take the whole book of Job. He starts out as a priest. Perhaps my kids might have sinned, uh, offering sacrifices, burnt offerings to God. Then Satan goes and he says, The only reason he's he's on your side, God, is because you know, you put a hedge around him, blah, blah, blah. The Lord allows Satan to uh to wipe out his kids uh and his farm, you know, his is his income and everything, all one after another. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Job's like, oh my goodness, whoa, whoa, whoa, this is terrible. And um, so then then Satan's is is allowed to inflict Job with physical issues. And so his family, his kids are his kids are gone, killed, his livelihood's gone. Um it's interesting. Nothing happened to Job's wife, though. She's the one who said, Why don't you just curse God? Curse God and die. Great advice. You know, well, that actually points to the fact that God sees husband and wife as one flesh. It would have been difficult, it would have caused some possible theological issues had God allowed his wife to, because he gave a directive to Satan, do not touch him. Uh, you know, you don't kill him, you can't kill him. And yet his so his wife wasn't killed. Kind of points to that in a roundabout way. But so he's he's going through all this suffering. Then uh these great dudes, guys show up. One of them is Bill Dad the Shoe Height, he's the shortest guy in the Bible, and he comes out and And they man, they're right on the money for seven days. They are the best counsels, they're the best comforts to him because they said nothing. They just sat with him for seven days as he's scraping himself with pottery and sores are all over the place, and he's in unbearable pain. And the pain of uh and anguish of his kids being killed, and then everything being lost all at once. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And the why it's real easy to get get down on the wife, but she lost her kids. You know what I mean? It's so she's she's struggling too. And you hear a lot of people just say, uh, the wife is this and wife and that. Listen, man, she lost 10 kids. What are you supposed to do with that? So he's sitting there, and then they start giving them bad counsel because they're spiritual. Oh, I heard a spirit go by me. And they start, you know, start talking all this stuff that sounds really spiritual, but it's not, it's wrong. You get to 33, and Elihu steps in and he says, Listen, I'm I'm a young man, you guys are older, and I kept my mouth shut. I didn't say anything out of respect for you old heads, you old guys, but I gotta tell you, man. And he starts laying into it. He's like, Job, man, what you know, and so it's a fascinating story that way, and then this happens. In chapter 38, it says, the Lord, Yahweh, L-O-R-D, all caps, that's Yahweh, answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Who is out of the whirlwind? Who is this that darkens my my counsel with words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man, I'll question you and you make it known to me. Tell me, Job, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know, or who stretched out the line upon it? Or where was its basis sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God that we talked about that on Sunday shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with its doors when it burst out of the womb and made the clouds its garment and its thick darkness swaddling band and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors and said, Thus far you shall come and no further, and here shall your proud waves be stayed. Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? Uh it is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. From the wicked, their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. Have you entered into the springs of the sea or walked the recesses of the deep? I mean, he's going, he's going global on Job here. Say, basically, Job, you know, can can you have you seen the schematics of the earth? The universe? Do you understand quantum physics? You know? Do you understand Einstein's theory of relativity? He's I mean, he's basically say, Chubb, tell me if you know, Job, you because you you know you you've ranted now, but God's not mad at him. God's not mad at him. It could come across that way.

SPEAKER_03 25:28

Um I love how it's all in the form of the questions.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

Yeah, and when we get to this book, it says, yeah, have you? Yeah. Tell me if you know.

unknown 25:37

Can you say?

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Yeah, it's um, and the the the poetry really sticks out. There's chiastic structure everywhere, like all over the place. It's like, wait a minute. So, and that's gonna be fun when we get to that. Um, can you lift up your voice to the clouds that a flood of waters may cover you? I mean, listen, you know, and then so hang on, let's go to Job 39. Let's go to the next one. Boom. I want to get to the point where Job replies. If I have my Bible in front of me, I could find it.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

Where you reply? Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Here it is.

SPEAKER_03 26:18

43 and 4.

Job Humbled By Seeing God

Job Becomes Mediator For Friends

Closing Blessing And Website

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Yeah, yeah. Then Joe. And in that in that thing, I didn't I didn't get to it, but that's where that's where God's like, um, you know, what do you know about Behemoth and Leviathan? You know, you grab him by the tail, and you'll never forget, you'll never forget what happens. And it's it's it's just amazing. And then he says in in verse 3, then Job answered the Lord and said, Behold, I am of smaller, I am oh my goodness. I what shall I say to answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth, I've spoken once, and I will not answer twice, and I will proceed no further. And then the Lord, you know, he goes on to challenge Job. But let me go to let me keep going. Let me keep going here. Let's see if I can get to it. Boom. Oh, there it is, right here. Yeah. Wait, can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make pleas to you? I mean, this is I some people think it's a dinosaur, T Rex or something. Who knows? Either way, it's a big beast that the Lord made that is afraid of God, that will not mess with God. And here, Job, he's like, Job, well, you know, can you play with him as with a bird? Um, oh, here it is. Lay your hands on him, remember the battle, you won't do it again. I love I love that. So, hang on, wait a second. We got to get to this point. I'm gonna find it. Doesn't have to be a study on Job, but it's this is the key. Job answered the Lord and said, I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Um, who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I didn't understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Um here and I will speak, I will question you and make it known to me. I heard of you by hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. He's clearly, and you got to remember, if he's seeing God, it's through Christ. So even in the whirlwind, that's Christ. Um no one has ever seen God, but God the one and only who's at the Father's side has made him known. So the Theophany, the Christophany, it's through Christ that Job is dealing with. He's dealing with Christ to get through to God, as weird as that sounds. But then the key of this whole thing to me is that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord says to Eliphas, the Temnite, My anger burns against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right. Ooh, key, as my servant Job has. Now, therefore, take seven bulls, seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourself, and my servant Job shall pray for you, and I will accept his prayer, not to deal with you according to your folly, for you have not spoken of me what's right again, as my servant Job has. So Eliphaz the Temnite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Nahamothite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer. This is amazing, because if you remember the four prophecies about Messiah, Job he said over and over, oh, if there was just someone that could go between me and God, oh, if there was uh an umpire between us two, someone that could lay their hand on me and God and be the mediator between God and man, Job himself becomes the mediator between God and man for his three friends. He becomes that man, the type of Christ that is between, he's the mediator between God and man. And God says, I will listen to my servant Job's prayers for you. Again, our intercessor is Christ Jesus on our behalf. Job, it's amazing. He becomes that that person, and then after at the end of the book, the Lord restores Job. He gets, he gives him 10 more children. He didn't give him um this actually points to the fact that you know there is uh life after death in the sense that he didn't uh he gave him ten uh kids, he didn't give him twenty kids because the first ten were probably with the Lord in heaven. Because he had 10 kids. Everything else he doubles, everything else is a complete doubling of what Job had in the first place. He got a double of everything, but at you know, but except for his kids, he got 10 more kids. So that kind of points to those other ten kids, you know, in the resurrection, God willing, will make it. So it's it's amazing there that God restores Job and his daughters were the most beautiful women in all the land. And Job lived uh 140 years and saw his sons, inheritance, and his brothers, and and and job died an old man full of days. But it's a it's a great story when you look at it from a Christology perspective, with those four prophecies, and then the typology of of Christ, that how he uh becomes the mediator between God and man. He becomes he starts out as the priest of God, most high, just like Melchizedek. It doesn't say he's from Levi or Aaron. Could he be? Maybe, but there's no mention of the Mosaic law or anything like that. So that's why people think it's before um before the law, before Moses. That's why they think this is the oldest book of the Bible. He does mention Dan, though, but it could have been a common name. So, but other than that, uh he's he's offering sacrifices and he becomes the person he he he longed for, which pictures the fulfillment, which is what Jesus is, that exact mediator between God and man, that lays their that is divine, that is a Goel, that is willing to redeem and able to redeem, qualified to redeem because he's one of us and able to, he can purchase us, and he lays his hand on sinful man and God, he's the God man in between, he's that divine person that intercedes on our behalf. And when you see the book that way, it's like, whoa. Wow, you know, so I'd encourage you, go back and read that. So, and that's that's all we'll do today. Alright, that's all we have time we have for y'all today. We're gonna see the God willing next week if the creek don't rise. And until then, the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

You This program was made possible by the Place on Word family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at plazonword.org.