“Mutually exclusive” refers to two things that cannot both be true. Each one excludes the other. For example, result A may happen, or B may happen, but not both. A single coin toss may result in heads, or tails, but not both. Faith sometimes requires us to accept two possibilities that appear mutually exclusive, such as Jesus being both human and God at the same time. Abraham wrestled with the mutually exclusive: God requires my son, but Isaac is the son of the promise—so God will not take him but will provide a lamb in his place.
Job also faces the mutually exclusive. How can God take from me my wealth, health, and children, yet remain a good God? He finds fault with God, yet never forgets that God will REDEEM everything. Job is convinced this life is not the end—there must be a heaven. Finally, Job admits it: He knows God is good and God will make it right somehow:
“But I know my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth, and, after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God. With my own eyes, I will see Him, I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” Job 19:25-27.
In addition to “perfect integrity” (Job 1:1), Job has great faith. How many of us would give up on God if we lost our possessions, our job, our health, and our children? But Job refuses. He KNOWS God is going to redeem the suffering; God is going to BRING GOOD out of this horror. I imagine Job choking this admission out through tears. He is mad at life, mad at God, but can’t pretend to think bad of God anymore. He weeps and admits it: “I KNOW that my redeemer lives … I know I will see him and all will be well. How my heart YEARNS for that day.”
God, we put our hope in you—no matter what we face! You REDEEM us. You fix it. You wipe away every tear. You are our hope. We yearn for the day when we will see you face-to-face.
ΑΩ
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