'I Know That My Redeemer Lives' (1775) by Samuel Medley is one of the finest examples of Old Testament typological hymnody in the English language - a hymn that takes Job's ancient confession and inhabits it fully in light of New Testament resurrection doctrine. Where Job's declaration was made in the darkness of inexplicable suffering and was pointed toward an uncertain eschatological future, Medley's hymn sings it from the vantage point of the empty tomb, where the Redeemer's living has already been confirmed.
The Author
Samuel Medley (1738-1799) had an unlikely path to ministry. He served in the Royal Navy, was severely wounded in a naval battle off Portugal in 1759, and was converted during his convalescence after reading a sermon by Isaac Watts. He became a Baptist minister, serving at Byrom Street Chapel in Liverpool from 1772 until his death - a ministry of nearly thirty years that gave him one of the most significant Baptist pulpits in England. He was a natural poet, composing numerous hymns, but this is the one that has survived with him.
Job 19:25-27 as Foundation
The hymn is a direct theological expansion of Job 19:25-27 (KJV): 'For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.'
Job's declaration is extraordinary in its context: it is made from the depths of total suffering - loss of children, wealth, health, social standing, and the pastoral support of friends who have become accusers. In the midst of this, Job makes a declaration of confident hope about a Redeemer who will vindicate him, even after death. The word 'redeemer' (Hebrew goel) refers to the kinsman-redeemer, the nearest relative responsible for defending and restoring a member of the family. Job is claiming that such a defender exists and will act.
The Christian use of this text as a christological prophecy dates to the early church and is reflected in Handel's Messiah, where 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' is one of the most beloved soprano arias. Medley's hymn works in the same typological tradition: Job's goel is Christ; the resurrection Job anticipated has occurred in history; therefore his confidence, which was faith in the dark, has been confirmed.
Eight Stanzas of Christological Exposition
Medley's original text runs to eight stanzas, each exploring a different aspect of what it means that the Redeemer lives. He lives: as intercessor (Romans 8:34 - 'He is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us'), as love's living source, as the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), as advocate before the Father, as the firstfruits of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20 - 'Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep'). The hymn works through the present and future implications of the resurrection with systematic thoroughness before arriving at the personal application: because he lives, I too shall live.
Musical Settings
Several tunes have been used with this text, but the most common in modern use is the tune 'Duke Street' (1793), a sturdy, processional tune in D major that gives the declarations their appropriate weight. Some traditions use 'Truro,' another bright major-key tune. The music in both cases supports the hymn's character as confident affirmation rather than desperate petition.
Relation to Handel's Setting
George Frideric Handel's setting of Job 19:25 in Messiah (1741) - 'I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth' - predates Medley's hymn by 34 years and was its most famous contemporary treatment. The two works approach the same text in very different ways: Handel's aria is an extended, serene soprano meditation on the single verse; Medley's hymn is a congregational expansion of it through multiple stanzas. Together they represent the two major formats through which biblical texts enter the life of the church - liturgical performance and congregational song.
Legacy
The hymn has been in continuous use in Baptist and evangelical traditions since the 18th century. Its combination of Old Testament depth (the Job context), New Testament clarity (the resurrection references), and personal application makes it unusual in the hymnodic repertoire: a hymn that requires its singers to know Job's story in order to sing it fully, and that rewards that knowledge with an extraordinary sense of historical depth beneath the resurrection affirmation.