Job’s suffering is so great that he longs for the grave as a respite from God’s wrath.
Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath be past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Job 14:13)
Is there hope beyond, he wonders. He knows that God could accomplish the impossible and bring him back even from the grave. As he ponders he recognizes that is more than wishful thinking. There is a basis for his hope – God’s own longing.
If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come. You would call, and I would answer you; you would long for the work of your hands. (Job 14:14-15)
But for that to happen, God would need to sweep away his sin. His suffering puts him in a place of deep longing for Jesus. While awful and terrible, there is something great to be found in it.
For then you would number my steps; you would not keep watch over my sin; my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity. (Job 14:16-17)
