Job encountered both the joys and hardships of human life. A person disconnected from earthly existence neither delights in wealth and indulgence nor suffers from anguish. Although Job initially enjoyed prosperity, health, and blessings, his fortune was turned upside down, leading him to recognize the emptiness of worldly pleasures. He encourages us to detach from such temptations by asking, “And why hast Thou brought me forth from the womb? Let me die, that no eye should see me, that I should be as one who has not existed....” In this, he expresses his desire in prayer. Job faced immense struggles, and he endured his sorrows with sensitivity, for had he remained indifferent, there would have been no courage in his experience. Through a prayer of gratitude, Job illustrates that his endurance was empowered by God. Paul also affirms this, stating, “Not I, however, but grace with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). Job wishes to offer this prayer before departing from a place of no return, not for his own sake but to enlighten his friends, who viewed those suffering as wicked and those unscathed as righteous. He aimed for a fair assessment from his companions. It should not be assumed that Job rejects the resurrection, as he remarks on a realm devoid of light and the awareness of mortal life. The courageous Job, even in his trials, proclaimed the hope of a future age. Thus, his statement, “Before I depart; from whence I shall not return,” does not indicate a denial of resurrection. The righteous one refers to the somber, dark realm of eternal shadow, labeling it as life to underscore the gravity of his situation. It was more appropriate for him to say, “before I enter the kingdom of God and the promised land,” signifying a call for listeners to acquire proper insight into events yet unrealized through actions and righteousness.
THEOSIS