It’s like Job has read Proverbs but not Ecclesiastes. He knows what should befall the righteous but doesn’t recognize the enigma of what actually happens “under the sun.” But even without those other pieces of “wisdom literature”, Job’s intuitive sense of justice tells him that life should go just a little bit better for those like him — those who by God’s own repeated declaration are blameless, upright, fear God, and turn away from evil (Job. 1:8, 2:3) — than for the wicked. But having lost everything and being baked in boils and condemned by “comforters”, Job’s kind of struggling.

And as I read Job continuing to verbally process the confusion around the “why” of his calamity, I also see that Job intuitively knows that “if God wanted to, God could.”

Even though Job is not aware of any sin which may have provoked God’s wrath to be poured out on him (’cause there really wasn’t any), he concludes that, theoretically, even if sin was present then, if God wanted to do something about it, He could.

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.
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 14:14-17 ESV)

Job reasoned that if resurrection was a possibility, only the righteous could hope for it. He also knew the propensity of men and women to sin and that righteousness was only restored through sacrifice (Job 1:5). Thus, Job reasoned that, if God wanted to, when it came to men’s sin God could bury it, bag it, and blanket it.

If God wanted to, He could justly choose to not keep watch over my sin. He could bury it, removing it as far away as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12) and thus rendering it out of sight.

If God wanted to, sin could be sealed up and bagged. Locked up and the key thrown away. If God wanted to, God could do what needs to be done to remember sin no more (Jer. 31:34).

And, if God wanted to, He could cover over my iniquity. Plaster over it. Blanket it, covering it with a robe of righteousness (Isa. 61:10).

If God wanted to, our sin could be buried, bagged, and blanketed.

Guess what? God wanted to.

And He did. It’s a done deal (Jn. 19:30).

By His grace. To the praise of His glory.