Where Can Wisdom Be Found?
“Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he probes the farthest recesses for ore in deepest darkness. Far from human habitation he cuts a shaft in places forgotten by the foot of man. Far from men he dangles and sways. Food may come from the earth, but from below it is transformed as by fire. Its rocks are the source of sapphires,
containing flecks of gold. No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it. Proud beasts have never trodden it; no lion has ever prowled over it. The miner strikes the flint; he overturns mountains at their base. He hews out channels in the rocks, and his eyes spot every treasure. He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light.
But where can wisdom be found, and where does understanding dwell? No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold nor crystal can compare, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it. Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. Topaz from Cush cannot compare, nor can it be valued in pure gold.
From where then does wisdom come, and where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor about it.’ But God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters, when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt, when He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out. And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Sometimes reading the Book of Job can be extremely depressing. Here is this guy who looks totally unappealing. We do not even know how strong his voice is any more…and yet….And yet, this man utters some of the most vivid statements about God, His glory, His majesty, His wisdom, and His might.
Job first asks the question, “Where can wisdom be found?” He then vividly describes mining practices that supply the world with gold and all matter of precious jewels. Job describes mining for gold, iron, copper, and sapphires, concluding that wisdom cannot be dug out of the earth.
Next, Job asks the price of wisdom, stating that wisdom is priceless. “No man can know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. The ocean depths say, ‘It is not in me,’ while the sea declares, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought with gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold nor crystal can compare, nor jewels of fine gold be exchanged for it. Coral and quartz are unworthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. Topaz from Cush cannot compare, nor can it be valued in pure gold.”
Finally, Job concludes that only God possess wisdom. “But God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters, when He set a limit for the rain and a path for the thunderbolt, when He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He established it and searched it out. And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
These descriptions are lyrical and comprise some of the most glorious poetry in the Bible. But why is Job saying all this? After sitting for days and even weeks listening to meaningless orations, Job is speaking from his experience with God. Job’s visitors have lectured him, assuming that they are wise; meanwhile, Job feels that only God truly has wisdom. It is also obvious to Job that his visitors know practically nothing about God and have only been mouthing platitudes.
APPLICATION: How much do most of us know about God? Even though God has created the universe, even though God has created each one of us, even though our lives are in God’s hands, many of us know little about him, Even more important, few of us actually regard God with the awe He deserves.
“OMG!,” standing for “Oh my God!” has become a common abbreviation. But when God was giving Moses the Ten Commandments, he ordered us not to take His name in vain. Exodus 20:7 tells us, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Even though Job is miserable and suffering, he still gives praise to God and describes God’s magnificent character. For Job, the exclamation “Oh my God!” describes the God whom Job knows intimately. How much do we know of God?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to respect You and to reverence You as You deserve. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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