Read Job 28:1-28
Job asks this question twice, “But do people know where to find wisdom?” That’s one of those questions that has a little different meaning depending on which word you give the most emphasis as you read it. But in answer to Job’s question, many people think they do know where. Job has been searching for wisdom to explain his situation this whole time. Job is being very thought provoking in this passage.
When you hear (or read) the word “wisdom,” what comes to mind for you? Do you picture a wall full of books? Do you picture just one book, the Bible? Maybe you picture a person, God inspired, a personified wisdom, like King Solomon for example. He asked God for this one thing, wisdom, when God asked him what he wanted most.
Other young kings, like Solomon, would have asked for “power” or “riches.” Solomon claimed wisdom, and for that God granted him all the rest, too. You can read more about Solomon’s life in my reflections on the books of 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Chronicles. Solomon is also thought to have penned the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
How does your picture of “wisdom” differ from that which Job describes or observes here. Job offers some great insights in my opinion. He, himself, seems to have been given extraordinary wisdom to know some of the things he knows. I was impressed by some of what he describes.
This claim about wisdom did leave me a bit perplexed. “No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.” Wisdom is not here or present. Does Job mean that wisdom at some time imparts itself on us only when we are no longer alive? That almost sounds like a great promise for us when we die, that we will finally know the whole truth, the official wisdom of God. For now, it is hidden.
Job had a lot of time on his hands to think and ponder. It must have felt like he was living his life in slow motion. Some of these thoughts were insightful, others frightening. Job was getting real and raw.
Job’s parting thought here burns through the paper as a message for us. If we are seeking wisdom or wanting to tap into the wisdom of God, Job suggests this. “‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” I could say it like this, “live a sinless life, be like Jesus.” When we do that, we show God the fear of the Lord he deserves.
Let’s pray. Father God, I thank you for the wisdom you give me bit by bit as I get to know you more each day. I feel honored that you have chosen me for this time and place. Forgive me for sometimes questioning what is happening. I find myself looking to the sky a lot more lately. Open my eyes so that I can see others as you see them. Use me as your hands and feet to be a loving presence in this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
