Job 28: The Elusive Treasure Of Wisdom

Have you ever heard the phrase, "You just can't fix stupid?"  Job may have been the first one to come up with that concept.  Chapter 28 is his meditation on the worth of wisdom and its elusive nature.  Here's a key verse: "Where can wisdom be found?  Where is the place of understanding?" (vs. 12)

Wisdom, Job points out in the early verses, is unlike any other commodity on earth.  In addition to being worth far more than riches (vs. 15-19), it is also mysterious.  Its origins are not like those of mined gold or smelted copper.  Those desirable things can be searched out and acquired.  People understand how to get riches and produce physical treasures.  But wisdom is another thing entirely.

If you're looking for wisdom, be aware of the difficulties ahead.  Mortals do not know how to find it (vs. 13).  The depths of the oceans do not contain it (vs. 14).  It cannot be traded for or bought.  Even Death has "only heard a rumor of it" (vs. 22).

This praise of wisdom reminds me of Jesus' words in the Gospels when he says, "What should it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?  Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37).  Although Jesus is talking about one's soul rather than wisdom, the concept is similar.  It isn't negotiable.

This quest for wisdom is not just a mystery or issue for ancient times.  Even today, we do not always know how to help someone become wiser or more understanding.  We still struggle with formulating the best ways to educate children and youth.  State testing and school standards are always being re-worked, and such proposals as "Common Core" remain controversial routes to improvement.  Sometimes you just can't fix stupid.

In fact, Job says that there is only One who knows where understanding and wisdom come from: God.  "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place" (vs. 23) is the answer to our key verse.

It was with wisdom that God designed the universe and made everything work together so intricately (vs. 25-27).  We will hear more along this line of thinking when we explore the Proverbs, another part of the "Wisdom Literature" of the Old Testament.

For now, if you are looking for a shorthand summary of wisdom, consider verse 28: "Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."