Where can wisdom be found?

We have come to an interlude. A welcome break in Job’s tortuous conversation back and forth with his three friends. They’ve covered the same territory over and over again. Wrestled with the same questions. But chapter 28 is different. Chapter 28 is like a poem. In my Bible, it’s entitled Interlude: where wisdom is found. Job and all his friends could do with a bit of wisdom right now.

We start with mining. A beautiful description of a dirty, lonely, dangerous occupation. The price is great but the reward is greater.

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.
Mortals put an end to the darkness;
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
lapis lazuli comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.
Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
People assault the flinty rock with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
They tunnel through the rock;
their eyes see all its treasures.
They search the sources of the rivers
and bring hidden things to light.  Job 28:1-11

There is no life down there. No living creature has ever ventured to those depths. No human has ever been there before. No homes or villages are built there. Just the blackest darkness. And all these wonderful treasures waiting to be discovered. Precious hidden things waiting to be brought into the light.

And why this description right now? Because it is a simile for wisdom. For wisdom is precious and wisdom is hidden. Wisdom is not easily found.

But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
No mortal comprehends its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.  Job 28:12-19

Wisdom is not the same as understanding. It cannot be learned.

Wisdom is not the same as treasures. It cannot be bought.

No one fully understands how priceless wisdom is. It’s worth more than any precious gems.

Wisdom is intangible, isn’t it? We somehow know when we have come across it, but when we try to grasp at it and take hold of it for ourselves, it slips through our fingers like the finest grains of sand.

So where then does wisdom come from? That’s the big question Job has prompted us to ponder this morning. Occasionally we come across it. Usually in the most unlikely of places. We hear something we have never heard expressed in that way before and it strikes a chord. It rings true. It illuminates. We suddenly feel able to understand something we have never fully got our heads around before. Where has that insight come from? And how can we make it happen more often?

Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.
Destruction and Death say,
‘Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.’
God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
And he said to the human race,
‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.’ Job 28:20-28

Wisdom comes from God. That’s it. It’s that simple. Wisdom is a glimpse of God’s understanding and thinking that bursts into our minds and understanding like a ray of sunshine bursts through the darkness.

So how do we know wisdom? By knowing God.

The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom.

We don’t spend our time chasing wisdom. We follow God. We respect Him. We give Him the honour and glory that He is due. Wisdom will follow.

Fear is not being afraid in the sense of being terrified all the time that God will punish us unfairly. God is love. We do not need to be afraid of Him. But we do need to be in awe of His mighty power. I see God in the crashing waves, as they pound on the beach. There’s a sense of awe at their majesty and power. I recognise the damage they can do. But I marvel at their magnificence also. God is awesome. He deserves to be taken seriously. To be trusted and obeyed.

As we get to know God more and walk with God more, we will choose to do the right thing. We will ‘shun evil’. As usual, it all boils down to trusting and obeying. It really is that simple. Don’t stress about wisdom. Wisdom will follow. It will catch you unawares. Simply follow. Simply trust. Simply obey.

Trust and obey

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus

But to trust and obey.