Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Job 28.1 onwards. Indeed, Job has already understood something important: From this trial that God makes him go through, his faith will come out like the shining gold of the crucible of the refiner (Jb 23:8-12). But what he doesn’t know is how much slag he needs to get rid of first: “Yes, there is… a place for the gold that is refined” (v. 1; Zach. 13.7-9 and Ml 3.1-4). And this place is the crucible of the test! The Lord, like a wise goldsmith, knows the intensity and duration of this fire, necessary to purify his silver and gold, that is, his precious redeemed. The perfect “Diamantaire” knows how many painful scissor strokes he will have to give before his onyx and sapphires, rubies and topaz shine with all their fires. Man is able to carry out considerable work: dams, tunnels, highways etc… It extracts from the ground all kinds of rare and highly priced foodstuffs (vs. 9 to 11). But there is one thing he hardly cares about seeking: it’s wisdom. Yet it is more valuable than pearls (v. 18), states the book of Proverbs, which tells us so much about this divine Wisdom (Pr 3:13-20; Pr 8.10-11). Also compare the important definition of v. 28 with Pr 9.10 and Ps 111.10.
The controversy finally rises, the poet launches into a song of the quest for Wisdom. It can hardly be assumed that it was spoken or sung by Job. But if one can go so far as to imagine a choir in the manner of greek dramas, this ode would come precisely as a choral descent reflecting the vain attempts made by Job and his friends to penetrate the secrets of divine providence. As everything that has been said is poor and unsatisfactory.
To probe the designs of the Most High, to trace through the darkness and entanglements of human life that infallible justice with which all events are ordered and annulled, how above the sagacity of the speakers was. From time to time true things have been said, from time to time glimpses of this justification of the good that should compensate for all their suffering have brightened up the controversy.
First of all, man’s industry is depicted, namely: to seek out the hidden things of the earth that are significant to both the greed and ingenuity of the human mind. Surely there is a silver mine and a place for the gold they refine. Iron is extracted from the earth, and copper is melted out of the stone. Man puts an end to the darkness, And seeks to the end, The stones of darkness and darkness. He breaks a well far from the abode of men; They are forgotten from the foot; Far from men, they hang and swing. The poet saw, perhaps in Idumea or Midian where the Egyptians operated copper and gold mines, the various operations described here.
To wash its ore once crushed, it needs water reserves, and for this it makes long aqueducts. In Idumea, we can still see a whole series of reservoirs by means of which, even during the dry season, the work of gold panning can continue without interruption. No particle of the precious metal escaped the keen eye of the exercised miner. And again, if water began to seep into his well or tunnel, he had the ability to bind the streams so that his search would not be hindered. Such is the skill of man, such is his perseverance and success in the quest for the things he has of value: iron for his tools, copper to make vases, gold and silver to adorn the crowns of kings, sapphires to shine on their clothes. And if in the depths of the earth or anywhere the secrets of life could be reached, men with the spirit of avid adventure would sooner or later discover them.
It should be noted that, in the narrative here of the search for hidden things, attention is limited to mining operations. And this may seem strange, the general subject being the quest for wisdom, that is, the understanding of the principles and methods by which the divine government of the world is exercised. There was at that time a widely practiced method of research, to which one might have expected some allusion: the so-called art of astrology. For centuries, the Chaldeans had observed the stars, recounted their apparent motions, measured the distances of the planets from each other in their unexplained progression through the constellations. On this study of the sky was built a whole code of rules to predict events. The stars that peaked at the time of someone’s birth, the planets visible when a business began, were supposed to indicate prosperity or disaster.
The author of the Book of Job could not ignore this art. Why doesn’t he mention it? Why doesn’t he point out that by looking at the stars, man tries in vain to penetrate the divine secrets? And the answer would seem to be that keeping an absolute silence towards astrology, he intended to refuse it as a method of investigation. Patient and avid work among rocks and stones is the type of fruitful effort. Astrology is in no way useful; nothing is achieved by this method of questioning nature. The poet continues: “Where will wisdom find, and where is the place of understanding? Man does not know the way, nor is he found in the land of the living. The abyss says: It is not in me; And the sea says: It is not with me.” The whole of the physical cosmos, whether open to the examination of man or beyond his reach, is here declared incapable of providing the key to that underlying idea by which the course of things is ordered. The land of the living is the surface of the earth that men inhabit. The abyss is the underworld. Neither there nor in the sea is the great secret. As for its price, however ardently men may desire to seize it, no treasure is useless; it should not be purchased at any market. Wisdom is never worth gold, nor for its price, silver can be said. Because the gold of Ophir cannot be earned, the rare onyx or the sapphire stone. Gold is not a measure and glass is not rented, Gold jewelry sentenced to two fines by fire. Coral and crystal tell in vain, Pearls of the depths for the gain of wisdom. Cush’s topaz is of no use to you, nor is it bought with gold of glory.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
The mystery of wisdom:
- Wisdom sought, the search for
Jb 28:12,20 But where is wisdom? Where is the abode of intelligence? 20 Where does wisdom come from? Where is the abode of intelligence? Ps 119:169 May my cry reach you, O Lord! Give me intelligence, according to your promise! Pr 2:4 If you seek it as money, If you pursue it as a treasure, Ec 7:25 I have applied myself in my heart to know, to probe, and to seek the wisdom and reason of things, and to know the folly of wickedness and the stupidity of foolishness.
- Sapphire(lapis lazuli)
Ex 24:10 They saw the God of Israel; under his feet it was like a transparent sapphire work, like heaven itself in its purity. Jb 28:16 It does not weigh against the gold of Ophir, Neither against the precious onyx, nor against sapphire; Ez 1:26 Above the sky that was on their heads, there was something like a sapphire stone, in the shape of a throne; and on this form of throne appeared as a figure of man placed on it at the top. Rev 21:19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with precious stones of all kinds: the first foundation was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
- Value of wisdom, the great value of wisdom
Jb 28:16 It does not weigh against the gold of Ophir, Neither against the precious onyx, nor against sapphire; Pr 3:13-14 Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, And the man who possesses intelligence! 14 For the gain it provides is preferable to that of money, and the profit that one derives from it is better than gold; Pr 8:11 For wisdom is better than pearls, It is more valuable than all priced objects. Ec 7:19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten leaders who are in a city.
- Spiritual intelligence, general references
Dt 4:6 You will observe them and put them into practice; for this will be your wisdom and intelligence in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear of all these laws and who will say: This great nation is an absolutely wise and intelligent people! Ps 119:104 By your ordinances I become intelligent, So I hate every way of lying. Pr 13:15 A healthy reason has grace as its fruit, but the way of the treacherous is harsh. 2 Tim 2:7 Understand what I am saying, for the Lord will give you intelligence in all things.
From all the above, we notethat when wisdom has a value out of all that men count precious and rare, it’s also beyond the reach of all other forms of worldly life. Birds soaring high in the atmosphere see nothing of it, nor any creatures wandering far into uninhabitable wilderness. Abaddon and Death indeed, the devouring abyss and this silent world that seems to gather and keep all the secrets, have heard the noise. Beyond the scope of mortal meaning, there may be a hint of a divine plan governing the mutations of existence, the fulfillment of which will shed light on the underworld where the spirits of the deceased wait in a secular night. But death has no more knowledge than life. Wisdom is God’s prerogative, His activities are His own to be ordered and performed. God understands its way, and He knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth, And lives under all the heaven, Make weight for the winds; And He made the waters flow with measure. When He made a decree for the rain. And a path for the lightning of thunder, Then he saw it and numbered it, He established it, yes, and searched for it. The evolution, we would say, of the order of nature gives a fixed and visible incarnation to the wisdom of God. We must therefore conclude that the poet indicates the complete idea of the world as a cosmos governed by a subtle law omnipresent for moral purposes. The creation of the visible universe is supposed to begin, and with the created before Him, God sees his abilities, determines the use to which his forces must be put, the relationship that all things must have with each other, with the life of man. and to his own glory. But the understanding of this remains forever beyond the discovery of the human intellect. Man does not know the way. The forces of the land, air, sea and underlying depths do not reveal the secret of their functioning; they are only instruments. And the end of everything is not in the sheol, in the silent world of the dead. God Himself is the Alpha and omega, the first and the last. Yet man has his life and his law. Although the intellectual understanding of his world and his destiny may fail, no matter how seriously he pursues the quest, he should gain the knowledge that comes from respect and obedience. He can worship God, he can distinguish good from evil, and he can seek what is right and true. “And to man he said, ‘Behold the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is to understand.’ The conclusion silences man’s thought, but leaves it with a doctrine of God and faith beyond the limits of time and the senses; respect for the Divine will not be fully known, the pursuit of holiness, the fear of the Invisible God are not agnosticism, they are the true springs of religious life. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom as I walk in your ways.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to react to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Job evokes his past condition. (Jb 29)
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.