Job 28

Then He saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what He says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'"

(Job 28:27-28)

I LOVE this chapter. It is totally unique in the book of Job, a real change of pace from the normal rhetoric of Job as he responds to his friends.

It begins with a description of how man has found ways to mine the earth for precious metals and stones… things the animals are unaware of things, things that men LIVE FOR. Job points out the great lengths men go to to get these things, and the innovative ways they have discovered as they attempt to extract them from the “roots of the earth”.

With all of this knowledge of how to mine for these precious metals, man knows nothing of how to discover wisdom. Job points out that all the gold in the world can do nothing for you when it comes to wanting to acquire wisdom. You can’t buy it, and men haven’t figured out how to dig it up. Even the formidable foes death and destruction have only heard rumors of wisdom and its whereabouts… it seems that God alone knows where wisdom resides.

God has not left man in a state of forever being unable to acquire wisdom… according to Job God told men where wisdom was to be found… ONLY IN FORSAKING EVIL AND LIVING IN THE FEAR OF GOD. According to Job, God had communicated this truth to men. If they would forsake evil and live in the fear of God, they would receive wisdom and real understanding in the areas of life, its purpose, and its mysteries.

This theme of real wisdom being attached to the “fear of God” appears all throughout the scriptures. Job is the first mention chronologically of this idea. Job was a contemporary of Abraham… so apparently this was a truth that God revealed long before He even sent us the ten commandments. Job reminded his friends of a truth we need to allow to mark our lives… real wisdom begins with a rejection of evil, and a firm resolve to live our lives in the fear of God. In other words, not being afraid of God, but being aware of who He is, what He requires, and how we relate to Him. Remember, He is God and you are not… LIVE LIKE IT, and you will be wise far beyond your years!