by furaha nchimbi | 16 July 2018 08:46 pm07
A Theological Reflection from Job 28 (NIV)
In a world overflowing with information, innovation, and intelligence, the Bible confronts us with a haunting question:
“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?” (Job 28:12, NIV).
Job 28 offers a poetic and deeply theological meditation on the mystery of wisdom its elusiveness and divine origin. It contrasts human ability to extract earthly treasures with our utter inability to discover true wisdom through our own effort.
Humankind has learned to mine precious metals, tunnel deep into the earth, and explore space:
“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. People assault the flinty rock with their hands and lay bare the roots of the mountains.”
Job 28:1–2, 9 (NIV)
Today, this might include exploring space, manipulating DNA, and developing artificial intelligence. But for all our progress, the deepest question remains unanswered:
“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.”
—Job 28:12–13 (NIV)
Even the natural world oceans, skies, mountains offer no answer. Wisdom is beyond nature and inaccessible to human endeavor.
“The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’”
Job 28:14 (NIV)
“It cannot be bought with the finest gold… The price of wisdom is beyond rubies.”
Job 28:15, 18 (NIV)
This reminds us of the doctrine of divine revelation: certain truths cannot be discovered through reason alone but must be revealed by God.
When all of creation and human effort fail to locate wisdom, the text climaxes with a powerful declaration:
“God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells.”
Job 28:23 (NIV)
This reinforces a central theme throughout Scripture: true wisdom is not a product of human inquiry but a gift of divine disclosure. Only God, who sees all and governs all, can reveal wisdom.
God does not leave us guessing. He tells us directly:
“And he said to the human race, ‘The fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’”
Job 28:28 (NIV)
This is one of the most theologically significant verses in the Old Testament, echoed throughout the Wisdom Literature:
The “fear of the Lord” refers not to terror, but to reverence, awe, and a life of obedience. It means honoring God as Creator, Lord, and Judge and living in alignment with His will.
King Solomon, though famed for his extraordinary wisdom (1 Kings 4:29–34), eventually failed to uphold the wisdom God gave him. He violated God’s commands by marrying foreign wives and worshiping their gods, despite God’s clear instruction:
“The king… must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.”
Deuteronomy 17:17 (NIV)
His life illustrates that earthly wisdom and knowledge, apart from God, ultimately lead to vanity. Solomon lamented:
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired… Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done… everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 (NIV)
In the end, Solomon’s final words summarize the truth of Job 28:
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)
The New Testament reveals something even deeper: Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s wisdom.
“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)
In Christ are hidden “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). He is the wisdom that Job longed for, the wisdom that Solomon misused, and the wisdom that brings eternal life.
So when we ask, “Where is wisdom found?” the ultimate answer is not just in fearing God, but in coming to know Christ, in whom God’s wisdom is perfectly revealed.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2018/07/16/what-is-wisdom-and-where-can-understanding-be-found/
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