JOB 28
A parable - Man is able to obtain treasure from the ground by skill and practical knowledge. Yet for all his innovation he does not perceive the wisdom from above - unless he diligently seek for it and the father reveal it to him.
1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it.
Man is ingenious and skilful*
2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.
Man shows skills in mining, discovering its secret treasure and purifying them.*
3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
By letting a shaft into the ground, or by artificial light, he is able to penetrate the dark chambers of the earth. But the wisdom from above eludes him: vv. 12-22. Wisdom is the principal thing (Pro. 4:7), more valuable than gold or precious gems (Pro. 3:15-18), but extremely difficult to discover.*
4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men.
Mining involves digging into hidden depths, sometimes flooding and displacing creatures living underground. They scurry away for the fear of men is upon them.
5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.
7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen:
These diligent seekers of prey do not hazard their lives as man does in seeking precious metals.
8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.
The boldest and fiercest creatures have not discovered the hidden places of the underground.
9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots.
10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing.
11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.
12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
'...reading the Bible is the great source of the knowledge that will save us by the victory of faith, so that in a special sense is the saying of the apostles true, that-
"Scripture is able to make us wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus."
Therefore, no wise man will omit the reading of the Bible from the programme of his daily life, nor will he read in such a way as to give it little chance of making an impression on his mind, such as reading it in a time of weariness, or reading it in too large quantities at long intervals. A wise man will show the same wisdom in this as in his daily food. A little every day at the right time will make the spiritual man healthy and strong, where long fasts, followed by crams, will enfeeble and derange.
Some think they can get on very well without Bible reading, and that it is enough for them to know the Truth sufficiently and believe and obey the gospel at their first contact. Those who think thus will find themselves out of harmony with fact. The mind is not retentive of knowledge - especially divine knowledge. The impressions of knowledge have to be renewed again and again, otherwise knowledge will evaporate.
"Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any time we let them slip. For if the words spoken by angels were steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?"
These admonitions of wisdom may fall faintly on the ear in this time of peace and silence while we are left alone with the Word of God for a season: they will burn like fire when this life is past, and we stand before the Lord at his coming to receive the due reward of our deeds.
Bro Roberts - Standing upon facts
13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Rom 11: 33
15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
Wisdom cannot be bought with any amount of money. or carnal treasure.
16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Man can seek into the depths of the earth and reveal its hidden secrets and its wealth, but the real wisdom of the Deity eludes him.*
www.logos.org.au
21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
23 Elohim (Strongs / OJB) understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
Job finally answers his own question [v12]. Yahweh is the source of wisdom
24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
Creation is witness to Yahweh's wisdom
25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
Yahweh by wisdom hath founded the earth;
By understanding hath he established the heavens.
By his knowledge the depths are broken up,
And the clouds drop down the dew - Prov 3: 19,20.
26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
Where shall wisdom be found?
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Adon, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
The conclusion
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man. Eccl 12.13.