Job: Chapter 28

Job Continues: Where Is Wisdom?

Crestone Needle | Colorado

Naturally, we can search for silver and find it. We long to discover gold, we do so and refine it to make beautiful things of great worth. We mine the iron we find on the earth and smelt from that ore to create copper. Man has put light where there is darkness, we have lit the world so that darkness does not rule the night. We venture to all corners of the earth and discover the limits of creation, we search deep in the darkness to discover the fine ore that was hidden from our eyes long ago. What we see on the surface of the earth are beauty, nature, wonderful things that bring joy. But underneath all things at the core are refined through fire and heat. We spin on the outskirts of a great ball of fire. Even the falcon's eye has not seen that which is beneath, proud beasts have not put hoof nor paw to this, even the lion who is considered kind has not passed over this coveted thing. Man breaks the rock and overturns all mountains by the roots, we seek high and low in a search for this thing that cannot be found. With our eyes, we see all the beauty of this wondrous creation and witness glory, yet we cannot see that which is hidden. We dam up streams to bring them to a halt and control them, we ensure nothing is hidden through bringing light to it - but this still cannot be found? Thus, where is the wisdom found that alludes to man? What foundation flows wisdom that we may drink it in like water for the mind and soul? We cannot comprehend just how vital wisdom is, we cheat ourselves by pursuing the above tangible things that are shiny and of monetary value. Wisdom is not found in the land of the living, the depths of the earth say, 'It is not in me,' the ocean floor says, 'It is not with me.' You cannot purchase it, regardless of all the gold of Ophir, nor precious onyx or sapphire, anything you offer cannot validate a purchase of this allusive trait. There is no equal to it, it cannot be traded for nor exchanged. If it cannot be bought, regardless of your purchase price, how then do we attain it? We live in a world that is valued through what we can buy, how do we comprehend something that isn't bought? Where does this wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? If it is hidden from even the sharpest of eyes that fly through the air, how might I find it? It is concealed. Not even the Angel of Death knows where it is found, they say, 'We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.' They tell us that God understands the way to it, and He knows its place. He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. God described this to us: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding."

Wisdom, where are you? We all have a yearning deep within us that seeks wisdom and the knowledge of understanding. Yet, we do not seek it with all the vigor of the person who longs and is driven to be successful. (This concept of being successful is something each person has to evaluate within themselves, success is not the same for every person.) In Genesis 3, Satan used the concept of wisdom and knowledge to tempt Adam & Eve in the Garden. With the knowledge of good and evil, if we could decipher this perfectly, life would look a lot different. No man can fully understand the concept of wisdom because no man is perfectly wise. The pursuit of wisdom is often vain because we never reach the point where we do not make mistakes, which would be the ultimate goal of being wise. However, there is something we often forget, we are broken and sinful people and cannot attain perfection through ourselves. We cannot become perfectly wise, it is impossible. It is my belief that becoming wise is something that we do over time and through many, many mistakes. If it wasn't for all the mistakes I have made in life, I would not be the man I am today, I would not have acquired wisdom through making the right choice, wisdom is learning from the mistakes you have made and not getting caught in the same mistake the next time it is brought before you as a temptation. Seeing the truth, not the lie, is wisdom. Understanding the consequences of the choice and choosing to seek that which is likely less exciting or pleasurable at the moment for something more valuable in the future, is wisdom. The crafty serpent will seek to lure us into situations we cannot escape, he will tempt us with all the pleasures of the world, he will catch us in his snare and seek to devour us, we will fall but we can be lifted up and brought out of the darkness through someone who is perfect. This does not mean we will not fall again, but we can be acquiring wisdom through our poor choices and learn to follow that which gives life, not death.

Dear lord, we seek and do not find wisdom on a daily basis. There are so many opportunities for me to learn, yet I do not. I seek things that never satisfy long-term, only my temporary satisfaction is fulfilled, teach me to learn the art of wisdom and understanding. Patience and foundational truth often evade my thoughts, place them at the forefront of my mind. Amen. 

All images © 2015 - 2021 Jordan Tackett