THE SEARCH FOR TRUE WISDOM
-JOB 28:12-28
\”But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living\” (Job 28:12,13).
Wisdom is of infinite value. With it, the simplest man among the living becomes great. Wisdom cannot be quantified and its price cannot be counted. It is by knowing God that we can get true wisdom. Job was defending himself before his friends who levelled some accusations of sin against him. He tried to defend his integrity as well as that of the Almighty God. Every creation of God shows His wisdom. How then do we get this wisdom? Man sought wisdom in a wrong way in the Garden of Eden. There was no fear of God in him. Anyone who seeks wisdom without the fear of God will end up becoming foolish, wicked and miserable as it happened to Adam and Eve. No one can seek wisdom outside God. The type of true wisdom Job talked about in the text does not exist among men. It cuts across human faculties and could only be found with the most High God. According to king Solomon, wisdom is the principal thing and it is better to get wisdom than gold. Job’s three friends thought that wisdom dwelt with them. Job on the other hand, did not claim to possess this wisdom; he only desired it. He believed that wisdom could only be gotten through the word of God. From where then does wisdom come? It cannot be seen by man because it is immaterial. Only God understands what true wisdom is. It is part of His Being. It is an essential element in His nature. The highest knowledge is with God and unless He impacts it into man, man can only search for it in futility. The true wisdom man should seek for is the fear of God for fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and to shun evil is understanding
King Solomon in the book of proverbs tried to profer what wisdom is by explaining that aquisation of a disciplined and prudent life by doing what is right, just and fair. I think wisdom of man based on self righteousness and worldly fairness as to man\’s ideology may not be what job had in mind to write about wisdom because his friends righteousness ideas are coloured with decite and mocking that was why Bildad the Shuhite said \”The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out, the flame of his fire stops burning. The light in his tent becomes dark, the light besides him goes out. The vigour in his step is weakend, his own schemes thrown him down\”.(Job 18:5-7) in other words judging job based on what they presumptuously thought would probably had been the cause of his truama as wickedness or sin. In this case the wisdom of God is more profitable to behold and these can only be acquired by the words of wisdom saying to you \”lay hold of my words with all your heart keep my Commands and you will live\”.(proverbs 4:4).
Remain blessed as you read Amen Cheers! Blessing
Deeply profound thoughts!