For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Job 28:1-21

1 There is a mine for silver
    and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
    and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;
    they search out the farthest recesses
    for ore in the blackest darkness.
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,
    in places untouched by human feet;
    far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,
    is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli comes from its rocks,
    and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
    no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
    and no lion prowls there.
9 People assault the flinty rock with their hands
    and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
10 They tunnel through the rock;
    their eyes see all its treasures.
11 They search the sources of the rivers
    and bring hidden things to light.

12 But where can wisdom be found?
    Where does understanding dwell?
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, ‘It is not in me’;
    the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
    nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
    with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
    nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
    it cannot be bought with pure gold. 20 Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.

A. Find Out

1. What things that are mined does Job now speak about? v.1-6
2. How is man’s activity unique? v.7-11
3. But what question does it raise in Job’s mind? v.12,20
4. Where does it not come from? v.13-16
5. What do not compare with it? v.17-19
6. What does he conclude about it? v.21

B. Think:

1. What are the first 11 verses all about?
2. What are they set off against and what point is being made?
3. Why is wisdom a mystery?

C. Comment:

Job is eventually going to make the point that wisdom comes from the Lord and from knowing Him. He has just spoken about the wicked and the godless who obviously don’t have wisdom, and so he starts speculating about this rare commodity. He starts by considering the efforts that mankind expend in mining precious materials (v.1-11): gold, (v.1), iron & copper (v.2) and sapphires (v.6). To obtain these things mankind mines & refines (v.1), smelts (v.2), digs deep (v.3-5), goes to depths where no other creatures go (v.7,8), digs deep in mountains (v.9), breaks through rock (v.10) and even sifts in rivers (v.11). Such is the incredible activity of mankind seeking precious rocks.

But what about something like wisdom? (v.12,20) Where can that be found?  Generally people don’t realise its worth (v.13a) and it is not easily found (v.13b), not in the depths of the land or sea (v.14), not purchased by gold or silver (v.15,16). It doesn’t compare with precious materials (v.17-19), so where does it come from? It seems to be hidden from sight (v.21).

These are the pictures and questions that Job as a good teacher sets up before us to make us start thinking about wisdom, this elusive commodity which is found only, it seems, with the utmost difficulty.

D. Application:

1. How often do you think about wisdom, knowledge and understanding? Are these things you value?
2. How often do we think?

Passage: Job 28:22-29

22 Destruction and Death say,
    ‘Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.’
23 God understands the way to it
    and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth
    and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind
    and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
    and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
    he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to the human race,
    ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil is understanding.’

A. Find Out

1. Who (or what) else doesn’t really know about wisdom? v.22
2. But who does know? v.23
3. Why does He? v.24
4. When did He fully understand it? v.25-27
5. What did He decree is wisdom? v.28a
6. And how is understanding expressed? v.28b

B. Think:

1. Why do you think Death is personified here?
2. How and why is nothing hidden from the Lord?
3. What do you think is the meaning of verse 28?

C. Comment:

Job has just been speaking about how wisdom is such an elusive thing. Even when you go into death (he implies) you will be no wiser from the experience (v.22); that is not the path to wisdom. No, only the Lord knows what wisdom is (v.23), because wisdom ultimately means the knowledge of how things work, what is right, and He alone knows this because He sees absolutely everything (v.24). Indeed when He created it all (v.25,26). He looked at it all, how it worked well and it was very good (see Gen 1:31) and He checked out everything (v.27) and ensured it worked just right.

Thus He is able to say to mankind wisdom is having a respect for God (v.28) that He is the Almighty Creator of all things, a respect that He is unique, He is holy, unlike anyone or anything else, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, all wise. This knowledge and the acceptance of it in reverential fear (which comes with the recognition that there is no one else like Him), this is wisdom!  And when we understand that, when we perceive the reality of it, then we will live according to His way and avoid all evil, which is contrary to Him and His way.

This is an amazing revelation, if indeed this is the earliest book of the Bible! Job has a revelation of God; he understands something of who He is, and he thus knows what true wisdom is.

D. Application:

1. True wisdom is knowing the Lord and worshipping Him.
2. True wisdom brings understanding which impacts all of life.