Job: Where Can I Find Wisdom?

In Job 28–31, Job delivers his longest uninterrupted speech. It’s a searching Wisdom Poem, a lament over his lost blessings, and a final oath of innocence. He concludes that wisdom belongs to God alone, that the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and that no accusation can be brought against him that will hold.

Previously on Bible Book Club

In our last chapters, we entered Round 3, the final round of debate between Job and his friends. Eliphaz, out of real arguments, resorted to making up accusations. Job closed the debate with an oath that still echoes, “I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.” We have witnessed three rounds. Three friends against one broken man on an ash heap. And when it is over, it is the friends who have nothing left to say. Job is still standing.

Who was present at the city gate during Job’s final defense?

Elders, neighbors, gossips, and a stranger named Elihu are all at the city gate during Job’s final defense. Recall from Job 8-10 that these conversations take place at the city gate, a public place for discourse. Job is the “greatest man of the East,” so his fall is big news.

What comes next is Job’s longest uninterrupted speech. But who is he talking to? Himself? His friends? The crowd? We know they’re still listening because when Job finishes a stranger, Elihu, steps forward, described as having been present and listening the whole time.

The people at the city gate have watched this court case for hours. They’ve heard all three friends, the prosecution. And they’ve heard the defense, Job. The hearing is over.

And then the space grows quiet, and the mood shifts to one of uncertainty. The scene zooms in, the friends and the onlookers fade away, and for the first time in this book nobody is arguing. Job is alone with his thoughts.

What does the transcript identify as the “eye of the storm” in Job?

It is the “eye of the storm” as Job turns from demanding answers about his suffering to searching for something we all search for: Wisdom. And with wisdom, understanding. Up until now, Job has been hoping for wisdom from friends who didn’t have it, and demanding answers from a God who hasn’t spoken.

Now he arrives at a reflective conclusion: Wisdom belongs to God alone. The answer to suffering isn’t an explanation that answers why. It’s a relationship with God who holds all the wisdom. Chapter 28 is called the Wisdom Poem and is considered one of the most beautiful poems in the Bible.

Note: Unlike modern poetry, ancient Hebrew poetry relies on the echoing of ideas rather than rhyme. This poem has three parts. In Part 1 Job says the search for wisdom runs deep, and you cannot mine for it. He compares it to mining, which was an important industry in the ancient world.

Wisdom Poem Part 1: You Cannot Mine for Wisdom

Job 28:1–11

Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

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.

How does Job compare the search for wisdom to ancient mining?

Mining involves delving deep into dark, obscure places where no one has ever been, and mining is profitable. If you are fearless and persistent, rare and beautiful discoveries are made and brought out into the light. This is how Job feels about wisdom. It is hidden somewhere in his dark world, and he wants to bring it to the light.

Wisdom Poem Part 2: You Cannot Buy Wisdom

Job 28:12–19

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.

The value of wisdom is immeasurable, and you cannot buy it. Job feels the search for wisdom is futile. He looked for it in the land of the living. So in verse 14, the deep and the sea are questioned about where to find wisdom, and they say it cannot be found there. And even if one could find it, it could not be bought; no price could satisfy its worth.

Wisdom Poem Part 3: Where Wisdom Comes From

Job 28:20–28

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. 22 Destruction[b] and Death say, “Only a rumor 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.”

In verse 14, it’s interesting that the deep and the sea are questioned about where to find wisdom. In verse 22, destruction and death are questioned, because Job is looking beyond life. But death responds that while they have heard of wisdom it cannot be attained by moving on to the next realm. Finally, in verse 28, God weighs in on where to find wisdom.

Job 28:28 “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

Where does the Bible say wisdom can be found in Job 28?

Job 28 says the source of wisdom is God and God alone. Job answers the question in verse 23: 23 God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells. Wisdom is part of God’s very nature. He knows “the way” of it, how it works, and he knows “the place” of it, where to find it.

Verse 23 is crucial for the case that the entire book of Job is making. Job’s friends think they understand how the world is ordered. They’ve built their whole argument on the retribution principle: do good and get blessings, do evil and get punished. They think they have wisdom figured out. But verse 23 says no, only God understands, which means we have to look to Him for wisdom and trust him when the answer eludes us.

And in verse 28, God gives us the instructions on how to do that:

“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

What is the definition of wisdom according to Job 28:28?

True wisdom consists of two things: fear of the Lord and fleeing evil. Fear of the Lord is not terror, but respect, honor, and obedience. It is an attitude that leads to right living.

Think about what that means for Job, because we know something his friends don’t. We know what God Himself said about Job not once, not twice, but three times. In Job 1:1, Job 1:8, and Job 2:3, the text says the same thing: Job feared God and shunned evil. Three times, Satan was told this to his face. That is the very definition of wisdom, spoken by the very God who alone possesses it.

So by God’s own standard, Job already has wisdom. And yet here he sits broken, grieving, riding the rollercoaster of faith and doubt while everyone around him beats him with their version of justice. But this verse affirms the stance Job has refused to move from, no matter how hard his friends push: Fear of God is wisdom. Not the patronizing transactional formula of “if I do this, God will give me that.”

What is fear of God?

True fear of God looks for upright behavior, for righteousness, the shunning of evil out of a loving reverence for who God is. That’s what Job has! And that’s what his friends, for all their theologizing, have missed entirely.

What is the greatest barrier to wisdom?

Pride is the greatest barrier to wisdom. It certainly is what prevented Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar from seeing the truth of Job’s situation. Wisdom was elusive for Job, but for us it is not! Paul addresses our access to wisdom through the Holy Spirit in a letter to the Church of Corinth:

1 Corinthians 2:10The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

We have access to wisdom through the Holy Spirit, given to us so that we may understand the mind of Christ. And Paul, in a letter to the Church at Colosse, writes that in Christ are hidden the treasures of wisdom:

Colossians 2:2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Our Access to Wisdom

Unlike Job, our search for wisdom is not elusive. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge can be found in Christ! Wisdom is not what you know; it is who you know. We know Christ, and through Him the Holy Spirit. Unlike poor Job who is begging to find Wisdom, the Apostle James says all we have to do is ask:

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Job is righteous. Therefore, we know he will be there in heaven when we arrive. I have said this before…when I get to heaven, I am going to attend lots of lectures, sit in the front row, and ask a lot of Bible characters a lot of questions. With Job, I want to hear parts of the story that aren’t in print. Because what he endured was incomparable, and the reality is Job didn’t have access to the wisdom we have. How did he do it? Because I just don’t know if I would have fought for it the way he did. In our next three chapters, Job will build his final defense by reviewing his past, his present, and his innocence.

Part 1: Job Remembers the Blessings of the Past

Job 29

1 Job continued his discourse: 2 “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, 3 when his lamp shone on my head and by his light I walked through darkness! 4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, 5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, 6 when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil. 7 “When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, 8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; 9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; 10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. 11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, 12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. 13 The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. 14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. 17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. 18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. 19 My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. 20 My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.’ 21 “People listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. 22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. 23 They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. 24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. 25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.

Why does Job describe himself as a “father to the needy” in Chapter 29?

Job remembers when the good life flowed to him and through him, and he had the ability to be good to others. He had purpose in life. He had a ministry, and it brought him great joy.

• The joy of the presence of God in his home
• The joy of respect and influence in his community
• The joy of a ministry to others — the poor, the lame, the stranger

What does Job long for?

Job longs for the life he lost and his relationship with God that he thinks he has lost, because he has interpreted his circumstances as God’s rejection. Job longs for the days when God “watched over him, was a friend to him, was with him.” But now he thinks God is lost to him. Trials and suffering can feel like this. David spoke of it in multiple Psalms like Psalm 13:

1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

Even Jesus, in his darkest hour, felt that God had forsaken him. The perceived absence of God’s presence during dark times is frightening. Nothing can fill the void, and it is easy to fall into the despair of it. What David and Job could not see, was that God was always watching over them. The same is true for us. When overcome with dark despair, the mind must overcome what the heart feels. We must rely on the truths we have been taught that God will never leave us or forsake us.

Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If only Job knew what we know: Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Job begins Chapter 30 with, “But now.” And he turns to consider the agony of his suffering and all he has lost.

Part 2: Job Laments the Suffering of the Present

Job 30

1 “But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. 2 Of what use was the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them? 3 Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed[a] the parched land in desolate wastelands at night. 4 In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food[b] was the root of the broom bush. 5 They were banished from human society, shouted at as if they were thieves. 6 They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. 7 They brayed among the bushes and huddled in the undergrowth. 8 A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land.

9 “And now those young men mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. 10 They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit in my face. 11 Now that God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence. 12 On my right the tribe[c] attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me. 13 They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me. ‘No one can help him,’ they say. 14 They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins they come rolling in. 15 Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.

16 “And now my life ebbs away; days of suffering grip me. 17 Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest. 18 In his great power God becomes like clothing to me[d]; he binds me like the neck of my garment. 19 He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes.

20 “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. 21 You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me. 22 You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm. 23 I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.

24 “Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. 25 Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? 26 Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness. 27 The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. 28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help. 29 I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. 30 My skin grows black and peels; my body burns with fever. 31 My lyre is tuned to mourning, and my pipe to the sound of wailing.

How has Job’s social status changed in Chapter 30?

From Job’s perspective in Chapter 30, he is disdained and defeated physically, emotionally, and publicly. What makes it worse is that all those people Job helped, wept for, and cared for are now mocking him. It is the ultimate gut punch that those he took such joy in helping take such delight in degrading him.

Job’s present reality is a stark contrast to his past, and he has:

• No protection of God over his home.
• No blessings for his family.
• No respect from the community.
• No ministry to others.

Part 3: Job’s Final Oath of Innocence

Job 31

1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. 2 For what is our lot from God above, our heritage from the Almighty on high? 3 Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? 4 Does he not see my ways and count my every step? 5 “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit— 6 let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless— 7 if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, 8 then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. 9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, 10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. 11 For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged. 12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction[a]; it would have uprooted my harvest. 13 “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me, 14 what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? 15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? 16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, 17 if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would, and from my birth I guided the widow—19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, 20 and their hearts did not bless me for warming them with the fleece from my sheep, 21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, 22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint. 23 For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things. 24 “If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ 25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, 26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, 27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. 29 “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—30 I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life—31 if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?’—32 but no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler—33 if I have concealed my sin as people do,[b] by hiding my guilt in my heart 34 because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside—35 (“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing. 36 Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would put it on like a crown. 37 I would give him an account of my every step; I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—38 “if my land cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears, 39 if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants, 40 then let briers come up instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

What are the “if-then” statements in Job’s final oath of innocence?

Job declares that if he had sinned, then his suffering would be justified, but he is innocent. There are 19 “if statements” in this passage all outlining different sins Job declares he hasn’t committed. There are 5 “then statements” that all state if Job had committed any of these sins, then he should be punished by losing his wealth, his wife, and his limbs.

Does Job 31 mention specific sins like adultery or greed?

Job mentions specific sins including adultery, abuse of servants, neglecting the poor, chasing wealth, idolatry, maliciousness, and covertness. There are only two “but statements.” Both answer the if-then statements with a declaration: “but this didn’t happen, because I didn’t sin.”

The defense declares not guilty and Job boldly says in verse 35:

“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

Why does Job ask for his accuser to put the indictment in writing?

The Accuser cannot prove Job’s guilt. It’s great irony that Job uses the word accuser, as that is what Satan is often called. Of course, little does Job know, Satan really is the accuser in this hearing.

With that, the words of Job are ended. This entire chapter is his oath of innocence. He signs his name. He swears his innocence. And he demands that God—not his friends, not the crowd, not the accuser—be the one to answer him. Job doesn’t break. He passes the test. He proves that man can be faithful. He proves that his relationship with God is not transactional. And with that the angels cheer, Satan scowls, and God knowingly sits back. Because God knew all along that Job would not deny him. And in the earthly courtroom at the city gate, there is silence.

Job has the last word. Until a stranger steps forward, someone who has been listening to every word, and he has a different theory. Who is Elihu? We will find out in our next episode.

Group Discussion Questions for Job 28–31

• Job found that wisdom cannot be mined, bought, or discovered in the land of the living. It belongs to God alone. Can you think of a time when you were searching for wisdom in all the wrong places? What was the result?
• Job describes a ministry of caring for people that brought him great joy. In Chapter 30, he deeply mourns its loss. Can you relate to Job here? Has there ever been something in your own life that brought you joy but then suffering or circumstance took it away?
• Job signed his name to his innocence and demanded God answer him directly, not the crowd. Have you ever found yourself going to people for approval or justice? How could you turn to God for clarity and insight next time instead?

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