March 29, 2007

Reading through the Bible this year: http://www.emailbiblestudy.com/Schedule.htm

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Job 28 (NLT)
¹ “People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. ² They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock. ³ They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. ⁴ They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth. ⁵ Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire. ⁶ Here the rocks contain precious lapis lazuli, and the dust contains gold. ⁷ These are treasures no bird of prey can see, no falcon’s eye observe. ⁸ No wild animal has walked upon these treasures; no lion has ever set his paw there. ⁹ People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. ¹⁰ They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. ¹¹ They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures. ¹² “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? ¹³ No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. ¹⁴ ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea. ¹⁵ It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. ¹⁶ It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. ¹⁷ Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. ¹⁸ Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies. ¹⁹ Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. It’s worth more than the purest gold. ²⁰ “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it. ²² Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’ ²³ “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, ²⁴ for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. ²⁵ He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. ²⁶ He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. ²⁷ Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. ²⁸ And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’ ”^[1]

The point of the first set of verses (1-11) is pretty obvious, men seek out the treasures of the earth and are willing to tunnel, dig, dam up water, or do whatever it takes to find the hidden treasures in the earth.  None of the other animals on earth even care about the pretty rocks or precious metals because they serve no purpose for them.  But man will draw wealth and pleasure from these rocks, enough that makes the work and risk worth taking.

The second set of verses 12-19 looks at wisdom.  By comparison, wisdom is not tangible, we can't touch it, mine it, or buy it.  Yet it is worth more than all the gold or finest jewels that are available.  Consider the way that men will go for the tangible treasures, while facing frustration when trying to acquire wisdom.

In our time, we may not necessarily dig mines to hunt for our gold, it might be keeping our nose to the grindstone at work or even working two jobs to bring in the extra income.  What do we do with the income?  Do we hoard it and look at it like a person will do with precious stones?  In our search for wisdom, how many are willing to dig deep, search out resources to learn wisdom? 

Verses 20-22 indicate that people will pursue wisdom, but not be able to find it.  Why?  I suppose the biggest issue we face here is defining what true wisdom is all about.  Is true wisdom being able to get along with everyone?  Making more money? Reaching a point in success where we shine above others?  Is it helping other people? Becoming a servant to others?  What is this critter?  What makes one truly "wise"?  Do you see the problem with wisdom?  To define wisdom we have to have a starting point in the definition.  If the starting point is man, then the values of each man will determine what is wisdom to him.  Yet this is just a rumor, and most often is easily proven to be foolishness. 

Verses 23-28 give us the true definition of wisdom.  It is found in God, and nowhere else.  God gives us the example of wisdom by controlling nature.  His advice is to fear Him, which means to treat God as if God demands respect in our lives.  Then act on that conviction by turning from our sin to learn from God a better way of living.  True wisdom is putting God's word into action in our lives, it is that simple.  True wisdom is wrapped up in considering God the most important thing in life, one who is to be respected, feared, and loved. 

I wonder, how many truly treat God with respect today.  How many of us treat God as if he is off on a journey, distant, disconnected, and not really concerned with our lives.  How many consider God only when they are in trouble or when they happen to dark the doors of a church.  When you get down to it, God is not very important to many people today because they are so interested in getting the gold and the jewels that they have no time for Him.  God is treated as an inconvenience, and that is scary.  Wisdom starts with respect or "fear of the Lord", we are to consider Him as an important part of life.  It's something worth thinking about.

Father as we consider Your word, place in us the desire to follow You just like we desire to dig for gold in our lives.

In Him,