Thought for December 21st. “IT CANNOT BE BOUGHT FOR GOLD”

Job’s friends have given up reasoning with him!  This is good, their point of view was a sort of tunnel vision arising from their conviction that his woes were the result of some concealed misbehavior on his part.   Job now switches his thoughts more fully to perceptions of God and his ways – his thoughts are highly interesting to say the least.. It is evident that in his era there was extensive mining; he is understood to have lived in the time of the Patriarchs.  Today’s chapter (28) starts, “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.  Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore.” But after writing about man’s mining ability and “the thing that is hidden he brings to light” [v.11] which is done so much today, especially in Australia, Job’s thoughts refocus on a more vital matter!  He asks, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” [v.12] He then observes, “It cannot be bought for gold, and … cannot be weighed as its price.  It cannot be valued …” [v.15,16] adding, “it is hidden from the eyes of all living” [v.21] The climax of this chapter reveals the answer and it is wonderful!  Job says, “God understands the way to it … and he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear (awe) of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ “[v.23,28] Constant reading and meditation on God’s word creates in our minds the way to wisely think, speak and act – doing this becomes increasingly challenging, but this is even more vital as the world around us becomes so intensely ungodly.