Where is Wisdom? Part 2 of 3

Solomon became the king of Israel before the age of 15 succeeding his father David. As Solomon was becoming the “boy” king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said that he could “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” Solomon was given the opportunity to ask God for anything that he wanted and he responded with the following - “So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?”

God was very pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom instead of asking for riches, long life or deliverance from his enemies. As a result, He told Solomon that because he had asked for wisdom that he would also bless him abundantly with these other things as well. What a great lesson in well-placed priorities!

As we continue to look at the wealth of lessons in Job 28, this passage gives us more great teaching on wisdom:

Job 28:12-22

12 “But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
13 Mankind does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
14 The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’
15 Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it,
Nor can silver be weighed as its price.
16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx, or sapphire.
17 Gold or glass cannot equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold.
18 Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned;
And the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than pearls.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
And where is this place of understanding?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature,
And concealed from the birds of the sky.
22 Abaddon and Death say,
‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’

Lesson #1 - Man doesn’t fully know the value of wisdom

Solomon, even as a boy, understood the value of wisdom. Man, commonly, does not. Far more time, effort and focus are put into the pursuit of earthly possessions. Pursuing earthly possessions certainly isn’t wrong. God showed that to David when he blessed him with those things abundantly. But, God did it only after he knew that Solomon’s heart and priorities were in the right place.

Lesson #2 - Man looks for wisdom in the wrong places

Verse 13 states that wisdom “is not to be found in the land of the living.” It cannot be found in the oceans or in all of the precious treasures of the earth like gold, sapphires and onyx. In verse 21 it says that “It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature and concealed from the birds of the sky.” These are beautifully written and powerful illustrations of how man is deceived into thinking that we can find true wisdom on this earth.

Lesson #3 - Our Enemy know it exists but does not possess it - nor does he want us to have it.

Verse 22 refers to Abbadon and Death which is basically the realm of the enemy. He does not have wisdom nor does he want us to have it. He probably loves nothing more than to watch us pursue earthly treasures and try to make this our heaven. He also loves to see us spend our time on trivial pursuits that produce no lasting good or eternal significance. We play right into his hands when we do this.

C.S. Lewis said it best when he stated that the “safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turning, without milestones, without signposts…”

In other words, it is one who drifts along with the currents of the world with no thought given to the wisdom that God offers to direct our lives.

If the Enemy can’t have us, then he wants to render us ineffective for God’s kingdom. Don’t take the bait.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6