Job 28:20-28: Finding the Unfindable

Think about a time you lost something of value to you. Maybe it was something that you misplaced. You put it down somewhere safe. You know that much, but now you couldn’t seem to find the item. We have all experienced situations like this and we know how frustrating they are. We also know that if the item is of significant importance to us, we will not give up after a minor search; we will diligently tear the house apart trying to find what we have misplaced; quite possibly we will even lay awake at night trying to mentally retrace our steps so that we can figure out where the item might be.

Involvement:

This morning we are going to consider a missing item that every person universally searches for throughout their life.

Context:

Today we are going to take a break from our series through 1 Thessalonians. I knew that several of our church family will be away for the weekend, so I decided we would turn elsewhere for our sermon today…coming back to 1 Thessalonians, Lord willing, next week when most of our church will be together again.

As you can see behind me, we are going to be looking at a passage in the 28th chapter of book of Job this morning. Without going into too much detail, it is important to realize that the 28th chapter of Job contains a poem that has been positioned by the author as a pivotal element to the book. The entire structure of book of Job is designed to place emphasis this chapter as its pivot chapter.

I think we are all fairly familiar with Job’s story but I will take just a couple of moments to dust its flow off a bit in our minds. Job thought he understood life. Job 1:1 tells us that Job was “blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.” The first few verses of the book go on to tell us how extremely wealthy Job was. He thought he had life figured out…if he did things according to the rules of God, God would bless him. In fact, he thought his successful life was evidence of this truth. But, as we know, in one fell swoop all of Job’s possessions were taken away through God-ordained calamities. Job’s entire understanding of creation’s order was completely blown away. His understanding of wisdom was shaken to its roots.In the midst of his sufferings, we know that Job’s three friends come to comfort him but Job eventually ends up arguing with them about why he was suffering. When we get to chapter 28, Job has just completed the debates with these friends during which they had tried to convince him that his previous understanding of wisdom was correct; in other words, God always, even mechanically, rewards good behavior and punishes bad. They claimed that it was Job’s interpretation of his situation that was flawed; Job thought he was a righteous man, but they argues that he really was a sinner as proven by the events that had transpired.

Job is convinced that they are not correct so he needs to come up with a different interpretation for events. Job 28 is positions right before the literary climax of the book brings us face to face with a man who is searching for something; how to make sense of his life.

Preview:

The author of Job has worked hard to focus our attention on this chapter, so as approach it with we should have high expectations. Job’s search is presented for us through a series of questions in the first verse of our passage. Look with me at verse 20...<read>.

What Job was searching for in this verse is wisdom. What is wisdom? Wisdom, in its simplest form, it can be defined as the search for creation’s order so as to master life. We all want to master the complexities of life and we attempt to do this using what we call wisdom. It is the application of our understanding of how creation is ordered or operates in our lives that we are referring to when we say we are using wisdom. Wisdom is the search for creation’s order so as to master life.

Illustration

When I worked in the corporate world I had a co-worker who had a lot of scientific training and engaged in archeology as a hobby. In fact, he had, and I assume that this is still the case, the largest private collection of Indian artifacts in the state. All his archeological work though has not answered his fundamental question—what is life all about. He and I discussed this question several times. In the middle of one of the times when we were again discussing God and the Bible…while I was giving the Bible’s view of creation (with the Gospel sprinkled in) and he was defending evolution…in the course of that conversation he made a statement that perfectly sums up the frustration of man’s search for wisdom. He said, “As a scientist I can envision how the mechanism of evolution could work, but I cannot then explain why life has any purpose. If we simply evolved how can there be any purpose and how can there be right and wrong?”

Job is searching for something and as my friend demonstrates, it is something for which each of us searches as well. Where does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? These are synonymous terms. These questions basically come down to a fundamental question: “How can we discover wisdom?” This is a basic question of human existence and one we deal with daily.

Application

Why is this important to us? Just like Job, we might possibly on the brink of having our understanding of wisdom turned upside down. We regularly attend church where we hear biblical preaching. We have hopefully structured our lives to apply the various things that we have learned. We strive to please God with our activities. We fully expect God to bless our efforts as we are faithful to biblical principles. But, what if he doesn’t? We may very well be falling into the same trap as Job was in…a trap that will spring the moment our world is suddenly turned upside down. When that happens we must be ready to answer this question, “How can I understand life?”

Transition from introduction to body:

As we have seen, in verse 20 our basic question is phrased “how can I discover wisdom?” In the next two verses, an answer resulting from a careful search is given. The result of that search is that…

BODY:

I. We cannot discover wisdom (vv. 21–22)

The poem contained in chapter 28 has three sections. The first section, verses 1–11 highlights how ingenious mankind is; man is able to discover all kinds of hidden things, like gems buried deep in the earth. Yet, the second section shows that wisdom is not found through man’s ingenuity. In fact, man cannot even acquire wisdom with any of the various riches he acquires. That is why Job has asked the question of verse 20, leading to the conclusion of these two verses.

Transition:

Job will search for wisdom by looking at the things all around him; he will observe everything that he can observe and in the end determine that first of all,…

A. We cannot discover wisdom in this life (v. 21)

Look at verse 21…<read>.

Job declares that he has looked around and determined that he can not discover wisdom. Furthermore, he declares that it is hidden from “all living creatures.” He refers to the birds of the air which are known for their keen eyesight. Even the birds of the air are not able to discover wisdom.

Job, as I said, marveled in the first 11 verses of the chapter over man’s inquisitive nature and his technical ability. Man has an amazing ability to mine deep into the ground and bring hidden things to light which even the mighty birds of prey could not see. Yet, he concludes that wisdom lies concealed from the eyes and minds of all mortals.

Application

Herein lays the crux of the danger for each of us. When our life does not progress as expected, we may begin to doubt our understanding of what really constitutes wise decisions. Maybe it is our business ventures or maybe our efforts to provide and lead our families. Maybe it is even our attempt to set a spiritual direction with our lives. When our efforts fail to achieve the ends that we want, we may very well begin the search for a more accurate understanding of wisdom. This is not wrong in and of itself. If things are not working out as expected in our undertakings, it is proper to question our understanding. In the same way as Job, we should ask if we have a true perspective on wisdom. But will we look at what gives the appearance of success in the life of our neighbor or in the church down the street? This verse tells us that wisdom cannot be discovered through any of the things that man has done.

Transition:

Since Job is not able to discover wisdom among the living, he moves on in the next verse to consider the afterlife. Here he finds that…

B. We will not discover wisdom beyond this life (v. 22)

Verse 22…<read>.

Job mentally considers the realm beyond the living. Using poetic personification, Abaddon, or Destruction, and Death are queried as to their knowledge of wisdom. Their reply is that the region of the afterlife is said to have only heard a rumor (“with our ears”) that wisdom may exist. This may imply that those who reach the abode of the dead will have a belated understanding of what they missed in life. Still, all that will be known is that wisdom was not found during life; it is not as if there will be a chance to acquired wisdom in the afterlife and apply it retroactively to one’s life; there is no second chance.

Application

The idea of searching the after-life may seem strange to us at first, but it is more prevalent that we may realize. This is exactly what Saul was doing when he went to the spirit medium in 1 Sam 28…if you remember that event from our series last year. Really, much of witch-craft throughout the centuries has dealt with the premise that advanced wisdom could be found through consulting with the spirits of the dead. In our current day, all we need to do is to watch a small amount of television or a few movies to see that witch-craft has entered the entertainment mainstream. I’m not taking about fantasy like Harry Potter. I’m talking more the many shows that use a premise that a spirit medium can solve crimes by consulting the dead victims or that a person can find closure by communicating with people in the afterlife. Daily our friends and neighbors are exposed to these kinds of ideas. We really must declare in no uncertain terms that this is not the path to wisdom.

Transition:

In verse 20 Job asked, “Where does wisdom come from?” Through a two-fold answer, we have seen that the obtainment of wisdom lies beyond our human ability both in this life and beyond. In all cases its location or source could not be found so that wisdom obviously cannot be obtained through any diligent human efforts. In the next set of verses, though, Job gives a second answer to the question. For the first time God appears in this poem and we learn that…

II. God has wisdom (vv. 23–27)

Let’s read verses 23–27…<read>.

Transition:

God has wisdom. First of all, in verses 23–24 that means that…

A. God has wisdom in His very being (vv. 23–24)

Sometimes our English translations rearrange words in such a way that we lose some of the emphasis of the original. Not so in this case; just as in our English texts, God’s name is placed in the prominent first position in the Hebrew. This is done to emphasize the change of subjects in the following verses. In verse 23 God is said to “understand” the “way” to wisdom and to “know” its “place.” Unlike man, God knows of wisdom; not only that it exists, but in a poetic sense, where it is located. We see that God alone is able to search and find it. The clear implication is that He alone is in a position to answer the questions asked in verse 20.

The reason for God’s ability is given in verse 24—God alone is omniscient. He is able to “look” and “see” all things. Nothing in the created universe escapes His knowledge; He sees to the “ends of the earth” and “everything under the heavens.” God possesses wisdom as part of His very being. God’s omniscience demands that He has complete mastery over all facets of life—He has the knowledge of all facts, the implication of all facts; and the application to life of all facts. Thus, God is the One to whom every person must turns in his or her search for wisdom.

Illustration

I know that this isn’t a difficult concept. To be able to understand something, we must be able to observe it. To that end, tools have been developed for various fields. For example, Grace works in an endoscopy unit. When there was a concern that my acid reflux might be causing a problem, I went to her unit and a doctor put a scoop down my esophagus and took a look. Since he was able to observe what was going on in me, I was then able to ask him about his observation and was happy to hear that there was no problem.

In the same way, when Job realizes that God possesses wisdom as part of His very being, it is natural that he consults with God.

Transition:

God has wisdom in his very being. And not only does God have wisdom because of His being, but secondly,…

B. God has wisdom imbedded in creation (vv. 25–27)

Verses 25–27 explain in further detail how it is that God’s knowledge of wisdom is indelibly wrapped up in His role as the Creator. Job describes God’s creative activities in a summary fashion by focusing on the making of a thunderstorm. You may recall that it will be a thunderstorm in which God will soon appear to Job in the coming chapters…maybe Job could already see it building on the horizon as he was contemplating this truth.

The idea is that God laid down the laws which govern that particular storm (and every storm) as part of creation. Look at the verses, first of all God “imparted weight to the wind.” This means that he established the force with which the wind would blow. Secondly, He “meted out the waters by measure.” This most likely means that God determined the amount of water that would be carried in the wind. Thirdly, God determined as part of creation the amount of water a rainstorm would contain by determining limits for the season for the rain and the amount that should fall in a single storm. The final item listed is a actually bit difficult to translate. The NASB has it as “a course for the thunderbolt” while the KVJ has “a way for the lightning of the thunder” and the NIV as “a path for the thunderstorm.” The basic idea points to those sensory elements—visual or auditory—that are associated with a thunderstorm. All these items together demonstrate that God determined the path that storms would follow when He created the world.

Illustration

We have all seen incredible storms like hurricanes…at least on the TV, if not in person. From a human perspective, it seems as if there is no order to the made up a storm. Even this week, we have been reminded through storm Dorian that mankind is unable to predict even a few hours before the storm hits how strong it will be and what exact path it will take. The point Job is making is that although storms appear to be without order, their elements were determined by God’s wise, creative genius.

Now, look at v. 27. After using a thunderstorm as an example Job makes the relationship of God’s role in creation to wisdom explicit. In this verse there are four verbs: “saw,” “declared,” “established,” and “searched” These verbs indicate the intimate connection between wisdom, creation, and God. God has wisdom imbedded in the very fabric of creation.

If we look at all the verses, 23–27, Job’s discovery is that wisdom exists in the universe because God embodied it in His creation. The sovereign God of creation utilized wisdom from the very beginning because it is part of His being. Since God created all things, He perfectly fathoms the order underlying creation—wisdom.

Transition:

Job has shown us that we are unable to discover wisdom through any man-based efforts. But, he has also shown that God has wisdom, it is part of His very being, and He has imbedded it into His creative activities. This brings us to verse 28. This verse provides the summary to the whole question we’ve been asking, “How can I discover wisdom?” In this final verse we learn that…

III. We discover wisdom through God (v. 28)

<read v. 28>.

The introductory formula, “and to man He said,” actually stands outside the poetic structure of the poem. This is the poet’s method of highlighting what follows by deliberately setting it apart; a resolution is about to be announced by the One who has the answer…that which man has so diligently searched for is available to him because God possesses it and offers it to him.

Transition:

This verse tells us that we discover wisdom through a two-sided idea. The first side is that…

A. We discover wisdom through the fear of God (v. 28a)

The phrase “Fear of the Lord” means to honor, respect, and worship the Lord. In this verse the idea of fearing the Lord is equated with wisdom. To fear the Lord means to recognize His deity—His Lordship. It means to acknowledge His supremacy over us. It means to respond in awe, humility, worship, love, trust, and obedience. It means, quite simply, to give the proper human response in the presence of the Holy God—a humble acknowledgment of Him as Master.

The ability to receive wisdom begins (and ends) with the “fear of the Lord.” We must have a deep-seated humility grounded in an abiding awareness of our absolute dependence on the undeserved mercy of God. True wisdom is an acknowledgement that we know God only insofar as He has been pleased to reveal Himself to us. God’s revelation is the basis for any and all true knowledge. The starting point for true wisdom, then, is God’s own self-disclosure of Himself to us—this book!

Transition:

The first side to discovering wisdom through God is the fear of God. The second side is that…

B. We discover wisdom through obedience to God (v. 28b)

The second part of this verse says to “depart from evil.” This simply means to turn away from everything that is bad. Understanding comes from living according to God’s standards for holiness—avoiding what He has declared is evil.

God states many times in His word that we are to depart from evil. For example: Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil and do good;” Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil;” Jeremiah 35:15 “Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds.” This is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. Scripture is full of precepts from the Creator-God which guide us as to the things we are to shun. Obedience to these commands is the second half of wisdom.

If we put these two thoughts together, they really do created a single idea, which is why I called it a two-sided idea. We really do not honor and respect—that is “fear”—the Lord if we will not obey what He says by avoiding what is bad.

Illustration

Think about it, is a child really honoring and respecting his parent when his parent has said, “Do not eat that cookie now before dinner” and the child goes ahead and intentionally takes a bite out of it while looking at his parent? That child may learn what fear of the parent is very quickly as the ramifications of blatant disobedience come to bear upon his little backside, but at the moment he took the bite, there was no “fear of the parent.”

We cannot have fear of God without obedience to God. Only our Creator-God possesses absolute wisdom, but He has graciously chosen to reveal Himself to us so that in a limited sense, we may also discover wisdom. Still, we will only find it when we search within His revelation. From all this, governing principle for us is clear: We can only discover wisdom through God’s revelation.

Application

Let’s make this personal. What will you do when your life starts to fall apart? In your mind you have been faithful to the Word of God and yet your business is not booming; your family is not coming together; your career is stagnant. Yet, your neighbor is looking to sell his house and buy a larger one because his business is going so well. Your brother’s family seems to be very peaceful, but you know they don’t even attend church on a regular basis. How are you going to have the wisdom to discern what you should do now?

Perhaps even more dangerous is the situation when something you try begins to work. Will you be able to discern if it was due to man-centered wisdom or God-centered wisdom? Will you be able to walk away from your so-called success if God’s Word confronts you that your methods were in violation to His guidelines?

It’s easy to say that we will hold to biblical principles no matter what the cost, but be honest. When the mortgage is past due and the bills are piling up, it is not be so easy. Like Job, the basis of our assumptions about how to succeed may get stripped away. When that happens it is crucial that we apply the truths of this passage. We must force ourselves get down on our knees before our Creator-God. We must fear Him and depart from everything He calls evil. We must turn to His Word acknowledging our central truth: We can only discover wisdom through God’s revelation.

Transition from body to conclusion:.

In the center of the book of Job, the author has recorded for us Job’s search for wisdom when his world fell apart. By allowing us to see Job’s conclusion, we can learn how to respond ourselves when faced with unexpected blows in our lives.

CONCLUSION

Remember by archeologist friend who is trying to understand the purpose of life while holding on to the theory of evolution. My friend is looking for wisdom, but Job has shown us he will fail in his efforts.

We cannot discover wisdom. Only God has wisdom. We discover wisdom through God. Thus, the answer to our question, “How can we discover wisdom?” is that We can only discover wisdom through God’s revelation of Himself. To discover wisdom from God we must turn to God and a turn away from evil. We must to fear God and submit to Him in obedience. We can only discover wisdom through God’s revelation.

In Job 1:1, Job was described as a man who feared God and turned away from evil. In other words, in the final analysis Job was a wise man. May we be considered the same. We can only discover wisdom through God’s revelation.