Year 1, Week 3, Day 2 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 3, Day 2

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Job 25-28.

Today’s reading opens with Bildad’s brief words (Job 25). The rest of today’s reading is possibly all words by Job (Job 26-28). However, it is also possible that Job 28 is neither the words of Job nor his three friends. It is possible that Job 28 was crafted by the author of the Book. Determining whether Job 28 is a continuation of Job’s speech in chapter 27 and concluding in chapter 31, or if chapter 28 is an interlude breaking up Job’s words in chapter 27 from chapters 29-31, what is conveyed does not change. While Job 28 does seem to have a style, mood, and focus distinct from Job’s speeches, the chapter is consistent with what Job has expressed. Either way, these words perfectly reflect what God wishes said.

I was struck by what today’s reading reveals about the extreme value but the profound difficulty of obtaining wisdom from God’s Word. God has loaded His word with wisdom; however, extracting wisdom from the Word is hard. The focus of Job 28 is stated twice in the chapter: “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12), and then again: “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:20). Job 28 addresses wisdom.

Obtaining wisdom is like acquiring precious natural resources: “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine.” (Job 28:1). Obtaining wisdom is to be pursued in a manner similar to how precious natural resources are extracted: “if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:4-5). Although wisdom is of greater value than even the most precious of natural resources: “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;” (Psalm 19:10); “Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold” (Psalm 119:127).

But obtaining precious natural resources can be hard, so also wisdom can be hard to obtain: "It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’” (Job 28:21-22). Like precious natural resources, there is an element of scarcity with wisdom. Wisdom is unearthed from the Word through hard effort: “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing. He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.” (Job 28:9-11). Wisdom is discovered by costly effort: “It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold” (Job 28:16-17).

The Book of Job is a piece of Hebrew wisdom using forms of Hebrew poetry to deliver its wisdom. As we are over half of the way reading through Job, making sense of it has been challenging. It may feel justifiable to give up on the task of reading through the Bible (and we haven’t even got to Leviticus yet). We can quickly get discouraged with our attempts to read through the Bible, when it is so hard to understand what is being said. But don’t quit; take heart: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy. 3:16-17). The immense value of the Scriptures must be kept before us as we persevere in the difficulty of gaining wisdom from the Scriptures.

As we continue reading the Scriptures, recognize that it is a hard and costly task. Toss out the assumption that gleaning wisdom from the Bible should be an easy and convenient exercise. But mining wisdom from the Scripture requires careful and prolonged thought: “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:7); it also requires diligence and precise reasoning “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). And while hard and costly effort on our part is required, self-confidence is a hindrance: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:26). Such factors are how most anything of value is discovered: “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe