Job 28:9–11

Job returns to the search for treasure. He describes a fruitless quest, in which man takes hold of the rocks (possibly pebbles) and overturns the mountains. We see him washing and sifting the pebbles and sand, or blasting into the solid mountains. He cuts his way deep down, following the vein like a river in its course. He looks with greedy eyes at the rich shining treasures locked up in it.

This is a very remarkable chapter. It follows man's skill doing all sorts of things — metallurgy, engineering, damming the floods, and bringing hidden things out of the earth. Skill that is unlimited in a certain sense, in what is subject to him — but this is not wisdom.

They gain a keen understanding of what things are worth — though by no means are they always right... but as a rule they learn what is valuable. "But where shall wisdom be found?" No, there is no wisdom in all that. There is self in all that. There is what will make a man rich; there is what will bring money and perhaps distinction. But where shall wisdom be found?

Again we ask, why will men not labour like this for the "hidden wisdom"? Why will they not seek to sift it out as it lies so close by, or, if need be, in faith remove the very mountains of difficulty? The course of this world sweeps along like a river. If it would swallow up the true riches, why do men not stop it, or turn it away from them, so that they may take hold of this thing whose value is above all wealth?

They dig down. They divert the underground stream. They make paths untrodden by the strongest beasts or the sharpest-eyed birds. But in all this searching they never find wisdom... Men may discover much. Since Job's day they have discovered an immense amount more. But wisdom eludes them. If Job could see man's activities and discoveries in our atomic age, he would say the same, only with emphasis a hundredfold greater.

What a very solemn thing that is! True wisdom and true understanding are not found in the earth at all. It comes down from heaven. It is found only in Christ.

The depths of the earth will not reveal it, and its value far exceeds that of gold and rubies. God alone can declare its true nature and value: "And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'" ... So until God has His rightful place in a man's mind and heart, he cannot view anything wisely. His thoughts are off centre. His beginning is all wrong.

Man's daring resources, with greed behind them, conquer every difficulty. The hard flint gives way to his hand. He overturns mountains by the root if they stand in his way, and he cuts rivers through the rocks, to reach the precious things his eye picks out.

He cuts his way deep down, following the vein the way a river follows its course, and looking with greedy eyes at the rich shining treasures locked up inside. If water flows in, he finds a way to divert it, so that he can go after the hidden wealth he has uncovered.

They develop a very sensitive sense of what a thing is worth — though they are by no means always right. Sometimes miners in our country have thrown away as rubbish something just as valuable as the thing they were after. But as a rule they do learn what is valuable.

God's hand does what creatures cannot. He overturns mountains at the roots, to expose what lies hidden beneath (v.9). Through the hard rocks He cuts out channels, using water to wear the rock away. And in those rocks "He sees every precious thing" — which man would not discover until God saw fit to uncover it (v.10).

They dig down, they divert the underground stream, they make paths where the strongest beast and the sharpest-eyed bird have never walked. But in all this searching they never find wisdom. This is the question he raised in verse 12, and he was right to say that these human activities could not find it. Men may discover much, and since Job's day they have discovered a great deal more, but wisdom still escapes them.

No, there is no wisdom in any of that. There is self in all of it. There is what will make a man rich; there is what will bring money and maybe status; but "Where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?"

Again we ask: why will men not work this hard for the "hidden wisdom"? Why will they not sift it out, when it lies so close at hand — or, if they must, remove by faith the very mountains of difficulty? If the sweeping rush of "the course of this world" would swallow the true riches like a river, why do men not stop it, or turn it aside, so that they may have for themselves what is worth more than all wealth? "The one who seeks finds" is still true, though this seeking and this finding are nothing like the hard work of digging for gold. The wisdom stays hidden and the way to it stays unknown, because men do not know God and will not listen to Him.

Coming back to the search for treasure, Job describes this fruitless hunt, in which man lays hold of the rocks and overturns the mountains… He cuts his way deep down, following the vein like a river in its course, and looking with greedy eyes at the rich shining treasures locked up inside. If water flows in, he finds a way to divert it, so that he can go after the hidden wealth he has now uncovered.

But God's hand does what creatures cannot. It even overturns mountains at the roots, to uncover what lies hidden beneath (v.9). In the rocks "He sees every precious thing," which man would not discover until God saw fit to expose it (v.10). On streams where man may expect to find treasure, He places dams that thwart men's intentions. But in the end, even what is hidden God brings forth (v.11).

"He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle, and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light. But where shall wisdom be found?" No, there is no wisdom in all that. There is self in all that. There is what will make a man rich; there is what will bring money and perhaps distinction; but where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Well, it is not on the earth.

Again we ask: why will men not work this hard for the "hidden wisdom"? Why will they not sift it out where it lies so close by, or, if need be, remove by faith the very mountains of difficulty? If "the course of this world" would sweep over the true riches like a river, why do men not stop it, or turn it away from them, so that they can have what is worth more than all wealth? "The one who seeks finds" is still true. But the seeking and the finding are not what the toil for gold would suggest.

"He can cut out channels among the rocks, and his eyes see every precious thing. He can dam up the streams, and bring what is hidden out to light" (Job 28). But he has lost the knowledge of God through sin, and lost all desire for that knowledge. "No one understands; no one seeks for God." The guilt is not in the capacity, but in the will. "People loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil."

True wisdom and true understanding are not found in the earth at all! It comes down from heaven. It is found only in Christ… There was a report of that One who is Himself wisdom, and who is the Giver of wisdom to the meek. It was by death that it came to us.