God’s Inscrutable Wisdom
10 April 2022 PM – Job 28:1-28 – Job2022 – Scott Childs
Introduction: In the chapter before us this evening, Job asks the questions, “Where shall wisdom be found?” and “Whence then cometh wisdom?” These are good questions. One commentator states, “But to man this wisdom [by which God made and governs all things] must remain inscrutable. To him God said: Trouble not thyself with inquiring how I govern the world; why I permit the tyrant to be victorious, or innocence and truth to be oppressed: decide not what evil I can or cannot suffer to exist in the world. This is too high for thee: let thy wisdom consist in fearing me, upon whose will all things depend.” Michaelis, quoted by Zuck, p.123
The word “inscrutable” means impossible to investigate. Job was asking questions about God’s inscrutable wisdom, to which God has only revealed limited information. God is so much greater than we are that we can only grasp a tiny fraction of His person.
Transition: As we look at this chapter, I am going to borrow my main three points from Warren Wiersbe as I seek to uncover a bit of God’s inscrutable wisdom.
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You cannot mine wisdom (v.1-11)
a. Man has mined many metals and gems
1) Man has dug and found precious metals like silver, gold, iron and brass (v.1-2).
2) By searching, man has found precious things like sapphires (v.6), onyx (v.16), crystal (v.17), coral, pearls, rubies, topaz and much more (v.18-19).
b. Man has mined in incredible places
1) He has dug deep into the earth, looking for precious things. With lights, man has searched in deep dark mines for ore (v.3).
2) They have risked dangers like water in the mines to find their prised treasures (v.4).
3) Men find bread or food on the surface of the earth, but inside the earth, they find things that glitter and glow (v.5-6).
4) Birds flying over the area and the sharp eye of vultures cannot see the hidden treasures (v.7).
5) Fierce lions walk over it but never find it (v.8)
6) Man has dug deep into the earth, turning over rocks and disturbing rivers in search of treasures (v.9-11).
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In all of man’s digging, then and now, no one has ever found wisdom by human effort. Like finding treasures on earth’s surface, we can learn general things about God from nature. (Rom 1:20) “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Studying nature, however, cannot lead us to God’s hidden wisdom.
2. You cannot buy wisdom (v.12-22)
a. Wisdom is rare and priceless.
1) Man knows nothing about the price of wisdom (v.13).
2) He cannot find it on earth, where man lives (v.13).
3) The deep places and the deep blue sea do not contain wisdom (v.14).
4) You cannot buy wisdom with gold or silver (v.15).
5) Wisdom is more precious than fine gold and gems (v.16-17).
6) Coral and pearls of the sea do not compare to wisdom (v.18).
7) Precious topaz and pure gold are of less value (v.19).
b. God hid the source of wisdom from man’s eyes.
1) Where does it come from? (v.20).
2) God has hid wisdom from all living creatures, including the birds of the air (v.21).
3) The places of destruction and death have heard of wisdom, but cannot tell man where to find it (v.22).
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Not only can man not mine wisdom, he also could not buy it if he could find it. Wisdom is absolutely priceless. All the riches of the world combined could not buy one thought of wisdom. Years after Job, Solomon wrote much the same when he said, (Prov 8:11) “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.“