NOTES for Job 28:1-28

Where can wisdom be found? It is no accident that Job compares the search for it to geological exploration; it is no less difficult. Through the example of mining precious stones and metals, Job shows that persistent labor can uncover practical knowledge, but not yet wisdom.

The point is not merely that the results of discoveries and inventions are often used for evil, though that is also true. More importantly, even when their fruits are used for people’s benefit and make life considerably easier, they do not in themselves increase happiness in the world. For centuries people have mistaken scientific and technical knowledge and practical information for wisdom, but the accumulation of information about the structure of the universe proves incapable of answering questions about the meaning of our existence in the world. Job does not claim that he can attain wisdom by his own efforts; he gives a definition that came from God, the only One to whom wisdom is fully accessible: the fear of the Lord is true wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding. This sounds too simple to people accustomed to seeking wisdom in complex formulations. But a long search in other directions will not provide the answer.