What if you were told you could have a bag of any precious stones of your choice? Imagine! The value and beauty! Would you sell them and make millions or keep them for heirlooms to pass onto your children? Would you bury them in a wooden chest? Or fashion them into jewelry?
No doubt, such a gift would be marvelous. But what if you were told that there was a greater treasure? A treasure so great that not even a thousand flawless rubies could buy? What if you were told that even God had sought all the earth to find it?
In all honesty, there is such a treasure. Job 28 speaks of it and its great value…
“Surely there is a vein for silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.
“Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molded out of the stone.”
Verses 1-2
“As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire.
“The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold.”
Verses 5-6
So what could be more precious then fine gold and sapphires? The greater treasure is wisdom.
“But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
“Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
“The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
“It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
“It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
“The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
“No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
“The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
“Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
“Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
“Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
“God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
“For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
“To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
“When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightening of the thunder:
“Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”
Verses 12-28
Indeed, wisdom and understanding are greater than precious jewels. But such things seem so common these days. How can they be valuable when so many people claim to already have them?
Yes the wisdom and understanding of man is a common thing and it is not more precious then fine gold or even coral. But Job is not speaking of the wisdom of man, but of God.This wisdom, and this heavenly Godly understanding, is rare and not obtained by many. For the mind of God is greater and His thoughts higher than ours. So how can we begin to even comprehend these Godly gifts? How can we claim them? What else does the Bible say?
All the answers are in Scripture, their references many, and as I begin to study God’s Word more I will post it here. There is so much to cultivate from the Bible and I think we often believe that we already understand what it has to say. But the Word is alive and no matter how much we read it, we will never exhaust its knowledge and truths. Thus here I start by searching out what it means to have Godly wisdom and understanding.
(please feel free to leave comments below) =)