Job 28:1 Commentary and Bible Study

At last, in chapter 28, Job repudiates the sources of truth held by his comforters. The failure of any of the three friends to respond adequately to what he had said in chapters 26 or 27, leaves Job free to choose his own subject and to respond in a calmer tone, as Hailey comments. They derived their ideas from their personal wisdom, experience and the teachings of old seers. Job asserts the complete opposite, that truth must come by revelation alone. Unlike silver and gold it cannot be searched for, dug for, or refined out of the crude ore of man’s learning. Job denies that there is divine truth in all wise literature, mixed with the human error. Man can dam streams to uncover the river bed in his quest for gold, but no amount of ingenuity will lead him to God’s doctrine. He cannot discern it (verse 12) or buy it (verse 15). It is hidden from the natural man (verse 21 and 1 Corinthians 2:14). It must therefore be revealed (verse 23) and its understanding is given only to those who know humble fear of God and true repentance (verse 28).The first eleven verses contain a description of mining in Job’s day, and the search for precious metals and stones. The human quest for silver and gold shows how much effort man will put into finding these things and what ingenuity he uses. But not until verse 12 does it become apparent where this description is leading. There is a comparison setup in the chapter, but it is not a comparison between the search for precious metals and the search for wisdom, as if man was capable of finding both by his diligence. Rather, it is to teach the complete impossibility of him doing anything like mining wisdom from human thought. Although he manages to carry out the most difficult of tasks in digging up treasures from deep within the earth, he cannot even start to find wisdom by his own efforts. Certainly he should value wisdom very highly, and without doubt there is a search involved, but in the case of wisdom, man is entirely reliant on God’s revelation of his truth. God awakens the soul and causes us to long for truth that transcends this passing world. He shows us that all that belongs to the world has no abiding value, and he leads us to ‘Christ, in whom are hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.’ So then, although the mining illustration is given to show us that wisdom cannot be obtained in an analogous way by human endeavour, nevertheless we ought to show a far greater zeal in searching for everlasting treasures in Christ, and what man does in searching for corruptible things ought to be exceeded in his search for those treasures which endure to eternal life.