Job 28:13 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Job 28:13

Comments

Because man does not know the price of wisdom or its value, he is unwilling to pay for it. Wisdom of course cannot be purchased for it is beyond price, and we have nothing to buy it with; we must receive it as a free gift from the mouth of God. Nevertheless, if we set a right value on it, we would do all in our power to seek it out; we would pray to God with all our hearts to give us light on his word. No man will begin a search unless he has a clear idea of what he is looking for, and a desire to find it. A search costs effort and it is not in our nature to make effort for no purpose, for we always weigh up the consequences of what we do. Only when we set our eyes on the goal are we willing to put up with the discomfort of the search. But the hardships to be endured along the way that leads to life are too much for one who has only a vague notion of what he is looking for. In order to set a high value on wisdom, we must first reject what is of lesser value. We must see through this world and say, there is no lasting value in reputation from men, in power, in riches, and in earthly security; we must consciously set aside these things in order to focus on true riches of wisdom.

Application

Job raises another shortcoming in our search: we look in the wrong place. As the comparison suggests, wisdom is not to be found in the land of the living and yet this is the only place that many are prepared to look. Unless it is something that is highly spoken of among men, they are not prepared to go after it. They do not feel comfortable on the narrow road but prefer to walk the broad way with the crowd. We must be ready to disregard the opinions of men, and forget about the praise that comes from conforming to their mould. This attitude needs to be maintained throughout life. The Christian life is not a matter of one great effort at the beginning, and then a free ride downhill. Old attitudes are always trying to reassert themselves, and we need to pray that we will continue to get our priorities right.

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Job 28:13 Commentary and Bible Study