Admittedly, mankind has a kind of wisdom suited for this world (cp. 1Corinthians 2:11a). Through his wit or science, he is able to locate the precious metals and stones he desires, and not only locate but also acquire them through mining. No matter how difficult the work, no matter the distance or the skill required to obtain what he deems precious, man is up for the task (Job 28:1-11; cp. Genesis 1:26). Nevertheless, although he is equipped with the wisdom to use the earth and everything that is in it for his own advantage, whether for good or for bad, he is unable to discover the wisdom and knowledge of God’s plans (Job 28:12), the cycles of life, which he uses to govern mankind (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), or how he treats the wicked and the righteous (Ecclesiastes 9:1-6; cp. Job 12:6; 21:7). Such wisdom can’t be learned in the schools of men. It can’t be taught, not even by men who possess such wisdom, nor do men fully appreciate its value (Job 28:13).
No matter where men’s labors take them, whether in the land of the living, under the earth or under the sea, the wisdom of God, similar to the Kingdom of God preached by Christ, can’t be located, no not on any map, whereby men could discover its place and take it through their cunning skills (Job 28:14; cp. Luke 17:20-21). So, if man is unable to find such wisdom, and couldn’t be taught it, not even by a wise man who had understanding of the Lord’s ways, how could it be obtained? Is it possible to weigh out enough gold or silver to buy it, or acquire enough precious stones to trade for it? Would it be possible for any man to search the earth’s depths or seas and discover anything he could use to know and understand wisdom’s value? The answer, of course, is no. Wisdom cannot be obtained by any number of precious items, for which men travel the earth to find and acquire, no matter the danger or difficulty such labor requires. The wisdom of God is his, and he cannot be enticed by the precious things that men have or are able to obtain (Job 28:15-19).
How then do men become wise? Where do they find understanding (Job 28:20)? It would seem that Job was a wise man, and to a lesser degree the friends were considered wise. Therefore, wisdom does exist in the land of the living. But, how did Job and the friends acquire a thing that cannot be found on earth? How do they have an unearthly thing that cannot be bought or sold? Moreover, since it is clear that Job is wiser than any of the friends, and even wiser than their collective wisdom, it seems that wisdom can be increased. If this is logical and true, how would a wise man increase his own wisdom, when it cannot be acquired in the marketplace, or even found anywhere on earth? If wisdom is something unearthly, something that can’t be bought or sold, something that can’t be mined or even held in one’s hand, how is man able to increase the wisdom he already has, or learn what he doesn’t have in the first place? This will be the subject of our next study.
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