Job In Pursuit Of Real Wisdom Look At The Book! Job In Pursuit Of Real Wisdom

What Is Job Really About? Most folks seem to think Job is a book about righteous response to God in times of suffering. It is about that, at least in part. Some think it’s a book about learning patience. Again, it can teach that. It is also a book about wisdom. It shows a great battle of wise minds pitted against one another. It demonstrates God’s own wisdom Let’s explore genuine wisdom today in the hopes of growing wiser.

Illustration: Katrina Vs. Rita In the 2005 hurricane season two mighty hurricanes followed one another, separated by only a month, in wreaking devastation on the U.S. coast, especially in Louisiana. Katrina killed 1,836 people, most from Louisiana. Rita killed only about 125 deaths. What was the difference?

Job Vs. Friends As Job spars with his friends, they discuss matters concerning wisdom. They discuss the difference between intelligence and wisdom. They discuss the difference between human wisdom and God’s wisdom. Job 12:1-3 – “Truly then you are the people, and with you wisdom will die! But I have intelligence as well as you; I am not inferior to you. And who does not know such things as these?”

Job 12:12-13 “Wisdom is with aged men, with long life is understanding. With Him are wisdom and might; to Him belong counsel and understanding.” Job attributes much wisdom to the progress of years. Yet he recognizes our greatest wisdom cannot compare to God.

Wisdom Is Elusive Job 28:12-13 – “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.” It can’t be bought The grandest riches cannot compare

The Lord Quoted Concerning Wisdom Job 28:28 – “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Wisdom has to do with learning to properly fear the Lord and to live righteously, departing from evil. Evil keeps us from properly maturing in wisdom.

Fear Of God And Wisdom Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” Fear of the Lord = beginning of knowledge Knowledge compared to wisdom and instruction Commandment keeping = good understanding

Wisdom Originates In God’s Word Proverbs 2:1-2 – “My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding….” Proverbs 4:5 – “Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

How Is Wisdom Sought? Elihu’s Complaint to Job and Friends Job 32:6-10 – “…I am young in years and you are old; therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think. I thought age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom. But it is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. The abundant in years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice. So I say, ‘Listen to me, I too will tell what I think.’”

What Did Elihu say? Not all older people are wise people. Wisdom depends on the spirit of man tuning in the wisdom of God. Sometimes young people can be even wiser than some older people. Polite manners lets elders speak first.

Wisdom From Young People “Never trust a dog to watch your food.” Age 10 “When your dad asks you, “Do I look stupid?”, don’t answer him.” Age 14 “You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.” Age 9 “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse.” Age 15 “Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.” Age 10 “Never try to baptize a cat.” Age 8

How Do We Seek Wisdom? We start with a great desire to learn Proverbs 1:24-25, 28-29 – “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; and you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof….Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.”

Proverbs 2:2-5 “Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.”

How Diligently Do We Search? Illustration Louis L’Amour short story “Trap Of Gold” Do we show this much determination in our search for wisdom?

How Does Wisdom Change Us? It teaches us humility Job 42:2-6 – “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me. I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.”

Wisdom Keeps Us Humble Romans 11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways.!” We will NEVER exhaust the storehouses of God’s wisdom!

It Gives Us Persuasive Power Acts 6:10 – (Of Stephen) “But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” 1 Cor. 1:21-24 – “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe ….we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

It Gives Us Persuasive Power 1 Cor. 2:4-7 Paul says his message was not in persuasive words of wisdom But in vs. 6 he says, “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor the rulers of this age, who are passing away.”

It Leads Us Into Good Deeds James 3:13, 17 – “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom…. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

It Edifies Christ’s Church Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”