Cherie - I think you will love this description I came across in the book of Job today. See below:
Job 28New King James Version (NKJV)
Job’s Discourse on Wisdom
1 “Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place
where gold is refined.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper
is smelted
from ore.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]
Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]
As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
[SUP]6 [/SUP]Its stones
are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]
That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon’s eye seen it.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]The proud lions[SUP][
a][/SUP] have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.
The above discourse is to indicate the sheer value of resources that are available under the earth to man. From Gold, Silver, Sapphire and other resources. These are not easily found. Man has to through great expense and effort uproot mountains, dig through rocks, etc to find these mineral resources - to which is attached great value in the mind of man.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]“But where can wisdom be found?
And where
is the place of understanding?
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.
Yet we find an interesting introduction here at this point in Job. The introduction of Wisdom and Understanding. The passages say that Mankind has no true sense of its value (v13), nor whereabouts it is to be obtained (v14). No amount of searching will do. It cannot, like the great minerals buried under the earth be sought through investment in time and resources, or patience.
[SUP]
14 [/SUP]The deep says,
‘It is not in me’;
And the sea says,
‘It is not with me.’
[SUP]15 [/SUP]It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed
for its price.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom
is above rubies.
[SUP]19 [/SUP]The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.
But we can get a glimpse that God values Wisdom and Understanding FAR higher than what man is able to pay. It cannot even be bought for all of the mineral wealth under the earth. It cannot be priced.
[SUP]
20 [/SUP]“From where then does wisdom come?
And where
is the place of understanding?
[SUP]21 [/SUP]It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.
[SUP]22 [/SUP]Destruction and Death say,
‘We have heard a report about it with our ears.’
[SUP]23 [/SUP]God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,
[SUP]25 [/SUP]To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.
[SUP]26 [/SUP]When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
[SUP]27 [/SUP]Then He saw
wisdom[SUP][
b][/SUP] and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.
This thing of great value, namely Wisdom and Understanding, of which is greater value than all the treasures of the Earth ---- God knows. He knows where it is to be found. And it comes forth from Him (he declares it - v27). And this is it below:
[SUP]28 [/SUP]And to man He said,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that
is wisdom,
And to depart from evil
is understanding.’”
Wisdom is this - The Fear of the Lord
Understanding is this - Departing from Evil
If any false teacher here tells you that neither of the above are important.......well then you can come to your own conclusion.
Here is a corollary for the above scriptures in Job:
Mark 8
[SUP]36 [/SUP]For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? [SUP]37 [/SUP]Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [SUP]38 [/SUP]For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Do you see how Jesus sums up all of this chapter in Job in one paragraph? Read through this carefully. Look for the comparison.
