RPG Adults
MAN’S USELESS SEARCH
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1
Job 28:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:17-21
“…wisdom is better than rubies…”
MAN’S USELESS SEARCH
Job’s three friends came to comfort him in his time of affliction. However, rather than comforting him, they intensified his suffering by their accusations. These men insisted that because God was a righteous, perfect being, He always punished sin immediately and, therefore, all suffering was because of unconfessed sin. Job, then, had to have hidden sin and if he would confess it, the suffering would cease and God would restore him.
On the other hand, Job held that it was obvious that at times, the righteous suffered and the wicked prospered. These things were in the hand of God and Job was unable to understand God at this point. But Job knew that whether the wicked prospered or suffered, they would all face the holy God and just retribution in the end. Job saw himself as a righteous man suffering unjustly and could not understand this. He hoped for vindication in this life but, if not, he had full assurance that God, as his Redeemer, would vindicate him in the hereafter.
Job showed his terrible frustration in being unable to understand his situation. We have here a detailed description of how man goes about mining deep in the earth for gold, precious gems and other metals. It is amazing how in days of old, man had already discovered various ways of extracting wealth from the earth (Job 28:1-11). Job remarked that despite man’s ability to extract wealth from the earth, he had never learned to acquire knowledge about spiritual things and had no idea of where such knowledge might be found (Job 28:12).
As King David told his son Solomon, it is only the Lord who can give true wisdom and understanding (1 Chron 22:12). May we search for wisdom from the Lord as diligently as the men of old searched for hidden wealth so that God can guide us from day to day.
THOUGHT: What is being described in Job 28:1-11?
PRAYER: Father, may I understand that true prosperity comes from following Thy godly wisdom.