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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Job 28
Job 28 is a very interesting poem or song about wisdom. I think the first part, about the miners uncovering hidden, underground treasures is meant as a set up to show how unsearchable and valuable wisdom is. Such treasures, though difficult to obtain, can be found and brought to light, “But where can wisdom be found”? (Job 28:12a). Only God knows the way; no man can claim it. Thus, the only way to wisdom is through God. This is another common theme in the Bible. “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28b).
I believe that is the intention of those first 11 verses. However, I couldn’t help but see a picture of the hand of God in our lives in it. Like the miner, God, “puts an end to the darkness” (Job 28:3a) in us. He searches far below the surface, to places unknown by others. Because there we are like the earth. “Below the surface the earth is transformed as by fire.” (Job 28:5b). And it is there that God will, “bring to light what is hidden.” (Job 28:11). If we have indeed been transformed through the baptism of fire brought by Jesus Christ, God will uncover the treasures He formed in us there.
Job 29-30
Job’s story is something of an image of all of creation. In the beginning, all was good and pure. But, through no fault of its own, creation came under God’s curse (see Romans 8). Now, all creation is waiting, longing for what was before, just as Job was here. We are part of that creation, cursed because we share the nature of Adam, which is the human condition. We, too, long for what was before. The good news is, and we see it at the end of Job’s story, that the restoration we desire comes. The even better news is that it isn’t just restoration. God doesn’t just take us back to what was before. No, He redeems us to a state that far exceeds what was.