Chapter+Twenty+Eight

__** Chapter 28 **__

Chapter 28 of the Book of Job is truly one of the great pieces of world literature. Job compares the life of a metals miner to that of a righteous man. In order to gain prosperity and wealth, a miner must search out in deep darkness (Job 28:3) precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, sapphires or lapis. This is achieved through open shafts in the earth, for it is the earth that contains these precious materials and the miner ‘brings to light hidden things.’ (Job 28:11). However, it is not gold and silver that Job seeks. Job wants to know “where shall wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12) The analogy being, as gold and silver are hidden in the earth, so too is wisdom and understanding are hidden from the eyes of all living (Job 28:21) Job declares that wisdom is more precious than all these stones and metals; wisdom is not contained within the earth, nor do mortals know the way of it. It cannot be exchanged for gold, nor compared with it. However, just as the miner seeks out hidden stones and metals from the earth (material riches), the righteous man too must seek out wisdom and understanding that is initially hidden from one’s eyes (immaterial richness). Only God knows the way of wisdom (Job 28:23) for in the beginning when God created all things He said unto humankind, “Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28) Although ‘the //fear// of the Lord is wisdom’ may sound strange to our English ears, this is more likely a problem in translation. In his book //The Problem of Pain//, CS Lewis asserts that the fear of the Lord is not a fear that one associates with being afraid. Rather it is one filled with awe, a sense of wonder. It is a fear that comes out of love for the lord. [1] //Fear// of the Lord is not being afraid of God; it is awe inspiring love that comes flowing from a heart of faith.

[1] Lewis, CS., //The Problem of Pain,// New York: Macmillan, 1944, p.42