Gold and Silver or Wisdom?

24.08.24 // My daily bible reading fell on Proverbs 31:27.

She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Proverbs 31:27

I read and felt inadequate. I wrote down in my journal, “I am not idle, but I feel so busy for nothing – like I’m onto the wrong things. I feel so unfruitful. Like I am not gifted to earn money – in business, investments, or even get a well-paying job. But I want to do a lot of projects that need money. Should I go back to job?”

I re-read the last line I wrote. It sounds like ‘go back to the book of job’ instead of ‘go back to a job (and work)’ that I had meant.

So I opened the book of Job and the first thing I read was Job 28:1.

“Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where gold is refined.”

Job 28:1 (NKJV)

I didn’t understand what this verse meant. I continued reading and these verses jumped out:

“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 cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silverbe weighed for its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyxor sapphire.
Neither goldnor crystalcan equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coralor quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.
The topaz of Ethiopiacannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

Job 28:12-13, 15-19 (NKJV)

According to Benson Commentary, “wisdom is not attainable by the human capacity and industry without a revelation from God.The several arts of discovering and purifying silver, of refining gold, making iron and brass from the ore, the art of mining itself, the secrets of husbandry, are all within the reach of human ability and diligence: but to comprehend the ways of Divine Providence… is above man’s capacity, and can only be known so far as God is pleased to reveal them.“

Then I saw it, verses 1-2 meant gold and silver can be obtained through human efforts, but wisdom is by the revelation of God (partly human effort to seek wisdom out too). However verses 15-19 tell us that we can’t purchase wisdom even if we want to, not that anyone has enough money to afford it anyway.

So I thank God that even if I don’t have the human capability to gain gold and silver, I can gain wisdom by His grace. I need to trust God that nothing in my life has gone to waste – through days of what seemed to be unfruitful, there are still moments when I am gaining wisdom. Even if I don’t see it, I am likely gaining something much more valuable than any other commodities and precious gems in the world.

Are you praying for gold and silver or wisdom?Or are you gaining wisdom without you yourself knowing?

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