“And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom”Job 28:28
On December 4, 1872, a British-American ship called the “Mary Celeste” was found empty and adrift in the Atlantic. It was found to be seaworthy...with its cargo fully intact...including supplies sufficient for six months. Yet, not one passenger was found. Mariners generally agree that to precipitate the abandonment of a seaworthy ship, some extraordinary and alarming circumstance must have arisen. However, the last entry on the ship's daily log reveals nothing unusual, and inside the ship, all appeared to be in order. We may never know because no one on board was ever heard from again.
There are mysteries in life that are inexplicable...like Job’s troubles.
In chapter 28, Job is clearly frustrated so he takes a break to ponder this enigma; “I’m suffering like a wicked sinner yet, I know in my heart I am innocent. We are four pretty smart people. Why can’t we figure out what’s really going on here?”He opines on the intellect of humanity. People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock. They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. They find treasures no bird can see...
But...they couldn’t explain Job’s dilemma. Because...knowledge is not wisdom. Knowledge is information, wisdom is understanding.
So, how can people with so much knowledge be so unable to understand what they know? For example...water. A complete mystery. A simple principle of matter is that a liquid fills less volume when it freezes into a solid. That's because the molecules are closer together, which is why it gets hard. But water, unlike anything else, actually expands when it freezes. This is why ice cubes float -- unlike any other substance, the frozen version is lighter and less dense than the liquid version. Why is ice slippery? Why does hot water freeze faster than cold water?
Nobody knows...
Some mysteries are benign and we muddle through life without a need to understand because they just “work”; like my smart TV.
Other mysteries bring us alarm. Why did residents in Minneapolis destroy their community (280 businesses) because they were (justifiably) angry about the death of George Floyd? How did they achieved justice when these innocent shop owners now have nothing? And the residents can no longer walk down to the corner to purchase bread and milk...or medicine?
I’ve heard a lot of answers. But...they don’t offer wisdom, just explanations.
So, what do we do when our mysteries are so disruptive that they truly require understanding? Where do we go to find wisdom...hidden from the eyes of all humanity...so we can finally say “ah, now I get it!” We’d have to find the “Answer Man.” The guy who recognizes all the parts and pieces of our lives and understands how they work because...he designed and built them. That would be God...with a capital ”G”. As Job said, “God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens”. (Job 28.28)
Of course, this is also why we’d rather just blame God for our troubles. If He understands it, why won’t He fix them? Many use God’s mysteries as an excuse to walk away. Andy Stanley said, “You don’t have to understand everything to believe in something.” In John 9, Jesus met a man who was born blind and forced to beg just to get by. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know whose fault it was that the man was blind: Was it his fault? Or his parents? Christ’s answer? “Neither this man nor his parents sinned… but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar weren’t even close...Job didn’t sin. Job’s troubles were merely an opportunity for God to show His stuff. So...here is wisdom; when we struggle with our mysteries move toward the Answer...not away.
Live boldly out there today...
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