"Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where they refine gold.... but where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (Job 28:1,12)
The pursuit of wisdom has been a preoccupation of man from time immemorial. The unfolding drama of history is set amidst the backdrop of a spurious promise for the "knowledge of good and evil" for Adam and his lineage. And so began mankind's elusive search for wisdom. Since then generation after generation has embarked on this epic journey with notably impressive if not fleeting success.
Covering the spectrum of history has been the rise and fall of a plethora of renowned civilizations whose power, riches and knowledge at times seemed insuperable. In this regard, one thinks of the great Qin Empire that straddled parts of modern China, boasting artistic, cultural and technological exploits the fruits of which we are yet to fully exhaust.
Indeed, limited time does not allow for much detail, for we could discuss without end the glory of the ancient Egyptian empire, the cultural prowess of Ancient Japan, the might of South American empires including the Wari, Incas, the Mapuche and Araucanian peoples who all reigned supreme in their context. We could talk about the wonder of the classical Greek and Roman empires to which the foundation of our very own contemporary culture and thought are greatly indebted. Their glorious ascent ,followed invariably by their ultimate decline, underlies the fundamental bankruptcy at the core of all our labours.
Standing at the dawn of the 21st century as we do, we are once again confronted by brittleness of our very own civilization. The purported brilliance of our economic theories and models have failed to prevent the melt down of our mighty economies. Our treasuries are overladen with debt that threatens to yoke us for generations to come.
Our unrivalled medical know-how stands coyly at the face of a rampant global pandemic that has has accounted many millions of our very own. The brewing internal turmoil occasionally interrupts our busy lives with manifestations of inexplicable brutality. Our marriages are falling apart. Great advances in science, art and technology have failed to assuage the gnawing restlessness that respects neither the rich nor the poor, the young nor the old, eating away at our insides, our families and our communities.
The patriarch Job's ancient probing musings, ponder mankind's elusive search for wisdom, questions to which we are yet to find satisfying answers: but where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Maybe the truth to the questions that have taunted us for millenia are found at a source we have hoped we may never have to sincerely consult. Perhaps our millenia of wanderings have accumulated for us enough humility to contemplate the possibility that the ultimate answers lie with a source other than ourselves. Or maybe we are content to meander for another generation before we muster the courage to face the inevitable conclusion. Whatever our choice in this regard, we are confronted by Job's answer to this profound conundrum that astounds in its simplicity:
"God understands its way, and He knows its place. "For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. "When He imparted weight to the wind and meted out the waters by measure, when He set a limit for the rain and a course for the thunderbolt, then He saw it and declared it;He established it and also searched it out. "And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'" (Job 28:23-28)
