Wisdom Will Die With You – Job 12

1 Corinthians 8:1–3 says, “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” Lois E. Gibson writes on various subjects surrounding spiritual abuse and the proper interpretation of scripture. “All too often,” she says, “in groups which become controlling or abusive, there is a tendency to teach a distorted view of certain verses in the Bible.” She has written insightfully on the passage of Paul from 1 Corinthians quoted above.

I would suggest that Job is being spiritually abused by his friends, who have spoken in arrogance and not love.

Then Job answered and said:

“No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? I am a laughingstock to my friends; I, who called to God and he answered me, a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock. In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune; it is ready for those whose feet slip. The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand.

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food? Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.

“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding. If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open. If he withholds the waters, they dry up; if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. With him are strength and sound wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away stripped, and judges he makes fools. He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips. He leads priests away stripped and overthrows the mighty. He deprives of speech those who are trusted and takes away the discernment of the elders. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong. He uncovers the deeps out of darkness and brings deep darkness to light. He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. (Job 12, ESV)

Job sarcastically rejoins that his friends think wrongly that they have all wisdom in this matter.  He instead asserts his ability to match their wisdom and points out that he is blameless yet has suffered indignity from God.  He warns his friends that it is easy for them to express contempt for him when they are at ease and not experiencing misfortune, but misfortune is just around the corner for those who slip.  He contradicts their wisdom by pointing out that evil men like robbers are at times at peace even though they should be provoking God to action by their wickedness and idolatry.

Job asserts the all encompassing sovereignty of Yahweh as a way of emphasizing that all the good that comes to wicked people is ultimately from God’s hand.  Even the animals know this. God is sovereign over all and He allows the wicked to prosper and does not always immediately punish them. Could it not be the case that those, like Job, who are blameless, could suffer what appears to be punishment from God and yet not be guilty?

Wisdom does reside with age. But God is ever taking down the exalted and leading them into captivity using even deceivers and deceived to accomplish this. He often overturns the wisdom of the wise and the power of the powerful. Is it possible, Job is basically asserting, that our wisdom about God and how He deals with matters of justice, is wrong? Are we excluding evidence because of a predetermined desire for a certain outcome of belief?

Discussion Questions

1. When you hear the words, “getting older,” what comes to your mind?
2. What is Job’s perspective about “getting older”?
3. What evidence does Job offer that Zophar, Eliphaz, and Bildad are incorrect in their assessment that the only reason Job is suffering is because of the punishment of God?
4. If we did not have God’s own assessment of Job’s righteousness, would we be tempted to conclude that Job is lying about being blameless before God?
5. Why don’t we want to believe that God would allow some sinners to prosper and some righteous people to suffer?
6. Do you believe about God what Job believes about God?