Scripture Union Discovery 9th March 2023 – Buried Treasure
Scripture Union Discovery 9th March 2023, Thursday Devotional Message
TOPIC: Buried Treasure
Opening Prayer
Merciful God, what a privilege to call you Father. In a world of isolation, I am secure in your fatherly love. I praise you.
Read JOB 28
Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found
28 There is a mine for silver
and a place where gold is refined.
2 Iron is taken from the earth,
and copper is smelted from ore.
3 Mortals put an end to the darkness;
they search out the farthest recesses
for ore in the blackest darkness.
4 Far from human dwellings they cut a shaft,
in places untouched by human feet;
far from other people they dangle and sway.
5 The earth, from which food comes,
is transformed below as by fire;
6 lapis lazuli comes from its rocks,
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
7 No bird of prey knows that hidden path,
no falcon’s eye has seen it.
8 Proud beasts do not set foot on it,
and no lion prowls there.
9 People assault the flinty rock with their hands
and lay bare the roots of the mountains.
10 They tunnel through the rock;
their eyes see all its treasures.
11 They search[a] the sources of the rivers
and bring hidden things to light.
12 But where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding dwell?
13 No mortal comprehends its worth;
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
14 The deep says, “It is not in me”;
the sea says, “It is not with me.”
15 It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
16 It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir,
with precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
17 Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18 Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19 The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.
20 Where then does wisdom come from?
Where does understanding dwell?
21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
concealed even from the birds in the sky.
22 Destruction[b] and Death say,
“Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.”
23 God understands the way to it
and he alone knows where it dwells,
24 for he views the ends of the earth
and sees everything under the heavens.
25 When he established the force of the wind
and measured out the waters,
26 when he made a decree for the rain
and a path for the thunderstorm,
27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;
he confirmed it and tested it.
28 And he said to the human race,
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.”
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What is your favorite feature of God’s creation? Spend a moment thinking about it and praising God for it.
Scripture Union Discovery 9th March 2023
In today’s wonderfully poetic chapter, Job begins by celebrating what is known as ‘human exceptionalism’ – mankind’s special, God-given abilities and mandate to explore and utilize the earth (vs 1–11). Only we, of all God’s creatures, can dig mines, refine gold, and smelt iron. Only we are investigators, seeking to know and understand more about this planet we are living on and its universe. Thousands of years on from when this was written, we are still discovering new wonders on the earth, beneath the sea and above the skies, and we still haven’t managed to plumb the depths of wisdom.
You would think that as we grew in knowledge and understanding of the world, we would grow in wisdom at the same speed, but it often seems as though the very opposite is the case. Job explains that this is because wisdom cannot be found in anything that is created, but only in the creator himself (vs 23–28). Fearing him – having an appropriate reverence for and honor of him – puts him in his rightful place and enables us to see clearly and understand rightly everything else under the sun.
Apply
Wisdom is ‘more precious than rubies’ (Proverbs 8:11) but is freely and generously given to all who ask for it (James 1:5). Ask the Lord to give you these riches in increasing measure.
Closing prayer
Yes Lord, I stand in constant need of your wisdom. I stand before you now asking for godly wisdom as I endeavor to live for you every day.
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
NUMBERS 22, 23 / ACTS 20
