In what ways does Job 26:3 connect to Proverbs' teachings on wisdom? The Text at a Glance • Job 26:3 – “How you have counseled the unwise and provided great insight!” • Job’s words are directed at Bildad. On the surface they read like praise, yet Job is actually exposing counsel that sounds impressive but lacks true substance. Shared Threads with Proverbs • Counsel, wisdom, understanding, and insight are key vocabulary in both Job 26:3 and Proverbs. • Proverbs constantly highlights the necessity of sound counsel, while Job 26:3 brings that very theme into a real-life conversation: Are we delivering genuine wisdom or just empty words? Caution: Empty Counsel vs. Genuine Wisdom Job 26:3 (sarcastic use) • “Counseled the unwise” … yet Job implies no real help has been given. • “Provided great insight” … but the insight is hollow, lacking the fear of the Lord. Proverbs (positive use) • Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.” • Proverbs 15:22 – “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” • Proverbs 19:20 – “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.” Both passages place counsel at center stage. Job unmasks bad counsel; Proverbs urges us to seek and give good counsel that lines up with God’s revealed wisdom. Marks of True Wisdom According to Proverbs 1. God-rooted • Proverbs 2:6 – “For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” • Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” 2. Tested by Results • Proverbs 11:14 – “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” • True wisdom produces stability and rescue, not frustration and confusion like Bildad’s words produced in Job. 3. Humble and Teachable • Proverbs 1:5 – “Let the wise listen and gain guidance, and let the discerning acquire wise counsel.” • Bildad presumed he already had the answers; the wise person keeps learning. 4. Practical and Life-Giving • Proverbs 3:21-22 – “My son, do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life to your soul.” • Job challenges whether Bildad’s advice brought any real “life” to his suffering. Practical Pointers for Today • Measure every piece of advice—not by how eloquent it sounds—but by whether it aligns with Scripture and the fear of the Lord. • Before speaking counsel, ask: Does this truly help the “unwise,” or does it merely inflate my own importance? • Surround yourself with godly counselors (Proverbs 15:22) so your insights are sharpened, not shallow. • Let Proverbs be the filter that separates Bildad-style talk from Spirit-born wisdom—then your words will move from empty to edifying. |
    |