How does Job 15:7 challenge our understanding of human wisdom versus God's wisdom? Setting the Scene • Job’s friends are reacting to his protests of innocence. • Eliphaz, in Job 15, accuses Job of speaking as though he possesses superior insight. • Verse 7 becomes Eliphaz’s pointed question: “Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?” Verse in Focus • Eliphaz frames two rhetorical questions. – “Were you the first man ever born?” implies Job’s knowledge is not original or unparalleled. – “Were you brought forth before the hills?” reminds Job he is not older than creation itself. • The implied answer is “No,” underscoring Job’s finite perspective. Human Wisdom Under Scrutiny • Finite origin: Our birth in time and space limits comprehension (cf. Psalm 90:2—“from everlasting to everlasting You are God”). • Lack of pre-creation presence: We did not witness God’s creative acts (cf. Job 38:4—“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”). • Reliance on second-hand knowledge: Everything we know about God and reality is mediated—through revelation, observation, or testimony. Contrasting with God’s Wisdom • Eternal and self-existent (Proverbs 3:19—“By wisdom the LORD founded the earth”). • Unsearchable depth (Romans 11:33—“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”). • Independent of human counsel (Isaiah 40:13–14; 1 Corinthians 2:16). • Displayed fully in Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Lessons for Today • Humility: Recognize the limits of personal insight; resist the urge to speak as though omniscient. • Submission to revelation: Trust the written Word over fluctuating human opinion (Psalm 19:7–9; 2 Timothy 3:16). • Dependence on God’s guidance: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God” (James 1:5). • Discernment: Measure every idea against Scripture’s eternal standard, not cultural fashion (1 Corinthians 1:25; James 3:13–17). Scriptures for Further Reflection • Job 38–40—God’s direct questioning of Job. • Proverbs 1:7—“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” • Isaiah 55:8–9—God’s thoughts higher than ours. • 1 Corinthians 3:18–20—Futility of worldly wisdom. |
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