Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.

Job

CHAPTER 27
1 Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, 2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. 5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

For the next five chapters Job will be making a general speech to these three friends.
First, Job declares that he will maintain that he is innocent of wickedness. He has already acknowledged that he is a sinner (Chapter 7 verse 20); but he maintains that he KNOWS he is accepted of God. He has confessed his sins, and God has accepted his person.
Even with their bitter accusations against him, Job will not allow himself to speak evil against his friends (verse 4). Neither will he admit that he is unsaved (verses 5 - 6).

7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. 8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? 9 Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? 10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? 11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. 12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty.

Job declares that the "end" of the hypocrite is to FACE GOD in judgment (verses 7-8).
God doesn't hear the call of the hypocrite, because he doesn't delight himself in the Lord and call upon Him consistently (verses 9-10).
Therefore, Job says he will "teach" that the "end" of the wicked is to FACE GOD in judgment (verses 11-13).

14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. 15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. 18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night. 21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23 Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

No matter what the man without God does to prepare himself, he still dies (verse 19) and is not "gathered" by the Lord.
Then he faces his eternal destiny of "terror" (verse 20) because of his evil (verse 22).
Even those on earth disdain the evil man (verse 23).

CHAPTER 28

1 Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. 2 Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. 3 He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. 4 The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. 5 As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. 6 The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold. 7 There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: 8 The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. 9 He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. 10 He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. 11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. 12 But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?

Job is very knowledgeable about how men search in the earth for precious things such as silver, gold, stones, brass, and iron. He is familiar with the work of mining.
in order for man to descend into the earth, he must make mine shafts and put "an end to the darkeness" (verse 3) by using lamps.
Man must devise methods with wich to divert the waters which come out of the earth (verse 4). And man turns mountains upside down (verse 9) in order to find the precious things which he can sell for "bread" (verse 5).
But finding wealth does not bring wisdom (verse 12). Where indeed shall wisdom be found?

13 Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. 14 The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. 15 It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. 16 It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. 17 The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. 18 No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. 20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? 21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. 22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. 23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

No matter how much man searches out the earth and finds precious things (silver, gold, onyx, sapphire, rubies, etc.), he does not find wisdom.
For wisdom is BEYOND man; out of his reach (verse 21).
Wisdom is only found in God (verse 23).

24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; 25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. 26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: 27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. 28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

God knows all about the earth. He even puts "weight" to the wind and the water (verse 25).
It was God Who determined there would be "rain" (verse 26).
Then God has said to mankind: "Behold, the fear of the Lord, THAT is wisdom" (verse 28).
Man has "understanding" when he has reverence for God and leaves off doing evil.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." (Proverbs 9:10)