Job 28

If you watch much TV, I'm sure you're familiar with the premier MasterCard commercials from a few years ago, featuring the "priceless" slogan. For instance, one featured a woman going on a blind date: "Haircut and style—seventy dollars. Spa manicure—fifty dollars. Stunning black dress—one hundred thirty dollars. Your blind date complaining about picking up the sixty dollar tab—priceless. There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard."

This chapter of Job reminded me of one of those commercials. Job starts off talking about all the different types of gems and metals that can be found on Earth. He talks about how men will go searching very carefully to find these precious items: "Miners carry lanterns deep into the darkness to search for these metals. They dig tunnels in distant, unknown places, where they dangle by ropes. With their own hands they remove sharp rocks and uproot mountains. They dig through the rocks in search of jewels and precious metals." (vs 3-4, 9-10)

And, after detailing how carefully men work to acquire these expensive materials, he talks about wisdom—and how rare and unattainable it is to the human race. He concludes by saying that it can only be found in God: "The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding." (vs 28)

When you think about it, God has all the priceless stuff, doesn’t He? We value gold, gems, and precious jewels. We think those are the expensive things, the things worth having. But God has the truly priceless stuff—wisdom, peace, joy, hope, and love. All of these things may only be found in Him. None of them can be found outside of Him—none!

If you want wisdom, there’s only one place to go. If you want peace, you can only find it in God’s hand. If you want joy, you must seek the Almighty. If you want hope, He’s the one to see. And if you want love, you must begin with the Source of all love. Without these things, all of the gold, gems, and precious jewels mean nothing. And if you have these priceless things, well, then it doesn’t much matter how much gold you’ve got, does it?

So, if Job was a marketer, maybe he would have restated this chapter as follows: Copper—$0.17 per ounce. Silver—$17 per ounce. Gold—$1462 per ounce. Wisdom—priceless. There are some things money can’t buy. All of them can be found in the Master.