Wisdom Wednesday: Wisdom and Might
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
“With Him are wisdom and might;
To Him belong counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13).
In chapter 12 of the Book of Job, the suffering man Job replied to the challenges of Zophar in the preceding chapter. Zophar strongly rebuked Job, who sought to say he had done nothing wrong to deserve the suffering that he (and his family) had endured. Zophar effectively asked, “Who are you to comment about God?” (v. 2-11), called him a “hollow man” (idiot) with as much chance of becoming wise as a donkey giving birth to a man (v.12). He advised Job to make his heart right with God (vv. 13-19) to become respected again. But if Job did not, Zophar warned, there would be no escape and Job would die in his wickedness (v.20). Far from being a comfort to a godly man, this was a stinging rebuke!
Chapter 12 is Job’s reply, beginning with a sarcastic self-defense. He says, “Truly then you are the people, And with you wisdom will die!” (12:1). When thy die, there will be no wisdom on earth—this is a sarcastic rejection of Zophar’s rebuke. Paul defends his own intelligence and acknowledges that people are laughing at him–the man who walked with God is now enduring horrific suffering—for some wickedness in his life (they think). (vv. 3-12)
In verse 13, Job begins his own acknowledgment of four attributes of God:
- Wisdom – God knows the highest goal (his glory) and the way to achieve it (to walk with Him in life; to gain eternal life),
- Might – Strength and power to achieve God’s ends,
- Counsel – Guidance to direct His people in His way, and,
- Understanding – Discernment and reasoning in all things.
Earlier in the book, Job extolled God’s majesty in being both wise and mighty, “Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm?” God knows the best goal, the path to get there, and the strength to carry it out.
Applied to our lives, this means God knows the best outcome for us, the way to get there, and the power to complete it in our lives as we walk with Him.
In the following verses of Job’s speech, he shows how God’s wisdom and might can be observed in real life, particularly in His sovereign rule over people and nations:
- God completely destroys physical things (cities, buildings, governments to never be rebuilt (v.13),
- He can shut up a man who will not be released (v.14),
- He can restrain nature, controlling the water (e.g., The Red Sea exodus), and releasing it across the earth (The Genesis flood) (v.15),
- In His strength and sound wisdom, His might is over the wicked: those who mislead, counselors, judges, kings, priests, elders, nobles, orators, the strong (vv. 16-21) and can place them in poverty (“walk barefoot”) if he chooses.
- In his wisdom he reveals mysteries, brings to light the evil of darkness. (v. 22)
- And in His might, He empowers and destroys nations, depriving the nations’ leaders of intelligence so in their leadership, they “stagger like a drunken man” (vv. 23-25)
Daniel expressed the very same thoughts on God’s wisdom and power as Job. In praising God for revealing to him the interpretation of the king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel said:
“Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
For wisdom and power belong to Him.
“It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings; (Daniel 2:20-21)
Wisdom without power cannot achieve wise goals, power without wisdom archives worthless goals. We serve a God who is both wise and mighty!