Origins

A Look at Job 28

Men have been interested in finding out the origins of all things, including themselves, and have formed their theories regarding these things. The word "origins" is defined as "The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived". In order to try to find these origins, they have examined their environment: earth, sea, including the deepest pits and abysses, and sky. They have searched to the edge of darkness, even to the deepest darkness, the shadow of death (Job 28:3). They have looked deep into the earth. They have looked at the bottom of the seas. They have examined the air, the atmosphere, and the space above the atmosphere, as far as it is possible to see at this time. Men have looked everywhere that it is physically possible for them to look in search of the origins of man and the universe.
In all of their searching, they have found the hidden places, and starting points of the riches of the earth: the places of silver, gold, precious jewels (Job 28:1-6). Man has found this hidden wealth, cutting through rocks, even overturning mountains to their bases (v.9-10). Man has discovered the sources of every mighty river and stream on earth, and can even stop and divert them in order to extract the hidden wealth and knowledge underneath them (v. 11). Man is of the understanding that there is not much that will remain hidden from him.
However, there is a hidden place, the place of origins, that man cannot see (v. 12-14). Because he cannot see it, man does not understand, nor measure its value, as he can with gold, silver, and gems (v. 15-19). This place cannot be easily found nor accessed from any place, earth, sea or air, that contains natural life:
"It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air."  Job 28:21
In the same way that it is not in the physical heavens, it is also beyond the realm of the spiritual heavens. Even the most powerful created spiritual beings, Destruction ("Abaddon"), and Death ("Maveh") have only heard reports about it, but do not know it (v. 22).
The place, or point, of origins is beyond any place that contains creation, or created beings.
Only God knows the place and understands it (v. 23). From this place of origins, God established all of the laws and rules, all of the weights and measurements of the creation (v. 24-26) before the creation was even manifested.
God calls this concealed place of origins the place of wisdom ("chokma/chakam") and understanding ("biynah/biyn") (v. 7, 12, 20). This realm of wisdom and understanding inhabited by God, according to both the Hebrew and English meanings of the words, is a place to perceive, to discern, to understand, to distinguish, to separate mentally, to stand apart, to be separate, to teach and instruct, to perceive the intended meaning, to grasp the meaning or significnce of, to comprehend the reason, to assign a meaning to.
The place where the purpose and meaning of the creation was discerned, distinguished and separated out, became the origin of creation.
Proverbs 8 gives us a detailed description of this origin. Here is a portion below:
"The LORD possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth...When He marked out the foundations of the earth...Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman...Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men."    Prov. 8:22-23, 29-31
When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle after the pattern that was shown to him of the tabernacle of eternity, the workmen and women who constructed each part had been those in whose hearts God had placed "wisdom and understanding" (Ex. 31:2-11, 35:31, 36:1). From this special knowledge within them, they were able to reproduce with the finest skills, the items of the tabernacle according to the eternal pattern. In the same manner, God gave King Solomon, and those who would construct the Temple in Jerusalem, the same type of "wisdom and understanding" (1 Ki. 4:29, 7:14). They were specially gifted from this place in God, in order to accomplish a model of the eternal on earth.
To find this place of origin, God said to man, who is the only part of creation that can begin to know it:
"Behold, the fear ("yirah"-Godly fear, respect, reverence, piety, awe, honor) of the LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."  Job 28:28, Prov. 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."  Prov. 9:10
Finding the starting point or origin of creation, including man, lies in the underlying purpose and meaning of it in God, this purpose being the awe and reverence for God, and the turning aside from, rejection, removing, deposing of evil. Our purpose and meaning in God's will is our origin.
God encourages us all in His Word to find this place of origins where He is.
In Psalm 48, the psalmist addresses "all peoples, all inhabitants of the world". He is speaking from the place of "wisdom and understanding" (v. 3). He tells us that all men, no matter their station in life, will die like all other living creatures (v. 12), and all of their honors and wealth will not help them, nor go with them (v. 10). However, from the place of wisdom and understanding, the psalmist has seen, and declared the following:
"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.
Selah (pause in silence to lift and exalt; weigh and value this)" (v. 15).
By looking into and from this special place inhabited by God, the psalmist was able to receive and proclaim this great truth that only the God of all creation can promise.
We, in particular, who are part of Christ, have been given access and invitation through Him, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to this place of wisdom and understanding in the Father:
"...that the God of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling..."   Eph. 1:17-18
"...we... do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord... attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."    Col. 1:9-10, 2:2-3
"...that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."    James 1:4-5
Through His Word, and by His Spirit, we have access to our Father's realm of wisdom and understanding. Our words and lives should reflect this, and we can teach others.
As man has searched for, and published theories of our origins, he has looked in every place but the place where it can be found. Because of this, the various theories fall far short. The origin of the species is not found in Darwin's theories. It is not even found in Adam and Eve. Our origins are found in the thought and statement of God, Elohim, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Our true origins are found in the hidden place that existed before beginnings: the wisdom and understanding of God.
Our Father wants us to know the place of our origins. He wants us to seek it, because it is with Him.

Our origins are in the wisdom and understanding of our Father.


"In The Beginning"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlJ2j_mcxg