The Limits of Technique and Technology

The first twelve verses of Job 28 emphasize the greatness and glory of human ingenuity and craftsmanship. The poet describes, in almost divine terms, the process and product of mining. Considered in isolation, this says something important about what humanity can do. We can achieve marvelous feats of engineering and exploration. Not only have we plumbed the depths of the earth, bringing light to places that have never seen it, but we have also searched the sky (even visited other planets). These are genuinely amazing expressions of craftsmanship, but they fall short of finding wisdom. This reflection explores this theme from the opening lines of Job 28 before ending with a few words on the limits of technique and technology.

Beginning with vv1-3, these three verses escalate from an acknowledgement of the treasures hidden in the earth to humanity’s craftsmanship in getting them out of the ground. They culminate in the image of a miner, whose torch enlightens the dark and gloomy bowels of the earth, in search of a glint of something radiant that will shine back. There is something majestic, even divine, about the piercing of light into deep darkness, and maybe somewhat surprisingly, this image is applied to humanity in the course of exercising dominion over God’s good creation.

Indeed, vv4-6 extend the imagery of mining operations, highlighting the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the human race. In v4, we are invited to consider the gravity-defying activity of hanging by ropes in a vertical shaft, chipping away at the sides to uncover precious metals and gems. In v5, a contrast is made between agriculture and mining. One commentator notes that miners in the ancient Near East would kindle fires in the mine shafts to soften the walls (nothing to see here, OSHA) and make removal of the sapphire (lapis lazuli) and gold easier.[1] Once again, the point of these verses is to highlight the skill with which humanity extracts precious and valuable materials from the earth.

And this skill is set in contrast with the natural prowess and power of the animal kingdom. In v7, the sharp eyes of the falcon are compared with the skillful work of humans underground. Though the falcon may be able to survey vast swaths of the earth from high above it, and though the falcon may quickly and quietly hunt its quarry, not even the falcon can see the underground paths of the miners. In a similar way, in v8, the powerful lion, which is unmatched in the animal kingdom, which goes where it wills without contest—even the lion has not trod the underground paths of the miners.

Finally, in vv9-11, this paean to the skill, the ingenuity, the craftsmanship of humanity reaches its conclusion. Once more in language that we at first glance think would only be reserved for God, this poem praises the power of humanity to transform the earth, to lay bare all the precious things that are otherwise hidden from sight. If we take vv3 and 11 together, we might be reminded of Prov 25:2, which says, “God’s glory is to conceal a thing, and the kings’ glory is to search a thing out.” By v11, this poem leaves no doubt that what is being highlighted is the glory-producing craftsmanship that humanity has applied to searching out things of great value. Truly, the products of craftsmanship, i.e. technique and technology, have themselves yielded great results.

But then v12 reveals the limits of technique and technology, of human craftsmanship, for with a simple question our limited reach, our finiteness, is exposed: “But wisdom? From where is it found? And is the place of understanding?” At least part of the answer is that it is not found in any of the places where humanity has gone, not in the depths of the earth nor at the farthest reaches of the universe. No technique, no technology, can discover wisdom or refine it from the raw materials of this creation. Indeed, the suggestion is that wisdom, even the place of wisdom, is somewhere beyond creation. But the glory of the gospel of Jesus is that he brings wisdom to us, and wisdom will be found in him who is the revelation of God to us in these last days. To Christ, then, we go to find wisdom.

[1] John E. Hartley, The Book of Job, NICOT (Eerdmans, 1988), 377.