Job 28:12 asks, But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?  Job shifts his focus from earthly riches to wisdom and understanding in this verse.  I believe that Job was asking if all the effort that people put into obtaining riches could bring them wisdom, which comes only from God.  We may think that a person who is rich must be smart, but they may lack true wisdom, which comes from surrendering to God's will.  Verse thirteen states, Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.  People may know the value of silver, gold, and gems, the precious things of this earth, and not know the value of wisdom.  Real wisdom comes only from God and cannot be found in anything else in earth.  We cannot dig up wisdom, but must look to God and doing His will to gain wisdom.  In verse fourteen Job declares, The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.  I believe that Job was saying that there is nowhere in the earth to find wisdom.  People today go on pilgrimages to be closer to their god, but the true and living God is not found in a particular place.  Verse fifteen says, It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.  I believe that Job was continuing to stress that wisdom cannot be bought.  Again, we may believe that those who are rich are somehow wiser than the average person, but Job tells us that riches cannot buy wisdom.  Most of the time, people seem to put more value in obtaining riches than they do in following the will of God, which is where true wisdom lies.  In verse sixteen Job states, It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.  Verse seventeen continues, The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.  In these two verses and the two that follow, Job was citing examples of what people considered to be the most valuable things of the earth and asking if they could buy wisdom.  Verse eighteen states, No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.  Then verse nineteen declares, The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.  I believe that Job was simply emphasizing that even if people gained all these riches that they were really of no value in gaining the wisdom of God.  I believe that this also implies that we should put more effort into gaining God's wisdom than into gaining the treasures of the earth.  In verse twenty Job asks, Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?  I believe that Job was asking if we could not find wisdom in the riches of the world, then where could we find it.  We as followers of Christ know that true wisdom and understanding come only from God.  If we are looking for wisdom, we will never find it in the things of this world.  Verse twenty one says, Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.  We will never gain a complete understanding of God in this life.  In Job's day, the birds could get higher in the sky than people could, but they could not reach the realm of God, and neither can we today no matter how far we send rockets into the universe.  Verse twenty two states, Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.  I believe that Job was saying that death and destruction of the things of this world can lead us into a true wisdom of God.  Verse twenty three says, God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.  Then verse twenty four continues, For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;  God knows the place of death and even destruction of the material things because He sees from an eternal perspective.  Verse twenty five says, To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.  Then twenty six follows with, When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:  Job said that God controls the forces of nature.  I do not believe that every time there is a natural disaster that God is directly behind it, but that He instead allows it to happen.  Verse twenty seven states, Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.  God is aware of everything that goes on in the world.  We need to have the wisdom to put our faith in God no matter what.  Verse twenty eight declares this stating, And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.  To fear or put our faith in God is wisdom, and to depart from evil is a true understanding of the will of God.