Paul quotes Job’s friend Eliphaz in 1 Corinthians 3:19 while admonishing the Corinthians to avoid the “wisdom” of the world. The full quote from Job 5 is:
“He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope at noontime as in the night” (Job 5:13-14).
This truth is affirmed time and again in scripture. What men consider to be “wise” is often at odds with the Lord and His will.
Consider that wisdom is often associated with illumination. A truly wise man has insight, an ability to “see” that is not available to the foolish. And yet, Eliphaz talks of the “wise” as groping at noontime as in the night. The only explanation for this is that the wisdom noted in the passage is not true wisdom.
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12).
Remember that true wisdom descends from above (cf. James 3:13-17). Any time the wisdom of men conflicts with the mind of God, it is counterfeit. It has no real ability to illuminate and guide a man in the way he should go. As Paul notes, the thoughts of the wise, “they are futile” (1 Corinthians 3:20).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 2:5-6).
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