This lesson teaches children that true wisdom is not something people can dig up or buy, because it comes from God, and that knowing and honoring God is the beginning of wisdom. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the discussion and one activity.
Big Idea
People can find amazing treasures in the earth, but the best treasure, wisdom, comes from God, and fearing and trusting Him is where it starts.
Memory Verse
Job 28:28
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
(WEB)
Cup both hands together like a little bowl, then slowly lift them up toward the ceiling as you say the words. The motion shows that wisdom is something we receive as we look up to God.
The Story: Job 28 for Kids
Job was a good man who had lost almost everything, and he was sitting in pain while his friends talked with him. In this chapter Job begins to think about how people work hard to find valuable things. Long ago, miners went deep into the dark earth, past where the sunlight ever reaches, to find silver and gold. They used tools to break through hard rock and carried out iron and copper.
Job describes these miners in detail so that children can picture them. They dig shafts far away from home, hang on ropes, and swing in the dark tunnels. Sometimes they even find glittering sapphires and gold dust. Job wants his listeners to see how clever people are at finding hidden things, and how much effort it takes.
Then Job asks a big question: where can wisdom be found? He says that people cannot dig it up, and that no amount of gold, silver or jewels can buy it. Even the deep sea and the ocean say that wisdom is not with them. Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and no one knows its price.
Job tells his listeners that God understands exactly where wisdom is. God looks over the whole earth and sees everything under the sky. When God made the wind, the rain and the thunder, He saw wisdom and set it in place. Then God spoke to people and said, in words that are easy to remember, that the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and turning away from evil is understanding.
Read It Together
Job 28:12-13
12 “But where shall wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding? 13 Man doesn’t know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the living.
(WEB)
Ask the children what they think wisdom is worth. Point out that Job asks where wisdom can be found, and that the answer is not in the ground or in the sea, because only God knows where it is.
Job 28:20-21
20 Where then does wisdom come from? Where is the place of understanding? 21 Seeing it is hidden from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the birds of the sky.
(WEB)
Help the children notice that the people in the story cannot find wisdom with their eyes or their hands. Explain that wisdom is hidden from our sight, so we need to ask God for it rather than search for it like gold.
Job 28:23-24
23 “God understands its way, and he knows its place. 24 For he looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole sky.
(WEB)
Point out that God understands the way to wisdom and sees everything from one end of the earth to the other. Remind the children that God knows where they are at every moment, and that He is never surprised by anything.
Talk About It
- What is something you would like to find, like a hidden treasure, and why do you want it?
- Why do you think wisdom is more valuable than gold or jewels?
- How can a child ask God for wisdom when he or she needs help making a choice?
- What does it mean to fear the Lord, and how do we show respect for God in our everyday lives?
- Which part of God’s world do you think is the most amazing, and what does it tell you about Him?
Activity Ideas
Treasure Digging Picture
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few cotton balls or pebbles. Have each child draw a deep mine or a dark tunnel on the paper, then glue on a few pebbles or cotton balls as gems and gold. Ask them to write or draw one word that they think wisdom looks like. Talk about how we can see treasure on the page but wisdom comes from God.
Miners and the Mountain
Clear a small space in the room and place a few soft toys or rolled-up socks around as hidden treasures. Have the children act like miners who search carefully, moving slowly and looking under chairs or behind pillows. When they find a treasure, they should stop and say, “Only God knows the way to wisdom.” Keep the game lively, then gather everyone to say the memory verse.
Wisdom Jar at Home
You will need a clean jar, paper slips, and a pen. Each day that week, have the child write one thing they asked God for help with, such as being kind or making a good choice, and place the slip in the jar. At the end of the week, read the slips together and thank God for the ways He has helped. This keeps the lesson alive in daily life.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that human ingenuity can uncover remarkable things in creation, yet the deepest wisdom is not discovered by human effort alone. Job’s poem points to the truth that wisdom begins with reverence for God, and that God’s understanding reaches far beyond anything people can measure or buy. Adults can reflect on how easily we trust our own cleverness and how much we need God’s guidance.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that people can never be wise or learn anything. Job does not say that people are foolish for working hard or learning skills. The point is that the highest wisdom is a gift from God, and children should feel encouraged to learn and to ask God for help, not discouraged from thinking.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for being wise and for knowing everything about the world You made. Help us to ask You for wisdom when we need it, and help us to respect You every day. Show us how to choose what is good and turn away from what is wrong. Amen.
