Proverbs
2:1-9 “My son, if
thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea,
if
thou criest after knowledge, and
liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If
thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou
understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He
layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He
keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. 9
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.”
Do you desire to know
and possess God's spiritual wealth and riches? This is the innermost desire of
every sincere believer!
Regrettably, many who have begun the quest for
spiritual treasure have become frustrated along the way and abandoned the
pursuit becoming satisfied with their present condition, concluding that it’s
easier not to venture far from the familiar.
Frustration is really the
product of a miss-guided or ill-equipped journey.
- God does not want us living as defeated pilgrims.
- He has a map to guide us to His wealth of wisdom for living.
In Proverbs 2 we learn
what is necessary to find and enjoy God’s
Treasure Chest of Spiritual Wealth.
Warning: This type of venture is demanding,
and the discipline is rigid. It requires taking God seriously. This is something
not everyone is willing to do that.
1.
WISDOM’S DISCIPLINES: In v 1-4 the word “if” captures our attention and suggest 4 disciplines
necessary to finding God’s Treasure Chest of Spiritual Wealth. As treasure
hunters, we must pursue…
- The discipline of DEPENDENCE. We must…
Possess
the right attitude toward God's Word (v 1a). “My son, if thou wilt receive my words.”
-
Discovering
God’s treasure is connected with what we believe about the Bible.
Saturate
the mind with God's Word (v 1b).
“My son,… hide my commandments with thee.”
-
We
have enough people who know God from a distance.
-
We
need to treasure God’s Word and know Him intimately.
- The discipline of DESIRE. We must have…
A
listening ear (v 2a).
“So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom.”
-
It’s
possible to read the print on a page and miss the message.
-
We
need to Develop a Desire for the divine.
-
We
must Strive to be Spiritually Savvy.
-
A
passionate desire will increase our reception and perception of God's counsel
and reproofs.
A
sensitive heart (v 2b).
“apply thine heart to understanding.”
-
Solomon's
instruction is to “stretch out” [natah]
our minds so we may respond to life correctly.
-
Treasurer
Hunters need to be active, not passive; they need to be aggressive in the pursuit
of God’s treasure.
- The discipline of DISCERNMENT. We must…
Pray for discernment (v
3a). “Yea, if thou
criest after knowledge,…”
Plea for understanding
(v 3b). “Yea, if
thou…liftest up thy voice for understanding;”
- The discipline of DEVOTION. We must…
Want wisdom (v 4a): “If thou seekest her as silver,…”
-
The
word “seek” indicates pursuit of discovering something.
-
The
word “silver” indicates recognizing wisdoms value.
Pursue
wisdom (v 4b). “If
thou…searchest for her as for
hid treasures;”
-
The
term “search” implies a process that takes time.
-
Treasure
hunting takes patience and persistence.
2.
WISDOM’S GOAL (v 5). “Then shalt thou understand the fear
of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
The
key word here is “then.”
It speaks of the results that follow the disciplines of… Dependence, Desire, Discernment, Devotion.
- The fear of the Lord. The word “fear” embodies a deep respect for God. In other words, the Christian comes to terms with taking God seriously.
- The knowledge of God. The word “knowledge” implies nearness to God or knowing God intimately. If you don’t value God, you won’t value His answers to life’s crisis.
3.
WISDOM’S REWARD (v 1, 6-9).
- Paternity (v 1). “My son,…”
- Provision (v 6-7a). “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:..”
- Protection (v 7b). “He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.”
- Preservation (v 8). “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.”
- Purpose (v 9). “Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.”
