PROVERBS 2:1-8
DISCERNING AND DISCOVERING SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
When Betty Goldstein of Staten Island, New York, entered the hospital, her husband Ron wrapped her 3.5-carat diamond ring in a napkin for safekeeping. But in a forgetful moment, the 63-year-old Goldstein threw the napkin in the trash. When he realized his mistake, he dashed out-side, only to see the garbage truck rumbling down the street. So he called the local sanitation department and got permission to follow the truck to a transfer station. Workers began sorting through hundreds of garbage bags and recovered the ring an hour later.
The writer of Proverbs urges us to search diligently for something far more precious, wisdom. This strenuous search for wisdom is actually a search for God Himself (vv.3-5). In chapter 2, a father encourages his son to do whatever is necessary to get insight and wisdom. He encourages his son to search diligently for this rare jewel because wisdom is not usually discovered by the casual observer. Wisdom is discovered and enjoyed only by those who are diligent, devoted, and determined to seek it (CIT).
So wisdom, having completed her warning concerning the rebellious in the previous passage, now instructs her diligent, devoted, and determined children in spiritual excellence.
When by faith we humbly submit to God and trust His will and way, we can be led to a true knowledge of God. This is where duty turns to enjoyment and an enduring source of consolation. The influence of the knowledge of God then begins to outshine all earthly pleasure and becomes stronger even as the organs decline and the earthly frame dissolves. Wisdom appears as the evening star of light at the end of life promising the believer that one day they will rise to look upon "the Morning Star."
The whole passage consists of a command to seek and a promise to bestow. Let us hear and hopefully heed the cry of wisdom.
I. Seeking and Receiving, 2:1-4.
II. Results and Benefits, 2:5-8.
How is spiritual excellence attained? Our text teaches us the method for attaining spiritual excellence through six principles found in verses 1- 4. Verse 1 begins with the first couple of prerequisites for attaining wisdom. "My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you,"
The first principle for attaining wisdom is the Reception of Divine Truth. "If you will receive my sayings." The receptivity faculty must by employed if we are to attain wisdom. We talk of joblessness and underemployment, but the real tragedy of our time is the unemployment and underemployment of such faculties as the one which should be receiving divine truth.
God’s truth must be taken into the soul and spirit. It is glorious that our new nature can take into us ideas from The Eternal Intellect, that we can pull in the seeds during this time of God’s implanting for His eternal Harvest. His thoughts alone can break the coldness of our souls and warm them to spiritual life.
Notice the conditional "if." The blessings of God, the grace of God, is contingent upon our desiring and seeking them. All that God desires to do for us cannot be done if we will not place ourselves within His will so that He can bestow them upon us (Lk 8:15, 10:39, Acts 17:11, 1 Thess. 2:13).
2nd, by Retention of Divine Truth--"Treasure my commandments within you." What we receive from the divine mind we must hold fast. We must keep the seed in the soil, nurse and watch over it that it may germinate and grow. There is danger of losing it. The winds of temptation, the fowls of evil, and the drought of selfishness will eat away the grains unless we watch.
Carry them constantly with you as your choice treasure. For great is the security in knowing you live for something that cannot be stripped from you like earthly treasures can.
Verse 2 emphasizes attentive listening and reflective thought. "Make your ear attentive to wisdom. Incline (apply) your heart to understanding."
The third element in attaining spiritual blessings is: By Research after Divine Truth. "Apply your ear to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding."
First wisdom comes to the receptive ear then one must bring it into his heart to understand it. The ear must tune out the sounds of earthly pleasure, the call of worldliness and the voices of human speculation and must listen fully to communications from the spiritual and eternal.
Principle number four (of six principles) on how to obtain true wisdom is found in Proverbs 2:2b. The focus of this principle is found in the word natah. This word means, "to stretch," "to extend," "to unfold," and is a term used in pitching a tent. Tents were widely used as dwellings in ancient times and one would unfold and stretch out his tent over the spot where it was to be built upon or erected. Thus the fourth principle is, "apply the Word!"
When the Word has been received, treasured, carefully heard, it is still of no value until it is applied. The AV has the right idea when it translates the last part of verse 2 as, " . . . apply (natah) your heart to understanding." The word heart (lev) means the center of volition or the will. Since true wisdom and understanding come from the Word the principle is clear, "apply" the Word. A beautiful picture is presented here for as one stretches out a tent, the child of God is to "stretch" (natah) her personal will over and to apply your will to understanding. As we apply the Word, God gives understanding of the Word. Psalm 119 is devoted entirely to admonishing believers to apply the Word in obedience to any and every life situation. "Thy word have I hid (tsaphan) in my will (lev) that I might not sin against you" (Ps. 119:11). "I will run in the path of your commandments when you enlarge my will" (lev, Ps. 119:32). Let us pray that God would enlarge our will and stretch it like a tent to encamp over and be conform to His own precious will even as our Lord Jesus prayed in the garden, ". . . not what I will but what You will" (Mark 14:36).
[Tebunah refers to the understanding needed to live successfully. Tebunah does not refer to intellectual understanding, but to good craftsmanship (Ex 31 :3), business savvy (Ezek 28:4), and speaking ability (Job 32:11). It may refer to ability in discerning God’s purposes (Dt 32:28) and in discerning earthly (Ob 1:7) and spiritual (Is 44:19) realities. Understanding, a gift of God (1 Kgs 4:29), may be acquired during a long life (Jb 12:12). Proverbs describes the man who acquires understanding as happy (3:13), quiet (11:12), patient (14:29), humble (18:2), and successful (19:8). He enjoys acting wisely (10:23), walks the straight path (15:21), draws out the thoughts of others (20:5), and administers family matters wisely (24:3). Proverbs uses understanding as another name for Lady Wisdom (8:1) [ Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman Press. Nashville, TN. ]
The prayerful diligence needed for the search is emphasized in verse 3. "For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding;"
You may gain earthly wisdom by study, even a Bible scholar can gain head-wisdom of God’s Word, but spiritual wisdom comes by prayer and application for prayer puts the heart under heavenly tutorage so that spiritual wisdom may be formed (Isa. 50:4-15, 45:3). Mine The Word of God and The world of God by prayer.
Obtaining spiritual wisdom isn’t a once-a-week hobby, it’s the daily discipline of a lifetime. Thinking is hard work. That’s why Paul says, " " (2 Tim. 2:15). But in this age of microwave ovens, fast foods, digests, and numerous "made easy" books, many people are out of the habit of daily investing time and energy in digging deep into Scripture and learning wisdom from the Lord. Thanks to television, their attention span is brief; thanks to religious entertainment that passes for worship, their spiritual appetite is feeble and spiritual knowledge isn’t "pleasant to [their] soul" (Prov. 2:10). It’s no wonder fewer and fewer people "take time to be holy" and more and more people fall prey to the enemies that lurk along the way.
Truth never abides where it is not wanted and where its necessity is not felt. As a hungry child cries out for food, our soul must cry out to The Eternal Father for understanding and discernment. God only gives His chosen bread to the ravingly hungry and His spiritual water to the pleading thirsty.
Verse 4 calls for letting the realization of wisdom’s value motivate your search. "If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasure;"
The fifth principle is that the search for God’s wisdom must be persistent. How unsatiable men are in their search for silver. No forest is too dark, no mountain too high, no trail is too long if silver is believed to lie there. Silver is mined in veins. Once a miner has found a vein does he leave? No. He continues mining until he has it all. He knows he has a strike and once that vein is gone He digs and digs for another vein.
The sixth principle is realize the value of God’s wisdom. Would we dare leave it? Who would be so fool hardy? No mountain is too hard, no hole is too deep if treasure is believed hidden there. How many just skim the surface of Scriptures? God would have us mine their depths.
Mel Fisher is a TREASURE HUNTER who searched for gold and found it. First he located a section of ocean floor covered with gold coins. From then on, Mel became what others called "a real dreamer." But dreams are not all he ended up with. After 16 years of looking for one specific Spanish wreck, the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, he found it in 55 feet of water near Key West, Florida. His divers have salvaged from the sunken ship millions of dollars worth of treasure--but it didn’t come easy. They toiled long and hard with metal detectors, diving to investigate every metallic "hit." The dreams and work eventually paid off, and today Fisher is rich!
The good fortune of that treasure hunter reminds me of another kind of treasure, which the Bible describes as being "more precious than rubies" (Prov. 3:15). It is wisdom, the ability to tell the difference between right and wrong and to apply this knowledge to our everyday lives. Solomon, who asked God for a wise and understanding heart, told us in Proverbs 2 that we must seek for wisdom with the same persistence and intensity as a treasure hunter searches for silver (v4). We must ask for understanding and cry out for discernment (v3), incline our ear to wisdom (v2), and receive and treasure the Word of God in our hearts (v1).
Do we value wisdom? Do we seek it as diligently as if it were gold? If so, we will be rewarded with life’s greatest treasure--the knowledge of God.
But spiritual excellence is infinitely more precious than all worldly treasures. The value of precious stones cannot be equaled to it and it will not be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. Since spiritual excellence is more valuable than worldly treasures so our quest for it should be more ardent in unwearied diligence.
What treasure do you believe worth more? Which treasure are you most diligently seeking? As a good miner, let us dig deeper and deeper into The Word until we mine the "Mother Load."
PROFITABLE BIBLE STUDY involves more than just opening to a chapter and reading what’s there. Here are seven guidelines to help you make the most of your study of the Bible. [Haddon Robinson]
1. Set aside a regular time. Unless you schedule it, you’ll neglect it.
2. Before you start reading, ask God for help and understanding.
3. Carefully think about what you are reading. Not all of the Bible’s treasures lie like pebbles on the surface. To mine the gold, you have to dig.
4. Seek to "understand what the author was saying to the first people- who read the book or letter before you; decide how to apply it today.
5. Write down at least one truth or principle you can put into practice.
6. Try different translations of the Bible. If you find yourself skimming over familiar words, a new translation may focus your mind on the passage in a new way.
7. Don’t get discouraged. Some parts of the Bible are more interesting’ than others, and some you may not understand at all. But there’s enough that you can understand, and it will revolutionize your life if you apply it.
Now read today’s verses again with"these principles in mind. Then try it again tomorrow. You will begin to discover the treasures in the Bible. [Haddon Robinson] The Bible’s treasures are discovered by those who dig for them.
[When reading God’s Word, take special care To find the rich treasures hidden there; give thought to each line, each precept clear, Then practice it well with godly fear. -Anon.]
II. THE RESULTS AND BLESSINGS 2:5-8.
Two great results for heeding the principles for godliness are found in verse 5. "Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God."
Wisdom here is described as the fear of the Lord and as the knowledge of God (v. 5). Godliness has to do with both heart and intellect. It is fear and knowledge. There is a surrendering of the will that will generate true knowledge of God. In spiritual excellence there is a blending of reverent love and spiritual insight. The thoughts of the mind provides the kindling for the fires of the heart. Refection serves affection as the mind and heart come together to more fully glorify God.
Fear is respect for His legitimate authority. God is viewed as the only source of absolute truth, and the sole object of worship and obedience and respect. With this preparatory attitude, we are ready for instruction and growth. Without it, we may have keen minds, but we will never have wisdom; we will never achieve skill in living.
There is no disappointment to this search for God has promised to bestow. Many a story has been wound around the plot of searching for buried treasures. The story line often goes like this. Someone hides a valuable treasure, drawing a map to record its location. Years later, the map falls into others’ hands, but it has been torn into two pieces. Neither part is adequate by itself to lead its owner to the treasure. A contest follows as both parties, and maybe even a third one, seek to secure both portions of the map. The drama is the intrigue in getting both halves of the map.
No earthly treasure has greater promise of wealth than knowing God. No quest quite equals the one that seeks the knowledge of God. The map is intact. We call it the Bible. God’s Word shows us the way to know Him.
To know God through His Word requires that we apply our hearts (v2). We call this commitment. The quest involves a lifting up of the voice to cry out for knowledge (v3). We call this prayer.
When we search to know God as we might search for hidden treasure, we make life’s most important discovery (vv. 4-5). As you pray, reflect on how rich you are because you know God, then praise Him for your riches.
Verse 6 let’s us know that true spiritual wisdom has its origins in God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding (v6).
He is the great original, exhaustless fountain of intelligence. He is "The Father of Lights", The Light of Instinct, The Light of Reason, The Light of Genius, and The Light of Conscience, All stream from him as light does from the sun.
Wherever there is a ray of truth, a beam of intelligence, a gleam of virtue; the source is God and in them He should be recognized.
The new English teacher was appalled at the terrible grammar of her students. The first day of class, one of her pupils said, "I have wrote all of the sentences that you gave me."
The teacher was so upset by this misuse of the English language that she made the boy stay after school. "Before you go home today," the teacher admonished, "you must copy the sentence I have written 500 times. I hope this helps you to use better grammar from now on."
The student began copying his sentence as she left the room. Later she returned to find the boy gone. He had left the completed assignment on her desk, along with a note. It said: "Dear Teacher, I have wrote I have written’ 500 times. And I have went home."
It is possible to go through life never learning from your mistakes. While it is said that experience is the best teacher, it is also said that "there’s no fool like an old fool." How can you make sure you become wiser as you go through life?
Solomon, the wisest man in the world, gives us the answer in the book of Proverbs. He says to listen carefully to wisdom. And where does wisdom come from? Solomon continues by saying that wisdom is given by God. As you read the Bible, God’s Word, and apply it to your life, you will discover His wisdom becoming part of your own life-experience.
Learn from life by giving your life to the Heavenly Father. Ask God to give you a hunger for reading and applying the Bible daily.
God gives us wisdom and victory but not for drifting through life or acting irresponsible with his gifts and resources. If we are faithful and keep our purposes in life clearly in mind, He will keep us from pride and greed.
Verse 7 indicates that God grants us wisdom and integrity but not to those drifting through life or using life’s resources irresponsibly. "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity."
The upright, or the just. The moral code of the universe may be reduced to two words. "Be just". Be just to yourself, respect your eternal nature, train your own faculties, guard your own rights, realize your own ideals. "Be just to others" The Golden Rule Do unto others what you would have them do unto you. Be just to God. The Best Being love the most, The Truest Being trust the most, The Greatest Being reverence, adore and serve the most.
Sound wisdom--When it looks at things it sees not just the temporal, but the eternal.
God "is a shield to those who walk integrity." Honesty in man is not stationary but progressive. It is an everlasting walk into fields of beauty, new scenes of enjoyment, new splurges of service.
If we will do our part and walk in honesty, God will shield us. Did He not give His own life to shield us from the eternal wrath which is our just due for our sin?
The promise of verse 8 is that the Lord shelters and protects those who walk in wisdom. "Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones."
The way of the saints may have its stumbling blocks and its temptations yet it is safe. If we walk in God’s paths, His promises will protect us from the enemy.
"The greatest man" says Seneca "is he who chooses right with the most invincible resolution, who resists the sorest temptation from within and without, who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully, who is calmest in storms, and most fearless under menaces and frowns; whose reliance on truth; or virtue, and on God is most unfaltering". May Heaven multiply the numbers of these Good Men!
People are willing to work diligently in their jobs because they know they’ll earn a paycheck, but what about applying themselves diligently to God’s Word in order to gain spiritual riches that are more valuable than gold and silver and jewels, riches that will last forever? (See 2:4; 3:13-15; 8:10-21; 16:16). There’s a price to be paid if we would gain spiritual wisdom, but there’s an even greater price to pay if we don’t gain it. We must walk with God through the study of His Word.
CONCLUSION
Wisdom comes two ways: it is a God-given gift and also the result of an energetic search. Wisdom’s starting point is fearing and following God by knowing, understanding and living out His will as revealed in His Word. God gives it but only to those who diligently seek it out. God’s wisdom is hidden from the foolish and rebellious so the discerning must use effort to find it and use it. True wisdom is walking with God in the light of His Word. When we walk that path, God guides and rewards our earnest and persistent search. [Application Bible, Zondervan. P. 1074]
