Wisdom: Hidden Treasure

We continue our series on Proverbs and come to a passage on asking and receiving wisdom. Let's read.

¹ My son, accept my words. Store up my commands inside you. ² Let your ears listen to wisdom. Apply your heart to understanding. ³ Call out for the ability to be wise. Cry out for understanding. ⁴ Look for it as you would look for silver. Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure. ⁵ Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord. You will find out how to know God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NIRV)

Discussion

• This passage is structured like a big if - then argument. If you do this, then you this will happen.
• These are the if things mentioned here
  • accept my words - the Hebrew word translated accept means "to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away." With such a broad range of meanings, there's a variety of ways you might accept wisdom. What matters is that you make it yours!
  • Store up my commands inside you - this implies not just storing up, but hiding and treasuring God's commandments
  • Let your ears listen to wisdom - don't just listen to wisdom, but pay attention to wisdom
  • Apply your heart to understanding - means to stretch out, extend, or bend your heart. Perhaps even make changes to your heart for wisdom's sake
  • Call out for the ability to be wise - implies asking out loud for wisdom.
  • Cry out for understanding - again implies using your voice to ask for wisdom
  • Look for it as you would look for silver - silver was valuable as is wisdom. You are to look for wisdom as if it's something you require.
  • for it as you would search for hidden treasure - How would you go looking for a hidden treasure? You might use a treasure map. When you get to the spot marked "X," you might pull out your shovel and start to dig. You would dig until you found the treasure.
• If you do these things, "Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord."
  • The fear (or proper respect) of God is the beginning of wisdom - it brings you wisdom
  • If you do all these things to seek after wisdom, you will respect God
  • which will bring you wisdom
  • which will cause you to seek more wisdom
  • which will...
  All of this goes in a circle which brings you more wisdom and more fear of God
• Which ultimately leads to knowing God better and better.
• How do you want to seek wisdom?