The Greatest Treasure

Introduction

If you have your Bibles with you, you can open it up to the book of Proverbs and we will be in Proverbs chapter 3 and we will begin reading from verse 13.

PAUSE

(ALLOW PEOPLE TO OPEN THEIR BIBLES)

(ASK GOD HELP TO BE CLEAR AND FAITHFUL)

We will read then starting at verse 13 of Proverbs chapter 3.

READ

PRAY

Last Sunday, we looked at what is the goal of the book of Proverbs, which was to teach how to live a life that is pleasing to God. We saw that, as verse 7 of chapter 1 teaches that

a life that please God begins with a heart that fears Him.

In this passage we will look at the value of Proverbs, or in other words why it is worth reading, studying and digging into the depths of this book.

Just to be clear, each book of the Bible is of great value. Each plays a part in telling us who God is. Each book explains the God’s plan and will. So the point of this passage is not to say Proverbs is more vauble then other books, but to tell us why this book has been included in the Bible. It will explain what role it has it telling us who God is and the plan that He has. It will give us reason why we should pick up our Bibles as often as we can to read its pages.

So why included Proverbs in the Bible? And why should we take time to read it, to study it, to think on it. Because in this book their is a treasure that is of greatest value, in this book we find Jesus and this passage tells us this…

Nothing can compare to having a relationship with Jesus (REPEAT)

We will not find this wording in the passage, nor do we see Jesus named in the passage, but if we walk through Solomon’s argument for the value of this book, my hope is that you will this.

1. Whoever finds wisdom… is “blessed” v.13

First, Solomon begins his reason for the great value of this book by saying in verse 13 that…

READ V.13

Blessed is the one, blessed is the person who finds wisdom. That is Solomon’s argument for the worth in reading this book and searching for wisdom.

What does it mean to blessed? Throughout the Bible, there are different Hebrew or Greek words that are translated blessed in English. In Proverbs, the main Hebrew word that is used means something like:

“to have well-being in every area of life.”

Another way of putting this is that you have been privileged, or fortunate.

It’s what most of us normally mean when we say that we are blessed.

But why is this statement true? Why is the person to finds wisdom ”blessed”? Why is it that they are fortune? It is fine to make a claim like this as long as one backs up such a claim.

This is what Solomon continues to do in the following verses..

2. Whoever finds wisdom… has found the most valuable treasure Vv.14-15

In verses 14-15 Solomon goes on to say this:

READ VERSES 14-15

The person who finds wisdom is ’blessed”, they are previlged or fortunate because they have found the most valuable treasure.

Gold and silver they have value. They have great value. Jewels do as well. If you were trade in any of these precious metals or stones you would receive money in return.

Pirates of old use to sail the seven seas seeking to get more.

Men risked their lives for the chance to strike a fortune during the time of the gold rush.

In 2010, a man named Forrest Fenn hid a treasure box worth over 1 millions dollars in the Rocky Mountains and left clues to find it and a handful of people died looking for it.

By this we can see that Gold, silver, jewels have great value in the eyes of mankind, yet at the end of v.15 we are told: "nothing (one) desires can compare with wisdom.”

NOTHING, including gold, silver, or jewels, is equal in value of wisdom. WHAT A STATEMENT!

The wisdom is more valuable than any other treasure. Even these treasures that peoples have thought it was worth giving up all and even dying to try to obtain.

But here is the question we should ask:

What makes wisdom such a valuable treasure? Solomon answers this final question in verses 16-18

3. Whoever finds wisdom… will be with God forever Vv.16-18

Those who find wisdom find God. And not only do they find God, they are given eternal life with Him.

verse 16 says that in wisdom right hand there is long life. This could almost be understood as those who find wisdom will have long life on this earth.

But in the context of this passage we see that this “long life” is much longer than living into our 90s, but an everlasting one, an eternal life. In verse 18we are told that wisdom is”a tree of life to those who lay hold of her”.

In other words, those who have wisdom have eternal life. If you remember back to our time in Genesis, one of the reasons God kicks Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden is so that they will not reach out and eat from the tree of life. God graciously does this so that they will not live forever with sin.

We are also are told in the book of Revelation, that there will be a tree of life in the new heavens and earth that God will create for those who have turned from sin and trusted in Jesus for salvation.

Finding wisdom then or laying hold of her, means the same thing as being able to reach out and take fruit from the tree of life, to be able to eat from the tree life and live forever.

This though is not a saying that we need to read through these passages of Proverbs and if we a smart or if we are presisitn that we will find the secret wisdom, this secert knowledge to obtaining eternal life.

Salvation from sins is not like the Fountain of Youth, hidden and hard to find. God has made salvation clear, it has made it possible for anyone to have it. Not just those who can solve clues and riddles. Not just those are wise.

The Bible tells us that anyone can be saved from their sins and the consequences of being forever separated from God. God sent His son Jesus that whoever might believe in Him can be saved.

Trusting in Jesus, that is how one gets salvation. It doesn’t matter where you were born, or what kind of family you were born into, because Jesus was born so that anyone might be saved.

It doesn’t matter how many or what kind of sins you have done. Jesus died on the cross not for prefect, sinless people, but he died for sinners, sinners who would trust in Him.

Those who find wisdom are those who have done this. They are people who are not seeking for knowledge, they aren people who studying the Bible and are now wise.

No, they are people who have heard the good news of Jesus and by the work the the Holy Spirit in their hearts have turned and trusted in Jesus.

They are people who will one day live forever with God.

And not only that, those who find wisdom, find God in this life. Verse 17 says this:

READ v.17

What this verse is telling us is not that when we trust in Jesus that our lives will be easy, that all our troubles will go away. This verse is similar to what Jesus said in:

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus in theses verses is calling to anyone who finds their spiritual burdens heavy, they feel a heavinees in thrir heart. Those who have tried religions that pile on a labour. You must do these things to earn God’s favour. Jesus is calling toThose who followed after their many desires to find treasure but treasures onlythat have caused more burdens.

He tells theses people, it tells all people, that he will give them rest.

Jesus, is not a hard task master. He did not come to add more and more burdens to us.

Jesus came to remove the burden of sin from our lives. He came so that we can live here now with light hearts, so that in our day to day lives we do not have to wonder what to do with all our sins. He came so that we do not need to wonder what will happen to us when we die. He came so that we could see the justice, the mercy, the love and the rightgeouness of God.

By trusting in Jesus the burden of sin is removed. His ways are pleasant, his paths are peaceful.

Is this something you desire to have? To have the greatest treasure one could have? To have a relationship with Jesus?

The good news is that anyone can have a relationship with Jesus. You just need to stop chasing after other treasures and trust that his prefect life, that his death in your place can save you from your sins.

Conclusion

For those of us who already trusted in Jesus, this passage first tells us that value of this book of Proverbs, its answers the question of why we should dig into this book.

It’s more than a collection of sayings to give us wisdom, but they are words that tells us about Jesus.

As Chrisitains our desire is to know Jesus more, to live like Jesus more and the book of Proberbs plays its part with the rest of scripture in doing this.

We can be tempted to look at Proverbs and other books of the Bible as Manuels for how to live the Christian life, and there are truths in the Bible that help us do this to be sure, but that is not their ultimate point and is not the ultimate point of this book of Proverbs. They have a great treasure in them.

They show us Jesus.

This is the reason then for us to be disciplined in spending time in God’s word, as this is how we can get to know Him better,and to grow in our relationship with Him.

I know as soon as I say that word discipline some of you think that it makes it not so relational. But I would think that many of you are discipline in your other relationships, you just may not think of it this way.

If you have a date night with your spouse, you a being disciplined about spending time with them.

If you have times set aside to have family meals, you are being disciplined.

If you have a group you meet up with regularly to study God’s word, to pray and spend time together, you are being discuipined in that relationship.

Having discipline does not mean we take the heart out of what we are doing, or to suck the fun out of relationships.

If our desire to to know God, then we use discipline to help us to this end.

It’s like when you plan your time off or a vacation. If you do no planning at all the time off is not restful or enjoyable. But you can over plan to the point that it would have been better to not have taken time away from work.

So it is with our time with God in His word. The desire is to grow to know Him. What can help you best do that?

It is readhing through the Bible in a year…than do that.

Is it reading through the whole book in one sitting? Do that.

Is it reading thought one chapter a day…well then do that.

Is it reading then same 3 verses for a week…that’s great! Do that.

What truly matters is are you finding that great treasure, you growing to know and love Jesus more.

This is the greatest, the most precious treasure.

Also, When we remember and see that nothing compares to having a relationship with Jesus, when knowing Jesus is the most precoius treasure then…

gathering with other believers to worship Jesus will be precious to us too. And serving in the church will not be a chore, but apart of our worship of God.

If having a relationship with Jesus is our greatest treasure then:

we will have the courage and boldness and love required to share the gospel with those who are unsaved in our community, country and around the world.

If having a relationship with Jesus is our greatest treasure then:

We will be able to stand alone as children of God in our work places, schools, neibhrouhoods, and families.

If having a relationship with Jesus is our greatest treasure then standing for what is true, standing for what the Bible teaches will help it not be about being right, but it will be because we want to see God glorified and want others to love Him too.

There is a great treasure here in Proverbs. The greatest treasure. Let us go and seek him, so that we might find him.

We will not regret it. We will be blessed.