Hidden Treasure

Proverbs 2:4-5
If you seek wisdom as silver,
and search for her as for hidden treasures;
then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs is a book of wisdom whose secrets are revealed layer after layer as one reads it repeatedly. It personifies wisdom as a lover, as a mother, as a father, as a teacher, as milk and honey, as precious treasure. It is hidden treasure that must be located and sought after, and only then will it divulge its mysteries. A cursory reading will not unveil the deepest truths; we must go back again and again to sift through its words. This is God's way of keeping us coming back for more.

Foolishness is the root of all sin. That, and unbelief. But unbelief is, in itself, foolishness. To paraphrase the Psalmist, "Only a fool does not believe." Foolishness is the root of all that is wrong in the world today. Foolishness is what made our ancient father and mother disobey the single commandment of God. Foolishness is what brought about the wickedness that brought about the flood. Foolishness is what caused Satan to think He could destroy the plan of God by nailing God's Son to a cross. Foolishness is the source of all that is evil and wicked and sinful and stupid in the world today. But the Bible gives a very simple solution to foolishness.

Seek wisdom.

And it's not talking about an education. It's not talking about experience. It's not talking about the worldly philosophies and cogitations of men. It is talking about the very knowledge of God. The proverbial wisdom of Solomon is impartation from a man who was offered anything he wanted, and he asked for wisdom, which gave him the ability to acquire everything else his heart ever desired. Of course, the pursuit of his heart's desires is what led to his downfall, and the bitter tears of Ecclesiastes as an old man reflects on the wisdom that he wasted. Foolishness, he calls it.

Seek wisdom. He said it early, and he said it often. And when he told us to seek it, he said to do so as if we were searching for hidden treasure, wealth beyond belief. Wisdom, true Biblical, godly wisdom, is intelligence and knowledge and understanding and discernment and cunning and giftedness all rolled into one. In New Testament terminology, it is having the mind of Christ, knowing what God knows, seeing what God sees. And we are to seek after wisdom as for gold and silver.

Myth and legend and lore lend to our imaginations the idea of hidden treasure. A crumbling map with faded ink, landmarks and booby traps and X marks the spot. Find the map, find the location, find the gold! But it takes effort to find what we are looking for. It takes hard work.

That is why so many people remain in their spiritual folly. Finding the wisdom of God in His word and in His presence is too difficult, too exacting, too demanding of our time and energies. But to find wisdom, Solomon says, is to find the meaning of life--the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of God.