Seek Wisdom Like Treasure

Sermon Transcript

Around 2010, a man named Forest Fenn hid a treasure chest with about a million dollars worth of gold and other valuables somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Soon after, he published a memoir called The Thrill of the Chase, which included a 24-line poem that, if solved, would lead seekers to the treasure. Fenn’s treasure chest became an international obsession. At least five people died in pursuit of the treasure. Literally thousands of others invested massive amounts of time, money, and energy scouring the Rocky Mountains seeking Fenn’s treasure. They sought it like it was the most valuable treasure imaginable. The Bible says, we should seek wisdom that way. According to our passage from Proverbs, we should seek wisdom like it’s our greatest treasure. In Proverbs 2:4, God, through the voice of a father speaking to his son about wisdom says, “…seek it [wisdom] like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…” That brings us to the big idea of our passage this morning: Seek wisdom like treasure. Seek wisdom like treasure.

Question: What are you seeking right now? There are a lot of valuable things in life that are worth seeking. Some of you are seeking a new home. You’re crunching numbers, researching neighborhoods, and scanning Zillow. A home is a good thing to seek. Others of you are seeking a spouse. You’re developing a godly character so that you can be marriageable, you’re dressing better, and you’ve got every Christian dating app ever invented on your phone. A marriage is a good thing to seek. Others of you are seeking career advancement. You’re in school, you’re constantly learning, you’re making moves, taking risks, and you’re playing the long game. Being great at your work is a good thing to seek. Some of you are seeking a legacy. You’re trying to be a great parent, you’re trying to invest your life in things that will outlast you, you’re pouring yourself into meaningful ministry, and you’re laying up treasures in heaven. A legacy is a good thing to seek. Whatever you’re seeking, God, through the voice of a father mentoring his son, says to each of us, “More than you’re seeking any of those good things, seek wisdom like treasure.” Of course, some of us aren’t really seeking anything. We’re drifting from one workday, one experience, one job, one vacation, or one season to another. That’s foolish. You’re too significant and your life is too valuable to God for you to be wasting it not seeking anything. Seek wisdom like treasure. Our passage from Proverbs provides three reasons why: 1. You’ll be renewed (2:1-11) 2. You’ll be protected (vv. 12-19) 3. You’ll be in the land (vv. 20-22).

YOU’LL BE RENEWED

If you seek wisdom like silver, you’ll never be the same. You’ll be renewed and your life will matter forever. Before we get to the part about being transformed, we need to begin with the concept of seeking; seeking wisdom like treasure. You can hear the escalating urgency of seeking wisdom in the verbs that the father uses in Proverbs 1:1-4: “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, [2] making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; [3] yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, [4] if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures…” You matter to God, your life is so significant, and wisdom is urgent. Seek wisdom like treasure, specifically wisdom’s words.

What does it mean to seek wisdom like treasure? When we take in the entire scope of the Bible we learn that to seek wisdom like treasure is to seek Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul writes that Jesus Christ is “wisdom from God.” In Colossians 2:2-3, Paul writes, “…Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God, therefore, seeking wisdom like treasure is seeking Christ like treasure. But how does this work? Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” We seek Christ through His word. As Ray Ortlund says, “The Bible is the mouth of God today – not a voice speaking within our minds, but the Bible lying open before our eyes.” What does it mean to seek wisdom like treasure? Seek Christ like treasure through His word, the Bible.

What does it practically look like to seek Christ like treasure? Well, how did those treasure hunters seek Fenn’s treasure? They invested time, energy, money, and creativity to go after it. Seeking Christ like treasure is like that; it looks like investing time, money, energy, and creativity to know and experience Him. Practically, seeking Christ like treasure through His word, the Bible, means getting up early, staying up late, or otherwise investing time hearing Scripture, singing Scripture, reading Scripture, studying Scripture together, memorizing Scripture, and praying Scripture. Additionally, seeking Christ like treasure looks like reading great books that help you see, savor, and treasure Christ more. I love the puritans because they help me seek and savor Christ. Of course, there are Puritan-like authors today: John Piper, Rosaria Butterfield, Sinclair Ferguson, Randy Alcorn, Ray Ortlund, and Melissa Kruger. Read them. Read biographies of great Christians from the past who sought Christ like treasure. Read theology books like Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, the Westminster Confession of Faith, or Paul Tripp’s Do You Believe so that you can seek Christ in truth. Do it all together and do it all prayerfully. That’s how you seek Christ like treasure; He’s the treasure worth giving your time and creativity to seek.

Can I encourage you a little? I know there is a voice in your head that says, “I’m not a learner, a reader, a memorizer, a disciplined person, that’s not me.” Tell that voice, “nonsense.” You’ve memorized the names, positions, and stats of half the men in the NFL. You can memorize the Bible. You’ve learned to garden, to keep tiny humans alive, to remodel a house, to write a computer code, to treat sickness, and sell a product no one thinks that they need. You can learn doctrine, theology, and how to apply the Bible to the everyday stuff of life. And of course you have time, after all, you have a phone, a favorite show, or a hobby. Be encouraged and tell that voice, “nonsense.”

Now, seeking Christ is effort. It’s not the chore-like effort of digging a ditch. It’s the joyful, exhilarating effort of digging for treasure. Nevertheless, it’s effort. But notice what you get when you seek Christ like treasure through his word. This is so encouraging: You’ll be renewed! You’ll be renewed in at least two ways. First, you’ll experience revival in your relationship with Christ. Proverbs 2:5 – then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. If you seek Christ like treasure you’ll experience personal reality with the living God. You’ll experience what some have called “spiritual revival.” You’ll experience new heights and depths with God himself. Seek Christ like treasure and you’ll experience revival in your awe and intimacy with Christ. You’ll know Him. There is no greater treasure than personal reality with Christ. Seek him like treasure and you’ll experience revival in your relationship with Christ. The second way you’ll be renewed is moral transformation; you’ll have a new taste for holiness. Proverbs 2:9-11 – Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; [10] for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; [11] discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you…. If you seek Christ like treasure, you’ll begin to treasure holiness. No one will need to chase you down with tedious do’s and don’ts about not going too far because you’ll be transformed into the kind of person who loves to maximize holiness, not just avoid what’s wrong. Doesn’t that sound wonderful! Seek wisdom, seek Christ, like treasure and you’ll renewed spiritually and morally. That’s the first reason to seek Christ like treasure, the second is…

YOU’LL BE PROTECTED

Why do you think that people were willing to sacrifice so much to seek Fenn’s treasure? Part of it is simply the thrill of seeking. Another reason is that a million dollars worth of treasure can protect you from a lot of life’s problems. Andrea and I have had terrible luck with used car lemons over the years. A million dollars protects you from lemon vehicles and shady used car salesmen. Similarly, the second reason to seek wisdom – to seek Christ – like treasure is because you’ll be protected from two dangers that can destroy your life. Our passage calls evil men and forbidden women.

Evil Men. Proverbs 2:11-15 – discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, [12] delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, [13] who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, [14] who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, [15] men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. Who are these evil men? Generally, anyone who tempts you to forsake the path of wisdom; the path of Christ, whether they know they’re doing it or not. An interesting podcaster who influences you to live more by the wisdom of the world than the wisdom of Christ and his word is an evil man or woman, even though they’re not consciously trying to tempt you. Those are evil men. However, I think our passage is even more specific than that. Notice that they use perverted speech and devious ways. Evil men pervert good words to fool you into forsaking the path of wisdom. Evil men pervert good words to fool you into forsaking the path. Ray Ortlund describes the evil man in Proverbs 2 this way: “Bad men use good words to smuggle in bad realities, and some people are fooled.” How does this work in real life? Politics is an easy example. A politician who wants your vote will pervert phrases that sound good to fool good people into embracing evil. He or she will use phrases like “women’s health care,” “gender affirming care,” or “marriage equality.” Those phrases sound like good things. They get behind your wise defenses. Who could disagree? What’s really happening? A bad person is perverting good words to draw away from wisdom so that you support bad realities like murdering image-bearers, mutilating bodies, and enshrining sexual sin as law. It’s subtle and deceptive, but wisdom will protect you. Of course, this doesn’t just happen in politics, it can happen in biblical religion too. For instance, a Christian teacher may use phrases like “practicing the way,” “rule of life,” “mysticism,” and “living the gospel.” Those sound good! Who doesn’t want to follow the way of Jesus? What’s really happening? Good words are smuggling in bad realities. For example, when you pay close attention to teachers who use these words a lot, you may discover that they’re not talking about the same “gospel” as the one described and defined in the Bible. When they say “gospel” they don’t mean the good news that Christ died and rose for the forgiveness of sins and if we repent and believe in Him, then we are rescued from Hell and receive eternal life now and forever. No, by “gospel” they mean “live like Jesus, for Jesus, in Jesus’ kingdom, for the good of humanity.” That’s not Jesus’ gospel! That’s a good word being perverted to draw you off the path, but wisdom will protect you. Even the word “wisdom” can be used to smuggle in bad realities. “It would be wise to live together for a little while before you get married in order to be sure that you’re compatible. Plus, it will save money.” “It would be wise to show your faith through your actions at work, not your words.” Seek Christ like treasure through his word and his word will protect you from the perverted words of evil men.

The second danger that wisdom will protect you from is the Forbidden Woman – or man if you are a woman. Notice that like the evil man, her primary weapon is her words. Proverbs 2:16-19 – So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, [17] who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; [18] for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; [19] none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. The forbidden woman’s words are smooth, they butter a man up, they make him feel respected, masculine, attractive, alive, wanted, and satisfied. Her words promise life but her way actually sinks down to death. A man or woman will rarely go from walking with Jesus to committing adultery in a day. It starts with flirty, interesting, or intimate words. Sexual sin begins with words. Consider a common example: A single Christian woman wants to marry a godly man. She meets a guy who says he’s a Christian. He uses good words like God, Jesus, and prayer. However, this man isn’t a member of a church, he doesn’t treasure God’s word, he doesn’t hate sin and love Christ. But he says the right words and he’s so kind, so good, so attractive. What he says sounds so good and Christian. Soon they’re sleeping together, she’s not going to church much or seeing much of her friends anymore, and she just can’t understand why her Christian friends don’t approve. After all, he’s a “Christian” and she’s happy. What’s really happening? Smooth words have pulled her onto the path of death. Sexual sin always has a voice, she always has words. Fantasy, looking with lustful intent, pornography, fornication, homosexual desires or actions, and adultery all have a voice. They all promise something, they each promise something a little different, but what they actually deliver is death. But wisdom will protect you. Seek Christ deeply. Don’t just take a quick dip in his word, instead immerse yourself in Christ through the word, and his word will protect you from being fooled by the words of evil men and forbidden women. And if you’ve already walked into the grave of sexual sin – or your spouse has – it’s not too late. Christ is an expert at resurrection. He can restore even the most broken places if you’ll come into the light and open your heart to him. He will protect you even if you’ve destroyed yourself or you’re married to someone who has. Turn from hiding today. Turn from despair today. Turn from death today and seek Christ like treasure. He will protect you. Finally, seek Christ like treasure because…

YOU’LL BE IN THE LAND

Proverbs 2:20-22 – So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. [21] For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, [22] but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it. What is this land? Well, when the Lord brought Israel, the people he chose to be a light to the world, out of slavery in Egypt and entered into a covenant to be their God and have them as his people, he promised to give them the land of Canaan as their very own land to inhabit. However, in the Old Testament, the Lord also promised that if Israel did not walk faithfully with Him, if they turned to other gods, then the Lord would cut them off from the land. Israel did in fact turn to other gods. They were in fact cut off from the land in exile. But God so loved the world that He sent His Son to seek and save what was lost. The Lord Jesus Christ succeeded in every way that Israel failed. He was not swayed by the perverted words of wicked men or the smooth words of the adulteress woman. He always walked the narrow path of obedience to his Father. However, he willingly chose to be cut off from the land of the living on the cross for us. He died in our place and for our sins. He was cut off from the land of the living to save us from the land of eternal death. He did it all for us. And if we will turn to him, receive him as our Lord and seek him as our Savior, then he will forgive our sin, guard our way so that we will follow Him to the end, when we will inherit an eternal promised land. Revelation 21:1-3 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. Seek Christ like treasure, trust in Him by faith as your only hope in life and in death because all who trust him will be with him forever in the land.