HIDDEN TREASURES

Proverbs 2:4 (KJV)

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

I know that I have told the story of one of the young men who was in our youth group, back in the day Anita and I lead a youth group.

He was from a family that struggled financially.

His dad had always jumped from job to job. They had moved around a lot, and they just did not have much.

He wanted to be different.

And he was obsessed with becoming rich.

It’s all he could talk about almost.

And yet he also felt guilty. He would constantly ask me if I thought it was a sin to be rich.

That young man passed away last year.

He never got rich, in fact, he almost never even worked.

His mom and dad eventually separated and Loy lived with his dad until he died.

The very first verse in the Proverbs that “hints” at the subject of money, speaks of seeking something with the same passion as you might seek a hidden treasure.

There are treasures more valuable than silver and gold.

But it isn’t necessarily wrong to seek for silver and gold either.

I want to break away from the book of Proverbs for the rest of the lesson and give you three biblical reasons to seek at least some “silver and gold.”

I. TO CARE FOR OUR FAMILY

1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV)

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

When I hear the word treasure I almost automatically associate it with two things

·   Unbelievable wealth and

·   Not having to work for it

From a Biblical point of view,

·   A person doesn’t need more wealth than they need and

·   It is wrong to try to get without working for it

But everyone ought to seek enough “treasure” to provide for his family.

There are three things I think the Bible teaches are involved in having enough to provide for a family:

A. Gaining a skill

Acts 18:1-3 (KJV)

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

As I understand it, the custom was that, even those who had educations in Israel were also taught a trade.

Paul was trained as a Pharisee by Gamaliel, one of the most famous teachers of the day.

But he also had the skill of tent making.

A wise person learns a skill.

He or she trains how to do something that earns money.

I think that requires forethought and begins at a young age, but it doesn’t have to end there.

Anyone at any age can choose to learn how to do something that earns an honest income.

B. Going to Work

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV)

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Once you have a skill you have to engage in the work.

Doesn’t matter what you know how to do – you have to do it to make money.

C. Spending in Moderation

Philippians 4:5 (KJV)

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

I know that money isn’t specifically addressed in this passage, but the principle applies nonetheless.

Don’t spend what you don’t have.

The second reason to “seek treasure” is

II. TO CARE FOR THE NEEDY

Ephesians 4:28 (KJV)

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Our government has taken it upon themselves to tax us in order to meet the needs of those in need and by so doing have accomplished two things:

·   They give without appropriate accountability

·   They have rendered the average person less able to be a help to those in need

Still, we ought not use that as an excuse not to do what we can by:

·   Giving what we can give and

·   Holding those we give to accountable to improve their situation

Finally Christians ought to “seek treasure”

III. TO CARE FOR THE MINISTRY

Philippians 4:10-19 (KJV)

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.

Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Just a few things I notice here:

A. They gave when they could

Vs 10

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

B. They gave more than once

Vs 16

For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.

C. They gave and God kept record

Vs 17

Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Vs 19

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

The question is not whether you should seek treasures. The question is:

·   What kind of treasure and

·   For what purpose

WHY WRITE A PROVERB?

Proverbs 1:1-5 (KJV)

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

I want to begin the message tonight by reading a part of the introduction to the book of Proverbs from the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge. I choose it because it is poetic in a manner that is befitting the book of Proverbs.

“The wisdom of all ages, from the highest antiquity, has chosen to compress and communicate its lessons in short, compendious sentences, and in poetic language, which were readily conceived and easily retained, and circulated in society as useful principles, to be unfolded as occasion required. … such short maxims, comprehending much instruction in a few words, and carrying their own evidence with them, are admirably adapted to direct the conduct, without overburdening the memory, or perplexing the mind …

...  the proverbs in this book … are infallible rules to direct our conduct in every circumstance of human life. They are so justly founded on the principles of human nature, and so adapted to the permanent interests of man, that they agree with the manners of every age; and are adapted to every period, condition, or rank in life, however varied in its complexion or diversified by circumstance.

Kings and subjects, rich and poor, wise and foolish, old and young, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, masters and servants, may here learn their respective duties, and …..

‘…these, by reading this book, shall be made wiser; for they shall be instructed in much divine, and in no less human learning....It bridles the injurious tongue, corrects the wanton eye, and ties the unjust hand in chains. It persecutes sloth, chastises all absurd desires, teaches prudence, raises man’s courage, and represents temperance and chastity after such a fashion that one cannot but have them in veneration.”…”

There is likely no book of the Bible more cherished than that of the Proverbs.

It might even be one of the most read and often quoted books of the Bible.

That does not mean that it is always understood or heeded.

I think a lot of times people read it because it sounds good, but, maybe like The Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…”[1] they don’t seem very practical.

The book of Proverbs, by its very nature, does not lend itself well to chapter by chapter, verse by verse preaching.

The rule of all Bible hermeneutics is, “Keep the text in context.”

With the book of Proverbs, that is not possible most of the time.[2] These are short sayings, compiled together, but no continuity of thought progresses from beginning to end.

It really is a collection of wisdom on a number of issues like:

·   Parenting

·   Leadership

·   Education

·   Virtue

·   Prudence

·   Finance

· Industry

One of those things that we find in the Proverbs is a description of a number of different types of people.

One place[3] I found identifies eight character types:

·   The wise

·   The foolish

·   The drunkard

·   The sluggard

·   The gossip

·   The adultress

·   The simple and

·   The satisfied husband

Another one[4] identifies just three

·   The wise

·   The fool

·   The simple

I personally identified at least 58 different characters in the Proverbs. And that was in just one reading of about one hour.[5]

I want to begin in chapter one and, to the best of my ability, bring message on those characters as they arise.

This book begins by telling us why it was written in the first place.

Proverbs 1:1-5 (KJV)

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

There are four characters mentioned

·   Solomon

·   The simple

·   The young man and

·   The wise

Solomon collected the majority of the Proverbs, either by writing them personally or by discovering and including them.

Solomon didn’t do everything just right in his life, but he did have a heart to teach and lead his children – especially the son who will follow him on the throne.

No father is perfect.

·   I really tired when my kids were growing up

·   I prayed for them and about fathering them

·   I read the Bible to them and to learn things to teach them

·   I studied books about being a parent and tried to practice what I learned

·   I watched men I considered to be good dads and tried to do what they did

But I wasn’t perfect.

It’s one of those things that, when your kids are growing up you often are “in the moment” and it doesn’t work very well.

I promise you though, once they are out of your house, you will wish you had tried a bit harder.

That’s where Solomon was – he just wanted to give his son the best wisdom he could and -

He wanted it to last so he wrote it down.

He said he was writing to three sorts of people and for a purpose.

I. THE SIMPLE

Proverbs 1:4 (KJV)

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

One of the definitions of the word simple is “naïve or open minded.”[6]

The liberal and progressives in our world today hate the fact that Christians aren’t open minded enough:

·   We aren’t open minded about alternate forms of marriage

·   We aren’t open minded about Creation versus Evolution

·   We aren’t open minded about letting transgendered boys use girls public restrooms

·   We aren’t open minded about opening our boarders to illegal aliens

·   We aren’t open minded about opening our borders to any old Islamic Terrorist who wants to come into the United States

Why aren’t we open minded?

Because the Bible teaches us not to be.

The Bible calls that “simple.”

The word subtlety means prudence.

Prudence is caution

·   Prudence looks ahead and sees the danger of a thing.

·   Prudence avoids evil by preventing something before it happens.

I think our new President is trying to be prudent after years of simplicity in the White House.

You see, a prudent person has learned to look ahead and see things like:

·   We can’t tax ourselves rich

·   We can’t afford every welfare case of the world

·   We can’t defeat Islam once it is inside our borders

·   We can’t give all our jobs to other countries and still have jobs for our citizens

It’s not being unkind to rein some of this in.

The world has come to think of America as having unlimited resources so they think it is unfair of us not to open up the floodgates and pour those resources upon them.

But America is not God.

Our resources are limited.

Frankly, we’ve over extended those resources and pretty soon, if we don’t shut down the faucet, we’re going to run dry.

Then we won’t be able to help anyone.

By the way, I think it is one of the things our missionaries have to extremely prudent about.

Many of them serve in countries and among people who think America has unlimited resources and see the missionary as one means of getting some of those resources.

Pretty soon, if the missionary isn’t prudent, he will see his role as one of gathering American resources to distribute them to other peoples.

That is not what should happen.

The missionary should seek enough support to maintain him on the field so he can preach the gospel and train others to do the same.

Then he should back off so other missionaries to other places are also able to tap in to those resources for the part of the world God has called them to preach and train.

The word subtle means prudent.

But it has a negative tone to it.

Genesis 3:1 (KJV)

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

The word subtle means prudent but we tend to think it means prudent in a sly, crafty way.

That’s why President Trump is so hated and feared by the simple these days.

No matter how necessary it is to stop the flow of resources, those who no longer receive the benefit of those resources are going to think badly about it.

What the Bible is saying is that we need to teach people to do the right thing, even if it isn’t the popular thing to do.

II. THE YOUNG MAN

Proverbs 1:4 (KJV)

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

The young man might be simple, or he might not be.

Some young people are much more prudent than people many years their senior.

A. But all young men are, by virtue of their years – young.

And there are some things that can only be gained through years of instruction and experience.

·   It’s why the founders of our country put age requirements on the congress and an even higher age requirement on the President.

·   It’s also why the Bible says that those who would be bishop, or the pastor of a church are not to be a novice.

·   Doesn’t matter how smart a young person is, he is still young

·   Doesn’t matter how dedicated he is, he is still young

·   Doesn’t matter how mature he may behave, he is still young

And

B. He needs knowledge

“A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact…”[7]

“Skills acquired by a person through education and experience.”[8]

You have to hit the books, and sit under a teacher or mentor.

One of the sure signs of youthful immaturity is believing you can get as much done with

·   youthful energy,

·   good looks and

·   charisma

as with an education.

C. He needs discretion

Strong’s Concordance defines this as “a purpose” or “a plot.”

He just needs a plan.

I tell this to Bible students all of the time; technically no one has to go to Bible College to be in the ministry – therefore no one really needs to go to Bible College at all.

·   But what Bible College can do for every Christian is to provide them a plan for Bible study.

·   It can help any Christian organize what they believe into systematic orders of thought.

Then, having their thoughts organized and set in a row, they become more able to discern when something fits into their system of faith.

In other words, it can give them discretion.

Finally there is a reference to

III. THE WISE

Proverbs 1:5 (KJV)

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Solomon might have been trying to plant a bit of a seed in his son right here.

Imagine for a moment that he has an audience of one.

·   His son is a young man whom he wishes to instruct so that

·   His son might not be exposed to error through simplicity and open-mindedness

Still speaking to his son he goes on to say

·   A wise man will hear…..

Something like this might be a part of the conversation, “Son I know you are young, and I know you want to reach out and try new things but believe me – it would be wise of you if you learned from my mistakes instead of making your own.”

If a mark of youthful immaturity is trying to muscle through things instead of thinking through them, a sign of true wisdom and understanding is, a willingness to

·   Listen

·   Learn new things and

·   Lean on wise counsel

I read once that the true difference between humans and the animals is that humans have the ability to learn from the lessons of those before us.

I sure wish sometime we would prove the author of that right!

Conclusion

·   The simple need to be taught caution

·   The young need to be given a plan of education and

·   The wise know they can never afford to stop learning

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[1] Matthew 5:3-12

[2] Of course we can and must keep it in the context of the Bible as a whole.

[3] https://www.sbl-site.org/publications/article.aspx?articleId=488

[4]http://everysquareinch.net/characters-in-the-proverbs/

[5] My plan is to read the book of Proverbs once a week throughout this series.

[6] Brown, Driver, Briggs

[7] Webster’s 1828

[8] The internet dictionary associated with my computer.