Proverbs 2:1-5
"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding, yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD an dfind the knowledge of God."
I've been pondering this passage for the last hour or so and have been amazed at what God has spoken through these verses to me. The first four verses are what we are called to do and the fifth verse is what will result from our obedience. Let's take a deeper look at the text.
Verse 1 says tells us that we need to receive God's Word and treasure His commandments. Receive the free gift of God's Word and treasure His commands above all else. John 1:12-13 states that "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but God." So when we receive God's Word and we receive Jesus Christ, we are given the right to become children of God! In John 14:15, Jesus says that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. This is a pretty amazing truth that we are given the right to become adopted into God's family. What love! This compells me to want to love God and keep His commands.
Verse 2 tells us to make our ears attentive to wisdom and incline our hearts to understanding. Until we receive God's Word, our ears cannot be attentive to wisdom. Until we receive God's Word, our hearts cannot begin to understand why we should treasure God above all else. So it is necessary to receive the Word before we can be receptive to God's wisdom. For me, the more I read Scripture, the more my heart desires God and the more attentive my ears become to receiving His truth. It is a wonderful thing!
Verse 3 shows us that we need to call out for insight and raise our voices for understanding. Need a better reason to pray? This gives a definite reason for prayer. Scripture tells us to ask and it will be given. James 1:5 says "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." God wants us to ask Him for wisdom and understanding. We should do it with confidence and expectancy waiting for God to bless us with His wisdom!
Verse 4 speaks of just how significant God's wisdom is. We should seek it like silver and search for it as a hidden treasure. I'm reminded of the parables in Matthew 13:44-46. A man found a treasure in a field and sold all he had and bought the field. In the same way, the kingdom of God is like the a fine pearl that a merchant would sell everything in order to possess. How much do we desire the kingdom of God and God's wisdom? Enough to give up everything we own in order to gain Christ and His wisdom? Enough to suffer persecution or a modest life? According to God's Word, we should seek God's wisdom more than the finest pearl or the greatest of all hidden treasures! What a task. Praise God that He gives us all we need in order to seek His wisdom!
So what is the result of what these four verses require of us? Verse 5 tells us that we will then understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. As I consider what it means to fear the Lord, I remember the words of Hebrews 12 regarding Noah, a man who reverently feared God (that's for you Jim and Clint). This fear shouldn't make us cower or hide. It isn't that type of fear. Rather it is a fear that should cause us to marvel at the greatness of God and revere His commands to the point of obedience. The second chapter of Colossians tells us that the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of god's mystery is found in Jesus Christ. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In light of these things, let's do our best to receive God's Word with an open heart and attentive ear calling upon God to deliver us into all knowledge and understanding so that we may treasure and possess the wisdom of God!
"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding, yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD an dfind the knowledge of God."
I've been pondering this passage for the last hour or so and have been amazed at what God has spoken through these verses to me. The first four verses are what we are called to do and the fifth verse is what will result from our obedience. Let's take a deeper look at the text.
Verse 1 says tells us that we need to receive God's Word and treasure His commandments. Receive the free gift of God's Word and treasure His commands above all else. John 1:12-13 states that "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but God." So when we receive God's Word and we receive Jesus Christ, we are given the right to become children of God! In John 14:15, Jesus says that if we love Him we will keep His commandments. This is a pretty amazing truth that we are given the right to become adopted into God's family. What love! This compells me to want to love God and keep His commands.
Verse 2 tells us to make our ears attentive to wisdom and incline our hearts to understanding. Until we receive God's Word, our ears cannot be attentive to wisdom. Until we receive God's Word, our hearts cannot begin to understand why we should treasure God above all else. So it is necessary to receive the Word before we can be receptive to God's wisdom. For me, the more I read Scripture, the more my heart desires God and the more attentive my ears become to receiving His truth. It is a wonderful thing!
Verse 3 shows us that we need to call out for insight and raise our voices for understanding. Need a better reason to pray? This gives a definite reason for prayer. Scripture tells us to ask and it will be given. James 1:5 says "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." God wants us to ask Him for wisdom and understanding. We should do it with confidence and expectancy waiting for God to bless us with His wisdom!
Verse 4 speaks of just how significant God's wisdom is. We should seek it like silver and search for it as a hidden treasure. I'm reminded of the parables in Matthew 13:44-46. A man found a treasure in a field and sold all he had and bought the field. In the same way, the kingdom of God is like the a fine pearl that a merchant would sell everything in order to possess. How much do we desire the kingdom of God and God's wisdom? Enough to give up everything we own in order to gain Christ and His wisdom? Enough to suffer persecution or a modest life? According to God's Word, we should seek God's wisdom more than the finest pearl or the greatest of all hidden treasures! What a task. Praise God that He gives us all we need in order to seek His wisdom!
So what is the result of what these four verses require of us? Verse 5 tells us that we will then understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. As I consider what it means to fear the Lord, I remember the words of Hebrews 12 regarding Noah, a man who reverently feared God (that's for you Jim and Clint). This fear shouldn't make us cower or hide. It isn't that type of fear. Rather it is a fear that should cause us to marvel at the greatness of God and revere His commands to the point of obedience. The second chapter of Colossians tells us that the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of god's mystery is found in Jesus Christ. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In light of these things, let's do our best to receive God's Word with an open heart and attentive ear calling upon God to deliver us into all knowledge and understanding so that we may treasure and possess the wisdom of God!
Great entry. I am very encouraged by these verses. I especially like the part about crying out for wisdom and understading. God is faithful to answer anything we ask of Him and I`m so thankful. He cares about me and my ministry.
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