My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2: 1-5
Solomon recognizes that even he, the most powerful man in all the earth in his day, can not force a person to accept his words. He tells his children, and by extension us, that if you accept his words there is a benefit. More than that, he expands on what it takes to acquire understanding.
First, we need to accept the words of wisdom from God.
Then, we need to store them up.
Like a radar dish, we turn our ear to tune in wisdom.
Like a runner that strives to run faster and farther, we apply our heart to understanding.
Unwilling to remain quiet, the one who hungers for understanding calls out.
We actually cry out for understanding.
As a man treks through the wilderness looking for silver, digging up the earth, poking around caves,
So the person hungry for understanding looks through life’s wilderness searching for what is hidden.
Solomon describes more than just idly listening to someone talking. Instead, he describes a person who is actively searching. Someone who wants to know and wants to understand.
If a person hungers for wisdom, searches for understanding, seeks it out every day, Solomon says that you will be successful. Success, in the eyes of the richest man in the world, is understanding the fear of the Lord and finding the knowledge of God.
Application: How hard do you try to find understanding? Like a runner in training, double your effort today. Seek God and store up his words.
Food for Thought: Where do we seek out the “hidden treasure” Solomon is talking about?
While there could be numerous good answers to this question, I will go to the obvious: God’s word. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). God’s word teaches us what it means to fear the Lord and walk in wisdom (psalm 119). The Holy Spirit will then illuminate God’s word and grant is greater understanding.
If we could understand our world and our lives from God’s perspective, we would have joy and peace rather than stress and discontentment. In prayer, I beg to have God’s understanding in so many situations…especially in areas where things aren’t going my way (so to speak). Anyway, I guess my answer is prayer.
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Wow. Two great answers right out of the chute! God’s Word and prayer. Actively digging through God’s Word as we do here at Three Minute Bible helps unearth treasure as well. Thank you both!
Putting these answers together…Jesus said that where our heart is, there will our treasure a be, as well. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” What a treasure to have God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in our hearts! Access to God is the greatest treasure.
Thanks JEC! What a beautiful and inspiring summary to today’s passage!