Leaders Seeking Treasure

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NLV) 1My son, if you receive my sayings and store up my teachings within you, 2make your ear open to wisdom. Turn your heart to understanding. 3If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding; 4if you look for her as silver, and look for her as hidden riches; 5then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find what is known of God.

• Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction."


• Matthew 13:44  "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."


• 2 Peter 3:11-13 "11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

Treasure hunting captures the imagination. As a young man, I dreamed of finding hidden treasures, reading all I could on pirate treasures, lost gold mines, and the location of religious artifacts. As a young adult, I was part of a group that was preparing to search for Noah's Ark on Ararat but we could not clear the hurdles developed by the Turkish government. In all these fantasies, I was filled with hope for how my life would change upon discovery of treasure hidden and found.

These verses in Proverbs speak of real treasure that can be acquired and its promised reward, which has proven time and again to be not only real, but also a life-changing incentive.

Our constant hope and expectation is for the One who is our treasure. But there is a difference in looking for our Hope and our expectation of finding Wisdom. With our search for understanding, there is an if-then quality. Christ's first coming was in God's time and had little to do with anything mankind was doing to hasten that coming. "When the time was right," scripture tells us. His coming the second time is more like our search of treasure. Our search for the treasure of Wisdom begins with an attitude adjustment – we must learn to “fear-of-the-Lord” for it is the beginning of Wisdom. This adventure of seeing the treasure of Wisdom continues through our lives; for as we become more and more accustomed to "holy conduct and godliness," we learn more and more of God, and our expectation is heightened for seeing Him work today and for His return in the future – a unique combination of Wisdom and Hope.

Our Hope and our behavior will "speed" His second coming. This is one of the great mysteries of Scripture that how we conduct ourselves will usher in a new history for this planet and its inhabitants. As we learn more and more to Fear the Lord, we change our conduct. The first coming changed our relationship with the Creator: the second will change His relationship with what He created and enhance our relationship with Him.

Feels like a treasure to me. A new heaven and new earth – a treasure hunt worth the adventure.

Copyright (c) 2006 by P. Griffith Lindell