Seeking and Searching – Proverbs 2:4-5
Intro.: The last “if” of Proverbs 2 describes the lifestyle & wisdom of going after the knowledge of God: “If you seek her as silver & search for her as hidden treasure...” I’ve referred to the spirit of revelation several times throughout this series. Eph. 1:17 says to pursue the spirit of wisdom & revelation. Paul exhorts us to pray for a spirit of wisdom & revelation. Revelation is seeing the desired goal; wisdom is choosing the best way to reach that goal.
I. The Spirit of Wisdom
A. The spirit of wisdom is an important part of the Prov. 2 reality
1. In Psalm 90:12 Moses says, “Teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom.”
2. Meditation on & hunger for the Word need to be accompanied by wisdom – how to live toward that end
NOTE:Wisdom teaches us to value & strive for the treasure of gaining a living understanding of God, more valuable than anything on earth
B. The treasure of the knowledge of God is eternal – Matthew 6:20
1. These glorious riches are found in God and His Son
2. READ: Colossians 2:2
C. Wisdom calls us to search out these riches like treasure hunters
1. We are to give up everything else in the process
2. READ: Matthew 13:44
a. Jesus followed this call when He came to earth
b. He gave His life to buy the field (us)
c. We are to sell (give up) all to purchase the eternal realities of knowing God
D. The Kingdom of heaven & knowing our King is our treasure
1. These riches are hidden to natural understanding – 1 Cor 2:14
2. We must change our thinking to enter the Kingdom
3. We must change our thinking to have revelation of the King
4. We must count the cost to obtain the treasure and be willing to give up everything to have it
E. That’s the power of the spirit of revelation
1. Once you get a little bit, you are ruined for anything else
NOTE: Jesus wants a people who respond to the spirit of revelation with wisdom who choose to radically sacrifice everything to embrace the kingdom of heaven with all that is in us.
II. Voluntary Lovers
A. Why is the Kingdom of God a hidden treasure?
1. Why does God hide Himself?
2. The answer is in Proverbs 2:25, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter.”
NOTE: God hides Himself because He wants voluntary lovers who will do whatever it takes to acquire the treasures of God.
NOTE: Just as we do not want a passive, uninvolved God… God doesn’t want passive, uninvolved followers.
B. God wants a wholehearted people – 1 Chron 16:7
1. People who are hungry for Him
2. He wants people who WANT to be transformed by Him
a. Too many people want to transform God into their image
NOTE: God uses the seeking and searching as the purifying fire that prepares us to receive what we find. Through our seeking and searching, we are changed into the people who can steward and be trusted with the deep things of God’s heart.
Concl.: In the last few messages, we focused on laying hold of God.
Jesus taught His disciples that when they really prayed, they would encounter a different side of God than they presently knew.
They would encounter a God who’d seem to resist them, who would provoke them to see what they would do when He didn’t answer
1. Would they give up?
2. Would they be offended?
3. Would they become angry and blame Him?
4. Or would they press in and continue to ask Him for what they long for deep in their hearts?
This is spiritual violence; continually seeking God’s face, even when it seems He has turned His face away from us.
God doesn’t always hide Himself. This is just one of the many ways He uses to draw us more deeply into His heart and into intimacy.
This is an “intimacy conspiracy” where God withdraws from us because He knows that in doing so, He will produce greater hunger in us. We are called to be “treasure hunters” We were made to search the deep places of God through the Holy Spirit. God is inviting us to voluntary, violent love.
