Have you heard of the book: “Secrets of the Alchemist Dar”? In regard to this book the Edmonton Journal ran an article entitled: “There’s real treasure to be found in this book’s pages.” The article explains that this book is the second by Michael Stadther, a millionaire and self-proclaimed eccentric. Apparently Stadther has put clues in the book’s text and illustrations that will lead to one hundred different rings he’s hidden around the world. In all, these rings are worth $2 million (US)! Since this is the second time Stadther plans to give away riches in this way (his last book contained clues that led to gold coins), you have to give him credit for generosity (the newspaper reports that Stadther has yet to make a profit on his books but that isn’t his purpose).
While Stadther is generous, he’s hardly original. God was the first to write a book that leads to treasure, lasting treasure. The good news is that we have this book; it’s the Bible. Since the Bible leads to lasting treasure, Moses today encourages us all to study God’s Word carefully, and to follow it religiously.
I have to admit that when I read the article about Stadther’s book I wanted to get my hands on a copy to start dissecting the clues to the rings. After all, for an investment of $21.99 (listed price for the book on Amamzon.com), one stands to make thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of dollars. But let’s say that we did find one of the rings. No, let’s say we found all one hundred hidden rings. We would be $2 million richer but then what? The excitement of the hunt would soon wear off and the bills for our lavish expenses would start to pour in. $2 million sounds like a lot of cash and it is but it wouldn’t last very long. If you don’t believe me, ask the New Jersey woman who twice won the lottery in the mid ‘80’s for a total of $5.4 million but is now broke. It’s no wonder Jesus warned: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19, 20a).
The true treasure that Jesus wants us to pursue is everlasting life in heaven where we will be forever free of the pain, sorrows, bullies, and fears of this life. How do we obtain this treasure? Just as a careful study of Stadther’s book will lead to the expensive rings, a careful study of God’s Word leads to the lasting treasure of heaven. So what would you think if someone who purchased Stadther’s book tore out pictures and crossed out lines of text he didn’t like? I don’t think you would expect such a person to find any of the rings. In the same way, if we take lightly God’s Word and think that we can ignore verses we don’t like or add ones we think are missing, we could miss out on the treasure of heaven. Moses put it this way to the Israelites: “1 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you” (Deuteronomy 4:1, 2).
Are we guilty of adding to or subtracting from God’s Word? For example do we think that salvation comes to those who believe in Jesus and do good works? While we may easily recognize the error of that statement, for salvation is by God’s grace and not our works (Ephesians 2:8-10), do we in practice add to God’s Word when we forgive the sins of those who only first say they are sorry to us and make up for their wrong in some way? God wants us to forgive one another unconditionally, even before an apology is offered. Subtracting from God’s Word is something we can do as easily too. For example when we ignore God’s teaching about with whom we are to worship and pray, we are “trimming” (literal translation of “subtract”) what we apparently consider to be Scripture’s “rough” edges.
Any adding or subtracting is dangerous because every teaching in the Bible is designed to point us to heaven or keep us from losing the treasures of heaven. That’s why we put such an emphasis on the study of God’s Word here at St. Peter’s. That’s why we want you, our children, to attend Sunday School and to listen carefully to devotions at home. Whenever we read the Bible or talk about it, we’re pouring over the map that leads to the treasures of heaven!
God doesn’t just want his Word studied, however, he wants it followed. Moses said to the Israelites, “6 Observe [God’s Word] carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”…what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? 9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (Deuteronomy 4:6, 8, 9).
Just as it wouldn’t do one any good to thoroughly study Stadther’s book, figure out where the rings are hidden but never go and get them, so it does us no good to study thoroughly God’s Word but fail to live by it. Yet many people who call themselves Christians are doing just that. For example in our Epistle lesson today we learned that God wants us to pray for all believers (Ephesians 6:10-18). Do we do this? Do we pray for our leaders, Sunday School teachers, shut-ins, the members we haven’t seen in a while? Do we even pray for those we don’t always see eye to eye with? Or are we too busy praying for ourselves, if we pray at all except for at meal times? Another example of knowing God’s Word but failing to follow it religiously is when we show ourselves reluctant to carry out church discipline on impenitent members because it’s “too messy.” Or when we fail to put God first in our life of Christian giving.
While obeying God’s Word does not earn the lasting treasure of heaven, disobeying God’s Word may eventually cause us to lose it. That’s what the Israelites found in regard to the Promised Land. Although they had done nothing to deserve that land flowing with milk and honey, they lost it when they were deported to Assyria and Babylon for their continued disobedience.
Following God’s Word religiously is not always easy, convenient, or comfortable but it’s always for the best, not just for us but for others as well. Take a look again at what Moses said in verse six of our text: “6 Observe [God’s Word] carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:6).
If you figured out where one of Stadther’s rings was hidden, you probably wouldn’t tell anyone the location until you had secured the ring. In fact you would probably go out to the ring’s location under the cover of darkness lest anyone follow you and snatch the ring before you did. How different is the lasting treasure of heaven! There are enough riches for all and God wants us to lead others to the treasure. One way we do that is by religiously following God’s Word. The Apostle Peter made this practical application in his first epistle: “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives” (1 Peter 3:1, 2).
When it comes to doing evangelism, actions often speak louder than words. God can and will work through our humble servant-like actions to melt the heart of the unbeliever whether that person is a spouse, a boss, a classmate, or a neighbor. So look for opportunities to serve others. Is there a neighbor’s sidewalk you can shovel? Is there a senior that needs a ride somewhere? Is there a child on your block who could use some after-school tutoring? These are just a few ways we can show God’s love to others and in so doing pique their interest in the savior we serve when we do these things for them.
The last time I checked, Stadther’s book wasn’t for sale yet. I’ll bet when it does go on sale people will be lined up to buy it. Why not? It’s not every day that a book gives you the chance to become rich, or is it? The truth is God’s Word does offer riches daily. The best part of about the Bible is that its central message is not difficult to understand (unlike the clues in Stadther’s book). Jesus died to pay for everyone’s sins; believe in Jesus for eternal life (Romans 6:23). That’s it! That’s the message of the Bible. Don’t let the simplicity of that message fool you, however. It really leads to a lasting treasure. So hold on to that treasure by faithfully study God’s Word. And share that treasure by religiously following it. Amen.
