As the Curtain Rises

Have you ever considered the fact that if you want to have wisdom, you need to start with humility? Wisdom only comes to those who admit they need it. And the first step in the treasure hunt for wisdom is admitting that you have a need for it. Lord, I do not know how to live insightfully. I do not know how to walk wisely.

I cannot serve at this station in my life unless you give me wisdom. Remember, it's not for the curious. Wisdom is for the serious. Have you ever dreamed of finding buried treasure? Imagine stumbling across the know, claiming that a fortune lies in your backyard.

Would you grab a shovel and start digging? Hidden treasure sparks excitement, but what if there's something even more valuable waiting to be found? Today's message explores the hidden treasures of wisdom described in Proverbs. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, called wisdom more valuable than gold or jewels.

Join us as we uncover Solomon's remarkable prayer for understanding and how wisdom can completely reshape your life. I don't know about you, but the idea of hidden treasure is intriguing and it has intrigued millions of people, in fact, the world over. I've found treasure hunters who have formed entire subcultures with group trips and websites and clues regarding famous sites where buried treasure has yet to be discovered. Somewhere, according to one of these stories, up on a mountain ledge, overhanging the city of Flagstaff, Arizona, is a buried loot of treasure still waiting to be discovered. Evidently, in 1881, what amounts to about a million dollars in today's economy was stolen when a stagecoach was traveling west to California. Four canvas mailbags had been stowed on this coach and at one particular point, when it reached Flagstaff, it was immediately surrounded by five masked bandits who stopped the coach and in country western kind of movie style, you know, they had everybody get out at gunpoint and they took those four bags, loaded them up on horses and galloped away. It wasn't long before a posse was formed and these men were tracked down to a log cabin. The cabin was surrounded and a blazing gunfight ensued. All of the outlaws were killed and the deputies went inside the log cabin and to their amazement did not find the bags evidently that had been buried en route. So the entire area was searched.

The government of the United States even got involved sending troops. They dug everywhere without discovering anything and finally gave up the search. But not the property owner. The man who owned the cabin would spend the rest of his life 30 years digging around trying to find the loot and he never did. Imagine living so close to treasure.

Here's something else to imagine. Robert Jeffress asked this in his little book on some of the Proverbs that sort of intrigued me and so I made up my own little story. Imagine you've purchased an old fixer upper in downtown Raleigh and one Saturday morning you're cleaning out the attic and you're up in the attic there and you discover an old sheet of paper yellowed and brittle with age. You carefully take it down and you open it. You catch faded words that say buried treasure.

You'd rush downstairs to the kitchen counter. You put the pieces of this note together and you get out your magnifying glass and you read the note that says this. For some time now my grown children have given me the impression that they want their inheritance and not me. Furthermore I have come to the conclusion that my vast wealth would only deepen their greed for things and ultimately ruin their lives. Therefore I have decided to bury my wealth for the future owner of this humble home. You will find a little more than one million dollars in cash savings bonds and gold coins buried in a small safe in the backyard.

Locate the exact middle point of the back property line. Walk three paces toward the house and you will find buried three feet down the safe. I hope you enjoy your inheritance.

Yours truly. What would you do after reading that note. Play a game of Monopoly with your kids. Give it to your neighbor and say I have no time for this kind of stuff. You go out there and dig whatever you find you can have. No you would rush for your property map.

Grab a tape measure and race for the backyard. You never know. You just might discover hidden treasure. The truth is ladies and gentlemen as useful as a million dollars would be to us.

Nothing will change our lives more. In fact determine life for us and finding hidden treasure. It's offered to us from God himself and our gracious father has left us a note. In fact he's left us a collection of clues and signposts and guidelines along the way to lead us to those occasions in life where we we discover and we can possess and we can apply the hidden treasure of wisdom. Solomon told us you must search for wisdom as for hidden treasure. He writes further how blessed is the man who finds wisdom the man who gains understanding for he understands that her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than gold. She is more precious than jewels and nothing you desire compares with her.

You want real treasure dig for wisdom ransack the map of scripture to find where it is how it acts what it looks like how it's demonstrated and how to have it in your own life. It's one thing to to live rich. Nothing wrong with that. It's another thing to live right. It's one thing to make great investments. It's another thing to have great insight. This is the difference between as you know someone who knows how to make a living and someone who knows how to make life what worth living. And the difference is this thing called wisdom. Now throughout the book of Proverbs Solomon invites us all effectively to become treasure hunters seekers of wisdom. But you need to know up front the hidden treasure of wisdom is not for the curious it's for the serious. One author said it this way. Straw floats on the surface of water but the one who searches for pearls must dive below. The first thing we have to understand is the narrator's life.

So I want to spend one session quickly here. In fact what we need to do is travel back in time to Solomon's life at that moment when he uttered his first cry. Let's go back to the delivery room to take your Bibles and turn to the book of Second Samuel Second Samuel. As you're turning it occurred to me that from the very moment of Solomon's birth he was surrounded by drama royal intrigue in the 24 months before his birth David the king has admitted to adultery and murder of the young widow he had married to cover up the fact that the baby she was carrying wasn't her husband's child but his David had seen to it that Uriah her husband was killed in battle you remember and the prophet Nathan eventually exposed the king and his new bride as evil conspirators who had kept terrible secrets and their baby would be born and he would die in this covenant would be a sign of God's immediate judgment on David and Bathsheba. Now the good news is David confessed his sin to God in fact Psalm chapter 51 is his agonizing and authentic confession and repentance before God.

It's a wonderful chapter. We have every reason to believe Bathsheba repented as well in fact instead of their marital relationship fracturing because of guilt they stay together in fact she conceived again and Bathsheba bore the heir to the throne of David. Let's pick up that drama at Chapter 12 and Second Samuel Chapter 12 verse 24. Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba went into her lay with her and she gave birth to a son and he named him Solomon. Now Solomon actually has several names they will appear and some of them in the book of Proverbs. This one here delivered to him by David is a wonderful name it's a derivative of Shalom.

It means peace. David's life was anything but peaceful and he is trusting God that Shalom Solomon the one of peace will experience peace and the kingdom along with him. The text tells us that the Lord actually gave Solomon a name the last part of verse 24.

Now the Lord loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet and he named him Jedediah for the Lord's sake Jedediah simply means loved by the Lord. Many believe that this wise prophet who appears here will become the tutor to Solomon and lead him in understanding the words of God. There's a name that appears in the book of Proverbs it's the name Lemuel. The famous Proverbs Chapter 31 begins with the words This is what King Lemuel's mother taught him. Wonderful text Lemuel simply means unto God.

I would agree with the Old Testament scholars who believe that Lemuel was simply a name of dedication used by Solomon's own mother a name she referred to with him even into his older years. It was indeed a testimony that Bathsheba had dedicated Solomon one of the ancient wisdom seekers to God. She didn't want Solomon to forget it.

She had indeed repented and she was following after God. What a wonderful implicit compliment though Solomon gave not only to his father David but to his mother Bathsheba. They were parents with a past. If there was a principle in this for us it would be these God's grace can be found at work in the present in spite of your past.

Another godly parenting can still take place in homes that have an ungodly past. Solomon would learn early on as God prepares him to be a wisdom seeker hunter of this treasure that the living God of David and Bathsheba forgives sin and gives new opportunities to follow after him. It was that spirit that Solomon picked up the heart of Solomon is just about ready for the hunt. His spirit is ready for this quest for hidden treasure. One of the most fascinating reports of this encounter now between God and the newly crowned King Solomon is recorded in Second Chronicles Chapter 1 and look at verse 6. Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting. This is in Gibeon.

This is his first official act. This is a great celebration and he he offers this a thousand burnt offerings in that night. God appeared to Solomon and said to him ask what I shall give you. Just stop. Make a wish Solomon name it and it's yours.

What would you like to have. Can you imagine you say that's as likely as me finding a note in my attic and a safe out in the backyard. I know but it happened to Solomon. This was no pipe dream. This was real. Make a wish Solomon and I will grant it for you.

If you're like me you'd be tempted to do what we did when we were kids you ever played that game. You got a wish. What do you wish for. And you always say I wish for three wishes and then you'd respond with OK I'll give you three wishes but the first two what don't don't count. So you got to make one good wish. Actually in this text there isn't any indication that Solomon is told he only has one just Solomon what do you want.

Ask what I shall give you. And he responds in verse eight. Solomon said to God you have dealt with my father David with great loving kindness and have made me king in his place.

Don't miss this. Solomon doesn't wish for anything at first. In fact he responds in three ways. The first thing he does is give thanks for what he already has. If we were in Solomon's place I think if I were here I would have rushed into my first wish which would have revealed discontent.

Wouldn't it have. Don't get past this initial response. Solomon what do you wish for. Name it and Solomon says I just want to thank you for making my father king. The first words out of his mouth indicate contentment.

Lord I just want to thank you for what I already have. I remember reading the story of how an American oil company began work in another country. People who worked for this company were relatively poor. They didn't really know it until one day one of the workers happened to see a Sears mail order catalog in the company break room and thumb through it.

Then he asked if he could take it home. It wasn't long before all of the employees had their own catalogs and every family was eventually in debt and frustrated with their wages received from this company. They were better off when they did not know how much they did not have. Right. One author said it this way contentment is realizing that you are better off the way you are right now.

We need something more something news something different something better. Well here's Solomon on the other hand because of his wisdom. Listen to what he said. He said two things I ask of you Lord. This is in Proverbs 32 things. Give me neither poverty nor riches but feed me the food that is my portion.

You could render it. Give me just enough for the day. Otherwise I might have too much and say who needs the Lord. And that true. What is amazing to me is that Solomon would say that after having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth he had developed balance and patience and significantly here he had developed gratitude. He would have an incredible kingdom and you might expect him even as Second Chronicles opens to be spoiled and ungrateful and want only more. No not only does Solomon first in his response give thanks for what he has. The second thing I want you to notice is that he gives credit to God for who he is. Look further at verse nine. Now oh Lord God your promise to my father David is fulfilled for you have made me king. Gratitude and humility are in the treasure chest where wisdom is kept.

In fact you can you can know that you found wisdom if you have with it a sense of gratitude and humility. First Solomon gives thanks for what he has. Second he gives credit to God for who he is. Now third Solomon asks God for what he needs. Look at verse 10. Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people for who can rule this great people of yours. The word translated there great could be rendered heavy. In other words Lord there isn't any way I can bear the burden of this kingdom.

These people I cannot carry the load of responsibility that has come with the crown. I need divine assistance. Wisdom only comes to those who admit they need it. And the first step in the treasure hunt for wisdom is admitting that you have a need for it. If anyone recognizes that they lack wisdom they can ask of God for it and he will deliver it to them and he will not rebuke them for asking for wisdom over and over and over again.

James 1 5. Lord I do not know how to live insightfully. I do not know how to walk wisely. I cannot serve at this station in my life unless you give me wisdom. Remember it's not for the curious wisdom is for the serious. This encounter between Solomon and our Lord is most instructive.

In fact the parallel account in First Kings 3 they add the nuance. This is where Solomon asked God for an understanding heart which adds an interesting thought to his one wish. Literally it means a hearing heart what he means and understanding heart means you have a heart that hears what do our hearts hear.

Let's ask it this way. What are they listening for. What is our hearts tuned to hear. The book of Proverbs pictures wisdom calling out to those who walk by and most are uninterested and they walk on by. They they really didn't hear. Solomon said to the Lord Oh Lord give a proper antennae to my heart to hear from you.

You've got to change the dial because I'm not picking up wisdom like I need to pick it up. And God granted his wish. Pastor Ed Young wrote in his commentary covering much of Solomon's life in fact he entitled his book been there done that now what in it he told the story of two men walking together down a crowded sidewalk in Manhattan one afternoon. One of the men was a Native American Indian and the other man was born and bred New Yorker. The noise was incredible cars buses horns sirens people talking loudly as they moved all down the street together. Suddenly the Indians said to his friend listen I hear a cricket. Do you hear it. The New Yorker was rather incredulous. He said no way. You cannot hear possibly hear a cricket in Manhattan in rush hour.

No I'm serious. And to prove it he walked a few paces stopped reached down and picked up a cricket a crack in the sidewalk and showed it to his friend. How in the world did you hear that. The New York friend asked easy said his friend I've lived outdoors most of my life and I can hear a cricket over other noises because my ears are just trained to hear those sounds but it's really not that amazing or unusual. In fact watch this and he reached into his pocket and he pulled out a quarter and he flipped it up in the air and let it hit the sidewalk.

And as soon as it hit the sidewalk everybody stopped. The truth is our ears are trained to hear certain sounds and ignore others. Well Solomon is basically saying Lord here's my wish. Train my heart to hear the faintest whisper of wisdom tune it.

Well I want to hunt for hidden treasure that makes a man or woman truly rich. The curtain is about to rise on one of the most remarkable kings of the Old Testament a young man who would rightly earn the nickname the wisest man who ever lived. Solomon will collect about three thousand proverbs we don't have anywhere near all of them and who write about five thousand songs and we don't have most of those preserved when he eventually abandons his search for wisdom and the proverbs he collected he will be at his worst while he is collecting them and hunting for them and searching for them.

He will be at his best. Let me emphasize at the outset of our search through proverbs these two principles. Number one wisdom is not for those who want it.

It is for those who can't live without it. I think most would say they want wisdom but do they really want it badly enough that they can't live without it. Simply put wisdom requires that you begin to hunt. Maybe maybe during the study you'll do what a mentor of mine told me when I was in college he pointed out that there are 31 chapters in the book and just read a chapter a day and you can read through the book most months. I took his advice begin to hunt with all diligence and not because you want it but because you've recognized by the Spirit of God you don't want to live without it.

And so it's as if you are racing out the back door with the tape measure in your hand and the plat of your of your land and you're going to find the safe. I must have wisdom wisdom. Secondly is not for those who are just willing to hear about it but for those who are willing to practice it. The writer of Hebrews said this of the Christians that they by means of practice have learned to discern the good wisdom word discern between good and evil they learn to discern by means of of practice. It isn't enough to hear it as we learn things in this book we will be required to put them into practice or we will never learn them truly.

In the Bible the opposite of ignorance is not knowledge it's disobedience. It was late one evening and the entire royal household was asleep deep inside Buckingham Palace. The year was 1837. Great Britain's Lord Chamberlain which was an officer who was considered the senior official of the royal household made his way to the bedroom of of an 18 year old girl named Victoria. Woke her up told her that her uncle had just died and she would now be the queen of England. He then opened the Bible he was carrying and he read the passage to her that we just looked at in Second Chronicles chapter 1 and she sat quietly while he read of Solomon's coronation and his wish.

It was the greatest thing anyone could ever wish for. She was quiet. He finished reading it and he said to her now Victoria you will soon be queen. And she said those famous words now if I am to be queen I shall be good. It's no surprise that this longest reigning monarch of this empire had its greatest days under this queen whose throne would be governed by the scriptures. Herself a committed believer to Christ and committed to spreading the gospel of Christ.

She selected the words that would be over her mausoleum that declare I shall rise with Christ at the resurrection. Israel ladies and gentlemen would see its finest days for it had a king who made a wish who began a quest for hidden treasure. Wisdom is life's greatest treasure and Solomon shows us how to find it. His prayer for insight reveals the path to a meaningful life. Wisdom begins with a desire to seek and practice it daily.

That was Stephen Davey and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Today's message is called As the Curtain Rises. If you'd like to learn more about us and explore our resources I encourage you to visit our website at wisdomonline.org. There you can access Stephen's entire Bible teaching library which includes every broadcast and hundreds of sermons from over four decades of teaching. One of the key features of our site is the daily broadcast. We post each day's lesson right on the home page so if you ever miss a broadcast you can easily catch up and if you'd like to revisit previous lessons you can navigate back through the archives to find any broadcast you've missed. This allows you to stay connected with our daily Bible teaching ministry no matter when or where you tune in. In addition to the daily broadcast Stephen's complete sermon library is available on that site. He's preached through hundreds of passages and all of his sermons are organized by Book of the Bible. If there's a specific book you want to study you can browse through Stephen's teachings, listen to the sermon or read the manuscript all free of charge. Whether you're studying Genesis or Revelation you'll find a wealth of biblical teaching to help you grow in your understanding of God's Word. Our website is a valuable resource and we invite you to visit wisdomonline.org anytime to access this content. Everything is available to you at no cost and you can explore it at your own pace. Don't miss out, visit today. We're going to continue looking at the book of Proverbs in the days ahead so join us next time for more wisdom for the heart.