The Treasure of Wisdom: Understanding the Gospel and Its Priceless Value

Ver. 4.If thou seekest her as silver, &c.] That is, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; which all signify and relate unto one and the same thing, expressed here by her: namely, the doctrine of wisdom, or Christ; that is, the Gospel, and a spiritual and experimental knowledge and understanding of it, and the truths thereof; which are as desirable and valuable as silver, and more so; and which may be fitly compared to it, and be preferred before it, for their purity, solidity, and duration; see Psal. 119:72; 1 Cor. 3:12 and are to be sought after with as much and more eagerness, affection, and diligence, as silver is by those who are most covetous of it, Prov, 8:10. And searchest for her as for hid treasures; the Gospel is a treasure, 2 Cor. 4:7 an accumulation of riches. It contains rich truths, things valuable for their antiquity; for being far-fetched and dear-bought, coming from heaven, and sealed by the blood of Christ, and the holy martyrs of Jesus; and for the abundance of them; there are treasures of wisdom and knowledge in the Gospel, and in Christ the sum and substance of it, who is full of truth as well as grace, Coloss. 2:3; John 1:14. It contains rich blessings of grace, such as are spiritual, solid, and substantial, sure and irreversible; and a multitude of them, Rom. 15:29 and also rich promises, exceeding great and precious ones; which are absolute and unconditional, suited to the various cases of God’s people, and sure to all the seed: and it reveals the riches of God’s goodness, his special goodness in Christ; the unsearchable riches of Christ; and the riches both of grace and glory. And under this notion of a treasure is it to be searched for, and as an hid treasure; in allusion to what is laid up in the cabinets of princes, or lies in the bowels of the earth, as precious stones: Pliny^m says, that topazin, in the language of the Troglodytes, has the signification of seeking, because topazes are diligently sought for and searched after; see the note on Job 28:19. The Gospel, and the truths of it, were greatly hid under the former dispensation from the Gentile world, and very much from the Jews themselves; being wrapped up in dark prophecies, obscure hints, and shadowy types and sacrifices; and are now, and always were, entirely hid from the wicked and reprobate part of the world, from them that are lost, and from God’s own elect before conversion. This is the fellowship of the mystery that was hid in God, in his heart, from all eternity: the truths of it are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hid in Christ; and likewise the treasure hid in the field of the Scriptures; which therefore are to be searched into for them, with like labor and resolution with which men dig into the earth, to find the rich ore that is in the bowels of it: and this should be done by diligent reading them; by frequent and deep meditation on them; by constant hearing the truths of the Gospel preached; by earnest prayer for the illumination of the divine Spirit to understand them; and by all the help of the writings of good men, and conversation with them, that can he had. These are things to be sought for and searched after, in the first place, in the early time of life; and with the utmost diligence and labor, as being of the greatest moment and importance; see Matt. 13:44; Ephes. 3:9, 10; Col. 2:3.

Ver. 5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, &c.] The grace of fear, and the exercise of it: which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and is a treasure itself, ch. 1:7 and 9:10; Isa. 33:6. By means of the Gospel the Lord works it in the hearts of his people by his spirit; and by the same leads them into the riches of his special grace and goodness, which they are influenced by to fear, and the Lord for the sake of it: and particularly they are led hereby to the pardoning grace and mercy of God, which is with him, that he may be feared; and it is the Gospel which induces and encourages a true filial fear of God, by which men depart from evil; for that teaches them to deny all manner of sin, and to live a godly life and conversation: so that through a diligent search after the knowledge of the Gospel, and an attaining it, men come to have a spiritual, experimental, and practical understanding of the fear of God as a grace; and also, as it includes the whole worship of God, by means of Gospel light, they come to understand what sort of worship that is God is to be worshipped with; that it is pure, spiritual, and evangelical, suited to his nature and will: what the ordinances of divine service are; and that these are to be kept as they were delivered, and in the exercise of faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, without trusting to them or depending on them for salvation. And this is the advantage arising from a diligent search after the doctrine of wisdom, or the Gospel, and a knowledge and understanding of it; and is used as an argument encouraging to it; and another follows. And find the knowledge of God; such a knowledge of God as is not to be found by the light of nature, in the whole volume of the creatures, and in all the writings of the philosophers; no, nor in the law of Moses; for though much of God and his perfections may be seen and known by the things that are made, and much of the will of God by the law he gave; yet by neither of these is the knowledge of God in Christ, which is life eternal. This only is to be found in the Gospel, and by means of it; here only it is brought to light; and through this men not only find it, but increase more and more in it: herein is a glorious display of his persons and perfections, of his counsels and purposes, of his covenant and promises, of his mind and will, with respect to doctrine and worship; and of the way of peace, life, and salvation, by Jesus Christ; which must serve greatly to engage and excite persons to a diligent search and pursuit after it. And all that is here said is designed to encourage a diligent search after divine things; for, as the poetⁿ says, there is nothing so difficult but by searching may be found out.^[1]

^m Nat. Hist. l. 37. c. 8.

ⁿ Terent. Heautont. Act. 4. Sc. 1.

^[1] Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 337–338). Mathews and Leigh. (Public Domain)