January 9

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:1-5

As we start a new chapter we see that though the perspective and presentation has changed the subject has not. In fact, all of Proverbs chapter two continues the theme of getting wisdom. This may be sort of an application to Lady Wisdom's sermon in 1:20-33. Since wisdom is available and even more since refusal to hear wisdom is dangerous, the obvious response should be to appreciate and get wisdom.

I love all of the vigorous, active, passionate, forceful words used to describe the getting of wisdom:

• "receive my words"
• "treasure up my commandments"
• "making your heart attentive to wisdom"
• "inclining your heart to understanding"
• "call out for insight"
• "raise your voice for understanding"
• "seek it like silver"
• "search for it as for hidden treasure"

We should not take from these descriptions the idea that wisdom is hard to find. Wisdom just described herself exactly opposite of this. She is ready and available for those who want her. So I think that the energy we are instructed to spend in verses 1-4 relates not to her obscurity but to her importance and value. We are to "seek it like silver" not because it is hard to find but because it is so precious. We are to "search for it as for hidden treasures" not because wisdom is hidden but because wisdom is a highly prized treasure.

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning" (Proverbs 1:5).