Proverbs 2:4-5 English Standard Version

⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2 tells us about the value of wisdom and compares it to silver. Why silver? It is not as valuable as gold in human terms. Rather than comparing gold to silver, let us first examine the traits of silver.

Silver in its raw state has no value to the end user. It needs to be processed. It needs to be refined. Impurities need to be removed. Once it is processed it continually needs to be polished or it will tarnish.

Once we compare silver to wisdom we might understand how wisdom found is not as valuable as one might hope. It can be gleaned from the earth in its raw form but needs to be processed to remove impurities.

Yesterday it was said that we should learn from Eli’s mistakes. That was in reference to raising his sons not coming to know the Lord. We have little of any understanding about how Eli raised his sons, only the results.

Eli came from a family with a long history in the priesthood. We know about the priesthood, the order, the commands and the execution of service to God and His people. Nothing in that tells us anything about how a priest should raise up sons. Scriptures about the priesthood will not help us in understanding how to raise up sons to come to know the Lord.

What wisdom in this silver ore can we glean out a little silver and begin the processing of the ore?

How about the intense study of one issue does not reveal everything we need to learn about God and what is expected of us? Does that thought hold any respect for His Word in us? Have we found ourselves doing that same thing?

1 Samuel 2:34 English Standard Version (ESV) And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.

The answer to yesterday’s question is that they die together.

Those who do not know the Lord have contempt for the Lord’s offering and shall die because of it.

What is the Lord’s offering which has been held in contempt?

Hebrews 7:26-28 English Standard Version

²⁶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 10:5-7 English Standard Version

⁵ Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
⁶ in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
⁷ Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

Everything that warns mankind of the inevitable outcome for those who have contempt for the Lord’s sacrifice has been written in His Word. Eli did not see to it that his sons came to know the Lord and we see the results. We can learn from Eli’s mistake.