The Scriptural description of what is truly valuable is far different than most peoples estimation. In the word of God we find out that the things that are truly valuable are the things that will last for all eternity and the things that draw us closer to God. In Luke 16:10-11 the Lord Jesus says - "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?" He makes a contrast between money and "true riches." And there are several passages in the New Testament that talk about true riches. The Lord Jesus in Revelation chapter 3 told the church at Ephesus that true riches only come from Him. They thought that they were rich, but He told them that they were actually poor and that they needed to obtain true riches from Him. In Philippians 3 Paul talks about the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus or Lord. In Colossians 2 he talks about "attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." And in 1 Peter chapter 1 Peter talks about the testing of our faith being "more precious than gold that is perishable, though it is tested by fire." So basically anything that draws us into a closer relationship with Christ is of true value. But the thing I want to focus on in connection with the verses above is the value of the Word of God and our responsibility to it.
Psalm 19 is a psalm about the Word of God, and we read concerning Gods judgments in verse 10 - "They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." The psalmist says that the Word of God is more desirable than fine gold. We read in Psalm 119:127 - "Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold." The psalmist here says that he loves Gods commandments more than fine gold. But it doesn't stop there. Look at Psalm 119:72 - "The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces." This is a remarkable statement. Can you say that? Can I? The current price of gold is somewhere around $1300 per ounce. We're talking about millions of dollars’ worth of earthly treasure, and yet the psalmist says that the Word of God is better to him than all that earthly treasure. Which is more desirable to us? Which do we love? Can you say that the Law of His mouth, the Word of God is better to you than thousands of gold and silver pieces? This just goes to show me how distorted my value system really is.
Do we recognize the true value of the Word of God? The Word of God is a treasure that is to be prized and guarded above any earthly treasure. And it's a treasure with which we have been entrusted. In 1 Timothy 1:11 the apostle Paul says - "according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." Paul is talking about this glorious, valuable treasure of the Word of God and he says that it has been entrusted to him. And he says at the end of that same letter in 1 Timothy 6:20-21 - "O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith." These men were entrusted with the valuable treasure of the Word of God, and Timothy is instructed to guard it. We are given the same instruction in 2 Timothy 1:13-14 which says - "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." The Word of God is under attack in our culture. Many churches are compromising on the truths of Scripture, but we need to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. We have the responsibility to guard the treasure which has been entrusted to us.
In 1 Chronicles 26:20 we read
of the Levities being entrusted with the treasures of the house of the Lord.
But in 2 Chronicles 12:9 we read that the king of Egypt came up against
Jerusalem and took the treasures of the house of the Lord. Evidently the
Levites did not do a very good job guarding the treasures that had been
entrusted to them. We have been entrusted with a much greater treasure. Are we
guarding, through the Holy Spirit who indwells us, the treasure which has been
entrusted to us?
2 Timothy 1:13-14 - "Retain the standard of sound
words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ
Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has
been entrusted to you."
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