My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live and my teaching (or law) as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart.
Treasure the history and instructions of God. Cherish commandments that are universal and timeless; which, when obeyed, produce unimaginable rewards.
Beware of a purely academic approach. Instead respond to God’s words as intended: As a love letter from the Spirit of the Father to our spirit.
The personal benefits from a passionate devotion to God’s words of are awesome.
The text here doesn’t talk about money, but makes an oblique reference to an even more valuable commodity. The Bible is more than just another book; it’s the conversation of the Creator of the Universe with His beloved humanity. Ignore this, and you rob yourself of great treasure.
Translation
The Hebrew word for treasure, צפן (ṣā•pān, pronounced “tsah•fan”), may also be translated as “lay up,” “hide,” or “store up.” It implies concealing something with a definite purpose, whether for protection or ambition. It also connotes storing things because of their value, so it suggests a hoard or reserve.
The Hebrew word for keep,שמר (šā•mǎr, pronounced “shah-mar”), may also be translated as “lay up,” “guard” or “store up.” The basic idea of the root word is to “exercise great care over.”
God’s Other Channels of Communication
As the Architect of the Universe, God communicates with us in ways besides the Bible:
- The natural world, teaching us that God is supremely powerful, precise and intelligent.
- Our conscience, the inner voice comforting us when we’re on track or warning us when we drift.
- Human history, from which we can learn the laws of cause and effect in virtues and vices.
- Most lovingly, God’s only Son, Christ Jesus, born of no human father, born of a virgin.
Impossible? Mary of Nazareth wondered when first asked to be His mother. But she was told by the angel (messenger)—and then experienced for herself—that “with God, nothing is impossible.” As C.S. Lewis explained (Mere Christianity), the Author of the Book of Life could and did write himself into His own book—and He still does.
Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God,” says Jesus (Matthew 4:4). Many of us agree with the first part of this text (“man shall not live by bread alone”), but then tack on their own ending: Glashy sports cars, magnificent mansions, luxurious resorts.
We don't want to be cheated. We don’t want to settle for anything but the best. In themselves, even the nicest things can’t bring meaning to our lives, and lives without meaning are filled with anxiety,
- Memorize the text in your favourite Bible translation and think about it often.
- Start a scripture memory program with a partner.
- Improve your information diet. Don’t consume junk teachings, just as you don’t eat junk foods.
- Support the work of Bible translation and organizations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Which of these steps, if any, does Jesus want you to take now? Ask Him.
Related Illustration