Isaiah 39 … Consider Him, Our True Treasure House

Originally posted: 4/01/2021

Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house… ³ Then Isaiah the prophet came… ⁴ He said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them,” (39:2-4).

Today made me sad. After Hezekiah’s miraculous healing, it seems his adoration and praise were quickly misplaced. But today is an opportunity for learning, if we will but apply this story to our own hearts.

Now, to begin with, these dignitaries representing the son of the king of Babylon, came because they had heard some really good news.

At that time Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered, (39:1).

But rather than bragging about the One Who healed Him, rather than pointing all the attention to the Heavenly Blesser, it seems Hezekiah was more gratified in showing the earthly blessings he had undeservedly received. And while I am quite amazed at how quickly Hezekiah moved from the supernatural to the natural, as the saying goes, if the shoe fits, wear it. And so it seems that Hezekiah and I wear the same size shoe.

And while the text does not directly point to Him as Our True Treasure House, all of His Words and Works certainly do. But the fact is, this world rigorously competes for our affections, with its tantalizing and temporal treasures. And if we are not careful, we too may find ourselves wearing the shoes of a fool in his pride, clinging to what we cannot keep and letting go of Him, Our True Treasure House.

Consider Him, Our True Treasure House

Treasure House: “a place or source where things of value or worth may be found.”

True value and worth, True Treasure is eternal; and when we place our faith in Christ Jesus for our salvation, we are filled to overflowing in Him, Our True Treasure House.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows], (John 10:10 Amplified).

There are so many precious Scriptures of all He has provided for us in His True Treasure House. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and start digging!

• Jesus Christ, Our True Treasure House, the Source of all truth and life and the only way to the Father
  • Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

• Jesus Christ, Our True Treasure House the Source of our righteousness from God and our resurrection from the dead.
  • But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹ in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, (Philippians 3:7-11).

• Jesus Christ, Our True Treasure House, the Source of all spiritual blessings.
  • Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3).

• Jesus Christ, Our True Treasure House, the Source of true knowledge and wisdom.
  • that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and 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, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (Colossians 2:2-3).

• Jesus Christ, Our True Treasure House, the Eternal Word, the Source of life and light, of grace and truth.
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men… ¹⁴And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, (John 1:1-4, 14).

• The Eternal Word, Our True Treasure House, the Source of joy, purity, and righteousness.
  • The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
    The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
    ⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
    The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
    ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
    Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb, (Psalm 19:8-10).

• The Holy Spirit, Our True Treasure House, the Source of His power.
  • “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).

• The Holy Spirit, Our True Treasure House, the Source of His fruit.
  •  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law, (Galatians 2:22-23).

How do we respond to Him, Our True Treasure House?

What do we value as our treasure? What we are quick to talk about and show off to others would be a strong indication of where our treasure truly lies. Are we quick to point out our stockpile of material wealth, our position in our vocation, our achievements, reputation, successes, or awards? Or are we ever ready to point to Him as Our True Treasure House?

Let’s think about this: He has called us to be set apart as His own special treasure.

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth,” (Deuteronomy 14:2 NKJV).

Does that not just steal away your breath; to be considered the special treasure of the Lord God? And if we would truly get this, if we would understand our special place in His heart, the privilege to be called His own, would we not act as His own treasure who understands His great value and worth, so that nothing could steal away from us all that we have received in Him, Our True Treasure House?

Oh, may our hearts be found in Him, Our True Treasure House, that we would let go of anything competing for our hearts’ devotion.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:19-21).

The Word of God exhorts us to retain His standard of the Truth of His Word and to depend on His Holy Spirit to guard His True Treasure entrusted to us.

Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you, (2 Timothy 1:13-14).

But how can we retain that which we do not know?

Oh, that we would truly understand our need to know and treasure His Word above all else that we would not sin against Him, Our True Treasure House.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
¹⁰ With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
¹¹ Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You…
⁷² The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces, (Psalm 119:9-11, 72).

We know we will never fully attain our heavenly prize here on earth, but oh may we never give up, that we would daily press on to take hold of Him as Our True Treasure House.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 3:12-14).

And the truth is, we can never take hold of Him as Our True Treasure House apart from diligent and committed time with Him in His Word; for in His Word, He has given us all we need for life.

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God,’” (Matthew 4:4)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work, (2 Timothy 3:16).

It is the Word of God that will unearth His True Treasures in us, that we would bear fruit and prosper.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers, (Psalm 1:1-3).

And as we bear fruit, we will give glory to Him, Our True Treasure House, as He manifests His power through us.

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves,  (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

Oh, let us learn well from Hezekiah’s story, that we might not wear the shoes of pride, that we would give more attention to our Heavenly Blesser than to our earthly blessings we have so undeservedly received; and that in Him, Our True Treasure House, we will understand the True Treasures of His lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness.

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord, (Jeremiah 9:23).

Oh, that we would never boast in the world’s cheap treasures, but that we would only boast in the really good news of our miraculous healing through the cross of Christ that paid the penalty of our sins and granted us access to our eternity with Him, Our True Treasure House.

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world, (Galatians 6:14).

In closing, let us give our time to ponder and meditate on His Scriptures that reveal the treasures of pursuing Him in His Word, that we would give all that we are to treasure Him as Our True Treasure House.

Oh, Father, as we turn to You in Your Word, give us Your heart’s desire that we would turn away from the worthless wealth the world would claim as treasures. Oh, today, and every day, may we choose to seek You above all else, that we may be granted the privilege to see and find You, Our True Treasure House.

My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
² Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
³ For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
⁴ If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵ Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, (Proverbs 2:1-7).

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
¹⁴ For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her, (Proverbs 3:13-15).

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.
¹³ “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverted mouth, I hate.
¹⁴ “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power is mine.
¹⁵ “By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
¹⁶ “By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
¹⁷ “I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me.
¹⁸ “Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring wealth and righteousness.
¹⁹ “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.
²⁰ “I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
²¹ To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries,” (Proverbs 8:12-21).

Let’s Grow Together!