“A Wealth of Salvation, Wisdom and Knowledge”
What shall we find if we anchor in Him? See what our text declares in verse 6. The NIV rendering is excellent as it attempts to catch the fulness of the words used in our text: “a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge.”
The Lord is our “true wealth”—our divine “warehouse” of over-abounding all-sufficiency of salvation and wisdom for our stability.
A Wealth of Salvation[s]
In the original Hebrew text the word “salvation” appears in the plural, emphasizing its richness and variety. The Lord is a store of “salvations,” i.e., deliverances of every manner, helps in every situation, physical and spiritual, temporal and eternal, full salvation, complete salvation, rich salvation. In 2 Corinthians 1 Paul describes that encountered such a time of affliction in Asia that he “despaired of life.” He had, as it were, “one foot in grave.” Yet from it he learned not to trust in himself, but rather God “who raises the dead” (v. 9). He expresses his confidence in God as the One who “delivers” (v. 10). He expresses what David did in Psalm 68:19-20, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances [lit. “salvations”].”
Our salvation is expressed by Paul as “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7), or, as he wrote earlier, possessing “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). He “abounds in riches for all who call upon His name” (Rom. 10:12).
I think of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” The context there is different, for it pertains to the grace of giving; yet the idea is the same for the grace of His saving. There is no measuring its measure, no depleting His rich reserves of saving and sustaining and supplying and strengthening grace. Everything we need to stand firm and continue faithful.
In his last preserved letter Paul speaks of being deserted by men, yet he declares, “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me . . . and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth” (2 Tim. 4:17). He glories in His deliverer, but knows that his own “departure” is near (4:6). And having been rescued time after time, He anticipates the greatest deliverance of all, i.e., “The Lord . . . will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever, Amen” (4:18). Safe and secure—stable—forever!
A Wealth of Wisdom and Knowledge
He is “a wealth of . . . wisdom.” He is “a wealth of . . . knowledge.” Oh, how unstable are men and how unstable are their times apart from the Lord. What a rock of truth to rest on! Beloved, does not this text in measure find its present fulfillment in the blessed Person of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ? We are told in Colossians 2:3 that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
In Him we understand what really matters, who really rules, wherein lies our greatest danger, and from whom is our greatest deliverance and hope. In Him we find the perfect display of holiness and trust. In Him we understand the wisdom of God and the grace of God and the righteousness and lovingkindness and justice of God! We “wise up” and “walk well” looking to and leaning on Him. In Him we gain our spiritual and moral bearings. In Him we perceive the great end to which all is headed. The Lord is all we need. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Rom. 11:33).
Our text reminds me of what we read in 1 Corinthians 1:30:
“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.
The Lord is our comprehensive, plentiful stability. There is no situation or circumstance in which He is not a sure foundation. He is more than enough. All our stability and security are to be found in Him. We need no other supply. He ought to be the first and final Resource, because He is our full Resource.
We do not need to be “spiritual nomads” going from one shallow well or broken cistern to another. We have a storehouse of strength and supply that has no limits in Christ! Do we need stability? Do we need help? Do we need wisdom? Do we need knowledge? All our stability comes in resting on the Lord to supply all that is truly needful for our lives. All our stability comes in relying on the Lord.
A good man has written, “Trusting Him, when all else fails, is what faith is all about.” I think he would have been wiser to leave out “when all else fails.” Faith does not make the LORD a last resort, but its first and best resort. Trusting Him, who never fails and is full of grace and wisdom, is what faith is all about!
Hold fast, dear ones.
