HIDDEN TREASURE
In 2009 in Staffordshire England, Terry Hebert was an unemployed, amateur metal-detector enthusiast. Hoping to enjoy an afternoon of his favorite pastime, he knocked on the door of Fred Johnson, a local farmer and requested permission to search his field. He had no specific reason for wanting to search that particular field, but it was worth a try. Maybe he would find something worthwhile.
Fred had been reluctant in the past to allow people onto his property, but this afternoon, he decided to let Terry search, on the condition that he look for a missing wrench Fred thought he may have lost in there. Fred figured the chances of Terry finding anything were very slim. The field had been continuously farmed by his family for generations. Moreover, there was a path through the field which was used daily as a shortcut by many factory workers. If there were ever anything of value to be found in the field, it would surely have been found by now. However, Fred gave Terry permission to try, but he warned him it was likely a waste of time.
But it wasn’t.
The metal detector soon began to ping and what was uncovered turned out to be the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard ever discovered! The treasure was worth millions and made both men rich indeed. The amazing part was that this piece of land had been farmed for generations, yet when someone dug just a little bit deeper than anyone had ever dug before, there was this massive treasure just lying there, waiting to be found. By many estimates, the treasure had been hidden there for at least 2,500 years!
Now that piece of ground was not neglected, nor worthless. It had been used to feed and support that family for generations. They got their daily bread from it. But, if had they really investigated it, they would have been much more than just sustained, they would have been wealthy beyond their imagination.
I love this story. The first time I read it, my imagination was captured instantly. The parallels for us are profound. Here in my hand is my Bible. I read it every day. It was read by my parents and grandparents for generations before me. It has nurtured and sustained us all. I get my daily bread, food for my soul, from it.
But, what if there were more God wanted me to see? What if there were more He wants you to see? What if, for the person who is willing to take the time to dig just a little bit deeper than they have ever gone before, there were treasures beyond imagination, just waiting to be found? You can choose to read your verse for the day, and spend your fifteen minutes of devotional time in the morning. If you do so, you will be fed and sustained. You will find food for your soul.
But...
You could choose to go a little deeper. You could start searching scripture like one would search for hidden treasure. You could ask God to open your eyes to “behold wondrous things” out of His word . And He would. You could have abundance. You would suddenly view Bible study as an adventure, and what you find would thrill your soul! I know this, because this had happened to me, and this book is the story of that treasure hunt.
This Treasure Belongs To You
Some people are intimidated by deep Bible study. They feel they do not have the training or education to really understand it. But we do not need to be afraid of studying scripture for ourselves. The Bible was written to us and for us. This is our ground, this field belongs to us. This is a letter written to us. If God cared enough to send us a message, doesn’t it make sense that He would do so in a way we could understand? And if we need help understanding, He says that He has also sent us a Teacher, the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth.
Deut. 29:29 says,
“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God,
But those things which are revealed belong to us
And to our children forever.”
If it’s in the Bible, it’s a revealed thing. God’s word tells us that there are things which are not for us to know, but if He has written something to us – even words of prophecy – He intends for us to understand it. The Bible is not a book written for only scholars and an elite few. That kind of thinking is what plunged the world into the Dark Ages. His word is for us and to us.
Jesus also told us that every person trained in His doctrine will bring forth treasure new and old. God has a treasure He wants to entrust to each generation – some revelation that people before them might not have fully understood, because it was not yet the right time for it to be revealed. We have the privilege and obligation to discover these nuggets of truth and to pass them on to our children. I do not want to be guilty of neglecting the inheritance I am supposed to leave to my children.
I’m going to be quoting a lot of scripture in this book, and the reasons are twofold. Firstly, there is no way to show you where I found this treasure unless I take you to the spot where I found it and dug it out. I don’t want to just share information with you, I want you to go on this journey with me.