Buy the truth and sell it not

Proverbs {23:23} 'Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.'

Buying something and selling it not, means what? It's something you want to keep. You value that something greatly and there isn't a price high enough that would make you want to sell it. Do you have anything in your possession like that? Anything you wouldn't sell no matter what? Something you'd cling to if you were to lose everything else?

Maybe you're thinking family heirlooms, or some precious irreplaceable photos, a ring from a loved one, a clay sculpture your child made with their tiny hands, is there anything you wouldn't sell if it were the choice between living and dying? Surely a loved one would understand if you had to sell that precious something in order to live. The memory of that sculpture will last forever, even after you sell it, as well as the memories of the photos. There really isn't much in life a person wouldn't sell if it came right down to the choice of staying alive and dying with that possession.

We are cautioned here to 'Buy the truth and sell it not.'

There are some things we are to buy and never sell and yet it isn't gold is it? There was no 'buy gold and sell it not', it's buy truth and sell it not. It's not some physical possession we can hold in our hands and hide under our beds.

Buy truth.

Anything worth buying has value to us, right? Well, maybe not. Perhaps you've bought many a thing that loses it's value in your eyes even the moment you get it home. Perhaps you bought something and you were not quite sure you really wanted it but the desire is enough so that you buy it just in case you really want it later. A free choice to buy something makes it our decision if it's not something we absolutely need. When we buy things we desire we value them a little more than buying things we have to buy, don't we? A special something saved for and bought, longed for and finally attained, is treasured if the desire holds true and that special thing lives up to our expectations.

As far as possessions go, Jesus tells one man to sell all that he has and follow him. Worldly possessions aren't something we should cling to. However, buying truth isn't buying a worldly possession. Buying truth is a spiritual possession that is worth keeping forever, for all eternity. No wonder we are cautioned not to sell it. If we have a decorative jar of special value, a one of a kind jar and we sell it away, we no longer get the enjoyment from the jar it's someone elses to enjoy. If we sell the truth, giving it away so it's no longer ours we are lost forever.

We can share truth with others, that's recommended even, but we're not to sell it. We're to keep the truth forever and share it with all we meet, but never sell it to others, never give it away so that you know no longer possess it.

What else are we counseled to buy, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. These are the riches we need, the true riches that are more valuable than any earthly possession.

Truth
Wisdom
Instruction
Understanding

John {8:32} 'And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'

May God help us all to 'buy' truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding and never, ever sell them at any cost. Any price we would receive for those precious gifts is not high enough to make up for the loss that selling them would bring to us.

In Jesus' holy precious name, by His grace may we buy these things we need when eternity is our goal, when heaven and a new earth are the homes we long for, when the love of God is most important to us.

Amen.