Buy & Sell

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

There is a theme that weaves through the bible of ‘buy and selling’, or the acquiring and
distribution of truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy
getting get understanding.

Proverbs 3:15 She (Wisdom) is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst
desire are not to be compared unto her.

How does a person buy the truth? The bible says if a person will ‘draw nigh unto God
and He will draw nigh unto you.’ God desires that we ‘SEEK’ after him.

The Jews consider study a form of worship. I would say it’s a very high form of worship.
Evidently so also did the apostle Paul.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The word of God is the mind of God. The more we know about the bible the more we
know about God. The bible says ‘as the heavens are higher than the earth so also are
God’s thoughts higher than our thoughts’ and that his ‘ways’ are different than our ways.
So it’s to our benefit that we ‘seek’ after him.

Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the
which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he
hath, and buyeth that field.

This parable is comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure. Here is the theme again
of buy and sell. This parable is a type of every convert who gets the realization of who
the LORD is and for ‘the joy thereof’ goes and starts to ‘sell’ their old ways of doing
things and in a desire to please the LORD then starts looking into the word of God to
obtain eternal life. The treasure is found only in the word of God. Lets look at another
‘buy and sell’ scripture. The word ‘oil’ is a symbolic word for ‘understanding’ (spiritual),
while reading the next scripture replace the word oil with the words ‘spiritual
understanding’.

Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to
meet him.
7 Then all the virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go
ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in
with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, LORD, LORD, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.

Isn’t it incredible how knowing the symbolism of the word ‘oil’ puts more meaning in the
parable? This is an interesting parable because it speaking of a group of the LORD’S
people who will not be prepared when the LORD calls on them. The foolish took their
lamps but took no oil. Did they reject knowledge and understanding? There are some
who come to the LORD but willingly remain ignorant to the ways of God. Our next
scripture is reminiscent of the five foolish virgins.

Hosea 4:1 & 6 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a
controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor
knowledge of God in the land.
6 ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast
forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Our next scripture also has a ‘buy & sell’ theme.

Matthew 19:16-22 ¶ And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good
thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is,
God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what
lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great
possessions.

What’s Jesus saying? The young man thought he met all the criteria to have eternal life,
but Jesus has this young man’s number. I think Jesus knew the combination of his youth
and wealth the young man would not follow. Who would? It seems like a foolish thing to
do. Jesus is showing that eternal life comes with a price. Does salvation require us to sell
all of our possessions? No of course not, even if someone did it wouldn’t make him more
spiritual, in fact it would probably make him spiritually miserable. Jesus is showing that
selfishness needs to be abandoned to obtain eternal life. When someone is spiritually
mature enough to do what Jesus asked, the things of the world wouldn’t mean much. A
person that mature would know that possession, or position doesn’t necessarily bring
satisfaction. They would know because experience had taught them. Not the kind of
experience a young man would possess. If Jesus had said these things to a wise old rich
man he may have gladly followed. I’d bet ten to one that young man did eventually
follow. I don’t think the young man could ever be the same after an encounter like that
with the LORD. Lets read another ‘buy & sell’ scripture.

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price.

You ‘buy’ not with money, but with your time in the study and pursuit of God.
In the pursuit of wisdom, grace and eternal life.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness
do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

The apostles just by having been around the LORD of Glory were given, God given
power to perform miracles like the prophets of old; they had acquired truth and wisdom.
They had spiritual riches. When a man who was crippled, begged in front of the Temple
asked Peter and John for some money. Check out their reply.

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

But such as I have give I, without price. Their treasure was the power of God, the gospel.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God, and not of us.

The treasure is the word of God and you are the earthen vessel. Today I’m selling and
perhaps you are buying? In the first scripture we read, it said ‘to buy the truth and sell it
not’.

How do we sell the truth?

1. By teaching it the way I’m doing today. By the acquiring and the distribution of truth,
wisdom, instruction and understanding.
2. Secondly if we don’t try to live up to our spiritual understanding then we are ‘selling’
out the truth by not performing it. There are many ways to ‘sell out’ if you know what I
mean. To ‘sell out’ is to ‘know to do good and do it not.’

The scripture we started this lesson with was Proverbs 23:23,buy the truth and sell it not,
here’s some promises if you do. (Jesus speaking)

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The truth shall make you free not set you free, as often misquoted. There is a difference.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (Free from
death)

With the understanding that buying and selling is speaking of learning the truth, or
the acquiring of spiritual understanding. Perhaps now we can speculate whether our next
scripture is speaking of economic buying and selling or maybe spiritual buying and
selling. Could this perhaps be speaking of buying and selling of ideas, or perhaps free
speech?

Revelation 13:11-17 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had
two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the
earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he
had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.

The only person I can think of that had the power to ‘make fire come down from heaven
on the earth in the sight of men’ was the great prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18 & 2 Kings 1;
look it up). If we don’t buy the truth now, we could also be deceived. ‘You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free’. Free the mass deception that soon to occur.
Buy the truth and sell it not.
 Copyright © 2010 J. Wilder & The Wilder Family Trust dated 2/13/04

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