Eternal Treasures Bible Study Pt. 1

Happy Wednesday, Ash Wednesday or just Wednesday for my family of faith.

I promised I would begin Bible Study in February and this will start our first study. Most of you know me as a storyteller, but the Bible tells its own story and doesn’t NEED my inference, though it’s welcomed.

God is God alone. He is not made better or worse by our interpretations of Him; He is Good. Period. I say this so you all know that I don’t care for adding words into the scriptures that aren’t there or walking away with an opinion that is so far from what the Bible is saying that it’s like making your own personal bible. What it says is what we will go off of.

I will be reading from various translations, but I prefer NKJV, NIVUK, NIV, KJV, and as much of the original text as I can comprehend (I have been studying the languages for years). Any scriptures I reference will be one of those translations. You are free to use the one you choose.

We will start with Matthew 6, and are focusing specifically on verses 19-21.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206%3A19-21&version=NKJV

I was led to study these verses by Holy Spirit during a women’s bible study that asked us to read Matthew 6 and listen to see if Holy Spirit had anything stand out to us about the chapter. Matthew 6 is a part of the Beatitudes and well known in the church, so I have heard these verses for years. A few questions posed in my mind though on that particular day:

I felt Holy Spirt saying that if I would study these verses and ask these questions of it, I would gain a deeper wisdom from the scriptures, and also learn to pray strategically to protect what matters. I accepted the challenge to begin this study.

For February, we will stay in Matthew 6 trying to learn the answers to these questions. Let’s start with some definitions for this week.

How do moth and rust destroy?

Moth: Destroy-

1. Clothes moths are pests that can destroy fabric and other materials. They feed exclusively on animal fibers, especially wool, fur, silk, feathers, felt, and leather. These materials contain keratin, a fibrous protein that the worm-like larvae of the clothes moth can digest.
2. Though the pests favor wool, they will consume anything from feathers to silk. They’re drawn to food particles and other stains on fabric. Moth damage to clothes can set residents back hundreds of dollars. In addition to leaving holes in garments, clothes moths damage blankets, rugs, and furniture.

• Destroy clothing items
• Destroy furniture items
• Damage upholstery
• Eat through drapes and carpets
• Eat through decor items
• Put holes everywhere in clothing items
• Entirely destroy some fabrics beyond repair
• Eat through pantry goods (in the case of Pantry Moths)
• Cost you a lot of money, overall

https://www.mothprevention.com/blogs/the-art-of-prevention/moth-damage

Rust- Destroy-

At its chemical level, rust occurs when metal is exposed to moisture and oxygen. The chemical reaction that causes rust is a form of corrosion that slowly eats away at the rusted metal surface, over time leading to: Weakness. Discoloration.

The presence of rust is a manifestation of corrosion, a potentially serious issue which can lead to structural issues. Because rust is a swelling on the metal, it pushes the surrounding materials outwards, causing more moisture to get in which thereby weakens the strength of the structural material.

In steel, rust is usually invasive and corrosive, eating and etching the metal. Steps to prevent corrosion should be performed throughout its service life. However, for alloys such as cast iron, copper, aluminum, chromium, and zinc, oxides can form a coating that protects the metal from further attack.

https://www.zrcworldwide.com/blog/what-causes-rust-in-metals

Thoughts:

It looks to me like moth comes into the home and rust destroys both inside and outside the home. Both of them destroy the inside and outside of the home.

The solution to not having your home destroyed by the two is not to avoid having valuable things, but that it matters where you place your valuable things. Possibly also in what you find valuable at all.

On a personal level, I’ve never lived anywhere that had moths in the home, only outside. I have had many dealings with rust, especially with using cast iron for cooking that isn’t maintained the right way.

What is the Lord saying on a spiritual level about moth and rust that we need to know and how to pray on it?

Come back next week as we keep digging into this.

Also, please share your thoughts in the comments.

• Have you studied these verses before or the Beautitudes?
• How do you get rid of moth and rust?
• What do you do to avoid it?
• What spiritual things could moth and rust be a metaphor for?

See you next week and thank you for reading!