TREASURES IN HEAVEN
by Jeremy Chance Springfield
7/1/2026
All of man’s intents and actions are meant to have an eternal impact. This is no easy task to accomplish, as vacuous attractions lure us from the worthy goals our Creator has for our future. The roar of those enticing offerings often drowns out the warnings to turn around before we are trapped in a fool’s errand with no clear way of escape.
Without mindfully concentrating our energies upon eternal matters we will inevitably fall into the depths of worthless exploits. They may give us a fleeting sense of accomplishment valued in the eyes of an ever-changing societal opinion, but our hearts will end up languishing in a prison of unfulfilled purpose.
We must therefore depend upon what the Creator deems to be valuable endeavors. Our focus is sustained by walking in the wisdom He generously offers in the Word. In that path are treasures greater than the ephemeral rewards of worldly gain.
Without mindfully concentrating our energies upon eternal matters we will inevitably fall into the depths of worthless exploits. They may give us a fleeting sense of accomplishment valued in the eyes of an ever-changing societal opinion, but our hearts will end up languishing in a prison of unfulfilled purpose.
We must therefore depend upon what the Creator deems to be valuable endeavors. Our focus is sustained by walking in the wisdom He generously offers in the Word. In that path are treasures greater than the ephemeral rewards of worldly gain.
The text of Proverbs 3:13-16 expresses the blessings of wisdom available to all who seek to live for what the Holy One says is worth pursuing.
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13 Happy is a man who finds wisdom, and a man who obtains understanding.
14 For its gain is better than the gain of silver and the increase of mined gold. |
15 She is more valuable than rubies, and all you can desire is not equal to her.
16 Lengthening of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand is wealth and honor.
16 Lengthening of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand is wealth and honor.
The passage is clear: the recompense for committing to a life lived in the boundaries of eternal principles is full of heavenly rewards surpassing what can be mined from the earth. With a proper spiritual focus, every act of man is valuable in the context of eternity.
Note how the passage mentions that in the left hand of wisdom is “wealth and honor.” This is the Hebrew phrase OSHER VECHAVOD, and is encountered again a few chapters later, in Proverbs 8:18-21, where a personified voice of wisdom speaks of what benefits are found in obtaining her.
Note how the passage mentions that in the left hand of wisdom is “wealth and honor.” This is the Hebrew phrase OSHER VECHAVOD, and is encountered again a few chapters later, in Proverbs 8:18-21, where a personified voice of wisdom speaks of what benefits are found in obtaining her.
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18 Wealth and honor are with me; lasting assets and righteousness.
19 Better is my fruit than mined gold, and than fine gold; and my increase than choice silver. 20 In the way of righteousness I move; in the midst of paths of justice. |
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21 I shall make those loving me inherit existence, and their treasuries I shall fill.
The sentiments in this passage parallel those from the previous—except for the content of verse 21, which merits a more dedicated commentary. The text says that those who love wisdom will be caused to inherit YEISH “existence.”
In most appearances in Scripture, the term YEISH is translated “to be.” The term is typically rendered in translations of this passage, however, as “wealth” or “riches,” but it does not carry that core meaning, at all. While it is reasonable why translators would render the term along the lines of “wealth,” further consideration makes that translation improbable. Since the passage asserts that wisdom’s rewards are better than wealth, then it would not make much sense to assume that YEISH was ever—in the inspired intent—meant in the sense of “wealth.”
This is implied in that the text says the inheritance of wisdom exceeds earthly affluence and yet fills a believer’s treasuries. This abundance makes no real sense as physical wealth since the reward of wisdom is better than riches. Instead, something more is intended here in the concept of “treasuries.”
This is implied in that the text says the inheritance of wisdom exceeds earthly affluence and yet fills a believer’s treasuries. This abundance makes no real sense as physical wealth since the reward of wisdom is better than riches. Instead, something more is intended here in the concept of “treasuries.”
The term in Hebrew is OTZAR “treasury,” or “storehouse,” or “repository.” Essentially, a place where special reserves and cherished objects are safeguarded.
Physical treasuries are mentioned throughout the Word, and they provide a straightforward concept for the very notion—yet the idea here is of higher storehouses that hold our eternal rewards: a spiritual treasury secured in a heavenly realm. The closest parallel we have in the Word is that which is spoken about the Temple in 1st Chronicles 28:11-12, where it mentions the architectural plans designed by King David for building the Temple complex.
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11 And David gave to Shlomoh his son the pattern of the porch and its rooms, and its storehouses, and its upper parts, and its inner chambers, and the house of the covering,
12 and the pattern of all which he had by the Spirit: for the courts of the House of YHWH, and for all the cells surrounding; for the treasuries of the House of the Deity, and for the treasuries of the holy things. |
In this physical realm the Temple is the idealized spiritual location—a nexus where heavenly will directly impacts earthly actions. It is therefore a portrait of the ultimate essence of a believer’s life. The reality of it possessing multiple different chambers for treasuries and storehouses of various significance reveals that our goal is to strive to fill our life with holiness—with what is acceptable to the Creator whose Spirit abides in the soul of our bodily temple.
This is the point of a believer ignoring the opinion of the world and whatever it defines as wealth and instead vigilantly pledging to pursue what the Spirit says is worthy. The physical monies of this world can provide legitimate means for sustenance and comfort--let it not be thought otherwise—but the value of those benefits is evanescent. Notwithstanding how helpful they can be in the moment, at some point their imbued value will decrease or they will inescapably pass from our grasp, and we will be left wanting yet again. That is the nature of our human experience. For this reason, we must seek higher storehouses to fill with wealth that does not diminish.
The Messiah spoke of this important truth in Matthew 6:19-21.
19 Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures in the earth, a place where the moth and the weevil corrupt, and where thieves penetrate and steal.
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20 Instead, you must treasure up for yourselves treasures in the heaven, where no moth and no weevil corrupt, and where thieves do not penetrate and do not steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there also is your heart. |
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This passage I have rendered from the Aramaic text of the ancient Peshitta. It wonderfully emphasizes the need for our focus to be on eternal treasures that cannot be taken away. While it essentially matches the more popular Greek reading, it does diverge momentarily in a meaningful way in verse 19, where it has the word ACHLA “weevil” rather than the traditional reading of “rust.”
This subtle difference is important, however, for it is an astoundingly obvious example of how the Greek text was most assuredly translated from the Aramaic text, and in doing so, points us forward in further appreciation of Yeshua’s words. To understand how this is so, we must first recognize that the term ACHLA “weevil,” is identical to the feminine way to say “eat” in Aramaic: ACHLA—except for an essentially imperceptible phonetic variation.
Weevils are a type of insect known as a “wood-worm,” famous for its voracious and damaging appetite. It is certainly an “eater” in its capacity to devour materials otherwise useful to man. The words of Yeshua therefore make perfect sense to mention a “moth” as well as a “weevil” when talking about how materials comprising earthly treasures are commonly destroyed despite our best efforts to preserve them—and why striving for what is valuable from a heavenly perspective is far wiser. This is an example of how the Semitic mindset operates: terms are linked conceptually that otherwise may not make any other sense.
While this explains the Peshitta’s different reading, to understand why the term points to the notion that the Aramaic text preceded the Greek, we must look at the Greek term translated as “rust”—BROSIS. This word is overwhelmingly rendered as “rust” in English translations, yet the term BROSIS has a very straightforward meaning that might just be surprising but will begin to make sense of the entire situation: BROSIS simply means “eat!”
While this explains the Peshitta’s different reading, to understand why the term points to the notion that the Aramaic text preceded the Greek, we must look at the Greek term translated as “rust”—BROSIS. This word is overwhelmingly rendered as “rust” in English translations, yet the term BROSIS has a very straightforward meaning that might just be surprising but will begin to make sense of the entire situation: BROSIS simply means “eat!”
The reality is that the term BROSIS, in all its usages in the Greek language, has the concept of “eating”--except for how translators traditionally render it in its appearances here in Matthew 6:19-20. The choice for “rust” may have been contextually logical for translators of antiquity, but it is not the definition of the term in any sense and is not used elsewhere as such in the Greek language.
Knowing that the term ACHLA “weevil” in Aramaic is spelled identically to the term meaning “eat” clarifies the situation: the Greek translators saw the Aramaic term most often encountered in the language in its “eat” connotation and translated it into Greek as such—entirely missing its alternative definition as “weevil” that is less commonly encountered yet is far more sensible in the unique context of this passage. Admittedly, this is an example of a poor translation event, but it occurs in any translation at some point, and thankfully there is in this instance sufficient information to discard the erroneous Greek reading and allow the original truth to be restored.
My emphasis that this subtle detail from the Peshitta is so significant and recognizable as the correct intention of Messiah's words is because it is also supported by the Hebrew Scriptures, being an allusion he was making back to Isaiah 51:7-8.
Knowing that the term ACHLA “weevil” in Aramaic is spelled identically to the term meaning “eat” clarifies the situation: the Greek translators saw the Aramaic term most often encountered in the language in its “eat” connotation and translated it into Greek as such—entirely missing its alternative definition as “weevil” that is less commonly encountered yet is far more sensible in the unique context of this passage. Admittedly, this is an example of a poor translation event, but it occurs in any translation at some point, and thankfully there is in this instance sufficient information to discard the erroneous Greek reading and allow the original truth to be restored.
My emphasis that this subtle detail from the Peshitta is so significant and recognizable as the correct intention of Messiah's words is because it is also supported by the Hebrew Scriptures, being an allusion he was making back to Isaiah 51:7-8.
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7 You must listen to Me, you knowers of righteousness—people [with] My Torah in your heart! Do not fear reproach of man, and of their persecution you shall not be afraid,
8 for it is as a garment eaten [by a] moth, and it is as wool eaten [by] a weevil; but My righteousness shall be everlasting, and My rescue is for generation [and] generations. |
The content is obviously what Yeshua was drawing from to present his important admonishment. The opinion of men is of no lasting value for the person whose heart holds the Word most dear. What man cherishes or disdains is subject to worldly decay and need not influence the believer’s choices in life.
We are redeemed for a lofty purpose: to fulfill what matters to our Maker. This means placing no esteem in the rewards potentially gained from earthly goals, but instead, disregarding their transient value and seeking supernal treasures infused with eternal blessings.
We are redeemed for a lofty purpose: to fulfill what matters to our Maker. This means placing no esteem in the rewards potentially gained from earthly goals, but instead, disregarding their transient value and seeking supernal treasures infused with eternal blessings.
This is affirmed in the words of the Zohar, Chayei Sarah 130b.
The text quotes from Psalm 104:13, using language reminiscent of the Temple design—the “upper chambers” and “treasuries” mentioned previously from 1st Chronicles 28—to hint of the heavenly reality from whence our true blessings flow. The believer living by the spiritual principles of the Torah should expect to be repaid not in riches that are bound to this world, but in the eternal treasures safeguarded in heavenly abodes.
We therefore toil in the Word and look for the transformative riches found in applying them to our lives so that we are equipped for victory in this world as well as in the next. Yeshua’s words seem to hint to this blessing of the supernal wealth of the Word in Matthew 13:52.
We therefore toil in the Word and look for the transformative riches found in applying them to our lives so that we are equipped for victory in this world as well as in the next. Yeshua’s words seem to hint to this blessing of the supernal wealth of the Word in Matthew 13:52.
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He said to them, “On account of this, every scribe who is discipled for the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a fellow—a master of a house—who brings forth from his treasuries the new and the old.”
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It is the duty of the scribe to firstly preserve the holy text of Scripture by making an exact copy of what came before him. This means adherence to an ancient tradition with a value beyond comprehension. By diligently cleaving to the text, he inevitably promotes the wisdom of the sages before him while also empowering himself to teach afresh the insights revealed anew to him to the next generation.
Therefore, Yeshua’s claim that he brings forth “the new and the old” speaks to the richness of the wisdom gained by the believer dedicated to cherishing the Word in all its myriads of wonders. In fact, Yeshua seems to hint in that specific phrase to yet another Biblical passage worth considering: The Song of Songs 7:13.
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The mandrakes give scent, and at our openings are all pleasantness—new with old—my beloved, [that] I have hidden away for you. |
The text, while on the surface a passionate love story, holds depths of meaning explored at length in ancient Jewish commentaries. In particular, the Zohar, Toldot 138b, recorded an interpretation of the passage that is of relevance to the topic of this study.
The notion is that the heavenly realm holds all manner of access-points wherein are treasured up “pleasantness—new with old.” This latter phrase is interpreted elsewhere in the Zohar, in Vayechi 243a as the heavenly gates which open up for us vital spiritual insights into the Word.
The Oraita—Aramaic for “the Torah”—is filled with many unimaginable means to draw us closer to the Creator. That is the same concept Yeshua shared in the above verse from Matthew 13. He may actually have been alluding to that ancient Jewish interpretation of the phrase from The Song of Songs that was only committed to writing in the century following his own ministry. Whatever may have been the case, the Torah holds the treasuries of wisdom, and when we engage in living a life that holds His Word dear, we gain access to a wealth of spiritual insights and applications surpassing anything this world can offer. Riches new and old await us who are focused on spiritual truths!
This idea is elaborated upon in Likutei Moharan 245:1.
Heaven holds insights for the believer unsatisfied with a cursory reading of the Word. He who sincerely applies the wisdom of Scripture in this life unlocks the treasury of heaven. It is a holy labyrinth of truth, each word a doorway to another world full of eternal principle that is applicable for our sanctification and spiritual growth. The disciple craves the depth poured into Scripture by its eternal Author, where every letter brims with abundant riches awaiting the one searching out the wisdom of the Word and prizing the doctrines that make him wise for life everlasting.
This is the sentiment above from The Song of Songs 7:13, which also says: TZAFANTI LACH “I have hidden away for you.”
In supernal realms are reserved for the faithful a wealth of pleasantness no money can buy. Psalm 31:20 (verse 19 in most English versions) speaks of this.
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How great is Your goodness, which you have hidden away for those in awe of You; which you have made for those trusting in You before [the] sons of man.
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The text tells us that an incalculable goodness has been TZAFANTI “hidden away” for those properly esteeming the Creator. In this repeated concept of heavenly goodness “hidden away” for the righteous is a deeper truth that applies to the study. This is seen in that the term TZAFON “north” stems from the same word as TZAFANTI “I have hidden away.”
What does the direction of “the north” have to do with heavenly treasuries? A curious claim is made about the north in the Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 25b.
While this sounds like a bizarre declaration, the truth is the rabbi was hinting at much deeper Scriptural truth—elucidated in the text of Shaarei Orah.
The direction of the north is said to be a repository for “treasuries, hoards, and all the gold.” What is meant by this? It cannot simply be implying that the world’s stores of wealth are only in the north, since physical wealth is undoubtedly scattered throughout the earth.
Rather, it suggests something else: that the notion to pray “facing north” is not meant literally but indicates the spiritual concept behind the idea of something “hidden away”--a treasury. The faithful’s riches do not consist of perishable valuables found on earth, but from the abundant good of the Holy One manifested in the wealth of heavenly wisdom.
This is emphasized in Job 28:12-20.
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12 And wisdom, from nothing, is found. And where is this place of understanding?
13 A man does not know the estimation of it, and neither is it found in [the] land of the living. 14 The deep says, “It is not in me,” and [the] sea says, “It is not connected to me.” |
15 Hoarded gold shall not be given on its behalf, and neither shall silver be weighed for its price.
16 It cannot be set-in-balance with [the] mined gold of Ofir—with precious onyx and lapis lazuli.
17 Neither are gold and crystal its value, or jewelry of fine gold exchangeable for it.
18 Coral and pearl are not memorable, and the possession of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Neither is estimable [the] topaz of Kush; with pure gold it is not set-in-balance.
20 And so wisdom, from nothing, comes. And where is this place of understanding?
16 It cannot be set-in-balance with [the] mined gold of Ofir—with precious onyx and lapis lazuli.
17 Neither are gold and crystal its value, or jewelry of fine gold exchangeable for it.
18 Coral and pearl are not memorable, and the possession of wisdom is more than rubies.
19 Neither is estimable [the] topaz of Kush; with pure gold it is not set-in-balance.
20 And so wisdom, from nothing, comes. And where is this place of understanding?
No worldly treasure is comparable to the wealth of wisdom and understanding. Its transcendent reward is of unearthly provenance—MEI’AYIN “from nothing,” as the text literally asserts.
This claim links to the concept recorded a couple chapters prior in Job 26:7.
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[The] north He stretches over nothing; earth hangs upon nothing at all.
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Job sagely declared that wisdom comes from nothing, and that the north is stretched over nothing—notions important to grasp, for these ideas come together in Job 37:22 in the words of Elihu, who was the only companion of Job not reprimanded for his claims.
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From [the] north gold shall come—for [the] Deity is awesome [in] splendor.
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These simple words are filled with a grander meaning: from the “north” / “treasury” comes gold, but not the type of gold one would assume—not earthly riches. Rather, the “gold” from the “north” is directly linked to the reality that the “Deity is awesome [in] splendor.” This emphasizes it exceeds the precious metal of this realm and exists in a higher state as a reward that will not be spoiled. It is in the “north”—hidden away for us in the heavens.
Understanding this nuance of TZAFON “north” / “hidden away” also brings us back to the passage first considered in this study: Proverbs 3:13-16, which said about wisdom in verse 16: “in her left hand is wealth and honor.” This statement connects to the idea of a higher reward “hidden away” in the conceptual “north” because the directional notions in the Hebrew mindset are different than most modern orientations: the Bible orients directions from the point of view of a person facing east.
This positioning factor is significant in that the Hebrew word for “south” is YAMIN, which literally means “the right hand.” If the south is to “the right hand,” then the north—TZAFON—can only be to “the left hand.” The claim from Proverbs 3:16 therefore makes sense in its deeper truth: true wealth comes from the left hand / the north / the Creator’s treasury hidden away for His people!
We do not rely on what is gained in this life, for it inevitably passes from us or we shall pass from it. Such momentary treasures never leave this world. In contrast, the trustworthy rewards are in the wisdom we find only in following the Creator’s Word. Herein is lasting treasure, as Isaiah 33:6 proclaims.
Understanding this nuance of TZAFON “north” / “hidden away” also brings us back to the passage first considered in this study: Proverbs 3:13-16, which said about wisdom in verse 16: “in her left hand is wealth and honor.” This statement connects to the idea of a higher reward “hidden away” in the conceptual “north” because the directional notions in the Hebrew mindset are different than most modern orientations: the Bible orients directions from the point of view of a person facing east.
This positioning factor is significant in that the Hebrew word for “south” is YAMIN, which literally means “the right hand.” If the south is to “the right hand,” then the north—TZAFON—can only be to “the left hand.” The claim from Proverbs 3:16 therefore makes sense in its deeper truth: true wealth comes from the left hand / the north / the Creator’s treasury hidden away for His people!
We do not rely on what is gained in this life, for it inevitably passes from us or we shall pass from it. Such momentary treasures never leave this world. In contrast, the trustworthy rewards are in the wisdom we find only in following the Creator’s Word. Herein is lasting treasure, as Isaiah 33:6 proclaims.
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And the faithfulness of your time--[the] storehouse of salvations—is wisdom and knowledge. The awe of YHWH is his treasury. |
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The Creator has a grand future awaiting us. We have the wonderful opportunity to prepare for it here and now. Life has its inevitable distractions, but we must resolve to ignore the corruptible attractions of what the world claims we need to do to obtain wealth and comfort and instead train our focus on the eternal rewards in His Word.
What the Word provides is a wisdom and an understanding that equips us with all the riches we require to operate in eternity without any lack. The wealth of this world is a powerful tool, but when it is misused it can be a distraction that subtracts in comparison to the unending value of a soul made ready to inherit the joys of the world to come. Let us instead not be found lacking the treasures in heaven that can only be mined from the Word we read on earth.
All study contents Copyright Jeremy Chance Springfield, except for graphics and images, which are Copyright their respective creators.