A Biblical Treasure Hunt with Mathematics A Puzzle by David Pleacher The Bible verse from Matthew 6:19-21 states: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." And so I created this Biblical Treasure Hunt in which you must solve some puzzles to discover what I believe to be some of the treasures of Heaven. To "lay up treasures in Heaven" means what we give priority to here on earth. So these words of Jesus are about the priorities that we have in life. If you are not a Christian, you can still do this puzzle and just use these treasures as guidelines for a good life. There are several references to Bible passages and to a passage from the Quran. If you do not own those books, you can do a Google search on the internet for those passages. In he first several puzzles, you will discover Treasures of Heaven. In the last puzzles, you will solve for twenty-six variables from A to Z. Then you will use the values of those variables to determine additional treasures in Heaven by replacing numbers with the corresponding letters. wackie wordies -- 1. infinite wisdom 2. Peace on earth 3. World without end Hollerith code 4. Truth Albrecht Dürer magic square 5. Hope for the furture Hint: Look in Albrecht Dürer's Melencolia I The Quran shares some of the same views of Heaven as The Bible and some differences. What is one of the treasures of Heaven according to the Quran 88:11? 6. No unsuitable speech (no profanity). ASCII code 7. love Unscramble each of the following groups of letters to discover a treasure of Heaven. 8. uvlattice depe finishersdp Cultivate deep friendships 1 John 4:9 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: In 1 Timothy 6:10, you will find a treasure of earth that is not a treasure of Heaven. Place that five letter word in the third line below. In 1 John 4:9, God did what with his son (but use the present tense for this four letter word)? Then place the word on the first line below. SEND _ _ _ _ MORE + M O R E ----- ----------- MONEY _ _ _ _ _ This forms a cryptarithm from Judas Iscariot with the word MORE. Now solve this addition problem for the values of the letters. (There are eight distinct letters whose values are between 0 and 9). D = E = M = N = O = R = S = Y = 9567+1085=10652 S = 9 E = 5 N = 6 D = 7 M = 1 O = 0 R = 8 Y = 2 Replace the numbers below to discover more treasures of Heaven: Delilah, Jezebel, and Herodias plan to divide a pile of jewels among themselves in the morning. During the night,Delilah decides to take his share (1/3 of the pile). A short while later, Jezebel awoke and took 1/3 of the remaining jewels. Still later, Herodias awoke and took 1/3 of the remaining jewels. In the morning, there were 8 jewels in the pile. How many jewels were there originally? 27 Let A = number of jewels. In how many ways can the apostle MATTHEW be spelled going from one letter to an adjacent letter? Ans. 20 M 1 A A 1 1 T T T 1 2 1 T T T T 1 3 3 1 H H H 4 6 4 E E 10 10 W 20 Let W = the number of ways you can spell out Matthew. Two Gospel writers, Mark and Luke, are 20 miles apart. They begin running toward each other at speeds of 4 mph and 6 mph, respectively. A fly starts from Mark and flies toward Luke and then back to Mark again and so on. The fly continues flying back and forth at a constant rate of 25 mph until the writers collide and crush the fly. How far has the fly traveled? ans: 50 miles Let T equal the number of miles the fly traveled. In the Biblical game called crossball, a team can score either 3 points or 7 points. What is the highest score that a team cannot make? ANS. 11 points Let I equal the highest score that cannot be obtained. July 2015 Problem Two input pipes will be used to fill an empty 68-gallon cistern. One pipe delivers at a rate of 4 gallons in one minute and the other pipe delivers at a rate of 1 gallon every 4 minutes. How many minutes will it take them to fill the cistern? The answer is 16 minutes. Let J equal the number of minutes it takes to fill the cistern. Every minute, the two pipes together deliver 4.25 gallons. They will deliver all 68 gallons in 68 / 4.25 = 16 minutes. When the Apostle Paul returned from his fishing trip, the other apostles inquired as to the length of his prize catch. Paul answered, "The head measured 9 inches." "The tail was as long as the head and half the body." "The body was as long as the head and tail." How long was the Paul's prize fish (in inches)? 72 inches Let P = the length of his fish. The Gospel of Luke chapter 2 correlates the date of the nativity of Jesus to the census of Quirinius: In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. A census worker asks a lady for the ages of her three children. The lady replies that the product of their ages is 36, and the sum of their ages is the same as the next address to the north. After looking at that address, the census worker returns and says that she needs more information. The lady gives her one final clue and says, "The oldest one likes frankincense and myrrh." With that, the census worker was able to figure out the ages. What is that address next door? ANS: 13 Let X equal the address. Four disciples, Peter, Bartholomew, Andrew, and Thomas bought an old fishing boat for $60. Peter paid one-half of the sum of the amounts paid by the other disciples. Bartholomew paid one-third of the sum of the amounts paid by the other disciples. Andrew paid one-fourth of the sum of the amounts paid by the other disciples. How much did Andrew pay? How much did Bartholomew pay? 20 15 Bartholomew 12 andrew 13 Let K equal the price that Andrew paid Let Z equal the price that Bartholomew paid "They counted the cats in Judea, Which number a third of a square. If a quarter were gone, Just a cube would stay on. How many, at least, must be there?" Some clarification: The number of cats in Judea is a perfect square divided by three. If one-fourth of the cats left town, then the number of cats would be a perfect cube. What is the least number of cats in Judea? April 18, 2005 Answer: 972 Let G equal the number of cats. In one section of Noah's arc, there are some birds and beasts. Determine the number of beasts given the fact that the lot has 36 heads and 100 feet. birds = 22 beasts = 14 Let Q equal the number of beasts In the traditional holiday carol called " The Twelve Days of Christmas," what is the total number of gifts given? How many of each gift were given in this song? Here is the carol: On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partidge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven pipers piping, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partidge in a pear tree. answer = 364 gifts. Let H = number of total gifts. An Explanation of the Carol From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element of the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember. The "partridge in a pear tree" was Jesus Christ. "Two turtledoves" were the Old and New Testaments. "Three French hens" stood for faith, hope and love. The "four calling birds" were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The "five golden rings" recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The "six geese a-laying" stood for the six days of creation. "Seven swans a-swimming" represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. The "eight maids a-milking" were the eight beatitudes. "Nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit -- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. The "ten lords a-leaping" were the Ten Commandments. The "eleven pipers piping" stood for the 11 faithful disciples. The "twelve drummers drumming" symbolized the 12 points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. May 2009 Problem On the checkerboard below, how many different ways are there to move a checker from position A to position B so it can be made a King? answer is 35 Let C equal the number of paths November 2008 Problem How many square inches are contained in the figure below? answer is 3 Let V equal the area in square inches. Here is an Old Testament Game called 39 (named for the number of books in the Old Testament). You and your opponent alternate picking numbers from 1 to 6, and a running total is kept. If the object of the game is to be the player who makes the total exactly 39, and you go first, what number should you pick to guarantee a win for yourself? Pick the number 4 as your starting number. Thirty-nine is 4 more than a multiple of 7, so you should pick 4 as your starting number. Then, no matter what your opponent chooses, you say 7 minus that number. On your sixth turn, you will cause the score to reach 39 exactly. Let U equal your starting number. April 2013 Problem Determine the length of Jonah's whale if you know the following facts: The HEAD is 6 feet long. The TAIL is equal to the HEAD plus 1/2 the BODY. The BODY is 1/2 the length. ANS: 48 Let F equal the length of the whale in feet. April 2014 Said a certain young lady named Gwen of her tally of smitten young men, "One less and three more Divided by four Together give one more than ten." How many boyfriends had she? Let B = number of boyriends Answer 42 let x = # of boyfriends. Then (x - 1 + 3) / 4 = 10 + 1 So, (x + 2) / 4 = 11 And x + 2 = 44 Therefore x = 42 October 2016 Problem Jacob and his wife have thirteen children (twelve sons and daughter Dinah) born at intervals of one year and a half. Reuben, the oldest child, admits that he is seven times as old as Joseph, the youngest of the brood. How old is Reuben? Let L equal Reben's age. ANS: 21 Let r = Reuben's age and j = Joseph's age. r = 7 j r = j + (12 x 1.5) since there are 11 kids in between them. So solve the two equations: r = 8j r = j + 18 Substituting for r in the second equation, 7j = j + 18, so 6j = 18 and j = 3. Then p = 7(3) = 21. 3 4.5 6 7.5 9 10.5 12 13.5 15 16.5 18 19.5 21 6. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." 5. Luke 18:22 "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Serve Christ by serving others Matthew 25:35-40 "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." More blessed to give Acts 20:35 Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Proverbs 19:17 "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done." Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Hebrews 6:10 "For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do." LOVE The Bible tells us God is love. Jesus said where your treasures are there will your heart be also. "Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is His treasure." Isaiah 33:6 "Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." Mark 10:21 – Another heavenly treasure is a place in the house of the Father. We could spend eternity in the presence of God as a reward for loyalty to the sacrificial life. (Revelation 2:10.) "In my Father's house are many mansions." John 14:2 – Finally, we strive to obtain to the office of the royal priesthood – one of the greatest treasures in heaven. The saints will have the privilege of working with the Savior Jesus Christ to carry out a great work of restitution for the entire world (Acts 3:19-21). "Treasures in heaven" are things of worth in God’s coming kingdom, such as justice, opportunity for everyone to be productive, provision for everyone’s needs, and respect for the dignity of every person. The implication is that we would do better to invest our money in activities that transform the world, than in securities that protect our accumulated surplus. We could say that our treasure in heaven is "Christ more than anything else." Our treasure in heaven is a faithfulness that will never be removed, a life that will never end, a love that will never cease, a spring of water that never runs dry, a gift that is never lost, a chain that is never broken, and we could say, all that in links us to eternity is our treasure, and we could talk in generalities. GENEROSITY God loves a cheerful giver," Corinthians 9:7) What are heavenly treasures? What are eternal rewards? What is our heavenly treasure? The answer may surprise you, but it’s people. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. (Ps 127:3) This psalm is not just talking about biological children. God has bigger plans for you and they involve spiritual children. Lots of them. Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Don’t limit God. Just as Abraham was called to be the father of many nations, so are you. Jesus said those who followed him would be fishers of men. What is a fisherman’s reward? It’s fish, or people in this case. What is the reward of the one who sows and waters the good seed? It’s a harvest of people. What is treasure that never wears out and cannot be stolen? It’s people. What are "treasures in heaven"? There’s a tendency to think that "treasures in heaven" only refers to tithing in the Bible, sharing with others, and being a generous person. There is an element of truth to this. We see this emphasized in several places in the Bible, including: When Jesus encouraged his followers to sell their possessions and give to the needy (Luke 12:32-33) When Jesus asked people to give to others who cannot repay them (Luke 14:13-14) In these two examples above, Jesus references receiving "treasures in heaven" and "being repaid" when he returns. So we can see that storing up "treasures in heaven" does include giving to your local church, nonprofits, and to those in need. But that's not all. There’s more to laying up "treasures in heaven" than giving away our money and possessions. It also includes living for God’s glory and the good of others. Let me explain. The Bible refers to many ways Christians can store up "treasures in heaven" or "rewards," including: Faithfully enduring persecution (Matthew 5:11-12; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Timothy 4:8) Loving your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) Praying in secret (Matthew 6:5-6) Serving the Lord and his people (Matthew 10:41-42; 1 Corinthians 3:8; Hebrews 6:10) From just these few examples, we see that "rewards" are also associated with living and loving like Jesus. What’s the bottom line? Real wealth is obtained by investing in "treasures in heaven." You are eternally rewarded when … You give You pray and fast in private You forgive someone You share the gospel You love your enemies You endure insults and persecutions When it comes to rewards, the greatest reward every follower of Christ will receive is this: Seeing God face-to-face (Matthew 5:8; Revelation 22:4). In your desire to follow Christ, do you live your life for him because of what he can do for you … … or do you live for him because you can be with him? This question really gets to the heart of the matter, which leads us to the final question. Do you treasure Jesus? Before you roll up your sleeves to start making deposits into your eternal ledger statement, hang tight. There’s one final thing you need to know. In this passage, we never heard Jesus say, "Get to work!" But what we do hear Jesus say is this, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Like an experienced doctor who can diagnose the source of your ailment, Jesus knows that our struggle is an issue of the heart—not what we do or don’t do. This is why Jesus connected his command to stop laying up "earthly treasures" and store up "treasures in heaven" to the heart. He knows that what we value is reflected in how we live. On the one hand, when the "world" is your desire, you'll be committed to storing up "earthly treasures." On the other hand, when Jesus is your treasure, you’ll devote your life to live for his glory and the good others. Today, as yourself: Do I treasure Jesus or do you treasure the world? Do I obsess over earning more money or buying more things? Or am I consumed with living and loving like Jesus? The answer to these questions will let you if you're living from Jesus from your heart. ‍ One again, read the verses and think about the direct correlation between how we handle money and possessions with our faith. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ‍ What’s valuable both now and in eternity is what God cares about: treating people right, forgiveness and loyalty (Matthew 23:23, Micah 6:8). 7 Treasures in Heaven Revealed Let me quickly summarize these heavenly treasures for you. a love for the Word of God a desire to follow Jesus develop an intimate relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit seek after the kingdom of God strive to live a life that is holy and blameless, without spot or wrinkle run after the high calling of God be rich in good works Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWERS: 1. Infinte Wisdom 2. Peace on Earth 3. World without End 4. Truth 5. Hope for the Future 6. No unsuitable speech (no profanity) 7. Love 8. Cultivate deep friendships 9. GENEROSITY "God loves a cheerful giver" Corinthians 9:7 10. A desire to Follow Jesus "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22 11. Serve Christ by serving others "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:35-40 12. Prayer 13. A place in the house of the Father "In my Father's house are many mansions." John 14:2 14. Justice 15. Opportunity for everyone to be productive 16. Provision for everyone’s needs 17. Respect for the dignity of every person 18. Forgiveness 19. Keep the Ten Commandments 20. Seek after the kingdom of God "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33