He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. Proverbs 11:28

What makes you feel safe and secure?  What do you rely upon to make you confident about these things.  Today in our look at Proverbs we will see how two types of people seek security and safety, but how only one of them will truly obtain it. 

Our proverb tells us of a man who "trusts in his riches."  The word for trust is the Hebrew word "batah" which means to not just trust, but to have a confident trust.  This man feels secure and safe - without fear - as a result of his riches.  He may have a bank account that is full - a set of stocks that are the best on the market in returns - plus a sure-fire business model that assures him of success in life for years and years to come.  This is what makes him feel confident - his wealth.  Here is the problem with this man.  Scripture tells us that the one who trusts in his riches will fall.  This word is a very frightening one.  It means to fall down to a prostrate position.  Here it has the idea of being overthrown.  The overthrow described here is death.  Regardless of what amount of money you have - and how secure that you think it is - your money will not survive your death.  In Psalm 49:5-9  we read the following,  "Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches? No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him— for the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever— that he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay."

The Psalmist here reminds us that no amount of money will be able to pay for a soul and the redemption it needs.  The man who trusts in his wealth - who thinks that the abundance of his riches will rescue him from death and from the punishment due for his sins - is in for a tremendous amount of disappointment.  The day will come when he will stand on the same footing as any other human being - and have to give an account for his sin.  If anything, the fact that he has wealth and riches will make his judgment even more stringent.  Jesus said that to whom much is given - much will be required.  The man who trusted in his riches rather than trusting in Jesus Christ - will end up in the lake of fire for all eternity.

The righteous are contrasted with this unwise rich man.  In fact we are told that the righteous man will flourish like a green leaf.  This is the man who realized that there is no amount of money that could ever pay for redemption.  His desire to please God and to honor Him will make this man do everything in his power to obey God.  He does not look for a righteousness based on money - or even on his own good works.  He knows that the man who will flourish in this life and stand in the next is the man who has been justified (made righteous) by faith.  Thus his life is not spend trying to earn God's favor and love - he knows that such things have already been purchased by the blood of Christ.  His desire is rather to listen to God - walk in fellowship with Him - and - out of that fellowship enjoy spiritual growth.  This is why he will flourish like the green leaf.  He is not trusting in growing himself.   He trusts in a God who blesses him first with righteousness to stand in His presence - and then trusts Him to lead him in the way that will glorify God in all that he does. 

What are you trusting to make you secure?  If you think your security depends on how much money you have here in this life - or how great your wealth and insurance coverage is - you will lose everything.  If instead you see that there is only really one security issue, you will do well.  If you grasp that the clear and present danger is the wrath of God for sin - you will choose the way that will make you stand righteous in that day - and that righteousness only comes through the gospel - and the gift of it by God in response to repentance and faith in those who believe on Jesus.

A gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches.  Proverbs 11:16

Two types of people are contrasted here.  There is the gracious woman and the ruthless man.  They are viewed from what they attain in life.  The word "attain" is important here for it refers to what a person grasps or holds.  The gracious woman seeks for honor, while the ruthless man is seeking riches. 

The rich man is called "ruthless."  This is the Hebrew word "ariys" which means to be ruthless, strong, and violent.  The word usually refers to a ruler, kind, or master who behaves ruthlessly toward those under him like a tyrant.  This person is insolent, proud, haughty, and violent.  As a result the general attitude toward him by those around him is fear.  This ruthless man does not care about true honor or respect.  He rules by fear, intimidation, and an overpowering hand and demeanor.  What he wants is not repect - but riches.  And what we read here is that he grabs all he can get - and attains those riches.  Anyone who follows politics and those who wield power in the financial world knows that there are a myriad of men who get their riches by less than favorable means.  They dominate others and often do dispicable things.  In the process they get a lot of money.  What is not told often enough is that even though they have the money - they do not have peace, joy - and often cannot sleep because their lack of character costs them dearly.  They wind up as the typical rich, lonely, miserable old man - whose only friends are the sycophantic ones who stay only to feed on the corpses of his corporations and bank accounts.  There is little love lost or tears shed when he dies. 

The gracious woman is seen in stark contrast to this rich, ruthless man.  One of the best pictures of this gracious woman is Ruth.  She faced an uphill battle her entire life.  When her husband died, she was left with nothing - except a sister-in-law who was a widow too - and a mother-in-law whose life was shattered.  Ruth chose to be gracious every step of the way.  Her daily existence in Israel, when they moved back, was spent gleaning in fields that were not hers living on the kindness of others.  In the midst of all this she was the most gracious of women - not complaining of her circumstances or of the back-breaking work she endured for an entire harvest.  She and her mother-in-law endured a very meager existance that entire Fall - yet no griping was heard from Ruth.  She was the picture of a gracious, godly, quiet-spirited woman.  She worked hard and was grateful for everything she received. 

In the end, Ruth was seen as a woman of honor.  Even though she was a foreigner and a Gentile, she was seen in the community as a highly honorable woman.  She followed customs that were not her own - being obedient to a mother-in-law in the process.  Her graciousness was honored in the end though.  She was given a new husband - a godly, wealthy, wonderful man named Boaz.  Although starting at what had to be the very bottom of society in Israel - God gave her honor in two ways.  There was her new husband Boaz - who was a gift from God.  There was even a greater honor - and that was her great grandson.  His name . . . David.  Honor comes to a gracious woman - and that lasts much longer than the riches of the ruthless man.  If you do not believe that - just ask Nabal, the rich farmer or the rich man in the gospels.  Their ruthlessness gained them great riches - for a short season - followed by an eternity in punishment and pain. 

"I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, to endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. Proverbs 8:20-21 

What is the way to wealth in this world?  Today many would see that wealth and earthly riches are attainable by any means possible.  People do very ungodly things in order to get rich.  Yet from what we see here in today's proverb, wisdom says that she wants to give wealth to those who walk in righteousness and justice.  So which way is it?  The world's way or wisdom's way?

First of all we read in this passage that wisdom walks in a righteous path.  The words used here indicate that wisdom always walks this way.  This is the very lifestyle of wisdom - to embrace and to walk in righteousness.  Therefore we can rightly assume that those who receive the wealth that wisdom endows also walk in this way.  Second, we read that wisdom also walks in the middle of the path of justice.  The idea here is not that wisdom is trying to walk in the middle - meaning that wisdom sees the path of justice as a tightrope - and that walking wise is a difficult path to follow because it involves walking with a balance.  The idea is that there is the road of justice - and wisdom drives right down the middle of it.  Wisdom does not hug to one side or the other of the road, trying to live as close to the edge as possible.  Instead, wisdom drives right down the middle - choosing the right way every time. 

Wisdom walks in this way so that she can offer to men true wealth.  When wisdom says this to us, we need to see that she says that she wants to endow those who love her with wealth.  The picture painted though is not that our eyes are on the wealth.  Our eyes are fixed on wisdom.  It is not money we love - it is wisdom.  The wealth that she gives us is simply an offshoot of living for her.  This is emphasized even further by the next statement made here - "that I may fill their treasuries."  For those fixated on wealth and money - they see money as the goal.  For those whose hearts are right - they see that wisdom herself is filling their treasuries.  The wealth is wisdom and her ways - wisdom and her paths - wisdom and the ability to walk and choose rightly and justly. 

Will wisdom gives us money?  There are times when this is true - when making a wise choice will help us immediately in the bottom line of our finances.  But there are other times when the right and just choice will negatively affect our immediate bottom line.  No matter which one it is - the man who truly walks in wisdom and seeks her and her ways is not fixated on his bank account.  He longs for wisdom herself.  He desires for the wisdom of God to fill the treasuries of his heart and mind all his days.  This is the promise of wisdom - not a greed-motivated desire for a fat wallet, but rather a love-motivated desire for the fullness of the mind of Christ as we make every decision of life. 

"Riches and honor are with me, Enduring wealth and righteousness.  My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver."  Proverbs 8:18-19

Wisdom is speaking to us about riches, wealth, honor, and righteousness.  We live in a world that thinks it truly understands what it means to be rich and wealthy - yet - from what we read here in Proverbs chapter 8 we will learn that what they are pursuing is not true wealth.  Therefore in case we too are confused on this issue it would be wise for us to examine what is written here - and be wise in this area of true riches and wealth.

I find it fascinating that each time wealth or riches is mentioned, these things are qualified in what is mentioned with them.  First we see that wisdom will bring us riches and honor.  Honor speaks not just of having "fake" honor because you are wealthy.  This kind of sychophantic honor is pitiful to watch.  We see those who fall over themselves to show honor publicly to those who have a lot of money - yet who may secretly curse them when they are not around them.  What Proverbs says is that this rich man also receives honor - but it is true honor due to his wisdom, not due to his having a lot of money.  The second phrase says that he will also have "enduring wealth and righteousness."  The idea of enduring is something hat lasts.  It is durable and not subject to decay or to fading away.  But this kind of wealth is found with those who combine it with "righteousness."  They have wealth, but they also do what is right in life - regardless of what their wealth could purchase.  All these things remind us of what our Lord Jesus Christ said - that we should not work for the riches and wealth that are subject to moth and rust - to decay and to thieves.  We should work for and desire the wealth that will last for all eternity.  That is what this passage is saying to us as well by qualifying both riches and wealth with honor and righteousness. 

Finally, we see in verse 19 that the fruit of wisdom is better than even gold - and the purest gold.  The yield of wisdom far outsurpasses even te choicest of silver as well.  After speaking of wealth and riches - it is as if wisdom is saying to us that the best wealth and the richest thing is wisdom itself. 

From time to time I teach classes on economics to high school students.  One of the principles of economics is that due to the fall of man into sin, there will always be a scarcity of what is desired among men.  We fell from a garden that was perfect and abundant in every way - to a world where we would have to work for our food and sustenance by the sweat of our brow.  Even as we worked hard we would not have a perfect yield because the ground would yield thorns and weeds as we worked it.  Thus the principle for us economically after the fall is that there is a limited amount of riches and wealth on this planet.  Not everyone will be rich and wealthy with this world's goods.  But, by God's grace and through the teaching He offers to us through His Spirit, there is untold riches and wealth when it comes to the wisdom He seeks to teach us.  If we would value that wisdom it could be ours without any limits whatsoever.  There are true riches and enduring wealth available to any man who chooses true honor and righteousness.  What will be your choice this day?

Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers by labor increases it. Proverbs 13:11

At times it amazes me how much can be found on business and finances within the book of Proverbs.  There is enough counsel on business decisions and how we handle money to guide us throughout our entire lifetimes.  That is why admonitions like the one today are such a blessing to us if we will heed what is said to us by them. 

Today's proverb counsels us as to the proper way to obtain wealth.  There are many in our day (and actually at any time in history) who are looking for a "get-rich-quick scheme."  They want to obtain wealth any way that they can - and do not realize that to sell our soul or our integrity for any amount of wealth is far too high a price to pay to become rich.  That is the warning that is given to us today in Proverbs.

When we obtain wealth by fraud - we are going to face problems and difficulties in maintaining that wealth.  The word fraud here is the Hebrew word "hebel" and it refers to soemthing that is vain and empty.  It refers to a person's character when it is empty of character - or when the character is fleeting and easily changed.  It also has the idea of being evil as well.  When we seek wealth but do so by being ungodly - we are on the wrong track.

The warning here is that when we get wealth by this kind of fraud, it will dwindle.  It will dwindle first of all because God's blessing will not be upon it.  God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind, and when we go outside what He says and commands, His blessing will be absent from our lives.  There may be wealth to be had on the front end of godless business practices - but the latter end of these men will see a dwindling of their wealth.  What is interesting is how their wealth may dwindle.  One way it dwindles is by others having the same ungodly, fraudulent business practices that eventually takes their money.  The saying, what comes around goes around is the rule here.  The Bible puts it this way, if we sow the wind, we will reap the whirlwind.  Act ungodly in securing your own riches - someone may use the same ungodly tactics on you later in life.  The second way that wealth may dwindle later in life is through children that have no sense at all when it comes to finances.  Solomon wrote these words about this dwindling of our wealth and riches. 

"Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity."  (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, NASB)  Some men spend a lifetime gathering wealth by fraud - only to have a son or daughter live foolishly and destroy a fortune left to them.  This is because that child has watched a corrupt father gather millions - and in the process the true riches of that child's character are ruined.  They not only inherit the riches - but also the fatal flaws in their father's actions.  The third way that these riches dwindle is by the man's ability to enjoy them later in life.  The older we get, the less we can enjoy the things of this world.  Our taste buds go - our health goes - and our agility and strength go as well.  So, whether God's judgment and discipline come immediately - or just through the course of life itself - wealth obtained wrongly will dwindle in the end.  And this says nothing of eternity - where fraudulent wealth will disappear altogether as a man loses everything. 

Consider the rich farmer who tore down his old barns to build new ones - thinking that his life indeed only consisted of his possessions.  He was not rich toward God - and faced the loss of everything - most importantly his very soul as he burned in hell for all eternity for his focus on the wrong kind of wealth. 

The promise of this proverb is that if we gather wealth by labor - we will increase.  That is an aspect of his proverb that we need to see clearly.  The translation says that we increase "it" - referring to our wealth.  But the it is not actually in the text.  The phrase says that when we gather wealth by labor - we increase - not just our wealth - but our entire being.  God grows us as we learn to work hard and labor at what pleases and honors Him.

Another aspect of this proverb is that we are to gather wealth gradually - working for it at every turn.  We are warned elsewhere in Proverbs that an inheritance gained quickly - will most likely be wasted.  The prodigal son got his inheritance quickly from his father - but he wasted it on immoral living and wound up eating with the pigs in a foreign land.  There is something to be said to having wealth come slowly by surely by labor and by effort.  There is a promised increase - a blessing that comes as we work hard and appreciate what blessing God has given to us. 

Beware of gaining wealth the wrong way - fraudulently.  It will not give us the true riches that God desires for us to have.  These come by hard work and effort.  This kind of wealth will bring us great blessing in the end.  May God help us to see this kind of wealth - and have a heart to covet it rather than wealth that will harm us instead.

Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. Proverbs 3:16

Wisdom has many benefits for the one who chooses to walk in it.  That is what we are told today in Proverbs 3:16.  We are told that God promises by long life and riches and honor to the ones who walk in wisdom. 

First let us look at the promise of long life.  When a man walks in God's wisdom he will walk in peace.  Wisdom counsels us to be made right with God and to cooperate with Him throughout life.  This will calm a man and grant him a longer life.  Reports come back regularly explaining to us that a peaceful, tranquil heart is great for our health.  Stress will kill a man in the end - because stress will release toxins in the body and cause the heart to have to work much harder than it usually does.  Wisdom will also offer us long life because wisdom calls us away from the excesses of the wicked.  Having embraced a life of moderation and temperance, we will be spared much of the difficulty that comes from the varied gluttonies of life. 

We are also told that wisdom will give us riches and honor.  Throughout the book of Proverbs we read tremendous amounts of wisdom in regard to our finances and how we should operate in business.  Having talked with several of the successful businessmen in my own congregation, they have assured me that reading the proverb of the day - and learning to follow the counsel of Scritpure on financial matters will yield wealth.  I'm not talking about the kind of wealth that the health, wealth, and prosperity people tout.  This is the wealth that acrues due to wise management of our money and our lives. 

Wisdom also holds in her hands honor for us.   The word for honor here is "kabod" - which speaks of a weightiness in life.  This speaks of honor given by others as they see how we live.  Wisdom will help us to live an honorable life in the sight of God, which in turn will move the Lord to grant us honor in the sight of others - and most importantly, in His sight. 

Rather than health, riches, and honor due to a "name it, claim it" type of mentality, this passage is truly teaching us something amazing.  Just for the fun of it - I would call this the "learn it, spurn it" mentality.  As God teaches us wisdom - we learn from Him of His ways and paths.  He instructs us in the way that we should go - and that has reference to everything we do and everything we are.  We learn it - in His presence - by His Spirit - as He endeavors to educate us teaching us His Word.  As we embrace His ways - we also learn to "spurn it."  This simply means that the more we learn of wisdom and of God's Word, the more we will spurn the ways of this world, and the ways of our own flesh.  This will help us to truly be blessed in all that we do. 

Before I finish with this proverb, I would like to show a couple of New Testament verses that reiterate this same principle for us - just using slightly different language.  First is what Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  Here in very simple language is the pursuit of wisdom.  We learn to seek as the first order of business in our daily lives, His kingdom and His righteousness.  Said another way, we seek for His rule and reign over every thought and action, and we have Him determine what is right in every situation.  Truly this is wisdom - and the promise we receive?  He will add all the other things (here refering to food and clothing) to us. 

The second verse is 1 Timothy 4:8, ". . . for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."  Here we see that wisdom will always lead us to live a godly life.  This godliness is profitable here and now, as well as throughout all eternity.  Seeing this, it is my hope for both you and me that we will embrace her - embrace wisdom - and find that in both hands there awaits us great blessing from God.

For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. Proverbs 3:14-15

In determining the value of something people often turn to how what they are valuing compares with other things we know are of great worth.  That is what Proverbs does today in seeking to help us grasp just how valuable wisdom is to us every day.

There is a profit to wisdom - a payoff.  When we learn to live lives that ask what the wise thing we should do - we will receive the rewards that wisdom has to offer to us.  Then the comparisons begin in our passage.  Wisdom has a greater profit than silver - and a better gain than gold.  I'm writing this in 2010 and those who made a decision just a couple of years ago to purchase silver and gold know what kind of profit they got from it.  They know that our federal government has played fast and loose with monetary policy and our economic position has suffered because of it.  Our paper money has lost its value as the government continues to spend at a rate that cannot be maintained.  Thus our money is being deflated as they print more to spend more - without anything to back it.  But gold and silver are commodities that have real value to them.  Thus while our paper money is floudering - gold has almost doubled in price.  Silver is not far behind - because they have real value.  There is something else that has real value - wisdom.  When we have it - we will find amazing profit in keeping wisdom and following hard after wisdom. 

Wisdom is also more precious than jewels.  These are ornamental jewels like rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and other valuable jewels.  Once again these items are rare - and are considered to be worth something.  But what Proverbs is saying to us is that wisdom is more "precious" than jewels.  Here we are not talking about profit as with silver and gold, but we are talking about how something it valuable to us.  Wisdom is personally valuable to us.  We know that if we wear wisdom in our lives - people will notice.  Just like a woman with a large diamond hung around her neck is noticed, so also is the man or worman who lives wisely noticed.  The jewels are considered beautiful - even though they are only rare hunks of rock.  Wisdom adorns us with God's character, with godliness, with a holy life - and are the most beautiful things that we can have because they last long after the physical jewels of this life are gone. 

Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8-9

Here is the request of a wise man.  It is a very wise request because it deals in two things that will derail a life that is seeking to be guided by God.  It deals with deception and greed.  As you seek to walk through this world in a way that pleases and honors God - you will find that these two things are snares that often will seek to trip your feet and make you stumble.  The man who watches for them - and cries out for God to deliver him from them - is wise indeed.

His first request deals with deception.  He cries out to God to keep deception and lies far from him.  If we are going to live a godly life, we are going to have to have truth.  The wise man has come to know that there is an absolue truth that God gives in His Word.  He will cling to it.  Jesus prayed for His disciples, "Santify them in the truth.  Your Word is truth."  If we are going to be purified and preserved in this life - it will be because God has kept us from deception and lies.  There is one sure cure for lies - and it is the truth.  Why should we be in God's Word every day?  Why should it dwell richly within us?  Why should we hide that Word in our hearts?  It is so that we know the truth - because it is only that truth that will set us free.  The most secure prison in the world is nothing compared to a man who enslaves himself by believing lies and deception.

The wise man's second request has to deal with the sin of greed.  The best way to describe the danger of greed is by sharing the answer of a man who was very wealthy.  He was asked how much money it would take for him to be content.  His answer was telling because it did not refer to a specific, fixed amount.  He sad, "Just a little more."  There is the danger of greed.  No amount is enough because we will be deceived into thinking that a little more will give us the illusive happiness that we seek from money.  Our problem is that we were not made for money.  Elsewhere in Scripture we are warned that when we set our eyes on wealth - it takes wings and flies to the heavens - always just a little beyond our reach.  This pursuit will take forever - and will never end in contentment.  The truth is that we were made for God - and until we find our contentment in Him - we will never be truly content.

The writer of Proverbs cries out and asks for neither poverty or riches.  He knows that both of those situations leaves him in want.  Poverty in a want for enough - and riches in a want for just a little more.  What he asks for is the food that is his portion.  Ah, a wise man he is indeed.  His words parallel those of Jesus in His teaching on prayer.  "Give us THIS DAY our DAILY BREAD!"  There is wisdom - give me what I need today - and keep me in need of only one thing constantly.  Keep me constantly needing You, Lord!  That is the prayer of the wise man.

Next the wise man states why this request for enough for today is truly wisdom.  First, he knows that too often the rich man thinks he does not need God.  He looks to his riches and foolish thinks he does not need God.  Such was the case for the rich farmer in the parable of the rich fool told by our Lord.  He thought his bumper crop meant that he was set for life.  His problem though was that he was not set for death.  God came to him and called him a fool.  That night he was to die - and he would suddenly have nothing.  All his wealth was left behind - and since he did not prepare to meet God - he faced a horrific fate.  He was about to enter into eternal poverty - having decided that storing up treasures in heaven was not a worthy pursuit.  Here on earth his riches deceived him into thinking, "Who is the Lord?"  The answer to that question is one that does not need to be put off until after death.  It needs to be answered here and now - because the one who puts it off - or ignores it altogether - will spend all eternity in a poverty that will consume his flesh with fire forever and ever as the smoke of his torment will never cease to rise in an epitaph revealing his eternal stupidity.

The second reason he asks God for enough is because he knows that hunger may deceive a man into thinking that stealing is a way of getting enough.  Want often leads men to profane God's name by their thievery.  They steal thinking that God has not provided and therefore they need to take things into their own hands. 

Here is a wise man - praying.  He seeks God for what is necessary for that day.  He also knows that the best thing for him is to have to do this each and every day.  His stomach may be full - and possibly can be provided for well into the future.  But - he knows that his need of the Lord will never subside.  He needs God continuously.  May it be the wisdom of that need that guides us to our knees daily to ask for God's mercy and grace to deliver us from the twin foes of deception and greed.

Ill-gotten gains do not profit, But righteousness delivers from death.  Proverbs 10:2

What is true treasure?  When I think about this I go back to my childhood memories of the book Treasure Island.  My mind thinks of pirates and those who ride the high seas in search of that most illusive of all things - buried treasure.  I consider the intrigue and the hidden motives and betrayals that await me as I read of a journey based upon a tattered treasure map.  The air is heavy with excitement as the first shovel of dirt and sand is lifted on the very spot where the X is on the map.  That excitement reaches fever pitch as the shovel thuds for the very first time on the chest itself. 

Solomon tells us about a kind of treasure in this proverb.  The phrase "ill-gotten gains," is actually the Hebrew phrase, "The treasures of wickedness."  So we find that there are treasures that no matter how much they say they are worth - are actually worthless.  When we seek our treasures here on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal, we are only gathering up the treasures of wickedness.  In fact, unless we are locating the X on God's map - the gospel of Jesus Christ - everything we think is true treasure is only a chest filled with filthy rags.  Let me explain further.

Solomon tells us in the second half of this proverb, "but righteousness delivers from death."  What a powerful phrase he has just uttered.  What a prophetic phrase it is as well.  Any treasure that cannot deliver us from death is not a treasure at all. This is where we begin to see there is only one treasure that we should desire.  The Scriptures say some interesting things about this Treasure.  Jesus asked the question, 'What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?' (Matthew 16:26)  There is an interesting question.  What will you give in exchange for your soul?  What amount of money or earthly treasure will pay the price for our souls?  The psalmist answers that question when he says, 'No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever.'  (Psalm 49:7-8)

There is NO price in human terms that will ever be able to buy our souls.  The problem is not with a financial price, it is with the currency that must be paid for our souls.  Our problem is that the price tag is blood - blood of an holy sacrifice offered to God.  The price is the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  He paid the final and ONLY acceptable price for our souls.  When he gave up His Spirit on the cross His final cry was, "Tetelestai!"  That is a financial term meaning, "Paid in full!" 

The cost for our souls is perfect righteousness.  We must be absolutely holy and pure to come into God's presence.  Any sin would merit His full wrath being poured out upon us.  Coming into His presence without this righteousness would be as foolish as Nadab and Abihu's approach to God in Exodus.  Their entrance without righteousness resulted in them being consumed by the fire of God instantly.  Considering the fact that God tells us in His Word that all our righteousness is like filthy rags - we quickly see that we are in need of a righteousness that will stand before God.

Praise the Lord, God provided that righteousness Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He came and fulfilled the Law.  He came and lived a perfect life absolutely keeping all God's commandments and precepts.  Then He took our sin upon Himself and paid the horrific penalty of God's wrath.  Through His death, burial, and resurrecton God now forgives our sin and gives us the glorious exchange - His righteousness for our sin.  By the grace of God we have been justified by God.  Justified means, "declared righteous."  As a result of being justified/declared righteous we can now stand before God - not in our own righteousness, but clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  This is the "righteousness that delivers from death." 

All the treasures of all the ages piled as high as the heavens amount to nothing before our holy God.  Added together they still amount to a sum of the "treasures of wickedness."  All the achievements of all the people who have worked to attain them mean nothing in light of our sin.  None of these things profit us - or have profited any son of Adam.  What we need is the "righteousness that delivers from death."  That righteousness was provided by God Himself.  It is only attained when we receive it as a gift by the grace of God.  It comes only through Jesus Christ.  In light of these undisputable Biblical facts there is then only one question to be answered.  Are you trusting in the treasures of wickedness to deliver your soul from death - or - are you trusting in Jesus Christ.  Only He has the righteousness that delivers from death.

Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich. Proverbs 28:6

Integrity and honor are character traits that are of high value in the kingdom of God.  They make a person very wealthy even though at the time they may not have a fantastic financial bottom line.  When someone is varying between two stances - which is what this passage called being "crooked," they can have all the money in the world and still be seen as far less successful than the poor man who lives a godly life.  God's way of valuing things and people is far different than that of the world.

The word "crooked" is very interesting.  The literal Hebrew means, "perverse in two ways."  What this describes is someone who is going back and forth between two opinions and two views.  According to the Theological Wordbook of the OT this term refers to the twisted and perverting nature of sin.  The word was also used to describe how a woman twists her hair for the purpose of putting it in braids.  Thus the word came to mean the way that people twist their ways and choices contrary to what God commands and desires.  The word is used to describe the way rulers "twist everything that is straight" (Micah 3:9).  In a similar Proverb about the need for integrity, this same word is used to describe how fools are perverse in their speech. 

Too often the rich think they are beyond the law - or above it because of the influence their money buys in this world.  I have several friends who are police officers who have told me again and again that they have far more trouble out of rich people they pull over for speeding than from any other group.  They are told that they should give the rich person a warning or nothing at all because of all the people they know in City Hall.  They try to throw their influence around to intimidate my friends in law enforcement into ignoring the law - or might we say perverting it.  They want my friends to act crookedly.  These guys write them tickets seeking to enforce the law - only to have them ignored by those in power when they come to court.  Too many of the rich make the mistake of placing their hope in riches and what they provide in this world - rather than in God and the hope of His reward in eternity.  I say this not to absolve the poor of integrity issues - because the problem is not money - it is the love of money.  I've seen the love of money in every financial category there is.  The warning here is to run after integrity and honor - and not allow money to make us think that these things don't matter as long as you are well off financially. 

Just an aside here for our mutual benefit.  I've heard a saying again and again that grieves my heart.  Here is the saying, "Money may not be able to make you happy, but it makes your misery much more bearable."  Those who say that are truly deceived.  They think that a few years of less miserable riches are worth trading for all of eternity.  God does not countenance such foolishness.  They are truly deceived because they do not understand that their momentary happiness in their wealth and stuff will actually make their judgment more severe.  The Scriptures tell us, "To whom much is given, much is required."  Whatever brief comfort they find in their things and their wealth will be infinitely offset by the searing judgment that awaits them for loving the world and therefore not having the love of the Father in them.  Again - that was for free - because I'm tired of fools sounding wise to this world when they are only multiplying their foolishness for a judgment that awaits them at the throne of God.  True wisdom is seeing the end, in this case eternity, and making sound decisions with God's ways in view.

The poor man walks differently here because he walks in his integrity.  The word "walk" is the Hebrew word "halak" which means to come and go, or to walk about.  It was a word that was used to describe a flowing river, the blowing of the wind, and the movement of animals of all kinds.  It was therefore used to metaphorically speak of the pathways of one's life - and came to mean the lifestyle that one chooses.  This poor, wise man has chosen to walk out his life using God's wisdom as his guide.  The best way to describe this integrity that the poor, wise man chooses is to walk with all of our heart in the things of the Lord.  The word here for integrity was used to describe the way that men like David and Job spoke of walking with a perfect heart.  This did not mean these men were sinless - just that they did not want to waver between two opinions and two ways of living.  They wanted to live for the Lord with all their heart - all the time. 

There is something that God values greatly in this world.  But what God values and what men value are two entirely different things.  This world does not value living for God and His ways with a whole heart.  They might give an honorable mention to the occasional religious person who they admire for a few moments because of their devotion to God, but they do not see this as a way of living for all men.  They live for the things of the world - and chase after them with all their heart.  But what is highly valued by men of this world is despised by the Lord.  He is looking for men whose heart is completely given to Him.  How much better it is to be one of these men - regardless of their financial bottom line.  It is far better to be that kind of a man and poor - than to be the richest man on earth and only enjoy it for the mere length of a breath - which is how God describes this life in comparison with eternity.