PROFITING FROM PROVERBS

“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom” (Proverbs 23:4).

Paul touches on this in First Timothy 6: “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:9-10).

Haman wanted to be rich and powerful, and he was willing to kill an entire race of people to get it. He was willing to lie to get what he wanted, and he was willing to cut corners. Also is it true of a man that wants to be rich. He is willing to do in his neighbor to get it.

If God makes a man rich, that is okay: “Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:19). If God has made you rich, praise His name! Give it back to Him, use it for His glory. God will often give more money “through” you than he will ever give “to” you, if He knows He can trust you with it.

“Labour not to be rich,” we ought to labor to please God: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Meet the needs of others: “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing” (I Thessalonians 4:11-12). You will be able to meet your own needs, and the needs of others.

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28).

“Labour not to be rich,” labor to meet your needs and to meet the needs of others. That is a good reason to work.

“. . . cease from thine own wisdom,” it’s better to get God’s wisdom: Christ is our wisdom—that is the only wisdom that is really any good. That is the wisdom that is from above, James 3:14, 15. The reason that you don’t want to lean on your on wisdom is given to us by Paul: “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise” (I Corinthians 3:18). Many are easily deceived by their own wisdom. Our own hearts are deceitful, so it is not hard to be deceived by one’s own self.

We don’t need any more of the wisdom of this world, what we do know is not worth much. What we need to know is more about the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to know more about our Bible, we need to know more about God.

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