The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the
wicked brings them trouble. ~Proverbs 15:6
He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the Kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” ~Matthew 13:52
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then, in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought the field. ~Matthew 13:44
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ~2 Corinthians 4:7-12
I do not believe that Solomon is necessarily referring to money in this proverb. He is once again pitting what righteousness gets you against what wickedness earns, as in “You reap what you sow.” Rich or poor, wealth or poverty are not mentioned at all. This is because wisdom and folly, evil and knowledge, are not necessarily income based. It is a matter of the heart.
“The income of the wicked brings them trouble.” It begins in the heart, looking for a short cut to happiness, power, fulfillment. The income of the wicked is based on schemes, built on sand, that will fail eventually. It is a snare that they cherish, that will prove to be a disappointment in the end.
“The house of the righteous contains great treasure.” The greatest treasure is God’s wisdom that guides its owner to right, or righteous living, rich or poor. It is available to the one who desires to walk rightly before the Lord. It’s a heart issue because it’s not a material possession. It is internal guidance. It’s a treasure because you have to find it or receive. You can’t create it. No one is smart enough to do that. It’s God’s wisdom, not common sense. It’s also a treasure because it has great value! Its value lies in its ability to bring spiritual blessings of eternal joy!
That is what we may want to consider today. All of the passages above use the word treasure. Jesus describes this treasure as something so valuable that it is worth everything else in your possession to have it. In a rough analogy, we might say it’s like having good health, compared to great wealth. If you don’t have good health, you may very well spend all your wealth in the pursuit of health! Once you find out what God’s wisdom can do for your spiritual health, you may very well see value in giving up anything and everything that keeps you from those blessings.
Paul brings out more of the idea of the hiddenness of it. It’s not a matter of us having our own inherent value. We may be a common clay pot. But what we hold, the power of Christ, can show through our cracks anyway. In fact, our plainness is a great background to show off his glory all the more!
There was a king who used to sit daily to receive tribute from his subjects. Every day nobles would pass by, dressed in their finery to pay tribute to their king. The king was impressed by their gifts and show of flattery. The king was also a kind man, however, so, when each day, one common beggar would also come by to make his presentation of a piece of fruit, the king showed his gratitude to the man, but after he left, the fruit was usually tossed aside.
One day, however, as the beggar was handing over the piece of fruit, it slipped from his fingers. As it landed on the ground, it split open revealing a precious jewel inside. The king gasped. Running to where all the other fruit had been tossed, he saw precious jewels scattered through the rotten mess that the contributed fruit had become. To the world, many of us may be like one of those pieces of fruit, especially compared to the great gifts that others may have to offer.
The bigger question for us is, do we value the treasure that is inside? Do we guard it with our lives and our reputations? Do we cherish it? Do we see ourselves as a container that is hiding a precious treasure that the wicked would want to steal if they knew? Through Christ, we have the true power and wisdom that enables us to live the righteous life that this treasure imparts. That is worth more than any scheme or plot of the wicked to try to have whatever earthly power they think they can obtain. We have Christ’s Holy Spirit within us. Jesus Himself resides within us. The wisdom of God is not just an owner’s manual for life. It is, rather, He is, your owner residing within you!
Prayer: Oh, Father thank You for not just creating me then setting me aside like a model on a shelf. One thing that is truly amazing is how much YOU treasure me! You gave me a purpose for being and a desire to discover it. And I am so grateful that You also opened my eyes to the treasure that You are to all who seek You! Now it is my greatest desire to share this treasure. I don’t have to hoard it or hide it. I can never run out of You! So today, lead me to other people who are seeking the treasure that You are, so I can share with them and introduce them to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: I am Yours
He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the Kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” ~Matthew 13:52
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then, in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought the field. ~Matthew 13:44
We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ~2 Corinthians 4:7-12
I do not believe that Solomon is necessarily referring to money in this proverb. He is once again pitting what righteousness gets you against what wickedness earns, as in “You reap what you sow.” Rich or poor, wealth or poverty are not mentioned at all. This is because wisdom and folly, evil and knowledge, are not necessarily income based. It is a matter of the heart.
“The income of the wicked brings them trouble.” It begins in the heart, looking for a short cut to happiness, power, fulfillment. The income of the wicked is based on schemes, built on sand, that will fail eventually. It is a snare that they cherish, that will prove to be a disappointment in the end.
“The house of the righteous contains great treasure.” The greatest treasure is God’s wisdom that guides its owner to right, or righteous living, rich or poor. It is available to the one who desires to walk rightly before the Lord. It’s a heart issue because it’s not a material possession. It is internal guidance. It’s a treasure because you have to find it or receive. You can’t create it. No one is smart enough to do that. It’s God’s wisdom, not common sense. It’s also a treasure because it has great value! Its value lies in its ability to bring spiritual blessings of eternal joy!
That is what we may want to consider today. All of the passages above use the word treasure. Jesus describes this treasure as something so valuable that it is worth everything else in your possession to have it. In a rough analogy, we might say it’s like having good health, compared to great wealth. If you don’t have good health, you may very well spend all your wealth in the pursuit of health! Once you find out what God’s wisdom can do for your spiritual health, you may very well see value in giving up anything and everything that keeps you from those blessings.
Paul brings out more of the idea of the hiddenness of it. It’s not a matter of us having our own inherent value. We may be a common clay pot. But what we hold, the power of Christ, can show through our cracks anyway. In fact, our plainness is a great background to show off his glory all the more!
There was a king who used to sit daily to receive tribute from his subjects. Every day nobles would pass by, dressed in their finery to pay tribute to their king. The king was impressed by their gifts and show of flattery. The king was also a kind man, however, so, when each day, one common beggar would also come by to make his presentation of a piece of fruit, the king showed his gratitude to the man, but after he left, the fruit was usually tossed aside.
One day, however, as the beggar was handing over the piece of fruit, it slipped from his fingers. As it landed on the ground, it split open revealing a precious jewel inside. The king gasped. Running to where all the other fruit had been tossed, he saw precious jewels scattered through the rotten mess that the contributed fruit had become. To the world, many of us may be like one of those pieces of fruit, especially compared to the great gifts that others may have to offer.
The bigger question for us is, do we value the treasure that is inside? Do we guard it with our lives and our reputations? Do we cherish it? Do we see ourselves as a container that is hiding a precious treasure that the wicked would want to steal if they knew? Through Christ, we have the true power and wisdom that enables us to live the righteous life that this treasure imparts. That is worth more than any scheme or plot of the wicked to try to have whatever earthly power they think they can obtain. We have Christ’s Holy Spirit within us. Jesus Himself resides within us. The wisdom of God is not just an owner’s manual for life. It is, rather, He is, your owner residing within you!
Prayer: Oh, Father thank You for not just creating me then setting me aside like a model on a shelf. One thing that is truly amazing is how much YOU treasure me! You gave me a purpose for being and a desire to discover it. And I am so grateful that You also opened my eyes to the treasure that You are to all who seek You! Now it is my greatest desire to share this treasure. I don’t have to hoard it or hide it. I can never run out of You! So today, lead me to other people who are seeking the treasure that You are, so I can share with them and introduce them to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: I am Yours
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