Wisdom is Better than Rubies Prov 8:10-21 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Men are allured by wealth.  There are no two ways about it.  Men seek wealth – the more the merrier.  A retired chairman of Exxon received a $400,000,000 retirement package – what’s he going to do with all of that money?  And yet that’s the measure of his success – when he has lived out his life he will be through with that money and he will have left it to someone else [what’s left of it] – he can only hold on to it for the few years that he has left on this earth.

According to this text he would be better off with wisdom and the knowledge of God than he would with all of that money – Mk 8:36; Matt 19:21; Lk 12:16-21; Prov 23:4-5; Lk 12:15; 1 Tim 6:17, 10, etc

So, then why is wisdom better than rubies?

Because with wisdom you won’t do evil – 10-13 – much money is made by tricking others with witty inventions – those that obtain wealth often do it by a forward mouth and an evil way – the end result is pride and arrogance

Because with wisdom you can rule – 14-16 – they say, “Them that has the gold makes the rules” – but their rule is temporary, ours is forever, Rev 5:8-10

Because with wisdom you obtain riches that last forever – 17-21 – 1 Cor 3:11-15; Lk 19:24; there are 5 crowns obtainable at the Judgment Seat of Christ and none of them are obtained by possessing wealth down here!