What is the meaning of Proverbs 10:2? Ill-gotten treasures The opening words expose wealth gained through fraud, theft, corruption, or oppression. Scripture consistently warns against such gain: • Proverbs 1:19 says, “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain; it takes the lives of its possessors.” • Proverbs 13:11 notes that “Dishonest wealth will dwindle.” • Habakkuk 2:6-9 shows God pronouncing woe on those who pile up what is not theirs. Ill-gotten treasure may sparkle for a season, but it stains the soul and invites divine scrutiny. Profit nothing Solomon presses the point: corrupt gain offers zero eternal return. • Jesus asks in Matthew 16:26, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul?” • James 5:1-5 warns the rich whose hoarded wages “have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.” Temporary comforts cannot offset the loss of God’s favor; on the day of judgment such treasure “profits nothing” (Proverbs 11:4). But righteousness The verse turns from empty wealth to the solid currency of a right life—conforming to God’s ways. • Proverbs 12:28 affirms, “In the path of righteousness is life.” • Micah 6:8 calls us to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” • Romans 3:22 reminds us that true righteousness comes “through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe,” empowering daily obedience. Brings deliverance Righteousness is active; it rescues. • Psalm 34:17 declares, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.” • 2 Peter 2:9 reassures that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.” God personally intervenes for those who walk uprightly, shielding them from consequences that overwhelm the wicked. From death The ultimate rescue reaches beyond earthly danger. • Proverbs 11:4 states, “Riches do not profit on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” • John 11:25 quotes Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.” Earthly wealth dies with its owner, but righteousness—credited through Christ and expressed in godly living—secures eternal life. summary Proverbs 10:2 contrasts two pursuits: dishonest wealth that vanishes and righteousness that saves. Ill-gotten treasure brings momentary glitter yet no lasting gain. Righteousness, received by faith and practiced in daily choices, spares us from judgment and ushers us into life now and forever. Choose the path that pays eternal dividends. |
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