Proverbs 10:2

 Proverbs 10:2 (KJV) Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Proverbs 10:2 (NIV)  Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,
but righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 10:2 (CEV)  What you gain by doing evil won't help you at all.
Obeying God is the only way to be saved from death.

Our verse today begins by saying anything gained by wickedness will have no value in the Grand Picture! But it doesn't necessarily only refer to wealth. Anything gained by wickedness will not be rewarded and blessed by God. Evil deeds and actions, whether they are monetarily profitable or not, have consequences that affect our lives here on earth and can have eternal consequences.

In Micah 6:9-15, it says "Fear the Lord if you are wise! His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem" Micah is talking of godly wisdom. Wisdom that comes from God begins and ends with God. We have learned that the Father is wisdom. The Son is wisdom, The Holy Spirit is wisdom. Godly wisdom is found only in God. It is His Wisdom in all creation. We also know that the beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord. That means a reverent awe of God. We have to see and accept Him in order to respect and revere Him. In Micah, God appeals to the wise, those who fear Him. But then He begins to talk to those who reject Him:

Micah 6:9-15 (NLT)  9 Fear the LORD if you are wise!
His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
“The armies of destruction are coming;
the LORD is sending them.
10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
filled with treasures gained by cheating?
What about the disgusting practice
of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?
11 How can I tolerate your merchants
who use dishonest scales and weights?
12 The rich among you have become wealthy
through extortion and violence.
Your citizens are so used to lying
that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
13 “Therefore, I will wound you!
I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
14 You will eat but never have enough.
Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
And though you try to save your money,
it will come to nothing in the end.
You will save a little,
but I will give it to those who conquer you.
15 You will plant crops
but not harvest them.
You will press your olives
but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
You will trample the grapes
but get no juice to make your wine.

How does He describe those who turn their backs on God and reject godly wisdom?

• Cheaters
• Dishonest
• Thieves
• Extortionists
• Violent
• Liars

What are the results?

• Armies of destruction are coming
• They will be wounded
• Ruined
• Their lusts and needs are never satisfied
• Any money saved will be lost and given to others
• No gain from their work
• No profit from their investment and work

Wickedness may seem to profit for awhile. But it is an illusion. They will be losers one way or the other.

Here are famous billionaires who have gone broke or declared bankruptcy:

The former billionaire Vijay Mallya was a prominent liquor tycoon known for his extravagant partying and high-flying lifestyle.  According to Business Standard, the businessman is accused of "bank fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 90 billion," approximately $1.3 billion.

Once considered to be the richest man in Ireland, Quinn lost a majority of his $2.8 billion fortune. He was charged with contempt of court for attempting to hide his property assets from the bank in an effort to avoid paying back his debts.

Bernard "Bernie" Madoff holds the infamous title of leader of the largest Ponzi scheme in US history. Before the scandal, he and his wife had a personal net worth between $823 million and $826 million. Madoff conned his list of investors out of a whopping $65 billion. He was tried by the Department of Justice for 11 counts of fraud, money laundering, perjury, and theft. Now he's broke and serving a life sentence.

Elizabeth Holmes was once a Silicon Valley star on the rise with a net worth of $5 billion. Her blood-testing company, Theranos, was valued at $9 billion. The company promised to revolutionize the way patients are tested and treated for various diseases and illnesses. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) then performed an inspection of the company. In 2016, CMS concluded Theranos' testing might pose a safety risk to patients. Holmes and her ex-partner Sunny Balwani have been charged with wire fraud by the Department of Justice.

Once Brazil's richest man, with a net worth of $30 billion, Eike Batista lost a majority of his wealth when his oil company, OGX, went bankrupt in 2013. As authorities began investigating Brazil's top companies and why they had declined so quickly, they charged Batista with money laundering and corruption in January 2017. In July 2018, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for bribing former Rio de Janeiro Gov. Sergio Cabral.

The leader of the second-biggest investor-fraud case in US history, Allen Stanford is notorious for his shady business dealings and for conning more than 18,000 customers out of their money. Many of Stanford's victims were retirees who were promised "safe investments," making this case of investor fraud even more nefarious. Stanford was convicted on 13 felony counts in 2012 and is serving a 110-year sentence at a high-security prison in Florida.

Psalm 49 (NLT)  1 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!
2 High and low,
rich and poor—listen!
3 For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.
4 I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.
5 Why should I fear when trouble comes,
when enemies surround me?
6 They trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.
7 Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
by paying a ransom to God.
8 Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
9 to live forever
and never see the grave.
10 Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
11 The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates after themselves,
12 but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
13 This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise.

Interlude
14 Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.
15 But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave.

Interlude
16 So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever more splendid.
17 For when they die, they take nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.
18 In this life they consider themselves fortunate
and are applauded for their success.
19 But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.
20 People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.

Matthew 16:26 (Jesus speaking) "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"

Judas’s pleasure at thirty pieces of silver did not last long, as he committed suicide (Acts 1:18-19). Achan’s family suffered the day he stole some of Jericho’s riches (Joshua 7:19-26). Gehazi could not use the money he got from stealing to buy a cure for leprosy (2 Kings 5:20-27). Ananias and Sapphira held back some money by deceit and they couldn't take it with them (Acts 5:1-11).

Luke 12:4-10,13-34 (NLT, Jesus speaking)  4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear.
6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. 10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"...
13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

In this verse today it says, "righteousness delivers from death".

The Hebrew word translated "righteousness" has a much wider meaning than the English word "righteousness". A "righteous" man, in Hebrew, is one who "renders to all their due," both God and man.

"To his fellow-men his 'justice' will show itself in liberality (Psalm 37:21), mercy (Proverbs 12:10), carefulness of speech (Proverbs 15:28), truthfulness (Proverbs 13:5), and wisdom (Proverbs 9:9). He is considerate to animals also (Proverbs 12:10)." - Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

"Righteousness (Proverbs 14:34); not simply justice and moral goodness, but more especially liberality, benevolence." - Pulpit Commentary

It means a man of God who has holiness of heart and life and one who produces the fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law..

Always remember that fruit is developed naturally on the tree. There has to be a tree with roots deep in the soil. The soil has to be fertilized and watered and the tree pruned. Then the fruit will develop. God is the Master Gardener. He has planted us in His Family through Jesus Christ. If we are in relationship with Him; speaking to Him in prayer; worshiping; studying His Word and trying to obey what He teaches us... then fruit will naturally result and begin to develop. This does not mean a person is sinless, holy and perfect. It means that they are in right relationship with God because of the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. Through Him we are saved. Then God puts the Holy Spirit within us to empower, teach and train us. That's the Master Gardener working on us, his olive trees. If we are cooperating, then we should be growing spiritually and begin to exhibit fruits of the Holy Spirit. When we sin, we can repent and Jesus' blood on the cross covers our sins, past, present and future. God knew we could not be perfect and provided for that. Praise God! But a righteous man means someone who is saved through Jesus Christ who clothes us with His righteousness. And it means a man who is walking in right relationship with God, a current, loving, worshiping relationship with their Father God. And it means the fruit of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives is showing by being generous, loving, kind, etc.

There are Christians who have stunted their growth in the spirit. In fact, it's probably safe to say, all Christians have some stunted growth in our history. We don't always exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit. That's because we aren't cooperating with our Master Gardener and our growth has been stunted. The Master Gardener is there caring for His Family. He has provided all we need to grow and produce fruit. But, for various reasons, we push Him away or we neglect Him or take Him for granted and we quit spending time with Him and His Word. This can stunt our growth and our fruit (or lack thereof) shows it. God has to prune us back when we get too wild and wooly and we aren't producing fruit.

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

1 Timothy 6:18-19  18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19 treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

2 Corinthians 9:6-12 (NLT)  6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

Does this verse promise we will never die? Not exactly. Our bodies will eventually die. But God promises we will have eternal life through Jesus Christ. Our "righteousness" is but filthy rags.

Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.

Romans 3:10-11;23-25a  10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God...
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.

How are we made righteous? By accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. And by His righteousness we are saved and have eternal life.

• "What you gain by doing evil won't help you at all". We looked at examples of those who gained and lost it all because of their criminal ways of getting rich. Can you think of other ways people think they have gained something by cheating, dishonesty, deceit, lying, wicked deeds? How will it end for them?
• Ponder and journal your thoughts on an issue that has come up in churches: What if someone in the church does something wicked where they gain monetarily and they try to donate to the church out of that gain? Is that OK? Is it blessed? Does it matter where the money comes from if it's used correctly by the church? What do motives have to do with whether or not the church accepts the money? If the church needs new pews, does it matter that the person who donates the amount for the new pew wants their name on a plaque on the pew (pride) or the motive is to "pay their way to heaven"? These are some very sticky issues churches and pastors have to face. I'm not judging or taking sides. I'm just prompting you to think about it and write your thoughts on the subject.
• Another subject to meditate and journal on is how important is it for the church to be careful how they bring in funds or how they invest the church's money? For instance, another sticky subject would be how does God see churches who raise funds through gambling like having church Bingo parties and raffles, investing in the stock market? Can a church get away with some shady fundraisers to raise funds to be used in the church ministry? Should a church invest church money in shady ways (investing in mutual funds that include casinos, alcohol manufacturers, etc) to realize a profit that can be used in ministry?
• How circumspect should Christians be in the way they make money? Can a Christian own a bar? Can a Christian work for a company that makes or sells liquor? Can a Christian own a business and abuse it's employees/investors/vendors or is staying just this side of the law in order to make a profit? Will God bless that? Can a Christian be a slumlord? Can a Christian invest their 401k in mutual funds that include businesses that would be legal but maybe unethical or not run according to God's standards?
• God's Word is very current. In issues we all face, we can go back to God's Word. We must also pray about it and listen to the teaching of the Holy Spirit on God's Word. Once the Holy Spirit has made something in God's Word very clear to you, will you obey it? Even if it means changing jobs, investing your money in different ways, cleaning up your act?

Click here for all my studies on Proverbs.