What Things In Life Have True Value?

What is it in life that has true value? Of course, you will expect an answer in this blog to be of a spiritual nature. If the same question were to be presented elsewhere, not in a biblical/spiritual context, what would you say?

Will the financial blog have the answer?
Will the real estate blog have the answer?
Will the sports blog have the answer?
Will the entertainment blog have the answer?
What about the health blog? Political blog? Science blog? Nature blog? Art blog?

Value. True value: Where will you expect to find the answer?

Solomon wrote:
   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
   But righteousness delivers from death.
   --Proverbs 11:4

The ‘day of wrath’ refers to the day in which God’s anger is displayed through His righteous judgment. Since God is pure and holy, He has every right to punish or destroy unholy mankind. He is not unfair; man is unholy and undeserving of God. So, God’s ‘day of wrath’ is truly just (fair).

Solomon says that riches do not profit in the day of wrath. Are riches limited to money? Of course not. We should consider all kinds of material wealth.

The simple point is that earthly wealth, regardless of its form or quality or quantity, has no benefit whatsoever when God displays his wrath against mankind because of sin.

However, in sharp contrast to ‘riches’ stands ‘righteousness.’ In simple terms, righteousness is doing what is right in God’s eyes. We should not think of righteousness as mere obedience to religious law code, but rather, following God’s instruction and example in scripture and striving to please him. (God’s instruction comes in many forms, not just commands).

When a person makes a proper response to God’s instruction in scripture through righteousness, he will be delivered from the ‘day of wrath.’

Wait!
Is that what the verse said?
Literally, it says that he will be delivered from ‘death.’ But death is set as a parallel concept to the ‘day of wrath.’

So, what in this life is of true value?
What should a person pursue?
How should we order our lives?

Chase after righteousness.
Righteousness is life, true life.

A Pair to Remember

Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. Proud. 
Humble. Humble. Humble. Humble. Humble. Humble. Humble. Humble.

A person cannot read the Proverbs without learning something about God’s attitude toward pride and humility. The Apostle Peter summed it up succinctly:
   God is opposed to the proud, 
   But gives grace to the humble.
   --1 Peter 5:5

Not only should we see God’s attitude toward pride and humility in the Proverbs, we should learn how to avoid pride and its pitfalls, as well as how to embrace humility and its blessings. Perhaps the real question is whether we believe the words of Solomon and Peter or simply wish to blunder through life indulging our human nature.

Consider the proverb...

   When pride comes, then comes dishonor, 
   But with the humble is wisdom.
   --Proverbs 11:2

Dishonor follows pride. This is a principle of life that God has put into place in his creation. It is like gravity; God made it to be that way.

Some folks look for exceptions, or, at least, occasions that appear to be exceptions. People that challenge God and His word by pressing a supposed exception are scoffers. Their naïve assessment of God's word demonstrates pride in their thinking.

Jesus taught a parable that illustrated the principle found in the proverb. It is worth a quick look. 

And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you."

His conclusion in verse 11:
   "For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, 
   And he who humbles himself shall be exalted."

Looking back to the proverb...
The second line of the proverb contrasts the first, but with a notable difference. Dishonor 'follows' pride, but wisdom is 'with' the humble.

Dishonor and pride are a pair, but one follows the other. In contrast, wisdom and humility are paired together as close companions. We can safely conclude that a wise person will demonstrate humility, but also, that a humble person pursues and lives according to wisdom.

Are you able to read this proverb and accept it at face value? Or, do you find God to be out of sync with the people of our day? Do you have insight into truth that surpasses God's understanding? Are you a scoffer?

See pride for what it is. Embrace the noble pair, humility and wisdom, and enjoy the results, grace from our Creator.

Counterbalance

A false balance is an abomination?...Really?

That seems a little extreme, but that is what we read in Proverbs 11:1. Perhaps it is worth a second look.

Abomination:

An abomination is something that God hates, but stronger than hate. In the Old Testament idolatry is often described as an abomination to God. That places the ‘false balance’ in the same category with idolatry. Does God really hate a ‘false balance’ as much as he hates idolatry? It is really that serious?

Balance scales: You’ve seen a balance scale; you know how it works. An object of unknown weight is placed in a pan on one side of the balance scale. In the pan on the opposite side known weights are added until the two pans balance. The unknown weight is then known: It is the sum total of the known weights . . . unless someone has tampered with the weights or the balance scale.

A False Balance: A false balance is just another way of telling a lie. A false balance changes the appearance of things making two unequal things appear to be equal. God hates lies. Lies oppose the very nature of God.

It's all a lie: You might say that all sins are lies:

The idolater calls to his ‘god’. But deity is not made of created things: wood or stone; gold or silver; possessions, fame, entertainment or pleasure. The 'idol' is a lie.

A thief possesses things that he does not own, yet he thinks of them as his own and lets others think they are his own. A lie.

A man has a sexual relationship with a woman with whom he is not married. Yet, that behavior makes it appear as though they were married. A lie.

In prideful arrogance a man elevates himself to a position of importance that is not truly his. He lies to himself.

A murderer assumes authority over life and death, a position held by the Creator. The murderer lies.

A teen disobeys or dishonors mother or father. In doing so the teen brings his mother and father to his own level as if they were equals or as if he has greater authority. That’s a lie.

The Christian wears his ‘Sunday face,’ piously meeting with other Christians to worship. He does many religious acts of worship, but does not offer his heart in devotion to God. Liar!

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There are many ways to lie, many without ever moving one’s lips. God hates them all. 
Lies are an abomination!

A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
But a just weight is His delight.

                                                            --Proverbs 11:1

May our thoughts, and our words, and our behaviors always balance with the truth.