7/10/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Proverbs 15:6 NKJV — In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.
The gospel of Matthew presents two ways of living that consists of the broad way and the narrow way. Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV) documents these words “enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” The spiritual implication of this verse contains the elements of godly living in contrast to ungodly living. The broad way represents a lifestyle that hinges on things that are evil, profane, sacrilegious, wicked, unrighteousness, and compromised of immorality. The narrow way reflects a lifestyle centered around morality, righteousness, holiness, godliness, sanctity, purity, faithfulness, spirituality, and saintliness.
Interwoven in Proverbs 15:1-7 is a verse surrounded by the nature of a person’s speech. It correlates how a person’s speech is a direct reflection of his or her lifestyle. Here in the book of Proverbs, King Solomon draws out this same parallelism as found centuries later in the gospel of Matthew. In all of his wisdom, the prolific writer of this proverb spoke of the striking differences between those who are deemed righteous and those who are wicked. His penmanship outlines the dissimilarities in the outcomes of how a righteous person lives as a polar opposite of how an unrighteous person chooses to live. As we contemplate upon the righteous and the wicked, let’s first carefully observe the house of the righteous.
The House of The Righteous
Solomon opened verse six by declaring that in the house of the righteous is much treasure. The emphasis of this verse is applied to spiritual riches. This verse is not written to impress upon our minds that it is specifically speaking about material wealth or treasure. Even though the Bible does provide insight that some followers of God were wealthy from a material standpoint in the case of King Solomon (1 Kings 10:14-25), Abram or Abraham (Genesis 13:2), Isaac (Genesis 26:12-13), and Job (Job 42:12) just to name a few. However, this was not and is not the reality of every believer that has ever existed upon the face of the earth. Every Christian does not possess vast riches of monetary value, property, land, investments, or business endeavors. The majority of believers throughout the record of human history are hardworking citizens within our own respective country. However, if we have the accumulation of financial treasures or not here on earth, the elect of God must realize that we are wealthy spiritually.
The Moody Bible Commentary reveals “the righteous accrue great wealth, their house like a great vault containing many kinds of valuable resources.” 1
The great vault of resources that is at our grasp comes from our source, the Lord Himself. We understand that our lives are built upon the greatest treasure ever known to mankind, Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:2-3 (NKJV) is informative that "attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The riches of His treasure is unsearchable. It is endless. It is boundless. It is immeasurable. It will never be depleted. Charles Hodges recalled that “the unsearchable riches of Christ, are the fullness of the Godhead, the plenitude of all divine glories and perfections which dwell in Him; the fullness of grace to pardon, to sanctify and save; everything which renders Him the satisfying portion of the soul.” 2 He satisfies the souls of the house of the righteous through the treasure of His spiritual blessings and endowments. The premise of these endowments enables the house of the righteous to live in a manner that is pleasing unto Him as we depend upon the distribution of His heavenly treasure.
John MacArthur concluded “all the richness of truth necessary for salvation, godly living, sanctification, and glorification is found in Jesus Christ, who Himself is God revealed.” 3
We are rich in His love, rich in His joy, rich in His peace, rich in His faithfulness, rich in His grace, rich in His mercy, rich in His forgiveness, rich in His power, rich in His goodness, rich in His kindness, rich in His gentleness, and rich in other facets of His Person that are a blessing to us. Proverbs 10:22 (NKJV) records "the blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." Proverbs 14:24a (NKJV) states that “the crown of the wise is their riches.” The Holman KJV Study Bible articulates “the ornament and crown mean God’s grace and favor are visible in one’s life.” 4 The ability to recipients of such richness empowers us to use wholesome speech, think in a godly manner, and conduct ourselves according to the truth of His Word. The house of the righteous live life according to the terms of God because we do not want to undermine the immense value on His blessings that He has bestowed upon us.
As we live righteously in His sight, He abundantly blesses us and causes us to prosperity in His way. Proverbs 10:16-17 NKJV is written “the labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.” John MacArthur wrote that “the industry alone of the righteous makes him truly successful, while the earnings of the wicked provide more opportunities for sinning.” 3 The wicked invest in opportunities to partake in sin, whereas the righteous as it has been stated “know where to make their investment.” 1
Our investment is made daily by living God’s way. Our investment is made by devoting our time, our minds, and our bodies to the service of the Lord. Our focus is set on living honorably before Him. The outcome of this is done through daily commitment to prayer, constant engagement of Scripture, and a lifestyle pledged to walk in humble obedience to the commands that God has outlined. In doing so, we aim to cultivate the divine treasures of God in everything that we do relating to our thinking pattern, conduct, and speech.
Our reverence for Him ignites our faith to reflect Him well in the heart of the earth. We desire to live according to God’s standard as opposed to the world’s stand. As Proverbs 15:16 (NKJV) acclaims we live by the sentiment that “better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble.”
The Revenue of the Wicked
Here in Proverbs 15:6, Solomon summarized how the revenue of the wicked is marked out for trouble. The wicked predicate their lives on gaining temporal wealth as opposed to heavenly treasure. Their lives are geared toward financial success that is fleeting.
The revenue of the wicked is sought after while neglect is given to the eternal condition of their soul. The pursuit of money is what the wicked become enslaved to and will do whatever it takes to achieve their desired end. Money inevitably becomes their master.
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) denotes “no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” If the thought of money has control over a person’s mind, then that person is a slave to money. Money is the objective sought after in an attempt to fill their empty void within. Thus, God is not in their thoughts nor is He sought after. Hence, the Bible explicitly warns against the danger of allowing money to lord over a person.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NKJV) highlights that “he who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.” A lack of satisfaction often leads to bad business dealings that bring about all sorts of trouble. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NKJV) speaks to this truth on the basis of “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
The sorrow of the heart is the painful reality for those who are caught up in the misappropriation of funds. The lack of satisfaction through temptations will lead one to squander away their possessions and ruin their livelihood. In the pursuit of material gain, the wicked will often use ill-advised and illegal means as an attempt to rise in economic status but open themselves up to being vulnerable to troublesome circumstances.
Their earthly possessions that are often gained by unethical and immoral practices, ultimately, will lead to their downfall.
Consequently, the writing of Proverbs 15:27 (NKJV) makes the declaration “he who is greedy for gain troubles his own house.” Trouble is the reward for ungodly behavior. Hardship, misfortunes, calamity, trials, and difficulties are connected with a greedy heart and love for money. So, what is the benefit of pursuing money in an ungodly fashion that births trouble? Proverbs 10:2 (NKJV) emphasizes that “treasures of wickedness profit nothing”. There is nothing profitable about ill-gotten funds and material possessions in connection to the trouble that it brings. Furthermore, what is profitable about chasing money or materialism but gamble with your soul? Matthew 16:26 (NKJV) implies “for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
A Christless life filled with wealth is not worth living as the soul lies in danger of eternal damnation.
After all, the temporal things in this world have no eternal value or significance. We cannot carry a casket full of money into the life hereafter. The Lord should be desired about all else because He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (cf. Matthew 6:33 & Philippians 4:19). In direct association with possessing a greedy mindset, a person’s reputation can be ruined. A tainted reputation is a result of a corrupt mind. A corrupt mind produces vile behavior and unwholesome speech. Thus, a wicked person is known by action that persists outside of God. Such a reputation is a product of greed, selfishness, vile words, and disregard for wise counsel.
A wicked person usually uses conniving speech and persuasion in their dealings to deceive others. Thus, the use of their words aids their immoral practices to fleece money and acquire riches through inappropriate means. Unwholesome speech is connected to unwholesome practices which taints one’s reputation. As individuals, we should strive to be men and women of integrity and good reputation as we live life after the order of God.
Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) implies that “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
The treasure in the house of the righteous is everlasting and eternally connected to God. While the revenue of the wicked leads to their own demise and downfall. It is imperative that we seek after the Lord so that our homes and livelihood will be abundantly satisfied and filled with the true treasures that come from a life of devotion to God. Our dependency upon the Lord will aid us to pursue His righteousness and to construct lives that are reflective of Him. Choose the eternal spiritual blessings of God over the temporary pleasures of the world.
References
The Moody Bible Commentary
A Commentary on the Epistle of Ephesians
MacArthur Study Bible
The Holman KJV Study Bible