Proverbs 8:18 (Mini Sermon)

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18. Pro 8:18 - "Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness." A. Riches and honour are with me; i. "Me" in this passage is wisdom personified (Pro 8:1, 12). ii. Wisdom has riches and honour in her possession. a. Riches n. - 1. Abundance of means or of valuable possessions; wealth. Also, in certain constructions, the possession of wealth, the condition of being rich. b. Honor n. - 1. High respect, esteem, or reverence, accorded to exalted worth or rank; deferential admiration or approbation. a. As felt or entertained in the mind for some person or thing. b. As rendered or shown: The expression of high estimation. c. As received, gained, held, or enjoyed: Glory, renown, fame; credit, reputation, good name. The opposite of dishonour, disgrace. c. If you want to learn how to obtain something, it's best to learn from someone who has already obtained it himself. (i) You won't learn how to acquire riches from someone who is broke, in debt, and doesn't know how to manage money. (ii) You won't learn how to acquire honor from someone with a bad reputation. d. If you want to have riches and honor in this life, seek wisdom in the word of God. iii. Wisdom teaches men how to get and retain riches. a. If you work hard, you will profit and gain wealth (Pro 14:23; Pro 10:4; Pro 13:11). b. If you honour the Lord with your substance and give the firstfruits of all your income to God, He will prosper you (Pro 3:9-10). c. If you don't spend all that you make, but save a portion of it, you will have wealth in your house (Pro 21:20; Pro 15:6). d. If you don't have expensive tastes, you will build wealth (Pro 21:17). e. If you stay out of debt, you will not be slave to a bank for your whole life (Pro 22:7). f. If you invest your money wisely, you will increase it (Mat 25:16-17; Luk 19:15-19). iv. Wisdom also teaches men how to get honour. a. Honour is in the hand of wisdom (Pro 3:16). b. If we embrace wisdom by studying the word of God, she will bring us to honour (Pro 4:8). c. If we humble ourselves and fear the LORD, we will be given honour by God (Pro 15:33; Pro 22:4). d. If we follow after righteousness and mercy we will find honour (Pro 21:21). e. If a woman emulates the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31, she will be clothed with honour (Pro 31:25). B. yea, durable riches. i. Though physical riches can be acquired through wisdom, the true riches that she affords are not material. ii. The true riches a man possesses by wisdom are durable riches. iii. Durable adj. - 1. Capable of lasting or continuing in existence; persistent, lasting; not transitory, permanent. iv. Physical wealth is not durable. a. A man cannot take the physical wealth he acquires in this life with him to the next (Job 1:21; Psa 39:6; Psa 49:17; Ecc 5:15; 1Ti 6:7). b. Riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away as an eagle toward heaven (Pro 23:5). c. The riches of this world are uncertain and therefore cannot and should not be trusted in (1Ti 6:17). d. Thieves can break through and steal worldly riches (Mat 6:19). e. A man can make himself rich in this world and yet have nothing when it comes to true riches (Pro 13:7). v. True riches are durable. a. They are laid up in heaven where they can never be lost or stolen (Mat 6:20-21). b. They are spiritual in nature (Mat 12:35). c. A man can make himself poor in this world, yet have great riches (Pro 13:7). d. The poor of this world who are chosen of God can be rich in faith (Jam 2:5). e. Those that follow Jesus Christ in this life have treasure laid up for themselves in heaven (Mat 19:21). f. The kingdom of God (the local church) is part of the durable riches which are more valuable than any worldly possessions we have to give up for it (Mat 13:44-46). C. and righteousness. i. Along with riches and honor, righteousness is with wisdom. ii. Righteousness n. - 1. Justice, uprightness, rectitude; conformity of life to the requirements of the divine or moral law; virtue, integrity. iii. Those who study the word of God to acquire wisdom will learn righteousness in the process (Pro 2:6, 9; Pro 8:8). iv. Righteousness is part of the true riches wisdom affords. v. The kingdom of God, which is durable riches, consists of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17). vi. The fruit of the Spirit, which gives a child of God a rich life, is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (Eph 5:9).