What is the meaning of Proverbs 10:2, Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivers from death? What are the treasures of wickedness according to the Bible?
What are the treasures of wickedness?
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivers from death (ምሳሌ 10:2)
Treasures of wickedness are treasures (gained by) iniquity and profit nothing. We can interpret the treasures of wickedness in two ways, ማለትም:
- Treasures (ሀብት) gained through wickedness, which is wicked and immoral behavior, like theft, ማጭበርበር, illegal or undeclared work, tax evasion, ወዘተ.
- The treasures (ሀብት) of this world; the profit of the wicked; those who live without God, in sin and iniquity
The reason why the treasures of wickedness can be interpreted in two ways is because of the second part of the sentence. In the second part of the sentence, it is written that only righteousness delivers from death.
If the writer meant no. 1, wouldn’t it be more logical that in the second part of the sentence the counterpart of ‘treasures gained through wickedness’ would be mentioned? Or something like righteous wealth and honest treasures? But that is not the case. In the second part of the sentence, the writer mentioned the fact that only righteousness saves from death.
In Proverbs 11:4, we see a similar sentence, ማለትም, Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivers from death(ምሳሌ 11:4)
The treasures of this world are not able to save you
The riches and wealth of this world, profit nothing in the day of wrath. You can have a wealthy prosperous life on earth and have everything you want, but they can’t do anything about your spiritual state and eternity. The treasures of the world are not able to save you from death.
All the wealth and riches of this world, can’t buy redemption, ሰላም, ደስታ, ደስታ, ፍቅር, ፈውስ, and eternal life. The treasure of this world can’t save you from eternal death. The wealth and riches of this world can only bring you temporary joy and pleasure (delight).
The truth is, the more you sow in the world, the more you reap the fruit of this world, which will lead to eternal death.
Money is a side issue and must not be the main issue in life. In the gospel of the Kingdom of God, this may never become the focus of Christians and the center of Christianity.
If money is the most important thing in someone’s life then the person doesn’t have a clue what the Kingdom of God is all about.
It shows that the person is still carnal and not spiritual and is led by his love of money and the spirit of greed.
Jesus didn’t circulate a money bag after His preaching, nor did Jesus beg for money. አይ, Jesus knew that His Father would take care of Him. The Father would supply all His needs (እንዲሁም አንብብ: ገንዘብ, ገንዘብ, ገንዘብ).
When Jesus paid His tribute, Jesus not only paid for Himself, but Jesus also paid for His disciples. Remember, that Jesus didn’t have any money, or savings at that moment. But God supplied Jesus’ needs at that moment in a miraculous way.
ኢየሱስም ጴጥሮስን።: go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee (ማቴዎስ 17:27)
The heart of the wicked, who belongs to this world, goes out to wealth, ሀብት, honor of people, and pleasures of life. These are the treasures of the wicked. But the heart of the righteous, who are risen with Christ, goes out to God and His Kingdom (እንዲሁም አንብብ: If you are risen with Christ, seek the things which are above and not upon the earth)
Righteousness delivers from death
Jesus took all the wickedness; all sins and iniquities of the world upon Himself. Only by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, you will be delivered from the power of sin and death. You will be redeemed from your old sinful nature, that was full of wickedness; ኃጢአት, and iniquity (እንዲሁም አንብብ: መጽሐፍ ቅዱስ ስለ አሮጌው ሰው ምን ይላል??)
Through the baptism in water and the baptism with the Holy Spirit, ትሆናለህ ዳግመኛ መወለድ in the spirit and become አዲስ ፍጥረት. By the blood of Jesus Christ, you have become holy and righteous, therefore you shall also walk in holiness and righteousness.
You shall no longer live the life you lived before as the old creation, as the world, in sin and iniquity. Seeking worldly riches, honor of people, and pleasures of life. But by the blood of Jesus, you have been bought and transferred from the darkness into the Kingdom of Light.
You shall no longer seek those things, which are upon this earth, but you shall seek those things which are above. Because you are now በኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ተቀምጧል በገነት ቦታዎች.
You have become a resident and an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. Therefore you shall walk in holiness on the path of righteousness, which will lead to eternal life. You shall do His will, and keep His commandments. You shall lay up treasures in heaven.
Lay up treasures in heaven
በምድር ላይ ለራሳችሁ ሀብት አትሰብስቡ, ብልና ዝገት የሚያበላሹበት, እና ሌቦች ሰርቀው የሚሰርቁበት: ነገር ግን ለራሳችሁ በሰማይ መዝገብ ሰብስቡ, ብልም ዝገትም የማያበላሹበት, እና ሌቦች የማይገቡበትና የማይሰርቁበት: ሀብታችሁ ባለበት, ልብህም በዚያ ይሆናል።. The light of the body is the eye:if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! ለሁለት ጌቶች መገዛት የሚችል ማንም የለም።: ወይ አንዱን ይጠላልና።, እና ሌላውን ይወዳሉ; አለበለዚያ አንዱን ይይዘዋል።, እና ሌላውን ይንቁ. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon (ማቴዎስ 6:19-24)
Even if you possessed all the wealth and treasures of this world, they couldn’t provide eternal life. All the treasures of the world are not able to deliver you from death. Therefore the treasures of wickedness profit nothing.
Only Jesus Christ can deliver you from death and give you eternal life.
"የምድር ጨው ሁን"
