Better than rubies

“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

Proverbs 8:11 [KJV]

Picture: the Estrela de FURA Ruby https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/magnificent-jewels-2/ruby-ring

Several months ago, two things happened around the same time; I started part-time Bible College studies, and my work contract ended. For the first time in eight years, earning an income was no longer the focus of my week, but instead fitted in around study and writing commitments.

My income remained sufficient, but I struggled mentally with the concept of not having a regular wage. Of course, many people don’t have salaried jobs. A wife’s income might be dependent on her husband’s; a farmer’s on the size of a harvest; a contractor’s on job completion; or a business’ on product sales. But I had grown to depend on that concept of a predictable wage for feeling emotionally stable about the future. What’s more, a non-Christian recently pointed out the ‘disadvantages’ of my present income method. They claimed it would negatively affect my employability, career progression, savings, retirement fund, rental prospects, home loan approval, quality of life…  

Ouch.

We’re all told by God to labour (Genesis 2:15, Ephesians 4:28). We all need direct or indirect income sources. We all need to surrender to God’s specific will for each of us regarding work, including how many or few hours, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity, and whether home or externally based. But our main aim in life is pursuing God. God’s will is more important than a secular twelve-step plan for making as much money as we can. And the Lord encouraged me by sending someone to share a verse with me from Proverbs, “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it” (Proverbs 8:11).

What is wisdom? I looked up wisdom in a Bible dictionary and found a 300-word definition with six sub-points. For the sake of my wordcount (and readers), I’ll only quote subpoint 5; “In Scripture theology, wisdom is true religion; godliness; piety; the knowledge and fear of God, and sincere and uniform obedience to His commands” (Webster, 1828). Let’s expand this definition with supporting scriptures. Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10 say, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. Ephesians 1:17 is a prayer that God “may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”. Similarly, James 1:5 and 3:17, state that real wisdom – true godliness – is a gift from the Lord, while Matthew 7:24 says wise people obey Christ’s commandments.  The Bible repeatedly highlights the contrast between godly wisdom and what humans call wisdom (1 Corinthians 1, James 3), and innumerable (I didn’t have time to count) verses in Proverbs talk of the folly of humans who think they are wise. That’s a lot of thoughts and verses, but we can summarise it this way. There are two main components to wisdom: knowledge of God and obedience to His commandments. These components are inseparable. In 1 Chronicles 28:9, King David says, “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: …if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.” When faced with decisions and possibilities, we need to remind ourselves we are told to pursue wisdom, which highlights two priorities in life: knowing God and obeying Him.

Wisdom is valuable. The Bible repeatedly states that obtaining wisdom is more important than other things humans might value. Proverbs 8:11 says wisdom is better than rubies. Some might sigh over a bill and be tempted to believe otherwise, given that a beautiful ruby known as Estrela de FURA sold at auction in 2023 for $US 34.8 million. Yet Proverbs 3:15 is almost identical to 8:11; “[Wisdom] is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.” “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!” (Proverbs 16:16a). Job declares wisdom so valuable no earthly possession can be used to buy it (Job 28:12-19). Solomon claims wisdom is better than strength (Ecclesiastes 9:16), and weapons of war (9:18).

Why is wisdom so valuable? It brings us favour with God (Proverbs 8:35), and other blessings such as happiness (Proverbs 3:13), direction in life (Proverbs 3:5-6), and good things (Proverbs 19:8). It also gives us insight into the character and mind of God Himself (Isaiah 55:8, Ephesians 1:17). Godly wisdom is also valuable because it cannot be understood by non-Christians. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, the apostle states, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The previous chapter describes how the gospel – the precious, glorious gospel – is considered foolishness and a stumbling block by the world, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, [the gospel is] Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). We need to be aware that man’s so-called wisdom will often contradict God’s wisdom. I once tried to explain the concept of waiting on God to a non-Christian and was met with the blankest of looks. It didn’t make sense to my hearer, a person used to pursuing whatever they wanted to do. Another realm is how we use the weekend. Much of our society claims Sundays are for sleep-ins, sport and recovering from Saturday night drinks. As for giving a tithe of your income to the Lord, well, that’s seen as either stupid or optional with today’s cost-of-living pressures. Do we value God’s wisdom? If so, we will remind ourselves again that God abundantly blesses waiting on Him (Psalms 37:7-9), respect for His holy day (Isaiah 58:13-14), and giving to the Lord (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Wisdom is more important than anything we could want. Proverbs 8:11b says, “all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” Things we desire can fall into two categories: wrong things or good things. In 1 John 2:16, we are reminded, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” We should have nothing to do with such things. But the biggest challenge for women is often ‘right’ desires that we respond to wrongly. For example, it’s natural for a single, godly woman to want a spouse. But perhaps she’s decided the odds of marriage within her Christian circle are low. What does she then do? Stoop to flirting or immodest clothing to out-compete her peers for a guy’s attention? Broaden her ‘Christian’ contacts by attending an ecumenical singles’ group? Date a non-Christian, because he’s a good man, and God might use her to save him? I joked to someone that the reference to rubies in Proverbs 8:11 could refer to an engagement ring, but I quickly realised my statement wasn’t funny. I’m sure we can all think of women and girls who allowed wrong romantic entanglements to take them out of God’s will. Women also often have strong desires for financial security. Again, this desire is not wrong in itself. Proverbs commends saving and preparation for future needs (Proverbs 6:6-8, 21:20). Household budgets have many expenses, and, broadly speaking, women tend to earn less than men. Yet Jesus called those obsessed with self-made riches ‘fools’ (Luke 12:20). “The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment,” Jesus declared, “your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Luke 12:23, 30b-31). Lastly, as women, we all desire acceptance and belonging. This is where the conflict between Biblical values and those of others can really cause emotional angst. If your friends or family are motivated by worldly wisdom, then there will be clashes between what they expect of you versus what the Bible says. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). God’s way of wisdom is always the best choice.

May the Lord help each one of us to know what wisdom is, to value it as we should, to obey God and to grow in knowledge of Him. May we each sincerely agree and prove that “wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”