Wisdom Is Better Than Riches (Proverbs 16:16)
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Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Yesterday was graduation day for me and my fellow seniors at UNC Chapel Hill. As you can imagine, it's a time filled with so many voices giving different pieces of lifelong advice that is more often than not pretty shallow, but also pretty forgotten after a few hours.
That said, though, I have not forgotten what the speaker at my commencement said yesterday. He said to chase wealth over money and status, claiming there to be a difference. And you know what, I don’t disagree there. He mentioned the value of appreciating assets that generate revenue for you passively while you go and do what you love with who you love.
And what’s interesting is Solomon makes a similar wealth claim here as well – he says wealth over money too. But he describes wealth in a different way than my commencement speaker. He values wisdom as wealth.
‘How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.’
Solomon was both the richest and wisest man alive. I mean, we read his wisdom every day in Proverbs. But just so we don’t forget – Solomon wasn’t rich, he was rich rich. One estimate says his gold income alone would’ve been over $1.6 billion a year today. That’s not a typo.
And yet – this same man, with all that gold, says wisdom is better. Let that sink in.
Wisdom is better.
Why?
So many reasons. But here’s the one that hit me today: Wisdom is secure.
What do I mean by that?
No one walks away from the pursuit of wisdom empty-handed.
But people walk away from the pursuit of wealth empty all the time.
Wisdom isn’t just a thing you get. It’s a companion that stays. It doesn’t crash with the market. It doesn’t decay. It doesn’t get stolen. It’s an asset that appreciates every day.
Money buys things. Wisdom saves and transforms lives. HELLO!
And even better – wisdom comes with a promise. The promise of the Holy Spirit. The promise of life in full here and now. And ultimately, the promise of everlasting life with Jesus – who is the wisdom of God.
But riches? They slip through your fingers. Hard to catch. Harder to keep.
Not so with wisdom.
Wisdom finds you. Wisdom keeps you.
And you get to walk with it – step by step, day by day.
So here’s the real question: What kind of wealth are you chasing?
One fades. One fills.
And the best part? God gives wisdom generously to anyone who asks.
Let’s pray with this verse and that question in mind today.
