The earnings-to-death ratio

For Monday, June 13, 2005
Proverbs 10:16

The wage of the righteous leads to life,
the gain of the wicked to sin.

Many times we feel like the psalmist who observes the easy life of the wicked and wonders about the justice of God. We question the inverted moral order we see where the wicked so often dominate over faithful people, living a trouble-free life of ease.

This proverb contrasts the righteous life and the wicked life in a similar way. The reward of a righteous life is describes as 'wages'. Here the word has overtones of that which is the reward for difficult or strenuous labor.

By contrast, the wicked accumulate 'earnings' or revenue. They are on easy street, and they have their money working for them. They have a get-rich-quick scheme that seems to actually work.

Flaring up in anger is the easy path to take, and seems to have an immediate pay-off. But this easy money is deceptive. Though it may be produced with little effort, there is a terrible consequence. The fullness of life offered to the righteous is nowhere to be found, but the death of relationships, and spiritual and physical death in the end.

When we follow the path of wisdom we find that, though it may seem arduous and uncomfortable, the fruit borne from the labor is life-giving, and brings its own joy to the laborer.