Proverbs 13:22 (KJV) A GOOD man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the SINNER is laid up for the just.

Leave Your Children A Godly Example

The Bible uses the word “GOOD” in a relative way. When humans are compared in the eyes of God, there are:

“Children of God” (Matthew 5:9) or
“Children of the Devil” (John 8:44)

Fruit bearing “Wheat” or
Poison bearing “Tares” (Matthew 13:24-30)

“Children of the Kingdom” or
“Children of the Wicked One” (Matthew 13:38)

“Children of Light” or
“Children of Darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

“Sinners” or
“Righteous” (Luke 5:32)

“Good” or
“Evil” (Matthew 5:45)

Jesus told us “there are NONE GOOD but God” (Matthew 19:17). In relation to God, none of us are truly “good”. But among mankind there are “GOOD” people, those saved by the Grace of God through the Blood of Christ, and there are “SINNERS” or people who are unsaved, who seek only separation from God. We are told:

A GOOD man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children

This is not a reference to money or property. One of my favorite western movies has John Wayne in it, a movie called “McLintock!”. At one point in the movie the wealthy G.W. McLintock tells his daughter Becky:

“I own everything in this country from here to there. {People will} think you’re gonna inherit it. Well, you’re not. I’m gonna leave most of it to … the nation … for a park where no lumbermen will cut down all the trees for houses with leaky roofs. … What I’m gonna give you is a 500-cow spread on the Upper Green River. Now that may not seem like much, but it’s more than we had, your mother and I. … I want you and some young man to have what I had, ’cause all the gold in the United States Treasury and all the harp music in Heaven can’t equal what happens between a man and a woman with all that growing together.”

A “good” or saved person doesn’t give his family wealth. Our Lord Jesus spoke of the the evils of unearned money. He said that free wealth would lead people away from the Word of God:

Mark 4:19 … the DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, and the desires for other things entering in CHOKE THE WORD {of God}, and it becomes unfruitful.

Unearned money is not a blessing to your “CHILDREN’S CHILDREN”, but can become a curse. When people inherit monetary riches it becomes their crutch, their God, rather than the God of the Universe. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 37:11 … the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Those who are humble unto God, who seek His face and not riches, will one day inherit all things. The Apostle said:

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The Gospel is not heard by those who have wealth, but by those who have little or nothing. Jesus said “the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM” (Matthew 11:5). What the “GOOD MAN” leaves as an inheritance to his children’s children is an honorable reputation and a good example. There are few Christians who are wealthy according to the standards of the world. Jesus tells us:

Matthew 6:19-20 (NKJV) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

In contrast to the believer in Christ is the wicked person:

the wealth of the SINNER is laid up for the JUST

Eventually God will take away all the wealth of those who love sin and hate Him, and give it to His children in Christ.

The fool rejects God and eventually will lose everything. “In the pride of his face THE WICKED does not seek God; all his thoughts are, THERE IS NO GOD.” (Psalm 10:4). The righteous, however, love God and seek Him above all else. Money is not the god of the Christian, but is a stewardship to be used for God’s glory. The believer in Christ knows that you cannot out-give God.

Proverbs 11:25 (ESV) Whoever brings blessing WILL BE ENRICHED, and one who waters will HIMSELF BE WATERED.

Proverbs 19:17 (ESV) Whoever is GENEROUS TO THE POOR LENDS TO THE LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.

Illustrate: The wicked King of Judah, Coniah the son of Jehoiakim lost all of his riches when God sent the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar to conquer him. God told Coniah:

Jeremiah 22:30 (NKJV) Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.

God Wants No One Hungry. He Will Punish The Evil Who Hurt The Weak.

Proverbs 13:23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

My commentary notes:

“This verse emphasizes the potential for prosperity even among those who seem to have little. It illustrates how hard work in agriculture can yield abundant food, reminding us that effort, regardless of one’s difficult circumstances, can result in a fruitful outcome. The verse also serves as a cautionary note about the dangers of mismanagement and lack of discernment; even those with wealth and resources can experience loss or ruin due to foolish decisions.”

When God made us in His image and placed us on this earth, He made us stewards of the planet. We are to be wise with the resources that God has given us. Evil people mismanage God’s resources, and enrich themselves while robbing those around them adding to their suffering. In America today the illegal immigrant is often exploited by farmers and politicians in order to increase their riches. In Georgia and North Carolina I know of farmers who paid poor immigrants under the table rather than give them a living wage. The stepbrother of Christ writes:

James 5:1-6 (ESV) Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

As James chastises those who tear down rather than support the poor, he reminds the believer that “the Coming of the Lord is at hand”. There is coming a judgment day for those who manipulated and hurt people in order to build their bank accounts.

Illustration:Wicked Queen Jezebel stole Naboth’s vineyard when he would not sell it to her husband King Ahab (1 Kings 21). When Naboth refused the sale, Ahab – like a 6 year old child – came home and sulked, refusing to eat. Jezebel did with Naboth as the Chief Priests and Pharisees did with our Lord Jesus (Matthew 26:59-63). Jezebel hired two false witnesses, saying …

1 Kings 21:10 (ESV) …. set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.

She manipulated the Law of God to steal poor Naboth’s land. Why? So spoiled Ahab could have a vegetable garden. God sent word to Ahab and Jezebel:

1 Kings 21:19 (ESV) Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you {Elijah} shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”

During a battle in the very next chapter of Scripture, Ahab is on the battlefield when an archer fires an arrow into the air – and God caused the arrow to strike “between the scale armor and the breastplate” (1 Kings 22:34), a very small target. Ahab died that evening, “his blood flowing into the bottom of the chariot” (1 Kings 22:35).

1 Kings 22:38 (ESV) And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken.

What of Jezebel and her evil? She lived a little longer than Ahab. But we are told in 2 Kings 9 that Jezebel was thrown from the walls of Jezreel. The Bible tells us:

2 Kings 9:33, 35-37 (ESV) … some of {Jezebel’s} blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. … 35 when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. 36 When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, 37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.

God will eventually balance the scales. Let us trust in Him.

How Do People Become Ahabs And Jezebels?

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

The Bible teaches corporeal punishment in relation to child rearing. In God’s Kingdom true love requires discipline. The best thing a parent can do is to raise the child righteously. The Apostle decreed:

Ephesians 6:4 … (KJV) fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The parents are to set achievable standards, and then enforce them with appropriate physical discipline. The Scripture says:

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Children do not need parents to be their “friends”. Children need guidance.

The act of discipline does not hurt a child – but failure to discipline sets up poor attitudes in the child that he or she will carry into adulthood. Just as a righteous parent will leave a good reputation and a good example to his children’s children, that righteous parent will instill the Word of God and the heart of a good citizen in his children.

The intent of discipline is to teach the child “the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1:7). Our God disciplines us as His children when we step out of bounds and will not repent. The Lord told Israel:

Deuteronomy 8:5 (ESV) Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.

Jesus told the Church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:19 (NKJV) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

And we are told in

Hebrews 12:5-8 (NKJV) “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

It is a poor parent that does not punish their children. To allow the child to run wild while they are young, when they grow older they will be like Ahab or Jezebel. My commentary notes:

“Discipline, when done appropriately and rooted in love, is meant to safeguard children from potentially harmful behaviors. Therefore, engaging in loving correction is fundamental to nurturing responsible and wise individuals, defining the dynamic that love connects with the responsible exercise of parental authority.”

Considering that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), it is a unloving, uncaring, and cowardly parent who will not discipline their child. The High Priest Eli failed to restrain his sons when they blasphemed God. Because of his failure God told Eli:

1 Samuel 3:12-14 (NIV) … I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.

God Will Meet Our Needs

Proverbs 13:25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.

The belly of the wicked is never satisfied. But the righteous are satisfied, even with little. Notice it says:

The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his SOUL

It doesn’t speak of satisfying the BODY, but the SOUL. The righteous may hunger, and may suffer want. There are many times in my life that I suffered want in order to keep my family fed. Yet I was satisfied, blessed by my relationship with God.

I’ve seen rich people go to fancy restaurants, and get a little bit of food on a mostly empty plate. They eat it, and pay hundreds of dollars just so they can say they ate at a fancy, arrogant place. The righteous are satisfied with what God gives them. The Lord tells us:

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.

As believers in Christ, we don’t need fancy. We just need Jesus! What God has given us, we accept as God’s will for us. As the Apostle said:

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV) Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The unrighteous, however, are never satisfied. I remember when the far left told us in America, “All we want is to be able to marry as we want”. So in 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court Case Obergefell v. Hodges ruled that all state are to license same sex marriages, and recognize same sex marriages performed out of state. All they wanted was to be married, like heterosexuals were married. But before the dust settled, they were demanding that businesses cater to their “marriage” regardless as to the religious conviction of the business owners. Rather than just seek marriage, sexual sinners {for God has decreed in His Word that their actions are sinful} pushed their beliefs on television, in movies, in libraries, and in public schools.

There are ungodly forces that seek to destroy Biblical marriage and Biblical families. These forces have been on earth since Eden, Sodom and Gomorrah and the Great Noahic Flood.

Abortions are hidden from the parents. Children are surgically and sexually altered without parental consent. Wokeness is paraded and parodied to our children in classrooms.

the belly of the wicked shall want

The wicked are never satisfied, never satiated. This is why the light must shine, and stand up for Biblical truth. Our children must be taught the Word of God. We need to be loving, but firmly truthful with all opponents to the Way of Christ. If we do not, Christianity will become criminalized in America, as it is in much of the world today.

May God touch your hearts!