Proverbs 2:9
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Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
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Here is a treasure! Righteousness! Judgment! Equity! Every good path! Can a man or woman obtain all these in life? Yes! If you will pursue wisdom, God will bless you with all these things. The rewards are great. The requirements are small. God mercifully offers this treasure to those who will put forth a little effort to obtain it. Reader! Go for it!
The Preacher, King Solomon of Israel, pressed his son to apply himself to the pursuit of wisdom and understanding (2:1-4), with the promised reward being the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God (2:5). Upon this foundation and reward, Solomon then promised that God would add many blessings, including these special four (2:6-9).
What is righteousness? It is being right. It knows and does what is right. It is justice and uprightness. It knows and does what is acceptable and pleasing to God. It is having your mind conformed to the divine standard of God's perfect mind and laws. And if your thoughts and actions please God, then they will certainly please good men (3:1-4).
What is judgment? It is the ability to judge correctly, to form accurate opinions, to arrive at the proper notion of things; it is discretion, discernment, wisdom, understanding, and good sense. It is what men mean when they say, "That person has excellent judgment." It is the ability to analyze a matter correctly and arrive at the correct conclusion about it.
What is equity? It knows what is fair and equal for any situation, though seeing differences that require charity and nobility to reach an equitable and fair conclusion. It is fairness, impartiality, and evenhanded dealing with apparently unequal things. It is what makes others trust you, no matter the circumstances; for they know you will be fair.
Solomon stated that Proverbs was written to teach these three wonderful virtues (1:3), which are very rare in the world today (Is 59:14; II Tim 3:1-5). Furthermore, they are aspects of God's glorious and holy nature (Ps 98:9; 99:4), and they are character traits of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is 11:4). What hinders you from pursuing wisdom to obtain them?
Consider a very small sample of the righteousness, judgment, and equity of the Bible. It protects mother and baby birds (Deut 22:6-7), teaches that all races have the same blood (Acts 17:26), provides for working oxen (Deut 25:4), puts the burden of marriage and family on the father (Eph 5:25-29; 6:4), provides for the poor (Lev 19:9-10), teaches that mercy is more important than sacrifice (Matt 12:7), allows one church member to bring any matter to the church (Matt 18:15-17), financially rewards virginity (Ex 22:17), requires churches to take care of widows (I Tim 5:3-16), and teaches that the true love of God can only be shown by loving others (I John 5:1-2). No other book compares!
Compare a small sample of the righteousness, judgment, and equity of the world. It kills over ten million unborn children annually by the most violent means imaginable and yet demands funds to protect animals and birds on seven continents! It prohibits corporal punishment of children but incarcerates the resulting criminals like animals in cages for years! It subsidizes debt and slothfulness and penalizes credit and diligence by income tax laws. It "protects and honors" women by advertising lascivious fashions, promoting casual sex, protecting pornography and prostitution, and allowing divorce for any cause.
But these three things are not all that is offered to the man seeking wisdom! The proverb also offers, "Every good path"! What is every good path? It is every other virtue and grace not in the list of three! Glory! Reader, is there a better sentence in any language? If every good path is offered, then the means for your perfection is being offered!
How can you get these four wonderful things? Humble yourself before the Creator God, and diligently seek His wisdom in His inspired scriptures. Can you humble yourself and admit that God and His Word alone are right on all subjects (Ps 119:128)? Can you reject the world's vain thoughts (Ps 119:113)? He will reward you with these great things.
The Bible can make ministers perfect for their great work (II Tim 3:16-17). Consider how much it can do for you. There is no light in this world apart from the light of the Bible (Is 8:20). It is a lamp for your feet and a light for your pathway through life (Ps 119:105). It is a light to which you should give serious attention and honor (II Pet 1:19-21).
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