“Better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice” (Prov. 16:8).
“A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord, like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away” (Psalm 37:16-20).
When weighed in the balances of divine judgment, righteousness is vastly more valuable and weightier than material possessions. As Jesus’ account of the rich man and Lazarus so graphically illustrates, it is better to be a righteous, penniless beggar than an unrighteous, rich man who lives in opulent luxury (Luke 16:19-31).
David’s psalm explains why his son’s proverb is true. It is better to be among the righteous because God upholds them. His watchful eye and thorough knowledge ensure their eternal inheritance in Abraham’s bosom (Ps. 37:17-18). The righteous man is the blessed man (Ps. 1:1-3). Not so with the wicked. Their greedy arms shall be broken. They are like the chaff of wheat which the wind drives off (Ps. 1:4), the vanishing beauty of a colorful summer field, and a wisp of smoke. They shall perish.
It is far better to have a little with righteousness than vast wealth.
