Grilled Cheese and Wisdom

(Proverbs 8:11 KJV)  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

I am not into jewelry so I don’t have any trouble accepting that “wisdom” (2451) is better.  Then I notice that the “jewels” (6443) of the NASB is the “rubies” of the KJV.  Then I notice that a marginal reference tells me it is literally “corals”.  It is hard to tell by looking at how the word is used in the Old Testament.  Whatever you choose it refers to something that society puts a high price on.  They are valued by objective standards.  They are rare and costly.

Wisdom is above that.  You have probably heard the saying that “a fool and his money are soon parted.”  It is easy to get suckered into wasting our resources.  Often that is the goal of advertising and sales, to get us to buy something that is not as glorious as we thought.  Have you ever been to a time-share presentation or an Amway recruitment?  Did you bite?

So?  God has offered us the principles and standards that make wisdom available.  When you know what good cheese tastes like, American doesn’t seem so good any more.  Unless, of course, it is toasted on cheap white bread, but knowing when to enjoy something is another part of wisdom.