by Bruce Billington

Weekly Devotional 25th of September, 2026

In this session, we will continue examining Proverbs Chapter 13. This chapter presents a recurring contrast between the upright and the wicked. 

Proverbs 13:22-23 – “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. 23 Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor, but it is swept away by injustice.”

Verse 22 - Righteous people are often family people. This does not mean those who are single are excluded, but it does mean they tend to care about family, whether theirs or someone else’s. They respect the institution of marriage as God ordained it, and they value the sanctity of life. These are sacred in the sight of God. 

God would have the righteous make sacrifices to leave an inheritance for their descendants. In Israel, leaving an inheritance for the next generation was a sign of God’s blessing, and they often saw God orchestrate circumstances to enable them to do so. As a result, an inheritance was seen as a blessing from God. 

This verse also tells us that at death, unbelievers will lose all their possessions and wealth. Everything they have will pass to others, and eventually all wealth will pass to the righteous. This is a clear picture of eternity, the day when all things will be inherited by those who truly followed the Lord. 

But in the meantime, while on this earth, the righteous wisely use what they have inherited. They practise good stewardship so they can add to it and pass it on to future generations for use in the cause of Christ. They also understand and teach their children the value of an inheritance and all that it represents (an opportunity for service and for reaching the world for Christ).

A sobering comment is warranted here. The failure of the Western world to continue the biblical practice of inheritance has left its civilisation in moral chaos, and parents now hate what they see today, with so many righteous biblical practices lost. Society is so much the poorer for this. 

Verse 23 – There are two separate meanings given to this Proverb. The first says it describes those who have put their efforts into making an abundant harvest from which they could live comfortably. But it is taken from them by the unjust actions of others. The good harvest is destroyed and brought to nothing through unjust treatment or behaviour by others in relation to the rewards earned through hard labour. This injustice could come from wicked people, an oppressive government that overtaxes its citizens, or some undue circumstance. This results in poverty for the victims here, robbing their descendants of an inheritance. 

A second, more popular meaning given is that it refers to people who have lived beyond their means or become lazy, allowing their wealth to be eroded. The problem here is not a lack of provision, but a lack of wisdom, discipline, and foresight. This verse assumes that such people have worked hard and reaped the results, only to squander them on foolish practices. 

Either way, the warning here is that many people have adequate financial resources at some point, but they end up poor because of their own poor judgment or mismanagement of funds. They are poor because of their own choices. Some throw their money away on sinful activities such as gambling, taking drugs, or a myriad of other things that draw them away from the Lord. Others simply do not manage their money well and allow themselves to be taken advantage of. 

Either way, we are warned to be wise, cautious, and prudent with any abundance that we earn. There are many ways given in Proverbs to achieve this. 

God bless you.