Earlier in the chapter, in verse 10 we learn why silver was worthless, "The gold that came to Solomon in one year weighed 49,950 pounds." (God's Word Translation) If you had your abundance of gold, why would you need silver?
Curiosity got the best of me and I went to www.GoldPrice.org to find the current price for gold. It was $1,205.00 per ounce. Multiply that by 16 ounces in a pound, and Solomon's annual gold income, in today's values, would have been $963,036,000. Nearly a billion dollars a year came to Solomon in gold! (Author's Note: other translations say: "each year" as opposed to the God's Word translation of one year, hence my converting this to an annual income.)
I guess if I was making a billion dollars a year, I too would consider silver to be worthless.
Unfortunately, as I was closing my Bible this morning, I noticed the heading for chapter 11: Solomon's Idolatry. I guess that explains the words of Agur, son of Jakeh, in Proverbs 30:7-9 (New Century Version):
"I ask two things from you, Lord.
Don't refuse me before I die.
Keep me from lying and being dishonest.
And don't make me either rich or poor;
just give me enough food for each day.
If I have too much, I might reject you
and say, 'I don't know the Lord.'
If I am poor, I might steal
and disgrace the name of my God."
Oh had Solomon used his wisdom in his youth to understand that in riches there are many traps. Unfortunately, he didn't learn that lesson until the end of his life. Thirty-two times he uses the word meaningless in the New International Version's translation of the book of Ecclesiastes. "Like chasing after the wind" is used nine times in that same translation. Solomon learned, through much pain, true wisdom comes from God; wealth and things usually lead us away from Him.
Today my prayer was that of Agur from Proverbs. I hope that is your prayer as well!
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