Proverbs 10:7 states “The memory of the righteous is a blessing,” In our culture we think a blessing is merely a wish; however, in Biblical culture a blessing was more like a legal right. When one person blessed another person, the person being blessed knew for sure they would receive their blessing. Proverbs 10:7 means the memory of a righteous person is not merely a pleasant memory; instead, the memory of a righteous person causes good things to happen.
One of the Biblical examples of Proverbs 10:7 is King David. When David was anointed King over Israel, God called David a man after His own heart. David had his faults and he committed grievous sins, but he was always loyal to God, and when he sinned, he repented completely. When David was king, God made the following promise to David:
2Sam. 7:12-17 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
This promise was made because of David’s loyalty to God. 100 years after David died, David’s loyalty to God saved his tribe from destruction.
2Kings 8:16-19 Now in the fifth year of Joram king of Israel, Jehoram became king of Judah. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD. However, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his sons always.
250 years after David died, David’s loyalty to God saved Jerusalem again.
2Kings 19:32-34 ‘Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. “By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Again, this last incident happened 250 years after David died. Even though David had been dead a long time, Yahweh was still protecting Jerusalem for David’s sake. Yahweh remembered David’s loyalty and David’s descendants benefitted from David’s memory. Do you ever consider that your choices today might affect your descendants 250 years from now? Living righteously can benefit our descendants in ways money never will because God’s protection over our descendants is far more valuable than money.
Most of us will never be as famous as David; however, as we go through life we need to choose between righteousness and wickedness. And while our decisions may not affect millions of people, our decisions do affect our small circle of family and friends, and we need to make our decisions accordingly. These products remind us to choose righteousness over wickedness in order to bless those who come after us and leave them an inheritance more valuable than money.
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.”
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