Wisdom is Riches, Foolishness is Poverty – (Proverbs 14:24)

Daily Bible Study
True wisdom will always point us toward God, whereas absolute foolishness will always point us back toward ourselves, and the fallen world around us. And the wisdom of the world will always point us away from God to the things of the flesh. As we grow in our knowledge of God's word, the Holy Spirit helps illuminate our understanding of scripture and we grow in wisdom. And as we grow in God's wisdom, we grow in Christ and our focus comes off of ourselves and onto God and those around us. The wisdom from God will always bring with it a transformation in our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. This transformation causes us to become sensitive to the things of God and the needs of those around us.

This process of spiritual growth carried out by God, through the Holy Spirit in us, is called "Sanctification." And it's the process God uses to make us into a new creation in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore the "crown of wisdom" which is the "riches of the wise," refers to God given wisdom. Wisdom gained through the study of God's word and by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is contrasted with the foolish, who in their folly never look toward God, they can only focus on themselves and what others can do for them. They never seek God, therefore they never know true wisdom. Instead, they become masters of expressing their own emotions, always wanting more, in order to fill their desires. For such as these their folly is not only their foolishness, but ultimately the cause of their own destruction.