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first mentions gold in its description of the lands surrounding Eden (Genesis 2:11–12). No metal in Scripture is mentioned more than gold, and God says it “is mine” (Haggai 2:8). Though it was highly valued, it was used abundantly: from cups to crowns, from shields to bells, from vessels to scepters, from altars to thrones, from door hinges to streets. The Bible speaks of choice gold, precious gold, fine gold, perfect gold, threads of gold, weights of gold, talents of gold, pure gold, dust of gold, cherubim of gold, and even mice of gold (1 Samuel 6:18 NASB). But gold wasn’t used just for divine purposes. Men also melted the precious metal to form idols, gods to their own liking. They unwisely valued gold more than God.

Scripture teaches that virtues such as wisdom, knowledge, reputation, and faith are valued more than gold:

I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

And find out knowledge and discretion. . . .

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;

I am understanding, I have strength. . . .

And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring riches and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold,

yes, than fine gold. (Proverbs 8:12, 14, 17–19 NKJV)

Here we see the Lord placing a higher value on the virtues of wisdom, knowledge, a good name, and faith. They are just a few of the many attributes of God, and He offers them to those who live for Him. “All the things one may desire cannot be compared with [wisdom]” (Proverbs 8:11 NKJV). In Proverbs 16:16 we are told that it is “much better to get wisdom than gold!” “There is gold and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel” (Proverbs 20:15 NKJV).

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common,

The LORD is the maker of them all. (Proverbs 22:1–2 NKJV)

Faith is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7).

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

You may be asking, “What does this have to do with planning for old age?” The things we value during the prime of life will follow us into the twilight years. If we wisely value faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it will strengthen us as we age. If we cherish our families by giving them love and understanding, we will likely benefit from continued fellowship with them. When we practice the golden rule, loving others as ourselves, we please God.

Shortly before the economic downturn in 2008, a successful businessman in his forties proudly announced his stock earnings to the tune of several million dollars. “It’s been a thrill to see my dream come true,” he said. Sometime later, it was reported that his wife had left him and his teenage son, who had spent his lucrative allowances to buy alcohol and drugs, ended up in prison. Many invest wisely in business matters, but fail to invest time and interest in their most valued possessions: their spouses and children.

This is certainly not the case with all those who have successful careers, but the story should serve as a caution. There is a lot to think about at every stage of life. We try to teach our young people to plan for their futures by doing well in school and taking advantage of opportunities to build a strong foundation for adulthood. Parents work hard to provide college educations for their children. Couples try to make wise investments for future retirement. Even senior citizens today are blazing new trails in planning for old age because the golden rules for the golden aged have been drastically altered in recent years.

Because of the tumbling stock market, everyone’s nest eggs have lost significant value. Those on the brink of retirement have had to reconsider the dependability of their pensions, 401(k)s, and mutual funds, and in many cases have suddenly changed directions. Nevertheless, planning for retirement and preparing for death have become big businesses, and there is great wisdom in responsibly caring for predictable details.

In Genesis 27, we see Israel’s patriarch, Isaac, preparing for his