Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children\’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Proverbs while not being scriptural mandates for godly people nevertheless are guides for the wise. This proverb observes that the person who is farsighted plans ahead for the provision of his family. This holds true for Christian and non-Christian alike. Therefore, this passage of scripture, would not exclude the prudent ungodly person who carefully and wisely plans for the provision of his future and his family. Neither is it suggesting that the godly are always wise and farsighted.
The person who lives beyond his means enjoying the pleasure of the present is doomed to suffer the pain of poverty. The anguish of debt and the pressures that accompany it are the lot of those who desire to overlook the necessity of providing for the future in the present. A bumper sticker that glibly states this concept in selfish humor says, “We’re spending our children’s inheritance.”
As the proverbs are not mandates they are also not determinations of certainty. This is borne out in the realization that just because a person is godly and makes careful wise decisions does not mean that he will be wealthy and leave a great inheritance to his descendants. An inheritance that all can leave their descendants in spite of their financial circumstance, however, is a legacy of godliness. To leave descendants with a healthy fear of the Lord, a deep love for the Word of God, and a determined desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord are matters of most precious value.
by Dr. Gayle Woods