"Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."
For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:11
What kind of person ought I to be? I am tempted to say that the kind of person I ought to be is the kind of person that is revered by society.
What kind of person is most revered by society? In particular, western society? I feel pretty confident enough to say in front of a crowed that it would seem that the most powerful people, those who appear to carry significant weight in the public sphere, are those who are revered by society.
Who are the most powerful people? It would also seem that if one painted with broad brush strokes, the most powerful people are those who the control and manage vast sums of wealth. Based on that conclusion, if I were to be powerful, it would seem that the easiest and most secure way of obtaining power, and thus procuring reverence by society, would be the securing and storing of wealth. I certainly understand that there are other ways of obtaining reverence in society, but the most certain inroad to power, and thus reverence, is wealth.
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall. Proverbs 11:28
A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. Psalm 49:20
Again, I ask, what kind of man ought I to be?