"The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty . . . The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Prov. 10:15, 22).

Everyone with eyes in his head can see that the wealthy are better off than those who are poor. The rich man has a strong city, and the poor get poorer. And of course, the normal route taken in both directions (toward wealth or poverty) is the route involving work (or lack of it), fraud (or lack of it), blessing (or lack of it), good service (or lack of it), or initiative (or lack of it).

Jesus pronounced a blessing on the poor, but it was a particular kind of poverty that He had in mind. Here Solomon pronounces a blessing on the rich, but it is a particular kind of wealth as well. One man has his business go extremely well, and God says to him, "You fool, tonight your life is required of you." And another man receives the blessing of the Lord, is made rich, and God adds no sorrow to it. This is an extraordinary (and rare) blessing.