Yeah, But...

(Pro 11:22 KJV)  As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

Can extremes cancel each other out?  We have gold and pigs.  To the Jew one was of great worth and the other was an abomination.  How often do we try to work out deals with God?  You know the pattern, “God, if I do this will you do this?”  The problem we face is that no amount of precious metal can compensate for defilement.  This is not about grace and forgiveness.  It is about the ways in which we try to work it out our way instead of God’s.

There is nothing wrong with wealth or beauty in themselves.  The problem is when we get them out of balance and try to substitute.  Have you ever been in a restaurant and they have a special that tells you, “No substitutions”?  What that means is you take the whole deal or none at all.

So?  God wants us to walk in righteousness.  It isn’t a negotiation.  It is an offer of more than we have a right to expect.  Go for the gold.