Two men separated by thousands of years. One was a priest, the other a king.

Both possessed some degree of worldly wealth. But each has been better known both in his own time and in our minds today for the wealth of his wisdom.

Yet, for all the wisdom they possessed and passed on, neither was perfect.

They were all too human.

The first, before he heard of another way, was a worshiper of false, dead gods in the religious sense. And the second, though he knew from infancy of another way, became a worshiper of other types of false, dead gods — the gods of plenty and pleasure.

And yet…the records of their words and ideas still speak truth to us today. Why is this so?

Because what is really good and true always and only comes from God. And what is really wise and prudent always and only comes from God.

So whether we speak of Jethro of ancient Midian, King Solomon of Israel, or any other wise person who has lived since, we would do well to heed a two-sided fundamental reminder.

We should never elevate the speaker of the wisdom to esteem them as much as the Giver of the wisdom. And we should never forget that the Giver of all wisdom sees the potential for redemption of and communication through every human He has ever made.