The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
– Proverbs 10:7
[T]he memory of a person obviously speaks of that person after they are gone. Once a person has lived and died, their character and name are fixed. Their memory will either be a blessing or a stinking rot. The memory of them will be determined by their character and way of life while they lived, whether just or wicked. This is wisdom’s long view of life. Wisdom considers the end of a thing before stepping foot in the path. It is pressed upon each of us to consider what sort of memory we would want to leave. The next step then is to seek wisdom and endeavor to live now in such a way that we come to that desired end. It would not be Divine wisdom to merely teach us to leave a good legacy on earth subject to the judgment of men. Divine wisdom teaches us that it is the judgment of God that matters and that should drive our life on earth (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).