by Fillmer Hevener
Today in 2011, there are those, both Christians and non-Christians, who attack the concept of wealth generation as being of Satan, not of God. One such group would appear to be the “Occupy Wall Street” hellions. This negative, twisted view of wealth generation is not taught by the Holy Bible.
First, are there examples in Scripture of God assisting individuals in becoming wealthy? The answer is, “Yes.”
Abraham, whom most informed people accept as being the “Father” of the Jews, was exceedingly wealthy and was richly blessed by God, the Creator and Owner of everything. David writes that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God. (Ps. 50:10.) Clarke’s Commentary notes that Abraham was “very rich.” God promised to bless Abraham for his faithfulness, both spiritually and temporally. Not only did Abraham have many flocks, but silver and gold as well. The highly respected Jewish historian, Josephus, says that a part of this prosperity was acquired by Abraham teaching the Egyptians both arts and sciences. Abraham was both wise and well informed! In addition, God also blessed Abraham spiritually because of his faithfulness and obedience. Therefore, not only did God approve of Abraham’s wealth, but He also participated in seeing that His servant was richly blessed in flocks, gold, silver, and spirit.
Another wealthy Biblical character is Job. He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition, he had a large number of servants (Job 1: 1-4.) Although Job was sorely tested, he remained true to God. When Job’s troubles continued to mount, Job’s wife advised him to curse God, but Job called her “foolish” (Job 2:9-10.) Job asked her, “Shall we take only good things from God and not trouble?” “In all things, Job did not sin.” (v.10.) Because of Job’s faithfulness, at the end of the epic, God restores Job’s wealth doubly as well as gives him long life, allowing him to enjoy his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. (Job chapter 42.) Finally, God calls Job “perfect.” (Job1: 1.) Yes, God proclaims that a wealthy man can be “perfect.”
Jesus Christ also taught the importance of wealth generation. In His parable about the three servants, Christ had a master give each servant a certain number of bags of money. To the first servant, the master gave five bags of money, to the second servant he gave two bags of money, and to the third servant, he gave one bag of money. Each servant was to manage his allotment of money for his master, who then left for an extended journey. Upon the master’s return, he called the three servants before him to account for their stewardship. The first servant doubled his five bags of money, the second servant doubled his two bags of money, but the third servant buried his money, hoping that the master would be satisfied with preserving the original capital. As the parable closes, the master returns home and praises the first two servants for their business ability; because they had demonstrated their good judgment and business acumen, he put under their management additional wealth. However, the master calls the third servant slothful, condemning him to outer darkness and giving his money to the first two servants, who demonstrated their enterprise, integrity, wisdom, and good business judgment (Matthew 25.)
Of course, the master in the parable symbolizes God, and the servants symbolize each individual. Although each person is given different abilities, talents, God expects him to increase those talents, and, in the judgment, each person will have to give account for the talents that God has given him. These talents include such assets as time, life, money, and health.
Today, there are some who would condemn wealth fairly gotten and have the government take the wealth from the thrifty and energetic, while giving it to those who refuse to practice the work ethic and refuse to take responsibility for developing their own God-given talents.
Remember the Ten Commandments? The eighth says that man is not to steal; the tenth says that man is not to covet. James writes that we shall be judged by the Ten Commandments (James 2: 8-12). Therefore, wanting to confiscate what someone else has breaks both of these commandments and puts us in jeopardy on the day of God’s judgment. Money is not the root of evil; it is the LOVE OF MONEY that is the root of all evil. Anytime we put money, or any other object, above our love for God and serving Him, that object become our god; therefore, we break the first of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20: 3 &1 Timothy 6:10).
In summary, does God approve of wealth generation? As we have seen, not only does He approve of it; He demands it!
Dr. Fillmer Hevener earned a doctorate of education from the University of Virginia. An accomplished portrait artist, he is also pastor of Guthrie Memorial Chapel. Visit its website, www.GuthrieMemorial.org.
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You left out one very important verse from the Scriptures. I don’t remember the exact chapter and verse, but it say’s to the effect GOD saying: Remember when you enter into the promissed land that it was ME that gave you the ability to get or gain wealth. Not an exact quote.
Some are appointed wealth, due to there faithful stewardship of its use. Another acquires wealth by the strength of there own diligence, while placing all there hopes and dreams in a perishing Idol. And then there are those which live in worldly poverty, but cling faithfully to an unseen treasure which awaits them in Paradise. And last we have the most pitiful of all that poverty has to offer, which wallow daily in a wasted faithless life of hardship without hope. Shalom!
The talent you left out was the most important one. Faith is most likely what Jesus had in mind when he told that parable. So, your tie to money doesn’t hold much water. When asked by the pharisees which commandments were most important, Jesus said that the first commandment is the most important “To love the Lord your God with all …..”. Then, he went on to say that the second “is like unto it. To love your neighbor as yourself. For herein lies the law and the prophets.” Now let’s get back to the love of money. I think that Jesus would say that if you get rich by stepping on the backs of your neighbors, you’re a pretty evil guy. For instance, walmart corporate policy is to pay employees poorly and keep their hours low so they don’t have to pay benefits. In fact, they are counting on the government to cover these people with medicaid. Now check out (google) dead peasant life insurance. Apparently, this is common practice among large corporations.
I don’t believe that the kids on Wall Street are protesting the mom and pop stores or the small businessmen and women who bust their butts building a life. They are after the corrupt big corporations and the corrupt banks. You can’t quote the Bible in your article, then ignore the influence of the bilderberg group, the cfr, and the federal reserve. If you don’t think that there is corruption, you’re a fool. On the other hand, nothing in our country should be handed out for free. My advice to you and the rest of the country is this- we are very close to collapse and don’t have time for these petty arguments. We can’t just regurgitate what we hear on the television. Right now, we need to meet with these people and unite us all. If we can compromise, then we can clean house in Washington and start getting our freedom back. Most of the country is still asleep. If you’re awake, congratulations! But, realize that when someone awakes from slumber, it takes a while to get your bearings. Most people, including those kids, are awakening from coma. They need rehabilitation and care to fully awaken and see what’s really going on. Help them, talk to them, show them what you see. Then, they will aim their anger in the right direction. Make no mistake, they are patriots in the making. Let’s guide them, compromise, and use this movement to change things. This may be the greatest opportunity ever. Let’s not blow it through insults and misquoting the Bible. If you are a believer, you will answer for those misquotes later.
So you’re saying that because of what SOME greedy people and corporations do NO ONE
should be able to become wealthy through their own honest and hard work? Who are YOU to make this decision? I happen know MANY people who have worked very hard to create successful businesses and are extremely generous not only to their employees, but to their entire communities AND to people in need AROUND THE WORLD. These are the people behind some of the best philanthropic organizations in the world. You see, it was God’s plan to BLESS these people with wealth so that they could then bless MANY OTHERS. I.E. GOD knows the plans he has for each one of us. It is not for YOU or your socialist cohorts to make this decision. Your arrogance is astounding. In fact, the LEAST
generous and MOST wealthy members of Congress are…LIBERALS. Pelosi leads the pack. She also is the one who made the most from insider trading by actually CREATING the regulations that would affect the stock prices and then cashing in on the resulting price changes. Oh and the Occupiers…while there are some good reasons in the mix of the protest messages, the protest itself was NOT of spontaneous, grass roots origin. It was planned by far left radicals not only here in the U.S., but in Europe. If you had to put one or two names to it, Steve Learner would be one of them…w/behind the scenes George Soros to providing whatever funding necessary. They have NO INTENTION of meeting with anyone to make real change. Their assignment is to disrupt and KEEP THE DISRUPTION GOING. The violence will ultimately cause desperation on the part of governing forces and then “help” will come in the way of …socialism…Marxist style.
Read RULES FOR RADICALS by the master of radical revolution, Saul Alinskiy.
Thou shalt not covet is the Torah that applies to wealth acquisition. Based on this Torah, YAH ELOHIM is the source of all our blessings. He causes the sun to shine and the rains to fall on the earth; He is also the One who feeds the good and the bad, (those who love HIm and those who love Him not).
There are two eays to acquire wealth: by YAH’s Blessing or your own efforts. The former is to live in obedience to YAH and work hard, wait for His blessing; the later is do what you want, be it dishonest or opportunistic way to acquire wealth.
When those who love Him, keep His Torah they would be blessed and that is how Abraham and Jacob got their wealth, even Job who refused to curse YAH in his afflictions. That way we do not err or stray as opposed to acquiring wealth by dishonest means which is rampant in todays world.
But why do one who is in this world and not of this world want to acquire so much wealth for selfish reason? YAHSHUA told the man who wanted to follow Him to give his wealth away and he left disappointed. That tells some truth: “he who love …more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
In His discourse on the Mount, this is what our Master said to the crowd: Be not laying up for yourselves treasures upon the earth,where moth and rust do tarnish, and where thieves dig through and steal. But be laying up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth tarnish and where thieves dig not through, nor steal.”
Now let us look at James 5:1-5.
Come now! ye wealthy! Weep ye, howling, for your hardships which are coming upon you:
Your wealth had rotted, and your garments have become motheaten,
Your gold and your silver have rusted away, and their rust shall be witness against you, ye shall eat your flesh as fire! Ye have laid up treasure in days of extremity.
Lo, the wages of the workers who have cut down your fields, that which hath been kept back by you, is crying out; and the outcires of them who reaped, into the ears of YAH of Hosts have entered…
Ye luxuriated upon the land and run riot, ye have pampered your hearts in a day of slaughter…
The OWS people are raised by YAH and they are doing the right thing. They are the oppressed of the earth and YAH have heard their outcries and is coming to deliver them.
YAH is full of mercy and He taught us in His Torah not to neglect the poor and needy, the fatherless and the widows in our midst. So why build your wealth when there is so much suffering around you. Mr. Heavener?
Come 2012, auspicious year, the global financial collapse, stock market crash and closure, famine and pestilences, no govenment could help; people stood by powerless.
The hand of YAH is upon the land and then you have to shout: YAH liveth! YAH reigneth! YAH judgeth! This is inline with James 5:1-3. The rich and wealthy shall weep and howl when famine strike, their money cannot buy when there is no food and thus it is worthless, rusted and motheaten… It is all about greed and YAH hates greed.