But greed had a way of being all consuming. It burrowed into your mind so that all you thought about was money or gold.”
–B. S. Dunn (Last Stand in Sanctuary)
“Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.”
–James 1:9-10 (NKJV)
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Here we see in Proverbs 10:15 another contrast. This time it is the wealthy versus the one in poverty.
“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.” (NKJV)
Wealth can bring many things, some of them good, some of them bad. Much is on how wealth is used. The rich must be careful not to make their wealth an idol thinking that it can cure and help in any situation. Bob Beasley reminds us that the “fleeting riches of this life protect us from very little.” Pestilence can run wild in a city, terror and evil are still rampant, life is in a rush. It is a mistake to look upon wealth as a “strong city.” It cannot secure us from the evils of life. J.L. Flores warns us about this thinking, “Strongholds can be undermined, and those who had trusted in their strength have been destroyed by that very confidence.”
There are over 900 billionaires in the United States. Man, sometimes despairingly, seeks wealth. I think of the gold rush back in the 19th-century. “Pikes Peak or Bust” and most of them busted. Or the slogan, “In God we trusted, in Kansas we busted” as many did not even reach the gold fields. Gold, the symbol of wealth, is elusive. It often causes delusions in those who seek it. Think of the great disaster of October 1929 when the Stock Market crashed. Some lost everything and could not handle that loss and took their own lives. See, the problem is not wealth; the problem is making it a god. So often the old adage regarding wealth is true: Here today–gone tomorrow. The prophet Jeremiah tells us, “Nor let the rich man glory in his riches.” (9:23, NKJV)
Then there is the poor man. What more can be done to the poor? They are already down and out. What hope do they have? They cannot turn to their riches, their money. If they have it, most likely they squandered it foolishly. They live daily in their destruction, destitute, homeless, addicted, stricken and many without hope. It is important that both the rich and poor realize “that the blessedness of life here does not consist in what a man has, but in what he is.” (Flores) You for sure can’t take it with you. What is the saying, “I’ve never seen a hearse with a trailer hitch”?
Those with wealth are expected to be a good steward and use it wisely for the kingdom of God. They should know that to whom much is given, much will be required. They are required to share their blessings, and I will say many do, but then…why do they share? Heavy heart, guilty conscience, appease the soul, do penance or is it out of a love for God? Jesus gave a warning that we find in Luke 12:15, “…Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (NKJV) Listen, wealth may be a curse, poverty may be a curse, “but a good conscience, a godly character, is a continual feast.” (Flores)