The Means of Wealth

Introduction

How can we get wealth?

steal it

inherit it

stumble upon it

Scripture says: God gives it.

The means of wealth, however, is not to fall from the sky, but to work for it, plan how to use it, and save the rest.

Proverbs 10:4–5 NASB95

4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.

Wealth, as a pursuit, is wrong.

Wealth, as a fruit of work, is healthy, good, and comes with a clear conscience.

“Never work for money.”

v.22

Proverbs 10:22 NASB95

22 It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.

The righteous man works and has a clear conscience:

Genesis 24:34–35 NASB95

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 “The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 24:1 NASB95

1 Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.

Genesis 26:12–14 NASB95

12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him.

Deuteronomy 8:18–20 NASB95

18 “But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 “It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. 20 “Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.

Proverbs 3:33 NASB95

33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

Proverbs 3:9–10 NASB95

9 Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 8:21 NASB95

21 To endow those who love me with wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

Ecclesiastes 5:10–17 NASB95

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. 11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? 12 The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. 15 As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Genesis 1:28–31

28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “aBe fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the 1sky and over every living thing that 2moves on the earth.”

29 Then God said, “Behold, aI have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the 1surface of all the earth, and every tree 2which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;

30 and ato every beast of the earth and to every bird of the 1sky and to every thing that 2moves on the earth 3which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.

31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very agood. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Proverbs 14:23–24

23 In all labor there is profit,

But 1mere talk leads only to poverty.

24 The acrown of the wise is their riches,

But the folly of fools is foolishness.

A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs Proverbs 10:22

The first cl. affirms that physical wealth is the gift of God, as in chs. 1–9 this gift is ascribed to Wisdom. The repetition of the subject by the insertion of it indicates that it is the divine blessing and not anything else that gives riches, that is, the divine blessing on the labor of men’s hands.

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Proverbs 10:22–25

FOUR-PROVERB COLLECTION. Type: Thematic, Parallel (10:22–25)

10:22–25 Only through righteousness and wisdom can one attain real security in life. The righteous can have wealth without the trouble that often goes with it (sycophants, legal problems), whereas the wicked will ultimately be brought down by the disaster they fear (vv. 22, 24).209 And while the wicked find great amusement in their crimes, they will not withstand a real calamity when it comes (vv. 23, 25).210 Verse 25 may be behind Matt 7:24–27. Jesus has been described as acting at times like a sage who used the proverb formula in his teaching (e.g., Mark 2:17; 4:21–25). That some of the sayings in Proverbs would be the source for Jesus’ teaching is no surprise.

22 עִמָּֽהּ׃ particle with it

In contrast is the wicked, lazy person:

Proverbs 6:6–11 NASB95

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. 9 How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”— 11 Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.

Proverbs 14:23–24 NASB95

23 In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty. 24 The crown of the wise is their riches, But the folly of fools is foolishness.

Proverbs 12:27 NASB95

27 A lazy man does not roast his prey, But the precious possession of a man is diligence.

Proverbs 15:19 NASB95

19 The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns, But the path of the upright is a highway.

 “The first cl. affirms that physical wealth is the gift of God, as in chs. 1–9 this gift is ascribed to Wisdom. The repetition of the subject by the insertion of it indicates that it is the divine blessing and not anything else that gives riches, that is, the divine blessing on the labor of men’s hands.”  Crawford Howell Toy, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs, International Critical Commentary (New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1899), 212–213.

This might appear as the Lord simply giving wealth in a miraculous manner.

That is not the case.

Wealth comes from work, and work is blessed of God for the righteous.

Conclusion

Matthew 25:14–30 NASB95

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.