Wealth, Possessions, Economics and Deuteronomy 8:1-20

I enjoyed studying What Does the Lord Require? A Guide for Preaching and Teaching Biblical Ethics by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., particularly Chapter Sixteen on the topic of wealth, possessions and economics and Deuteronomy 8:1-20. God speaks frequently on the topic of money in the Holy Scriptures.  Professor Kaiser quoted John MacArthur that “The entire Bible contains more than two thousand references to wealth and property, twice as many as the total references to faith and prayer.” 

All wealth and possessions come with mixed blessings.  Even though the “prosperity gospel” of many preachers are all the fad, Professor Kaiser noted that many famous people have found wealth is “not all that it is cracked up to be.” Many wealthy people such as John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Henry Ford have noted that wealth is not the ticket to happiness but often wealth brings misery. 

So, the next question arises as to how should society distribute its wealth?  As Professor Kaiser noted

Possession, wealth, and goods also bring with them responsibilities. . . . We must use all that we are giving in a manner fitting of our roles as God’s stewards, for what we have is to be shared with our Lord and others; it is all on loan from the Lord – to be used for His glory.

Some people support the “Free-Market Approach,” while others contend for the “Guided-Market Approach” or a middle- road theory between the laissez-faire type of free-market approach and the government control model.  I agree with Professor Kaiser that the

The best conclusion seems to be that it is impossible to ease, reduce, or eliminate poverty by slicing the economic pie into small enough pieces so that everyone in the world gets an equal portion of the pie. . . . But history seems to have demonstrated that the best way to benefit the poor is by increasing the productivity of the market system.

Even more, Jesus Christ instructed His disciples in Luke 16:9 and Luke 12:16-21 to use their wealth, talent, and resources wisely and productively. 

As Professor Kaiser identified, some people will come to love money more than they love God (Job 31:24-28; Proverbs 11:28; 1 Timothy 6:17-18) or trust money more than trusting in God (Proverbs 23:4-5; Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19).  Even worse, the love money can lead to theft, stinginess, or pride.  I agree with Professor Kaiser that the cure for greed and other money ills are found the Holy Scriptures, especially the teaching of Deuteronomy 8:1-20.    

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 teaches that God is the Giver of life and all the gifts we own, despite the saying of E.F. Hutton:  “I did it myself; I earned it.” God deserves our wholehearted trust, love, obedience, worship, and thanksgiving for His grace goodness. As Professor Kaiser makes clear

We do not live by our wits, our degrees, our grandchildren, or our acumen.  We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 is clear that we must never forget God as the true Giver of all we have. Since it is God who creates wealth, we must render God all honor and praise. To forget God is to invite God’s destruction of us as a nation and “a personal participates in the grace and covenant of God.”