Numbers 5:1-31; Mark 12:35-37; Psalms 49:1-9; Proverbs 14:32-33
Psalms: “Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who inhabit the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation brings understanding… Why should I fear in times of trouble? The iniquity of my foes surrounds me. They trust in their wealth and boast of their abundant riches. Yet these cannot redeem a person or pay his ransom to God — since the price of redeeming him is too costly, one should forever stop trying — so that he may live forever and not see the Pit.” (Psalms 49:1-3, 5-9 CSB)
No matter where you go in the world, the wealthy are often the most hesitant to listen to and receive the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom is that God has paid a debt that you cannot pay – the price for your redemption from sin and rescue from eternal death. The wealthy do not see that they have a debt that is beyond their ability to pay. Their prosperity blinds them to their abject need. They place all their trust in their wealth, or their ability to produce or accumulate wealth. What happens to their security when the economy tanks, when the stock market crashes, when their ability to sustain their wealth evaporates away? Those who place their trust in the Lord have no reason to fear, even in uncertain times. Our redemption price has been paid, we have a sure future of eternal life, and we are under the provision and protection of the Lord and His endless supply of resources. Wealth, even great wealth, has limitations – and in the end, it does no good, for you can’t take it with you.
Proverbs: “The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.” (Proverbs 14:32 CSB)
Those who refuse to submit to the Lord, and instead, live according to their own ways and trust in their own resources, will ultimately get overthrown by their self-reliance and will be outcasts from the eternal presence of God. On the other hand, the righteous (those who humble themselves before God and receive the redemption that He has provided through faith) have a sure hope and a refuge of protection, even in death.
Jamie Hicks 