Pray for the Revival this week, continuing through Wednesday night, the Lord willing.
TODAY’S LESSON …
I did not originally intend to invest four Lessons in the 17th chapter (of Deuteronomy). Actually it will be a total of five before I can leave the subject at hand. We have been focusing on the “qualifications” God set in place for the different men who would serve as Kings of Israel.
One … He could not be of foreign descent. He had to be a blood brother to all the other Jews.
Two … He could not “collect” horses.”
Three … He could not be involved in polygamy. He could not “multiply” wives.
And for today … fourthly … He could not concentrate solely on money, silver and gold!
Deuteronomy 17:17, the last half of the verse … “Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.” Pretty plain, direct.
The “string” of words “greatly multiply” requires two Hebrew equivalents, “meod rabah.” An adverb placed by a verb. (In the Hebrew text there’s a preposition between “rabah” the verb and “meod” the adverb. Like this: “Silver and gold he shall not multiply unto greatness.”)
The prohibition is quite clear.
He can’t be a lover of “filthy lucre,” as Paul would have said, Peter too. (They used this negative expression four times between them.)
No, the King must “focus” on other, more worthy things.
But do note what the text did NOT say. He can amass some gold or silver. To meet the “needs” of life, one presumes. But he cannot overly concentrate on the stuff. He is not totally forbidden an income!
In today’s language He is saying, God is: “The King must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.” He is forbidden to be “excessively rich!” He can’t “pile up” a lot of silver and gold.
I believe God wants His leaders (the Jews still being “God’s Heritage”) to concentrate on Him … not primarily on cash or investments or acquiring more and more.
Now, from Solomon to you and me. Let’s apply this verse …
Truly, God supplies all our needs, directly or indirectly.
He gives us benefits, daily!
Yet … He, the Lord, still does not want US to be lovers of money, either.
Craving more silver or gold, simply for the sake of gain, is tantamount to “idolatry” in God’s Eyes! Listen to Paul the Apostle again: “Mortify (to put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, AND COVETOUSNESS, WHICH IS IDOLATRY.” Colossians 3:5
Today (maybe more than ever) we need to let the words of the old hymn “I’d Rather Have Jesus” become a reality in our lives. With Jesus meaning more to us than “silver or gold.”
Wow!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
“The love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1st Timothy 6:10
So true.