As our world comes out of the shutdown of businesses and jobs, many people will be needing to rebuild their financial houses. Some of us are just now beginning to build because we have just recently learned some of these lessons.  As you build or rebuild, it would be good to build on a Godly, Biblical foundation to better withstand the storms of the future.

As Christians, the church has been diligent in teaching us to tithe or give 10% of our income to the church.  Some in the pulpit have taught that as you give God will give it back to you.  But there the teaching of financial matters usually ends unless they also teach the warnings of “the love of money is the root of all evil,” “lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth…” as we have covered in other blogs and in the book, Poverty vs Wealth.  But the church, once it has its income needs met, generally stops discussing or teaching a Biblical understanding of the handling of money.  What all is involved in prosperity? – What other principles are in the Bible that deal with money? – Does God want you to prosper and have enough stored up for rainy days and retirement? What is God’s part in helping you prosper? What other responsibilities do you have after giving? Etc.

There are a great many verses in the Bible that cover the topic of money.  For instance:

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day KJV

The phrase “to get wealth” may be easier to understand from a couple of other translations.

New International Version: “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

New American Standard Bible “…. giving you power to make wealth, …”

The word for “wealth” in Deuteronomy 8:18 is a noun that is used of strength, armies, wealth, and as virtuous.  It is used of the strength of people, horses, or nations. God is often seen as the supplier of that strength whether it is men or nations. When speaking of men, it is often used of those that are strong for war. This idea of strength is often used to imply financial influence (wealth) as well.

The basic meaning is strength and ability from which comes power or might (especially warlike), and wealth. It is also used to imply honest and upright. For example:  righteous men that are able to judge.

Also, the strength carries with it the idea of influence and especially influence that comes from God.  

Zechariah 14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives the ability to produce wealth.  It would seem to be a partnership process. God was the supplier of that strength or influence in each situation, and yet He expected them to put forth their best effort.  It reminds one of Proverbs 21:31 that says “that the horse is prepared against the day of battle, but the safety is of the lord.”  

God supplies the influence and strength that go with work because of our love for Him and His great desire to bless His children.

Job

Let’s look at Job who was the greatest of the men in the East:

Job 1:3  His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Then Job lost everything he owned.

He was finally delivered when he prayed for his friends, and it says that God gave him back double what he had lost.  How did that work? How did God give it all back to Job?!

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

These people gave him some money and gold and then Job went back into business. Did Job wake up with six thousand camels parked outside his front door?  Did it happen in one day? NO! He worked his butt off. He went back to work, and the end result was that God, working with Job, gave him twice what he had before.  God’s influence at work!

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

It is interesting to note that Job gave the glory for his wealth to God.

Job 31:25-28 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand: This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

As we noted in another blog, everything belongs to God. And Job here recognized that if he has said his own hand had gotten much he would have denied the God above that provided it.  Thus, Job recognized that God was the provider of his wealth.

Joseph

Another great example is Joseph who was a wealth builder, one able to produce wealth.  Because of the work of Joseph, Egypt and Pharaoh became extremely wealthy. This was a job given to him by God.  In this situation Joseph, a slave and a prisoner, had the personal power and confidence in this case, to stand before Pharaoh and interpret his dream and explain to Pharaoh what needed to be done.  

However it is that God works, God influenced Pharaoh to have Joseph do the job of taking care of Egypt.  You see this many times in the Bible where it says God put something in a person’s heart.  In life, people you deal with “just like you” and want to give you their business.  

Joseph with the strength and power and influence exerted by God now produces great wealth in the Land of Egypt.  

In both cases, these men gave God the glory because they knew where the wealth and power to gain it came from.  God Almighty!

Ruth

The word “virtuous” as used of Ruth and in Proverbs 31 is the same as the word “wealth” used in Deuteronomy, and it implies strength and influence that comes from God also. Since the same Hebrew word is used for both men and women, it would be logical that the women would have at their core some of the same characteristics as the men:  strong, able to produce wealth, righteous, able to judge, honest and upright. (With this understanding of the word “virtuous,” rereading Proverbs 31 is enlightening.)

As any Godly woman endeavors to live her life in service to God and her family because of her love for Him, God works in her life with His power and strength and influence so that that woman (Ruth here) becomes known as a virtuous woman and carries out her work.

You might ask where was God’s influence in Ruth’s situation? She married into the Christ line and was the great grandmother of King David of the linage of Jesus Christ. As a virtuous woman, she had this God-given strength and influence such that even though she was a Moabite (gentile), that Boaz said, “I want her to be my wife”. God’s influence at work again! Mothers have a lot of influence over their children, too.

This promise of wealth was given to God’s servants, adopted children in the Old Testament.  Since God was so kind and so desiring of His children to be prosperous, it is logical to assume He would want and do no less for us in our administration, the Age of Grace, with those born from above of His seed.  As you endeavor to put God’s Word into practice in your life by tithing, giving, saving, and being diligent, God works on our behalf the same as He did for His servants.  The wealth still comes from Him. AND, we see His strength and influence are at work on our behalf so that we are not working alone in this work of building wealth.

Apparently God has no problem with His children being prosperous or wealthy: saving for retirement, having an emergency fund, saving for our children or grandchildren’s college education, paying cash for cars, etc. This saving of money helps stave off the temptation of going into debt to meet our needs.

This wealth building is a continual process. This getting of wealth is not us sitting there, and the heavens part and the wealth falls into our laps. No! God sets up the promises and the foundational principles. Tithing – giving – saving – being diligent, then as we believe and obey His Word, and keep Him first in our hearts, He will do the same for us as His servants or even more as we are His children. So that it is like a partnership, and He is involved in the work of wealth building along with us. He opens the doors with His influence and strength to accomplish the wealth building. He has a purpose for this, but that is another subject for another blog!

We may suffer setbacks, or we may get into the game late as some of us did, but it is never too late with God. If you have not started yet, start tithing, saving, and begin that wealth-building process. Wealth building is a lifelong undertaking, and it is part of what we achieve in the pursuit of  The Prosperous Life.