Look of Wealth

The secular concepts of wealth are mixed.  Wealth is sometimes sought to the degree that persons will take on great risks to gain it even to the risk of life, the splintering of their families, the violation of their values, the loss of balance relating to self and society.  Gaining it is the central purpose of most crime.  With all his reputation for wisdom, Solomon risked the solidarity of Israel in his program for regal wealth.  God likely permitted the folly to demonstrate how insidious the love of wealth can become, even for a wise person.  Wealth may lead to waste.  Solomon had more horses than he needed to carry out the legitimate meaning of a head of state.  The Queen of Sheba was greatly impressed by Solomon, both in the spiritual and intellectual dimensions he possessed and carried over to the benefit of the people, but also the wealth that indicated power and success. (2 Chronicles 9:1 ff)  After a show of militarism that consolidated the nation, prevailing peace became a factor related to the reputation of Solomon’s reign.  On his death, Solomon’s people were divided, and Solomon’s legacy must take some of the burden of blame.  The nation was divided between north and south, a split that was never healed.  Two nations followed, both to separate defeats and captivities.  A remnant returned seventy years later to establish a somewhat neutered nation, a flurry of tribal nationality that wandered again until returned more than two millennia later, in 1948, to geographical independence – providing a bizarre history that continues.  Understood, Israel’s national decline began partly because of high taxation policies the new king would not amend.  The biblical account is clear about excesses of the King – to be exceeded by his successor son.  God had issued a private program for the future of the kingdom (7:7-22).  A program God warned about ultimately emerged.

God means for mankind to be prosperous in the world.  A derivative of the word was used with Solomon’s earlier achievements related to building both the temple and his own house – he prosperously advanced.  (7:11)   Words in Scripture related to the stem word, prosper, indicate personal and social comfort and are related to spiritual order that is carried over to society.  The Apostle John even related the word to both soul and bodily health in his Third Epistle.  Prayer is related to it.  Moses included it in his closing message to Israel: Keep the words of this covenant, and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do.  (Deuteronomy 29:9)  The word expresses not only that we have sufficient for human needs, and even comfort with some excess that may be used to aid others, perhaps to provide some security for children.  (2 Corinthians 12:14)   The story can be extended as a factor in both natural and spiritual life context.  Many persons do live by the biblical standard so to avoid either excess or poverty.  They learn to balance their lives – another way of saying they husband their lives, another way of applying moderation.  Moderation may be the most important factor given of God to manage lengthy human life, whether pagan or spiritual in earth context.

The issues related to wealth are not wealth itself but how it is gained and managed.  Gained and managed properly in the economy of God it serves to lift the poor, needy, and denied people.  Scripture reminds readers of the poor, the widow, the sick, the children, the elders, and the dying.  In some way wealth’s excess, even with prosperity taken from wealth, is sufficient to relieve the general needs of the peoples of the world.  God has made the way for us that may be squandered in excess unless we accept his call to overcome selfishness, arrogance, miserliness, power hunger, misplaced values and any other motive that human depravity presses upon us.  Governments could assist in the solutions to poverty by developing programs whereby the excesses of wealth may be used to achieve the balance God counsels for us in the management of wealth.  This is already partially done in recognizing tax benefits for giving, foundations for humane purpose, and programs that offer to the managers of wealth that not only make a nation wealthy but fulfills the purposes of God to make us empathetic, loving and serving persons.  It is interesting that those who buy into this pattern of management of wealth honor it, and prove the point of human service.