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by Kevin Pauley
The righteousness of the blameless clears his path, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness. The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires. When the wicked dies, his expectation comes to nothing, and hope placed in wealth vanishes. - Proverbs 11:5-7 HCSB
What is the expectation of wealth if not power? What is its hope if not the ability to grant wishes? Quoheleth clarifies that the wicked will not necessarily fall to an outside threat. It is his wickedness, his selfish desire to place his desires above morality, that will be his undoing. That very thing that he thinks will liberate him will be transformed into binding shackles.
Adam and Eve thought that disobeying God would grant them greater knowledge and experience which would bring greater wisdom. They imagined that their new-found independence of thought would raise them to a new and superior level of awareness. In fact, all it brought was death, shame and exile.
When the wicked one dies, his expectations of power and influence shrivel and die with his rotting corpse.[1] He comes face to face with Yahweh Shaphat[2] and realizes the true insignificance of his pursuits. The wicked, having placed their trust in Mammon are thrown down by their own sin, but the righteous have a refuge when they die.[3] Having ruthlessly pursued wealth to the detriment of their workers, stepping mercilessly on anyone in order to reach the fabled top, they are in turn shown no mercy at the Judgment Seat.[4]
We must beware of greed. Success in life does not consist in the accumulation of possessions. The Master once told a parable of a rich man whose lands were very productive. He thought to himself, “What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink and enjoy yourself.’” God responded from heaven “You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. The things you have prepared – whose will they be?” The Master concluded by warning, “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”[5]
The rich man’s mistake was not in planning ahead or even being financially successful. His mistake was his total obsession on materialism. He became so focused on his worldly affairs that he forgot to give Yahweh Melek His due. We need to dedicate ourselves to the accumulation of treasure in heaven.[6] If Hashem chooses to grant us wealth on earth in the meantime, that must be regarded as one more tool to build heavenly wealth. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.”[7]
[2] God our Judge; Hebrews 9:27
[7] A quote by Jim Elliot in the October 28,1949, entry on page 174 (Chapter 4) of the 1978 hardback edition of the Journal and on page 108 (Chapter 11) of the 1958 hardback edition of Shadow of the Almighty.
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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