BIBLICAL VIEW OF MONEY AND RESOURCES

{All scriptures quotations unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Amplified Bible. Also note that for the purpose of this study, I will use the words; money, riches, wealth & resources interchangeable.}

There has been a lot of opinions about money & riches said in the church. Some beliefs are that money is evil, the root of all evil, to be poor is being humble or righteous, etc. But we need to find out what the Word/God says about riches, wealthy or money. Let’s go through some few principles that the bible teaches.

WE NEED MONEY/ RESOURCES
(a) As individuals
- we need money for our needs, food, clothes, etc
- we need money to glorify or serve God, giving to the church and others
- we need money for our children. Prov 19:14, “House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, {and} prudent wife is from the Lord.”
(b) As the church
- we need money to pay bills for the church and for the livelihood of God’s servants
- we need money for reaching out or spreading the gospel
- without money our impact, effectiveness and efficiency is limited. We need buildings, equipment, furnisher, PA system, etc
(c) We cannot do without money both as individuals and as a church
(d) Money is not evil


GOD EXPECTS US TO HAVE MONEY
(a) He expects us to give tithes & offerings
(b) He expects us to give to the poor

GOD WANTS US TO HAVE MONEY
(a) He tells us how to get riches, wealth & prosperity. Deut 8:18, “But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Deut 28:1-11, “IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake. And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.”
(b) He made others rich / wealth.
· Abraham – Gen 13:2, “Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold.” Gen 24:35, “And the Lord has blessed my master mightily, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks, herds, silver, gold, menservants, maidservants, camels, and asses.”
· Isaac - Gen 26:13-14, “And the man became great and gained more and more until he became very wealthy {and} distinguished; He owned flocks, herds, and a great supply of servants, and the Philistines envied him.”
· Jacob - Gen 30:43, “Thus the man increased {and} became exceedingly rich, and had many sheep {and} goats, and maidservants, menservants, camels, and donkeys.”
· Job - Job 1:1-3, “THERE WAS a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from {and} shunned evil [because it was wrong]. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very great body of servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.” Job 42:10-12, “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job {and} restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him over all the [distressing] calamities that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every man an earring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.”
· Solomon - 1 Kin 3:13, “I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days.” 1 Kin 10:25-27, “Every man brought tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, equipment, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. Solomon collected chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees in the lowlands.”
(c) He created money. Hag 2:8, “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.” Rev 4:11, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.” Ps 50:12, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine.”
(d) He is rich and we are His heirs. Gal 4:7, “Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, {through Christ.}”

JESUS WAS NOT “POOR”
(a) The bible does not say Joseph & Mary did not have money for booking in the hotel, but says there was no room in the hotel. Luke 2:6-7 “And while they were there, the time came for her delivery, And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room {or} place for them in the inn.”
(b) Jesus had money to take care of the needs of the twelve disciples and Himself. John13:29 “Some thought that, since Judas had the money box (the purse), Jesus was telling him, Buy what we need for the Festival, or that he should give something to the poor.” Mark 14:12-15, “On the first day [of the Feast] of Unleavened Bread, when [as was customary] they killed the Passover lamb, [Jesus'] disciples said to Him, Where do You wish us to go [and] prepare the Passover [supper] for You to eat? And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, Go into the city, and a man carrying an [earthen] jar {or} pitcher of water will meet you; follow him. And whatever [house] he enters, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover [supper] with My disciples? And he will [himself] show you a large upper room, furnished [with carpets and with dining couches properly spread] and ready; there prepare for us.”
(c) Jesus had a treasurer for His money which means it was a lot of money because no one would have a treasure for small moneys. The treasurer was also a thief but still money was enough. John 12:4-6, “But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said, Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year's wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)? Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].”
(d) Jesus had enough money to have bought bread for the five thousand. Luke 9:13, “But He said to them, You [yourselves] give them [food] to eat. They said, We have no more than five loaves and two fish--unless we are to go and buy food for all this crowd”
(e) Jesus used to give to the poor, John 13:29, “Some thought that, since Judas had the money box (the purse), Jesus was telling him, Buy what we need for the Festival, or that he should give something to the poor.”
(f) Jesus and His disciples could have been rich (implied) because if they were poor they would not have been amazed but would be happy when Jesus talked about it being difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom. Mark 10:23-26, “And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, With what difficulty will those who possess wealth {and} keep on holding it enter the kingdom of God! And the disciples were amazed {and} bewildered {and} perplexed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is {for those who trust (place their confidence, their sense of safety) in riches} to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And they were shocked {and} exceedingly astonished, and said to Him {and} {to one another}, Then who can be saved?”
(g) Jesus’ clothes were worthy or of value for the soldier to worry about sharing them. Surely no one would worry about getting a poor man’s robe! John 19:23-24, “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, one share for each soldier, and also the tunic (the long shirtlike undergarment). But the tunic was seamless, woven [in one piece] from the top throughout. So they said to one another, Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots to decide whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture, They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things.”

GOD’S WAY(S) FOR HARNESSING / GETTING RESOURCES.
(a) God will not send money from heaven. We cannot pray and see God dropping money from heaven. He gives us money which is in the system. For instance, in Zimbabwe money has serial numbers, if God were to rain money from heaven that would be fake money and that is illegal in our country, God is wise and smart. There is one incident in the bible where Jesus instructed Peter to go get money from the mouth of the fish, I do not have any answer for that one. Matt 17:27, “However, in order not to give offense {and} cause them to stumble [that is, to cause them to judge unfavorably and unjustly] go down to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find there a shekel. Take it and give it to them to pay the temple tax for Me and for yourself.”
(b) God established the principle of sowing and reaping. Gen 8:22, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” That means we cannot change that principle same as we cannot change the principle of day and night. Whether we want it or not, there will always be day and night (in this age). In the same way, God has established the principle that there has to time when one sows and then at another season reap. The only way that I have seen in scripture for getting money / resources is to sow and await harvest! 2 Corinthians 9:6, “[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly {and} grudgingly will also reap sparingly {and} grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously {and} with blessings.” Gal 6:7, “Do not be deceived {and} deluded {and} misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that {and} that only is what he will reap.”
i) Tithing
· God instructs us to tithe. Mal 3:8-12, “Will a man rob {or} defraud God? Yet you rob {and} defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob {or} defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you happy {and} blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.”
· Tithing was before the law. Gen 14:20, “And blessed, praised, {and} glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all [he had taken].” Gen 28:20-22, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear, So that I may come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God; And this stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument) shall be God's house [a sacred place to me], and of all [the increase of possessions] that You give me I will give the tenth to You.
· Tithing is found in the New Testament. Matt 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected {and} omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right {and} justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.” Heb 7:1-8, “FOR THIS Melchizedek, king of Salem [and] priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, And Abraham gave to him a tenth portion of all [the spoil]. He is primarily, as his name when translated indicates, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace. Without [record of] father or mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but, resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest without interruption {and} without successor. Now observe {and} consider how great [a personage] this was to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth [the topmost or the pick of the heap] of the spoils. And it is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to take tithes from the people--which means, from their brethren--though these have descended from Abraham. But this person who has not their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham [himself] and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God]. Yet it is beyond all contradiction that it is the lesser person who is blessed by the greater one. Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; while there [in the case of Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives [perpetually].”
ii) Offerings. Prov 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your capital {and} sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.
iii) Alms / giving to the poor. Gal 2:9-10, “And when they knew (perceived, recognized, understood, and acknowledged) the grace (God's unmerited favor and spiritual blessing) that had been bestowed upon me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars of the Jerusalem church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Jews). They only [made one stipulation], that we were to remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do.” Acts 10:4, “And he, gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, What is it, Lord? And the angel said to him, Your prayers and your [generous] gifts to the poor have come up [as a sacrifice] to God {and} have been remembered by Him.” Prov 19:17, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.” Prov 21:13, “Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor will cry out himself and not be heard.” Prov 22:9, “He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.”
iv) Giving to the saints and God’s servants. Gal 6:6, 9-10, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches {him.}Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (NASB)
v) Working (hard). Prov 14:23, “In all labor there is profit, but idle talk leads only to poverty.” Prov 18:9, “He who is loose {and} slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer {and} {he who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide}.” Prov 19:15, “Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and the idle person shall suffer hunger.” Prov 22:29, “Do you see a man diligent {and} skillful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Prov6:10-11 “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down {and} sleep-- So will your poverty come like a robber {or} one who travels [with slowly but surely approaching steps] and your want like an armed man [making you helpless].”
vi) Seizing opportunity that God gives us. Prov 20:13, “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes and you will be satisfied with bread.”
vii) Living right & being obedient to God. Lev 26:3-5, 10, “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase and the trees of the field yield their fruit. And your threshing [time] shall reach to the vintage and the vintage [time] shall reach to the sowing time, and you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. And you shall eat the [abundant] old store of produce long kept, and clear out the old [to make room] for the new.”

6. RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS MONEY
(a) Acknowledge that God is the giver or source of wealth. Prov 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Deut 8:10-18, “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for all the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes which I command you today, Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, And when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, Then your [minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, but Who brought you forth water out of the flinty rock, Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. And beware lest you say in your [mind and] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
(b) Share and give as God blesses you. Prov 3:28, “Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it--when you have it with you.” Prov 11:24-25 “There are those who [generously] scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting {or} what is justly due, but it results only in want. The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered.”
(c) Do not let money rule you or be your god. Prov 11:28, “He who leans on, trusts in, {and} is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough.”
(d) Do not waste money. Prov 21:17, “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.” Prov 21:20, “There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident {and} foolish man swallows it up {and} wastes it.”
(e) Do not get money in corrupt/wrong means. Prov 10:2, “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) delivers from death.” Prov 11:4, “Riches provide no security in any day of wrath {and} judgment, but righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) delivers from death.” Prov 13:11, “Wealth [not earned but] won in haste {or} unjustly {or} from the production of things for vain {or} detrimental use [such riches] will dwindle away, but he who gathers little by little will increase [his riches].”