God’s Lottery
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 28:20 ESV
Hastens to be rich – Does God want you to live a productive, satisfying, purposeful life? YES! Does He want you to experience all of the blessing that He has in store for you? YES! Does that mean you will become rich, famous, powerful or beautiful? No, it does not. Confusing what the world counts as blessings and what the Bible calls blessings causes untold heartache and spiritual trauma. God’s lottery winners are not the same as Powerball recipients.
God promises blessings to the faithful man. Who is that? The Hebrew word is ‘emunot. The root is ‘emuna’, the word that means steadfast loyalty and reliability. In other words, God guarantees blessings to those who maintain lives of loyal adherence to Him and to His instructions. That makes sense. Torah includes both blessings and curses. Which one applies to you depends entirely on obedience. But ‘emunot is a bit strange because it is a plural noun attached to a singular noun (‘ish – usually translated “man”). The man (singular) of faithfulness (plural) doesn’t follow English grammar. Nevertheless, in Hebrew it demonstrates that this man’s loyalty is not a one-time event but rather a whole host of acts that characterize his lifestyle. He is a man of reliability over and over and over. The world’s lottery is based on winning numbers from a single ticket. The chances of winning are very, very small since only one ticket can win. But not so with God. Every act of ‘emunah produces a winner and everyone can perform acts of faithful obedience countless times.
This points to the other crucial difference between the “God wants me to be rich” preachers and the Bible. The man who hastens to be rich is bound for punishment. The Hebrew is ’ats leha’ashir. The verb means “to be in a hurry.” The one who is in a hurry to become wealthy violates a biblical principle. What is that principle? The principle is that the objective of my life is God, not wealth, and consequently, He determines when and how much He puts into my hands to manage for Him. To be in a hurry to become rich is to ignore the timing of God’s purposes. It is to suppose that I determine my own destiny according to my desires. Does this mean that God does not want anyone to be wealthy? Absolutely not! The root of this word (‘atar) is one of the principle Hebrew words for wealth and it plays a major role in God’s blessing of riches. But the Bible also warns that wealth is a serious contributor to self-confident arrogance and independence. ‘atar works both ways. The key is what God decides serves His purposes in our lives, not what we decide we want to accomplish for ourselves.
I have often taught that the desire for a blessed life of ease, wealth and influence is really the desire not to let God make of you the light on the hill or the salt of the earth. Why? Because your witness to His faithfulness has far less credibility when your life is easy than it does when your life is difficult. Job’s story demonstrates this truth and Yeshua echoed it. God knows who must live with a silver spoon because they are unable to cope with the trials that would make them into heroes and heroines of the faith. And God is gracious. So He gives the silver spoon to the weak and calls the rest to lives that test us in order that we might shine forth His goodness.
Topical Index: rich, hasten, ‘ashir, ‘asar, to be rich, hurry, ‘emunot, Proverbs 28:20
That reminds me of a friend who said she wanted God to keep her put up in a China hutch and use her only on special occasions, seemed strange to me. I always told her I would much rather be His favorite coffee cup and use me every time He had a chance. I would much rather be familiar with the regular touch of Him in the affairs and daily living in my life than an occasional goose bump of provision.
This reminds me of the prophet Jeramiah.From the worlds view,he had nothing but misery.From the biblical view he was blessed.Its like God didn’t have to give him anything,to keep him on board.I wonder what he experienced in the form of Blessings?(It must have been awesome).Or was the blessings kept for a future time?(even better).
Do it!! – (Now)
When do I desire for God to fill me and to use me? Every single moment of every single day. (And that dear friends includes “both” the Sabbath and the Sunday! Will God use those who are Jews (according to the flesh) ? Yes, He does. And will God use those who are Jews according to the circumcision not made with hands? Yes, He does,- every moment of every day and in every place. For this too, (y’all) is a demonstration of (we all are a demonstration of) both the will and the Sovereignty of El Elyon.
I hope I would not be so foolish as to step in front of a fast moving train, but when I “disagree” with or try to prevent the will of God- I stand a very good chance of either a) missing the train or b)- getting run over by the train, but whether I “see it” or am totally blind to it (as many sheeple are)- the will of God will happen- either “with” or “without” me.
Friend, it is our glorious privilege and honor for God to use us for His purposes, – to accomplish His will! It is a thrill beyond any known unto man to be used by God and then to “know it.” To turn around, and then with 20/20 hindsight to say, “God did that!” I love it when a plan comes together- His plan. Yes, (today), God does have a plan for my life and for yours. BTW, we should quickly recognize, His plan for you and His plan for me are not the same! We are the same, yet “different.” Every single one of us are made from the same materials, yet no two fingerprints are alike. Children, (sheeple) -shall we study each singular snowflake?- it’s all snow!
Yes, it is very much my desire to be a part (one link in a long chain) of what God is doing. May this be our heart’s desire this very blessed day: ~ I DELIGHT to do Your will, my Father ~ What a wonderful prayer! ~ Not my will (what I want), BUT (always love those Bible buts!!) Your will be done. ~
Now, for the practical “how to.” How is this done, both in my life and in yours? (oh boy, – here we go with “the list!”- lol! (relax, – it’s not that hard!) I promise to keep it simple.
First, please pay attention (heed) the details! “I delight”- It is a joy beyond anything this world has to offer, to know and to do “what God, (our Father) wants.” What “dad” (or mom) among us does not “delight” or take great joy in obedient children?
~ I have no greater joy than in knowing my children are walking in the truth! ~ (3 John 1.4)
Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, LORD and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such Love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross.
Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
(Thomas O. Chisholm, 1915)
Duty, drudgery or “delight?”
~ I delight to do Your will! ~
How? Absolute Surrender to the LORDship of Jesus (the) Christ. When? Now! – Do it! Now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for a lifetime of Your gracious heart,
and for revealing to me that my life’s time was Yours. Not mine.
Quote from The Professionals (1966)
Hans Ehrengard: Who can live in this God forsaken wilderness? (The Sonora desert in Mexico)
Rico: It takes getting used to.
Hans Ehrengard: Broiling by day. Freezing by night. Alkali dust choking every hole in your body. How in the name of God does anybody live here long enough to get used to it.
Rico: Men tempered like steel. Tough breed. Men who learn how to endure.
Hans Ehrengard: Like you and Dolworth. (“Professionals”)
Rico: Oh, no. Men like Raza. Jesus Raza (Revolutionaries)
“this man’s loyalty is not a one-time event but rather a whole host of acts that characterize his lifestyle. He is a man of reliability over and over and over.”
And one day soon YHVH will gather all of these men and women of reliability together from the four corners of this round earth (however that works) and we will all live life in together in The Holy City Of Our God that has been built in the midst of the garden of delights. What a glorious day to be free to live Torah unmolested by selfish tyrants.
Love THE LORD your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself is the summary of the Law of God that was handed down through Moses. Counting others as better than ourselves is the heart condition that develops as we obey that Law/Torah. Taste and see that YHVH is good and all His ways are delightful.
These have been my life verses since 1990. They’ve saved my marriage, changed all my pre-exsisting relationships, and made total sense out of keeping YHVH’s law.
When everyone in a house, family, and community keeps YHVH’s Law because they honestly believe that He is our Sovereign Creator and has given us good instructions for our benefit,
(which means we actually believe it enough to do it)
the ONLY POSSIBLE RESULT is that nobody is left out, everyone is valued, and everyones needs are met buy the entire community in love.
Communism and socialism are the counterfeit forms of this. The reason they don’t work is because there will always be someone who steps into the role of God and rule as sovereign which messes up the entire system.
However carefully we choose our our wife, husband, friends, employers, spiritual leaders, national leaders, etc………. determines whether we live in a community that is self governing, free, and satisfying, or tyrannical and oppressive.
What ever king we serve determines what law we will be in servitude to. When we choose to serve an un-god of any sort we put ourselves at the mercy of someone who is determined to serve themselves first and will make laws to accomplish those means. That is why Yeshua must be our King and our leaders must be followers of YHVH’s law which makes them “servants of all”.
It is impossible to live a Torah life in this present age without persecution of some sort. Un-gods can’t allow this. It reveals them for what they really are self serving uncaring tyrants!
If any form of it exists then it becomes evident that they are not the Sovereign Creator who designed everything and owns it all. Because when we live by what YHVH dictates everyone has everything they need in abundance. Life becomes fair and delightful. Nobody gets to lord it over others, everyone has a share in everything and everyone’s participation is just as important as anyone else’s.
So choose wisely this day whom you will serve. It really does determine whom you will serve in the world to come.
As for me and my house we will serve YHVH now and Forever more! Hallelu Yah!!!
Pam, as I catch up on some TW’s that I got behind on – I was struck by the depth and spiritual beauty of your post, so full of Godly wisdom. Well done!
Shalom
Shalom John,
I so crave that day when Our King restores order to this universe.
To dwell in safety and Shalom all around, among those who love His Law and gratefully and eagerly abide in it, is the primary content of my meditation as I seek to guard His Torah.
Kingdom life is so lovely even in this age even without much community. I can actually see it on the horizon and it’s so beautiful. It’s like I perceive it must have been to make the pilgrimage to the Temple mount in the days of Solomon. To behold the House of YHVH glistening in the sun from afar for the first time must have been an amazingly emotional experience.
“Communism and socialism are the counterfeit forms of this”
Hi Pam,
One could argue that the earliest form of “Christianity” was “communist”
They had leaders but not classes of people who exploited the less intelligent
The welfare of the whole community was of the highest importance
Some leaders sacrificed their lives for the principles of their community
communism leaves out God.
And a few other things. But you are not talking about the pure form of communism but rather Marx and Lenin’s view of communism. The idea that all share equally according to need and contribute equally according to ability is found in Acts, but it is not based on an economic system. It is based on loving your neighbor as yourself.
As well as being caring and concerned for each other in a genuine relationship. 🙂
I first came across Marx when I bought The Great Books of the Western World at 20 in 1968
His economic theories were a bit over my head, but his goal was difficult to argue with IMO
It was a “utopian” vision of a society without classes in which each individual would
Give what he/she could and get what he/she needed, economically speaking
Communism is so good it has failed every time it is applied.
Just look how it has helped our country.
I was watching a program on Bloomberg this am and one of the expert economists
Was expressing his concern that (communist) China was now able to produce
Goods more efficiently and on a scale that the world has never seen
As an old end-to-end test manager, I found it interesting that we just tried to roll out
A computer software system for the entire country to use without conducting
An end-to-end test
So true Michael,
But they did have their Sovereign and they did abide by His law and it was amazing and they were persecuted for their witness in this present age.
There is a huge difference between communISM and Torah life community.
“communISM and Torah life community”
Hi Pam
The problem with comparing communISM and Torah life community
Is that neither term can stand alone without a very complicated description
And mean anything at all
Or the terms can mean many different things to many different people
When most Americans think of communists, they tend to think of Russians and Chinese
At least I did until I went to college in the 70’s
Where I met a number of great professors
Who seemed to think that the great books of the Western world
Began with the Torah and ended with Karl Marx
BTW did you know that Karl Marx was a big fan of Abraham Lincoln’s
Brand of Democracy
I did not know that but should I be surprised? Gandhi was a fan of Jesus. He used His principles but left Him out and came up with a Hindu version of protestant minimalISM.
I think my main point was that this world from the beginning was designed to function perfectly when everything behaved according the cosmic laws that hold it together. These Laws must be seen as wise and beautiful in order to be able to appreciate the Wise and Beautiful Creator of them and love and worship Him for His goodness to us in giving them to us in the first place. Only then can those laws serve the entire organic universe all at the same time.
We tend think of “the creation” as everything we see around us. I have begun to see “The Creation” as the Torah which produces everything we see. The Torah is the revelation of YHVH’s character. It can never cease to exist until He ceases to exist. We are that special part of it that glues things together by obeying those Laws and Keeping the Shalom. We are designed to be the Torah enforcement crew.
Only someone who loves YHVH and His way of life can actually do that “BY FAITH” The Israelites did it by compulsion and not love. They preferred the ways of the nations.
When you keep Gods Law because you love it, in the hope that someday every knee shall bow to the King that created, it nothing can snatch you away from Him because NOTHING even comes close to comparing to Him. Everything else reveals itself as a poor knock off destined to fail.
That is why it’s abhorrent to me to see people even worshipping the “giants of the faith”. They are fellow workers who should be pointing us to the immensity of The One who gave them this abundant life.
So in my mind the question comes down to who will I serve. Will I love and adore a non-god who agrees with myself the tyrant who wants to build my own world my way? (you once refereed to me as mama Mao)
Or will I cease to try to reinvent the world in a way that makes it serve me and serve YHVH Elohim Creator of the Torah that built our world and gave me a life of stewardship over it? Selah
Shalom Shalom Michael
If I understood correctly the statement that everyone who is materially blessed in this life are weak, and therefore are given the silver spoon because they will never be able to handle adversity, I would nhave to disagree. I would think that it would take great moral strength, and dependence on Christ to live as a good steward of Gods blessings in the face of the temptation to indulge oneself. I know there are Christians that truly honour God with their substance by using it for His kingdom.
You’re point is a good one, but the claim was not that EVERYONE who is blessed is weak. The claim is that we often think of blessings backwards. We think the sign of God’s concern is rewards, not trials, but the general pattern of Scripture is just the opposite. Those whom He loves, He chastises. That is completely opposed to the contemporary prosperity gospel. So, while I am not generalizing to everyone, it is my observation that those who are coddled and given the “silver spoon” are often those who are unable to withstand the true pressures of the calling of Christ, to suffer for the sake of others.