Lesson 3: Materialism – Part I

I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      The Northern Kingdom of Israel prospered greatly under King Jeroboam II.

                                                             1.      Israel had essentially doubled their territory during Jeroboam’s reign by restoring lands from Hamath in the north to the Sea of the Arabah (Dead Sea) in the south (2Ki. 14:25).

                                                             2.      It was God who had enabled them to achieve this success (2Ki. 14:27).

B.      However, rather than viewing their prosperity as evidence of God’s power and kindness toward them, Israel forgot God as a result of their wealth.

                                                             1.      The proper response to God’s benevolence would have been gratitude in service and worship.

                                                             2.      Instead, Israel became satisfied with their material things and forgot about God.  No longer sensing the need, they discarded the source of all their blessings and looked toward the false gods of the heathen nations.

C.      In this is a powerful and important lesson for our nation today.

                                                             1.      The United States is perhaps the wealthiest nation in the history of the world.  Have we forgotten the source of all blessings (Jas. 1:17)?

                                                             2.      If we follow the course that Israel followed in handling prosperity, then shouldn’t we expect to finish the course in the same way they did, which was the destruction of their nation?

II.      THE INTERNAL ROT OF MATERIALISM

A.      It is wise for us to consider how Israel turned the material blessings of God into objects of corruption lest we do the same as a nation or as individuals.

B.      Through the prophet Hosea, God declared what the Northern Kingdom had done to themselves.

                                                             1.      “As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me” (Hos. 13:6).

                                                             2.      This pattern that Israel had followed is exactly the pattern that God warned Israel not to follow before He gave them the land of Canaan (Deut. 8:10-14).

C.      Every material blessing that Israel had received from God was good and was not the cause of their sin.

                                                             1.      Consider Deuteronomy 8:7-9.

                                                             2.      Indeed, all material blessings from God are good and should be received with thanksgiving (1Tim. 4:4).

                                                             3.      Therefore, it was not the material blessings themselves that doomed Israel, and no one can rightly blame God for giving them such an abundance of blessings.

D.      Israel’s reliance upon their wealth rather than upon God was the true source of their condemnation.

                                                             1.      In Hosea 13:6, God reveals that Israel first became satisfied (filled) with what they had received.

a.       Satisfaction is not wrong or evil, but it can become an occasion for sin if one is not mindful of God who provided the blessings that satisfy.

b.       The proper response for Israel when they were satisfied was commanded by Moses:  “‘When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you’” (Deut. 8:10).

c.        Instead, Israel’s satisfaction led them to lose their sense of need and dependence upon God.

                                                             2.      In their state of satisfaction, Israel became proud and self-righteous.

a.       Hosea explained that Israel considered their wealth to be a sign of their righteousness.

i.         “And Ephraim said, ‘Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin’” (Hos. 12:8).

ii.        They had deceived themselves into thinking that they had received their abundance of blessings because they were so righteous.  Thus they were praising themselves for having material possessions rather than praising God for blessing them.

b.       Focused on themselves, the people began to believe that they were the source of their own prosperity.

i.         God through Moses had warned them against this thinking: “‘Otherwise, you may say in your heart, “My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth”’” (Deut. 8:17).

ii.        However, Israel failed to heed the warning.  Rather, God said, “You have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors” (Hos. 10:13).  Thus they determined that their wealth was the result of their own wisdom and military power.

                                                             3.      In their selfish pride, they had forgotten God.

a.       Again, Israel had been warned about this in Deuteronomy 8:11-14.

b.       Despite the warning, Israel had forgotten God by forsaking His commandments.  Instead, they had pursued their own desires (Hos. 8:4,14).

c.        Having no sense of dependence on God and being filled with pride, Israel’s religion became self-serving.  Rather than offering reverential worship, they sought to do what pleased themselves.

i.         Idolatry offered this kind of religion, appealing to the lusts of men rather than restraining them with morality and good works as in the law of God.

ii.        Thus, they plunged completely into idolatry, making idols of their silver and gold (Hos. 8:4), and increasing in sin as they increased in wealth (Hos. 10:1-2).  They forgot God when they turned to idols, and for this they would be punished (Deut. 8:19-20).

E.       Thus, like a hollow tree, Israel rotted from the inside.  Outwardly, they had the appearance of a strong nation with their prosperity, but inwardly they were corrupt and ready to collapse with materialism.

III.   HISTORY REPEATING

A.      The parallels between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the United States demand our attention.

B.      In our satisfaction with our tremendous prosperity, we have lost the sense of need and dependence.

                                                             1.      We have had so much provided to us for so long that we don’t know how blessed we are.

a.       Food, shelter, and clothing are so readily available and so easily acquired that we don’t think of how hard it once was for people to have these.

b.       With no sense of history, we now feel impoverished just because we don’t have as much as the neighbors.  Consider Proverbs 27:7.

                                                             2.      Because we have had the necessities of life for so long, they are taken for granted, and so is the God who has always provided them.  There is little concern that He might take them from us.

C.      With the satisfaction of prosperity, we, like Israel, have become proud of our achievements.

                                                             1.      Rather than being thankful to God, we have congratulated ourselves for making us a great nation.

a.       We attribute our prosperity to our own wisdom in economics, education, industry, and politics.

b.       Instead, we should be looking to God who gave the land, sun, rain, and all natural resources as well as the abilities and talents of men and the government under which all of these can thrive.

                                                             2.      The more we prosper, the more we praise ourselves for a job well done.

D.      With pride focusing our thoughts upon ourselves, we have become blind to God and have forgotten Him.

                                                             1.      While there is still an acknowledgement of God by most Americans, few really know Him or His word.

a.       When Israel forgot God, they did not cease to acknowledge Him, but rather they forsook His commandments.  Our nation has done the same. (More on this in Lesson 5.)

b.       No government legislation will remind us of God’s will (such as placing the ten commandments in schools and courts).  Only when individuals change their hearts will God be remembered and honored as He should.

                                                             2.      Being proud, Americans have turned to Humanism (a form of idolatry) as the true national religion (see Lesson 2).

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      Our collective nation is following this course because its individual citizens are following this course.

B.      Therefore, we will continue the lesson regarding materialism with a focus toward individuals in the next lesson.