A.In order to function in this world, we practice wisdom in obtaining and using money.
B.The book of Proverbs contains God’s principles regarding money, so let us consider a few of them now.
II.TOP TEN PROVERBS FOR BUSINESS AND MONEY
A.Consider these ten passages from the Proverbs regarding business and money.
1."Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Prov. 3:9-10)
a.We show that God is most important to us by making Him our first priority with the wealth that He gives.
i.In Israel, the Law of Moses required the people to give the first fruits of the harvest back to God (Ex. 34:26; Lev. 23:9-11).
ii.We who are Christians now willfully give for the Lord’s purposes as we have prospered (1Cor. 16:1-2; 2Cor. 9:6-8).
b.By doing so, we act in the faith that God will continue to supply all of our needs.
i.The "first fruits” are a guarantee of more fruits to come.A faithless person hoards those first fruits for fear that there will be no more, but a faithful person gives back to God in anticipation of a greater harvest.
ii.The faithful person is rewarded, for God abundantly provides (Matt. 6:33).
2."Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.” (Prov. 10:4-5)
a.God has blessed us with the ability to help ourselves, so our efforts affect our results.
i.From the time that Adam was cursed from the garden, it has been man’s lot to work for his bread (Gen. 3:17-19).
ii.Israel was told to work for six days of the week and to rest on the Sabbath (Ex. 20:9-11).By the work of their hands, God blessed them with gain.
iii.Today, the principle of work still applies for us (1Thess. 4:11; 2Thess. 3:10-12).
b.Notice that the choice between industriousness and laziness is not just a choice between wealth and poverty, but it is truly a choice between wisdom and shame.
3."There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up.” (Prov. 21:20)
a.Wisdom dictates that a man should not consume all that he receives.
i.Like the ant in Proverbs 6:6-8, a wise man gathers provisions in store at a time of prosperity so that he will be supplied in a time of poverty.
ii.These savings not only benefit the wise man who saves them, but they also benefit the needy with whom he shares (Eph. 4:28).
b.On the other hand, foolishness leads a man to devour all that he has.
i.A foolish man is indulgent, short-sighted, and lacking in self-control.As soon as he receives wealth, he consumes it.He is soon in need again.
ii.This foolish way of life dominates our society, for most people live paycheck-to-paycheck and are one crisis away from disaster.
4."Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it.” (Prov. 15:16)
a.This proverb alludes to the godly attitude of contentment.
i.This attitude is expressed well in 1Timothy 6:6-10.Notice verse 8 – "And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
ii.One who fears God and is content with the basic necessities of life is much happier than one who is wealthy but does not know God.
b.Sadly, many who are rich never learn contentment in God and are forever in turmoil.
i.There is a great deal of stress that goes with building a fortune and protecting it.Those who do not know God are often overcome.
ii.Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:23).
5."Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Prov. 11:4)
a.This proverb exposes the true value of riches and righteousness.
i.Riches and righteousness are not always opposed to each other, but the pursuit of a person’s life often is a choice between one of these two.
ii.Those who choose to spend their lives in pursuit of riches may succeed, but their success will not help them beyond this world.Those who choose to pursue righteousness will obtain a treasure that will benefit them forever (1Pet. 1:4).
b.To this point, notice Psalm 49.
i.The rich man who trusts in his wealth to save him will not endure.He lays up treasure on earth, but it will not save him from death (see Luke 12:13-21).
ii.This man deceives himself into thinking that he will live, but "he is like the beasts that perish” (vv. 11-12).
6."Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it.When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. for wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens.” (Prov. 23:4-5)
a.God’s word commends work as an honest way to gain wealth, but overworking to get rich is discouraged.
i.Excessive labor and the stockpiling of wealth is ultimately vanity because the laborer will die and leave his wealth to someone else (see Eccl. 2:18-26).
ii.Part of contentment is being satisfied with the fruit of our labor.Let us work for our bread, work for the Lord, and be content with the results.
b.One reason for this commandment is the fleeting nature of wealth.A man who invests every waking moment into earning money ultimately wastes much of his time.
7."The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Prov. 22:7)
a.Nowhere in the Scriptures is debt ever counted as a blessing.
i.Borrowing money is not forbidden in the Scriptures, but excessive and unnecessary borrowing is an irresponsible use of God’s blessings.
ii.Many people know the truth of this parable personally, for they are overcome with oppressive debt.
b.The Proverbs also advise against cosigning loans for others, for this puts them and us into a state of slavery together (see Prov. 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26-27; 27:13).
8."He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor.” (Prov. 28:8)
a.Whereas it is not good to be enslaved to debt, neither is it good to profit by the slavery of others.We are not expressly prohibited from gaining interest on loans, but we should consider whether such profit is in harmony with neighborly love or godly wisdom.
b.Those who take advantage the desperation and ignorance of others via interest charges will lose their wealth.
9."An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end.” (Prov. 20:21)
a.An inheritance is a good thing, but it can cause problems if not handled properly.
b.A good example of a wasted inheritance is that of the prodigal son (Luke15:11-32).
10."Ill-gotten gains do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Prov. 10:2)
a.There are many evil ways to gain wealth, such as dishonest business practices (Prov. 11:1), fraud (Prov. 13:11), and illicit profits (Prov. 15:27).All of these are condemned.
b.In these dishonest ways, a man may become very wealthy in this life, but his ill-gotten riches will not save him from death and judgment.
A.Let us never confuse monetary wealth with success in life.Remember, "the rich and the poor have a common bond, the LORD is the maker of them all” (Prov. 22:2).
B.The next lesson from the Proverbs will be "Pride and Humility.”
