The Foolish, the wise and the Prosperous

The Foolish, the wise and the Prosperous

Proverbs 28:25-27, 14:24

Pr Janice Chin

1 October 2017

Formulas from Proverbs 

- much wisdom to be found in Proverbs; one theme is money, many sayings touch on this topic;
- prosperity in context of this sermon to be generally defined as wealth, riches, success, etc.

Some formulas from Proverbs? 

1) Prosperity = God's blessing

    Prosperity = God’s blessing (Proverbs 3:9-10; 10:22; 13:4) 

- prosperity is good; sign of God's favour;
- think abt OT characters like Abraham, Joseph and David; material blessings a sign of their chosenness, as God's blessed ppl/man;
- we generally consider favourable circumstances to be blessing from God; rightly so, when we perceive a blessing we should credit it to God;
- Does this formula mean: If you are prospering, God is blessing you? And if you are not prospering, God is not blessing you?
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2) Foolish living = Not Prosperous

2. Foolish living ≠ Prosperous (Proverbs 12:2; 14:24; 21:17)
-  cause and effect; a retribution kind of idea, which is good behaviour guarantees good outcome; e.g. if you are kind, you will receive kindness;
- Job's friends believed Job's suffering was due to his doing; blind man was blind because of either his sin or his parents' sin;
- a friend who is an auditor, she chose to reject boss' instruction to cheat, she lost her job and promotion, but now several yrs later she has a great job and earning much more; 
- Does this formula mean: If you are living God’s way, then you will prosper? If you are not living God’s way, then you will not prosper?

- why do the wicked prosper? how can formulas #1 and #2 be true and right? Psalm 73 talks about this conflict of reality;
- these two formulas are absolutely true IF we view prosperity (its definition) and life timeline differently; the psalmist in Ps 73 realised each of us have a final destiny, that we will receive our final judgment before God;
- e.g. principle of sowing and reaping, yes it is absolutely true, but we may sometimes not see the final reaping until the ultimate end; 

Psalm 73

1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.

5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.

7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

8 They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.

10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.

11 They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?"

12 This is what the wicked are like- always carefree, they increase in wealth.

13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children.

16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me

17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.

19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

20 As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.

21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,

22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

3) Wisdom > Wealth
(Proverbs 15:16; 16:16; 22:1-4; 28:25-27)

- these verses tell us wisdom is ultimately what both rich and poor alike should pursue; the Lord is the maker of all; no matter your wealth, are you humble, righteous, generous, enjoy good relationships, have inner peace?
- on one hand, good standing with God is better than riches, on the other hand, when you have good standing with God it IS riches itself;
- "fear of the Lord is the beginning of..."? Do you fear the Lord?
- To walk wisely is to hold several (sometimes what might seem conflicting) truths in tension;

Poverty is not the opposite of prosperity; poverty is a part of prosperity. Do you recognize you are to be poor in spirit (blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God)? To be rich towards God and others? Being generous not only in abundance but in lack, with not only money but your time, energy, encouragement of others, etc.
- Pr Janice's aunt who has come to know the Lord; she has changed so much; well-to-do but very dependent on God now, sees God as source of her blessings; 
- you may not think you are among "the rich" category, but compared with many around the world you are among the very fortunate; it is relative; do you enjoy a vibrant and growing relationship with God?
- Are you seeking God’s wisdom more than wealth? Are you not seeking God’s wisdom more than wealth?

Proverbs 15:16

16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.

Proverbs 22:1-4

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honour and life.

"Let us never give way to the common idea that people are to be valued according to their income, and that the person who has most money is the one who ought to be the most highly esteemed. There is no authority for this notion in the Bible. The general teaching of Scripture is flatly opposed to it. “Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called” (1 Cor. 1:26). “Let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glories glory in this, that he knows and understands me” (Jeremiah 9:24). Wealth is no mark of God’s favor. Poverty is no mark of God’s displeasure. Those whom God justifies and glorifies are seldom the rich of this world. If we would measure people as God measures them, we must value them according to their grace."
~ J.C. Ryle

Questions: 

1. What do we observe about prosperity, from the verses referenced in the sermon? Any seeming conflicts? Any new insights? 
2. How should we live out (apply) God’s principles on prosperity, as disciples today? 
3. Share a prayer need with regard to this topic: Please pray for me, because ____________