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Topic: Is Prosperity A Blessing?
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becauseHElives
Advanced Member
Member # 87
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posted
it should be ...I re-posted your original after the word studies ![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif) I guess I should have put it in quotes
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
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Carol Swenson
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Hmmmmmmm - this article looks very familiar ![[cool_shades]](graemlins/cool_shades.gif)
Good article though
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becauseHElives
Advanced Member
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posted
To fully understand riches and wealth in the ancient Hebrew text lets take a look at how both words are spelt and what the root words reveal.
Riches is pronounced “osher” and is spelt “Ayin” which was drawn as an eye, ”Shin” which looks like teethe and represent eat or destroy, and “Resh” which is the head of a person. Riches are those things that are attractive to the eye and consume your head.
Wealth is pronounced “Chayil” and is spelt with a “Tav” which looked like a cross and meant mark or covenant, “Yod” which looked like an arm and meant work, and “Lamed” which looked like a staff and meant control. Wealth is the mark or evidence of your work which you control.
Is Prosperity a Blessing?
I occasionally hear Christians reflect on how God has “blessed” them throughout their lives. Sometimes this idea of blessing includes things like good health or the birth of children and grandchildren. Sometimes it refers to the joy of seeing family members walk with God. Those are blessings indeed.
But some people who say they have been “blessed” by God are also talking about their material prosperity. Sometimes, in fact, they’re talking only about their material prosperity.
In the minds of many, God’s blessing and our material prosperity are one and the same. If I have a good marriage, a successful job, a nice home in the suburbs, and beautiful children, it must mean that God is happy with me and showing me his blessing through all of these things. Why else would my life be so full and rich?
While that type of thinking is common, it’s not necessarily biblical.
So what’s the relationship between God’s blessing and material prosperity? Is there any biblical evidence to support the view that prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing?
In order to answer these questions, we need to take a closer look at what the Old and New Testaments teach about God’s blessing and favor in our lives.
Old Testament Blessing
If we start with the Old Testament, we note that several different Hebrew words are used for blessing, and we discover considerable variety in their meanings.
In some instances, blessing obviously refers to physical prosperity. For example, in Genesis 24:35 Abraham’s servant tells Laban, “The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy.” And in Job 42:12 we are told: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.” In these instances blessing is expressed through wealth and possessions.
But the Old Testament also makes it clear that there is much more to God’s blessing than material possessions. Psalm 132:15 promises that God will bless Zion with abundant provisions and satisfy her poor with food. Psalm 37:11 promises that “the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” In these instances there is still the promise of earthly goods, but it goes hand in hand with a special concern for the poor.
This prepares the way for the blessing of Psalm 1 on the person who delights in God’s law and the blessing of Psalm 32 on the person whose transgressions God has forgiven. In these passages a more spiritual kind of blessing is in view.
But the ultimate triumph of Old Testament faith is its ability to trust in God even when all the outward evidences of God’s blessing are missing. Thus we have the dramatic and moving statement of Habakkuk in 3:17-18a:
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
As the people of Israel suffered severe oppression under a series of foreign powers from Babylon to Rome, they began to see that they could experience God’s blessing even in the most difficult circumstances. The stories of people such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Esther are a testimony to how God can favor and bless his faithful servants in the midst of trial and suffering.
New Testament Blessing
The New Testament never describes blessing in terms of material prosperity or possessions. In fact, it says just the opposite. We learn that God blesses the poor. In Luke 6 Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (v .20) and, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (v. 24).
James tells us that the brother in humble circumstances should take pride in his low position and that the rich man will fade away as quickly as a wildflower (1:9-11). And Paul warns us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10).
The New Testament uses one word more than any other when describing God’s blessing to people. This word, µακαριοσ, or makarios, means “blessed.” It’s used 44 times in the New Testament.
Of those 44 instances, 31 involve descriptions of righteous behavior or characteristics that God considers desirable. The most prominent and familiar example of this usage of the word makarios is in the beatitudes in Matthew 5. Here Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the persecuted. Luke 6 pronounces a blessing on the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hated. In parables about servants behaving responsibly while their masters are away, Jesus repeatedly blesses those servants who are ready and watching when their master returns. James blesses the person who perseveres under trial (1:3), and the book of Revelation blesses the reader who is faithful to the message being proclaimed (22:7).
Eleven uses of the word makarios speak of the blessing of being part of the coming kingdom of God. Thus someone eating with Jesus in Luke 14:15 states that the person who will eat in the kingdom of God is blessed, and Revelation 19:9 proclaims: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” The final two uses of makarios refer to God as the one who is blessed.
The New Testament idea of blessing, then, pictures people who rejoice in the coming of salvation in Jesus Christ. They enjoy spiritual blessings in Christ as they put their faith in him, experience his love and forgiveness, and work faithfully for the coming of his kingdom.
The spiritual blessings these people enjoy often stand in stark contrast to their physical situations. They may be poor, destitute, and persecuted, but they experience joy rooted in a spiritual reality that transcends their present circumstances. That’s why the disciples can rejoice after the Sanhedrin has flogged them (Acts 5:40-41) and James can call on his readers to “consider it pure joy” when they face many kinds of trials (1:2).
Kingdom Blessing
So what can we conclude about the blessing of God on the basis of this biblical survey? First we need to address the difference in the Old and New Testament ideas of blessing.
In the Old Testament era the believer received God’s blessing by being part of the covenant community of Israel. Inheriting the land of Palestine was central to God’s favor and blessing at that time. But even in Old Testament times God’s blessing included the spiritual realities of forgiveness and fellowship with God.
In the New Testament we receive God’s blessing by being part of the believing community of the Church. Our blessing from God does not come to us because we are citizens of the United States or Canada or Nigeria or South Korea. Our blessing comes because we are citizens of the kingdom of God.
Therefore our central blessing is not the inheritance of a plot of ground in Palestine or a high-paying job in North America or any other aspect of life in a materially prosperous society. Rather, our blessing centers on our adoption as sons and daughters of God. Because of this adoption we receive the gift of eternal life and enjoy fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
This is the great hope and joy of all believers in Christ. This is the great blessing that Christ’s life and death and resurrection has made possible.
Instead of describing wealth and possessions as God’s blessing, the New Testament consistently warns us that we should not be too attached to the things of this world. The parables of the rich fool in Luke 12 and of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 remind us that our present possessions will soon pass away and that our status in the world to come may be precisely the opposite of what it is now.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 should be a perpetual guide for our Christian living in this world: “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” And his stark words in Matthew 6:24 are a perpetual warning against putting our priorities in the wrong place: “You cannot serve both God and money.”
A Spiritual Reality
There are many biblical reasons to gratefully receive and joyfully celebrate God’s good gifts of abundant food, warm clothes, and comfortable homes. But we should not mistake these gifts for God’s blessing in our lives. According to the New Testament, God’s blessing is a deeply spiritual reality that comes to those who receive it in humble faith. Our poverty or prosperity is not an indication of whether we are experiencing God’s blessing.
In that sense, there is something profoundly wrong and anti-Christian about defining “blessing” only in terms of material possessions. When we link God’s blessing to our prosperity, we become smug and self-satisfied. We begin to suspect that God is much more pleased with the people of North America than he is with those of poorer nations such as India or Sudan. And we may be in danger of concluding that God is pleased with us as individuals when, in fact, God might be angry with us because we are hoarding his gifts instead of sharing them with the poor.
Prosperity may be a gift from God, but it is not a sign of God’s blessing. That blessing is reserved for those who are poor enough in spirit and in circumstance to yearn deeply and sincerely for the final coming of the kingdom of God.
by Daniel Boerman
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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Found in Him
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Member # 7596
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) I like that Eden
How does one define prosperity? Earthly wealth or Spiritual wealth?
Is Earthly money a blessing from God?
not for some!
Are kingdom riches a blessing?
Amen for ALL!
Tis the same with sex, alcohol and other tempting things?
tis more a heart issue?
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
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Eden
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Psalm 23:2
He make me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
God blesses His children in all parts of their lives, with material as well as with spiritual blessings, especially when we obey what He asks us to do by way of the Counsel of the Holy Spirit and by way of the Written Word of God.
Psalm 25:9
The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way.
Psalm 31:3
For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore for Your name's sake lead me, and guide me.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go: I will guide you with My eye.
Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.
Jeremiah 10:23
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.
Psalm 37:23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in His way.
God prospers us in every way as sons and daughters of God. In God's family, there is prosperty and wealth and peace and helpfulness. God will direct His children's steps.
Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and He is the saviour of the body.
Exodus 14:13
Then Moses said to the people, Do not fear; stand still and see the salvation of the LORD which He will show you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen to day, you shall see them again no more forever.
Hebrews 4:10
For he who is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
John 3:30
For He must increase, but I must decrease.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
Isaiah 48:5
I have even from the beginning declared it to you; before it came to pass I showed it you: lest you should say, My idol has done them, and my graven image and my molten image, has commanded them.
God leads His children beside quiet waters and into green pastures, and God prepares a table for us among our enemies. If that is not prosperity, then I don't know what is...
love, Eden
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Carol Swenson
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Thanks becauseHElives. Good comments from Betty and Found in Him.
Jesus Christ our Lord said we cannot serve two masters, but if we seek the Kingdom of God first, the rest will be added to us.
I like this story. Here's a small piece of it...
That’s what my God does. He is actively involved in every aspect of our lives. He LOVES to show Himself like that! He eagerly waits for us to leap out in faith so He can show Himself faithful. When we rely so much on our own finances & “common sense” that we never step out in faith when God wants to show Himself, we really miss out. It wasn’t good financially for George Muller to start an orphanage. It didn’t make common sense for him to put himself out that way. But because of his faithfulness to follow God’s leading, we have the wonderful stories of how over & over again God faithfully provided for over ten thousand orphans – sometimes at the last minute; sometimes in incredible ways.
http://liberty92.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/tell-god-our-needs-tell-people-how-god-provides/
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becauseHElives
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Carol I like the article and the comments from Betty and Found in Him....I remember a sermon from years back, where my Pastor said there a difference between riches and wealth...
wealth is something a man possesses and uses to benefit the Kingdom of Yahweh...
riches is something that possesses the man, consuming the soul and bringing a man to a detrimental end.....
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate:for many, I say unto you will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. ( Luke 13:24 )
Posts: 4578 | From: Southeast Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
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Betty Louise
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Member # 7175
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I believe that material goods can be a blessing. I thank God that I have a car so we can go to Church and pick up the bread three times a week for the Mission. I thank God that I have a home to sleep in. Having things is not wrong, it is when things become more important than God. We need a bigger car to hold the bread because it is hard to fit it in our little trunk. I don't think it is wrong to pray for God to provide a bigger car.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
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Found in Him
Advanced Member
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Colossians 1:24-2:5
I count myself to be blessed with the "riches in Christ Jesus" which is Christ in me...the hope of glory.
He is all the wealth that I could ever want or need in this life and these "riches" have nothing to do with material wealth!
The peace, joy and love that are only found in The Lord Jesus Christ are truly what the world thirsts for and are the treasures of His Majesty beyond price ...but the "love" of money is the root of all evil.
but... "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"
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~To Him That is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.~ Jude 24
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Carol Swenson
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 Is Prosperity A Blessing?
I occasionally hear Christians reflect on how God has “blessed” them throughout their lives. Sometimes this idea of blessing includes things like good health or the birth of children and grandchildren. Sometimes it refers to the joy of seeing family members walk with God. Those are blessings indeed.
But some people who say they have been “blessed” by God are also talking about their material prosperity. Sometimes, in fact, they’re talking only about their material prosperity.
In the minds of many, God’s blessing and our material prosperity are one and the same. If I have a good marriage, a successful job, a nice home in the suburbs, and beautiful children, it must mean that God is happy with me and showing me his blessing through all of these things. Why else would my life be so full and rich?
While that type of thinking is common, it’s not necessarily biblical.
So what’s the relationship between God’s blessing and material prosperity? Is there any biblical evidence to support the view that prosperity is a sign of God’s blessing?
In order to answer these questions, we need to take a closer look at what the Old and New Testaments teach about God’s blessing and favor in our lives.
Old Testament Blessing
If we start with the Old Testament, we note that several different Hebrew words are used for blessing, and we discover considerable variety in their meanings.
In some instances, blessing obviously refers to physical prosperity. For example, in Genesis 24:35 Abraham’s servant tells Laban, “The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy.” And in Job 42:12 we are told: “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.” In these instances blessing is expressed through wealth and possessions.
![[Bible]](graemlins/bible.gif)
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings for Obedience
“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:
3 Your towns and your fields
will be blessed.
4 Your children and your crops
will be blessed.
The offspring of your herds and flocks
will be blessed.
5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards
will be blessed.
6 Wherever you go and whatever you do,
you will be blessed.
7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!
8 “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.
11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.
But the Old Testament also makes it clear that there is much more to God’s blessing than material possessions. Psalm 132:15 promises that God will bless Zion with abundant provisions and satisfy her poor with food. Psalm 37:11 promises that “the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.” In these instances there is still the promise of earthly goods, but it goes hand in hand with a special concern for the poor.
This prepares the way for the blessing of Psalm 1 on the person who delights in God’s law and the blessing of Psalm 32 on the person whose transgressions God has forgiven. In these passages a more spiritual kind of blessing is in view.
But the ultimate triumph of Old Testament faith is its ability to trust in God even when all the outward evidences of God’s blessing are missing. Thus we have the dramatic and moving statement of Habakkuk in 3:17-18a:
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
As the people of Israel suffered severe oppression under a series of foreign powers from Babylon to Rome, they began to see that they could experience God’s blessing even in the most difficult circumstances. The stories of people such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Esther are a testimony to how God can favor and bless his faithful servants in the midst of trial and suffering.
New Testament Blessing
The New Testament never describes blessing in terms of material prosperity or possessions. In fact, it says just the opposite. We learn that God blesses the poor. In Luke 6 Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (v .20) and, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (v. 24).
James tells us that the brother in humble circumstances should take pride in his low position and that the rich man will fade away as quickly as a wildflower (1:9-11). And Paul warns us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10).
The New Testament uses one word more than any other when describing God’s blessing to people. This word, µακαριοσ, or makarios, means “blessed.” It’s used 44 times in the New Testament. Of those 44 instances, 31 involve descriptions of righteous behavior or characteristics that God considers desirable.
The most prominent and familiar example of this usage of the word makarios is in the beatitudes in Matthew 5. Here Jesus blesses the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the persecuted. Luke 6 pronounces a blessing on the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hated. In parables about servants behaving responsibly while their masters are away, Jesus repeatedly blesses those servants who are ready and watching when their master returns. James blesses the person who perseveres under trial (1:3), and the book of Revelation blesses the reader who is faithful to the message being proclaimed (22:7).
Eleven uses of the word makarios speak of the blessing of being part of the coming kingdom of God. Thus someone eating with Jesus in Luke 14:15 states that the person who will eat in the kingdom of God is blessed, and Revelation 19:9 proclaims: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” The final two uses of makarios refer to God as the one who is blessed.
The New Testament idea of blessing, then, pictures people who rejoice in the coming of salvation in Jesus Christ. They enjoy spiritual blessings in Christ as they put their faith in him, experience his love and forgiveness, and work faithfully for the coming of his kingdom.
The spiritual blessings these people enjoy often stand in stark contrast to their physical situations. They may be poor, destitute, and persecuted, but they experience joy rooted in a spiritual reality that transcends their present circumstances. That’s why the disciples can rejoice after the Sanhedrin has flogged them (Acts 5:40-41) and James can call on his readers to “consider it pure joy” when they face many kinds of trials (1:2).
Kingdom Blessing
So what can we conclude about the blessing of God on the basis of this biblical survey? First we need to address the difference in the Old and New Testament ideas of blessing.
In the Old Testament era the believer received God’s blessing by being part of the covenant community of Israel. Inheriting the land of Palestine was central to God’s favor and blessing at that time. But even in Old Testament times God’s blessing included the spiritual realities of obedience, forgiveness and fellowship with God.
In the New Testament we receive God’s blessing by being part of the believing community of the Church. Our blessing from God does not come to us because we are citizens of the United States or Canada or Nigeria or South Korea. Our blessing comes because we are citizens of the kingdom of God.
Therefore our central blessing is not the inheritance of a plot of ground in Palestine or a high-paying job in North America or any other aspect of life in a materially prosperous society. Rather, our blessing centers on our adoption as sons and daughters of God. Because of this adoption we receive the gift of eternal life and enjoy fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
This is the great hope and joy of all believers in Christ. This is the great blessing that Christ’s life and death and resurrection has made possible.
Instead of describing wealth and possessions as God’s blessing, the New Testament consistently warns us that we should not be too attached to the things of this world. The parables of the rich fool in Luke 12 and of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 remind us that our present possessions will soon pass away and that our status in the world to come may be precisely the opposite of what it is now.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33 should be a perpetual guide for our Christian living in this world: “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” And his stark words in Matthew 6:24 are a perpetual warning against putting our priorities in the wrong place: “You cannot serve both God and money.”
A Spiritual Reality
There are many biblical reasons to gratefully receive and joyfully celebrate God’s good gifts of abundant food, warm clothes, and comfortable homes. But we should not mistake these gifts for God’s blessing in our lives. According to the New Testament, God’s blessing is a deeply spiritual reality that comes to those who receive it in humble faith. Our poverty or prosperity is not an indication of whether we are experiencing God’s blessing.
In that sense, there is something profoundly wrong and anti-Christian about defining “blessing” only in terms of material possessions. When we link God’s blessing to our prosperity, we become smug and self-satisfied. We begin to suspect that God is much more pleased with the people of North America than he is with those of poorer nations such as India or Sudan. And we may be in danger of concluding that God is pleased with us as individuals when, in fact, God might be angry with us because we are hoarding his gifts instead of sharing them with the poor.
Prosperity may be a gift from God, but it is not a sign of God’s blessing. That blessing is reserved for those who are poor enough in spirit and in circumstance to yearn deeply and sincerely for the final coming of the kingdom of God.
(Daniel Boerman)
http://www.thebanner.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1825
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