Our WEALTH cannot DELIVER us on the DAY of JUDGMENT!
August 28 Bible Reading: Ezekiel Chapters 7-9
Our WEALTH cannot DELIVER us on the DAY of JUDGMENT!
"They will throw their silver into the
streets, and their gold will be like refuse; their silver and their gold will
not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they will not
satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it became their stumbling
block of iniquity. I will do to them according to their way, and according to
what they deserve I will judge them; then they shall know that I am the
Lord!" (Ezek. 7:19, 27)
In the above
passage, prophet Ezekiel attacks the futility of false optimism of the people
of Israel. All the things Judah trusted will not help them, not wealth (7:19), false idols (7:20–22), or their
leaders (7:23–27). The people of Israel had coveted their silver and gold,
and their efforts to accumulate them had stumbled and fell into gross sin like pride,
idolatry and oppressing the weak.
Now, their material
possessions were useless, as their gold
and silver could not buy food as there was none available for them (2 Kings
6:25). Goods were scarce and their money could not relieve hunger and famine
nor bring deliverance from the oppression of their enemies. Thus, the trust of
the people in their wealth and prosperity, instead of in God, brought their
downfall. It was their wealth that was
their stumbling block of iniquity, and it could not save them on their day of
judgment!
Our Lord
Jesus Christ has emphasized this matter many times during His earthly ministry.
He has cautioned us from focusing only on accumulating wealth and riches during
our lifetime. These are His very words: "No
one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God
and mammon (wealth)." (Matt. 6:24)
In fact, our
wealth can prove to be a stumbling block that will prevent us from pursuing the
matters concerning God. Again, Jesus has spoken sternly on this subject after
His encounter with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it
is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the
disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to
them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the
kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:23-25)
Let us
remember the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21, where the man had
accumulated much wealth but died an unprepared and miserable death. This will
happen to us as well if we are only laying up treasure for ourselves and are
not rich toward God. Our wealth can never
save us on the Day of Judgment!
"Take heed and beware of
covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he
possesses." (Luke 12:15)
