Our Attitude Toward Riches
According to the words of Agur, there is a balance which we must strike in our attitude toward riches.
“Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God” (30:8-9).
There is a danger in having an abundance of riches because it can lead us to deny the Lord, thinking that we are fully self-sufficient without Him. However, lacking riches to the point of being in need is also dangerous because it could lead us to steal. He encourages us to be content – not being overly desirous of riches, but also being mindful and thankful for what we do have. This contentment comes when we understand the truth about riches and have the right attitude about them.
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The most fundamental truth we must understand about riches is that they are blessings from God.
“It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it” (10:22).
Everything that we have to enjoy in this life comes from God. Therefore, we should always be mindful that He is the source of our blessings, as this will help us to focus on serving Him. But Solomon adds to his statement about God’s abundant blessings. Not only is it true that the good things that we have to enjoy in this life come from God, but also He adds “no sorrow with it” (KJV). People often want to attribute bad things in their lives to God, but the wise man reminds us that good things – and only good things – are from the Lord. Though He may allow certain bad things to happen, He is not actively bringing harm upon us.
“The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is foolishness” (14:24).
One of the benefits of following after wisdom is riches. As we have considered already, this is not a guarantee of financial prosperity for service to God, but it is certainly true that following after the wisdom that comes from above puts one in a position to prosper.
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Although riches are blessings from God, there is a danger posed by them if we foolishly trust in them. So Solomon warns: do not trust in riches.
“Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (11:4).
Though there is certainly a benefit provided to one who has riches, there is a limit to their usefulness. In the “day of wrath,” or the day of divine judgment, our wealth will not save us. When it comes time to depart from this life, riches will not prevent our death, nor will we be able to take our possessions with us into the afterlife.
“He who trusts in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf” (11:28).
This verse makes a contrast between one who trusts in riches who “will fall” and one who is righteous who “will flourish.” However, this verse does not say how much wealth either of these two individuals possessed. One may trust in riches but have none. One may also be righteous and prosper. To be righteous does not require that one take a vow of poverty. Rather, it means that one puts God first and does His will, trusting in Him rather than in riches. One who fails to put his trust in God, choosing to trust in wealth instead, is setting himself up for a fall.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe. A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination” (18:10-11).
Earlier we contrasted this verse with this statement by Solomon: “The rich man’s wealth is his fortress, the ruin of the poor is their poverty” (10:15). Riches provide the benefits of security and stability to those who possess them. However, as we have seen elsewhere, our trust must be in the Lord, not in our wealth. Safety and security are from God. Riches may be the instrument with which we have been blessed that helps provide this safety and security. But for the one who trusts in his wealth, rather than in God, his security and stability is in “his own imagination,” or “in his own conceit” (KJV). It is arrogant for one to think that He does not need God, no matter how much of this world’s goods he possesses.
“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” (23:4-5).
In these verses, Solomon is not saying that one should not work hard. We have already noted several passages in which diligent labor is commended (12:24; 13:4; 28:19; cf. Ecclesiastes 9:10). Instead, he is reminding us to have the proper perspective about riches. They are temporary and uncertain. Therefore, we cannot make riches our primary focus or put our trust in them.
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Some place too much stock in riches. Others despise any form of wealth. We need to learn to place a proper valuation on wealth.
“Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant than he who honors himself and lacks bread” (12:9).
In order to have a servant, one would need to first have a certain degree of wealth. Even though others may have little regard for him, it is better to have this wealth than not. Lacking bread is not honorable (this is different than sacrificing, which would be honorable). Therefore, the one who lacks bread will only receive honor from himself. So riches are valuable and should not be quickly disregarded.
“Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice” (16:8).
On the other hand, while riches are valuable, they are not more valuable than righteousness. If the only way to obtain wealth is by dealing unjustly with others, it is better to maintain one’s integrity and live in humble circumstances. Righteousness before God will always be more important than the riches of this life.
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In developing a proper attitude toward riches, it is important that we understand how our wealth influences others.
“The poor is hated even by his neighbor, but those who love the rich are many” (14:20).
“Wealth adds many friends, but a poor man is separated from his friend” (19:4).
A sad reality in life is that many people value friendships based upon what they can get out of the relationship. If someone might be in a position to help them in the form of labor, connections, or material prosperity, many will be more friendly to such a person than to one who is not able to offer such things. This is Solomon’s point. People want to be friends with the wealthy in the hopes of obtaining some financial benefit from the relationship. The poor cannot offer this, so they are despised and their friendship is disregarded. Solomon reinforces this point a couple verses after the second one listed above: “Many will seek the favor of a generous man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; how much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone” (19:6-7). Sadly, the benefit the poor man has to offer through his words (teaching, encouragement, etc.) is not worth nearly as much (in the eyes of many) as the “gifts” distributed by the wealthy to his friends.
“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” (18:16).
Another sad reality in life is that many are unwilling to help others without getting something in return. For a gift, they will consider helping. Without a gift, and they see no point in even listening. These gifts (bribes) are often used to gain favor and special treatment from those in power (“great men”).
“A gift in secret subdues anger, and a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath” (21:14).
Just as a gift (bribe) can be used to receive special treatment from those in power, it can also be used to avoid harsh treatment from these same officials. When Paul was imprisoned, Felix hoped “that money would be given him by Paul” in order to secure his release. When no such bribe was given, he “left Paul imprisoned” (Acts 24:26-27). Solomon does not make these statements about bribes in order to suggest that it is wise to bribe others in order to gain special treatment. He is simply explaining reality. Our wealth – or lack thereof – has an influence upon others. Bribery is just another example of how this can happen.
Things to Avoid
As we are encouraged to be good stewards of the blessings we have received from God, there are certain things are are to avoid.
“My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given a pledge for a stranger, if you have been snared with the words of your mouth, have been caught with the words of your mouth, do this then, my son, and deliver yourself; since you have come into the hand of your neighbor, go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids; deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of a fowler” (6:1-5).
This passage is one of a few that makes a very clear warning against becoming the guarantor for someone else’s debt. Solomon says that if one has “become surety” for another, it is a matter of great urgency that he free himself of that obligation. He says that one ought to go and beg his neighbor to release him of this obligation even before he gets any more sleep. One who has “become surety” for another has been “snared” and “caught” with the words by which he entered into the agreement. He likens this to a gazelle and a bird that is being hunted. There is no benefit for being the guarantor of another’s debt, only suffering (11:15). The guarantor will gain nothing, yet risks his own financial and material loss when others are unwilling or unable to pay their own debts (20:16; 27:13; 22:26-27). So Solomon says, “He who hates being a guarantor is secure” (11:15). Being a good steward means we will not unnecessarily risk our own livelihood and security through the lack of good stewardship on the part of others.
“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave” (22:7).
The wise man warns us here against the accumulation of debt. The borrower is under obligation to give a certain amount of the fruits of his labor to the lender. Solomon is not condemning the lender for expecting to be repaid. Rather, he is pointing our the foolishness of entering into a debt obligation unnecessarily. There are times when debt is unavoidable. But the way of the wise is to avoid debt whenever possible and to pay back any debt that exists as quickly as possible, so as to not be under subjection of the entity to which money is owed.
