Profit – Praying Pint

43.q. “Wilderness” – 7.x. “If you lend money to any of my people”

Exodus 22:25  “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Leviticus 25:35-37    “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.  Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.  You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

Proverbs 28:8    Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.

Ezekiel 18:17    withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes

Interest was prohibited on loans made to the poor and the taking of collateral had to be reasonable. “The reason for the prohibition is presumably that the poor man borrows in his need. The loan is seen as assistance to a neighbor, and to make money from his need would be immoral.” (Guzik)

The people of God should ever be ready to show mildness and mercy, according to the spirit of these laws. We must answer to God, not only for what we do maliciously, but for what we do heedlessly. Therefore, when we have done harm to our neighbour, we should make restitution, though not compelled by law. Let these scriptures lead our souls to remember, that if the grace of God has indeed appeared to us, then it has taught us, and enabled us so to conduct ourselves by its holy power, that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. (Henry)

If a man should lend to one of the poor of his own people, he was not to oppress him by demanding interest; and if he gave his upper garment as a pledge, he was to give it him back towards sunset, because it was his only covering. God directs Himself at once to the hearts of the Israelites, and attacks the sins of selfishness and covetousness. (Keil)

When our hearts and minds begin to understand that all we have has been given to us by God, it is then when begin to understand the commands of God concerning the needs of others.

34.r. “In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress”

Matthew 27:3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Job 20:5 that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

Job 20:15-29 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly. He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him. He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment. For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build. “Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him. There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure. In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress; the hand of everyone in misery will come against him. To fill his belly to the full, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body. He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through. It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him. Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed. The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God’s wrath. This is the wicked man’s portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God.”

The hypocrisy of the chief priests was transparent. “Tempters never make good comforters. Those who are the devil’s instruments, to command, entice, or allure men to sin, will afford them no relief when they have come to be troubled for what they have done.” (Poole)

Thus perished Judas Iscariot the traitor, a miserable example of the fatal influence of covetousness, and a standing monument of the divine vengeance, proper to deter future generations from acting contrary to conscience, through the love of the world. (Benson)

A guilty conscience and deep remorse result from actions taken and then having a glimpse of reality, a searing red hot iron of truth pressed hard onto the flesh of that person’s heart, mind, and soul. Judas, being seared with the knowledge and understanding of what Hell must be like, found no escape from it. There was no will to live with that torment and trying to escape it by killing himself seemed the only option. The peace he longed for deep in his soul by being released from the torment led him to this act. What Judas didn’t realize was he was headed from this earthly torment into eternal torment in Hell. There is no escape from this destiny without repentance and trust in Jesus Christ. Though a person may be remorseful, sorry, and filled with regret it will never bring about forgiveness, redemption, or salvation of their soul. Our conscience may be seared with the truth of our sin actions to cause us to be remorseful, sorry, and regretful but these ought to lead us to repentance and Jesus Christ.

Judas never repented, never sought repentance, never sought forgiveness, and tried to relieve the pain of the truth of his sin by giving back the 30 pieces of silver. In essence, he was trying to buy his pardon by self-reliance and atonement for what he had done. How many times do we go through life thinking we can do more good things to make up for bad things we have done, thought, or said? It is as if we keep a ledger book of our good and bad and try to make a good balance out just a little bit better. Do we think this makes us more right with God? Do we believe we are more worthy of forgiveness by doing good acts to offset the bad?

There is nothing a person can do in and of themselves that will give them the peace of forgiveness. It is only trusting in Jesus Christ alone. Confessing it, repenting of it, and relying on His great love, mercy, and grace. We cannot cover any sin by being good enough. “It is by the grace of God we are saved, not by works lest any man should boast” We cannot do acts of kindness that make us worthy of God’s love, grace, and mercy. It is only by His love that we are redeemed through His Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son”

Being remorseful, regretful, and sorry for some act we have done or thought ought to lead us to repentance and trust in Jesus alone, for He alone is the one who can forgive.

31.r. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you”

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Luke 6:31    And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Leviticus 19:18  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Jeremiah 7:5-6   “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,  if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow,

Zechariah 8:16-17   These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace;  do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.”

Ezekiel 18:7-8   does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man,

Micah 6:8     He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Malachi 3:5   “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Romans 13:8-10  Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Timothy 1:5   The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

None but he whose heart is filled with love to God and all mankind can keep this precept, either in its spirit or letter… It seems as if God had written it upon the hearts of all men, for sayings of this kind may be found among all nations, Jewish, Christian, and Heathen.” (Clarke)

“Oh, that all men acted on it, and there would be no slavery, no war, no swearing, no striking, no lying, no robbing; but all would be justice and love! What a kingdom is this which has such a law!” (Spurgeon)

Love of self, (who we are, what we do, how we think, what we say) is wrong when it places self above all others. Jesus has just spoken about loving your enemies, being careful how you judge others and not-self, giving to the needy, not being anxious about things in this life, seeking God in faith, and now finishing it with “do onto others as you wish them to do onto you”. We often judge others by their acts and not their intent, and yet we examine ourselves by our intent. When we repent of doing wrong to someone we want them to forgive and forget it. Yet, we feel justified to do the opposite when we have been wronged. Is Jesus Christ honored and glorified by how we treat others and what we think about them? Am I allowing God’s Word to lead and direct my thoughts, actions, and words toward others? Do I dwell on the negative thoughts about others that first pops into my head or am I able to recognize it as a wrong thought and cast it out and replace it with kindness, brotherly love, gentleness, generosity, and peaceful thoughts? If we would have hearts, minds, and souls that desired in all things to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, it is then we would begin to understand the depth of “do onto others as you wish them to do onto you”.

31.i. “Keep your life free from love of money”

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Psalms 39:6    Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

1 John 2:15-16   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

Proverbs 11:4   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

James 5:1-3   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

Proverbs 23:5   When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

Ecclesiastes 2:26    For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD

Hebrews 13:5    Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The idea is that earthly treasure is temporary and fading away (where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal), but heavenly treasure is secure. The issue isn’t that earthly treasures are intrinsically bad, but they are of no ultimate value either. If this is the case, then it is wrong for the disciple of Jesus to dedicate his life to continually expanding his earthly treasures.

“The Master does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to lay it up for self. We are to hold it as stewards.” (Morgan)

To lay up for yourselves treasure on earth is also to doom yourself to a life of frustration and emptiness. Regarding material things the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. How many wealthy people have died at their own hands because they found no pleasure from the wealth of what they accumulated? There is no lasting satisfaction from wealth. It is here today and gone tomorrow, or we are. In contrast, heavenly treasures are everlasting and incorruptible. Treasures in heaven give enjoyment now, in the contentment and sense of well-being that comes from being a giver. But their ultimate enjoyment comes on the other side of eternity. It has been wisely observed that a moving truck full of possessions never follows a hearse. Everything one might take with them to the world beyond is left behind and we can use our material resources right now for eternal good – even though we can’t bring them with us. Our material treasures will not pass from this life to the next, but the good that has been done for the kingdom of God through the use of our treasures lasts for eternity, and the work God does in us through faithful giving will last for eternity. (Guzik)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

30.g. ” But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

John 14:30   I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,

Hebrews 2:18   For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15-16   For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Psalms 143:10   Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!

Isaiah 48:16-17    Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there.” And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.  Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.

Galatians 5:16    But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

There is no way anyone can fulfill the lust of the flesh as they walk in the Spirit. The two simply don’t go together. The Holy Spirit doesn’t move in us to gratify our fallen desires and passions, but to teach us about Jesus and to guide us in the path of Jesus. This is the key to righteous living – walking in the Spirit, not trying to live with desires for the fleshly and Spirit. We try to do this, don’t we? We have certain areas of fleshly and worldly desires that we secretly tuck away into corners of our minds. We seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in what we deem appropriate and do not expose these secret passions, vises, addictions, pleasures, or wants and we can also hide, greed, hate, envy, fear, anger, or pride. We don’t allow the Holy Spirit’s quiet whispers to penetrate our minds in these areas. For some reason, we hang on to them but deny that we are. And then, there is Satan ready to tempt us with the very things we think we have control over. We may say that is just who I am or how I was raised or some other way to justify allowing them space in our lives. There is no middle ground where we can stand firm. There is no possible way to be open to being led by the Holy Spirit and try to keep areas of our lives unyielded to the very leading that will draw us closer to a life that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ in all we say think and do.

28.j. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Philippians 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

Proverbs 13:8   The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat.

Matthew 16:26  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Luke 14:33  So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Romans 8:18   For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

We are continuously tempted to put our trust in ourselves, money, health, possessions, savings, etc… It is as if we are trusting in these things to give us peace of mind, hope for the future, and worry-free lives. There are always going to be temptations to want to rely on, trust in, and cling to what we have, what we want, what we acquire, and other things of this world more than Jesus Christ. It is in Him we find a peace that passes all understanding. Peace the world has to offer is temporal, foundationally weak, and robs us of true peace. Chasing after these false promises of peace keeps the busyness of life very active in our lives. Every day a new current of false promises blows in promising just one more rung on the ladder to climb. To what end? Are we any closer to Christ? Do our possessions and bank accounts bring us to a deeper relationship with Christ? Are we happier? Are we deeply satisfied? Are we content? At the end of the day are have we found purpose, satisfaction, contentment, and meaning for our lives? Prosperity and ease of life offer peace but over and over again it leads people away from Christ and they neglect God’s Word and become complacent in their desire to know more and more of God’s grace, mercy, and love. Their spiritual growth does not exist. It is a very slippery slope away from God when we give in to the temptations of this world to put our trust in ourselves, money, health, possessions, savings, etc…

22.i. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 11:4    Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-14    He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Zephaniah 1:18    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD.

Hebrews 13:5     Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have

Proverbs 16:16    How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

I was playing with our granddaughter the other day and she brought out a small treasure chest. In it was her treasures. There were plastic silver and gold coins, plastic ruby’s, bracelets of various plastic jewels. They were her treasures. I looked at them and thought how must God look at us when we collect and strive after what we consider our treasures. They must look like the plastic coins and jewels of my granddaughter in His eyes. Certainly we chase after and consume much of our time seeking more and more treasures. When these treasures become our desires then we fall prey to the gathering, finding, and acquiring more and more. Soon there is little room for treasures from heaven. Our eyes become blind and our ears become deaf. We no longer see the beauty of a sunset or hear the sounds of birds in the spring. We don’t hear the cries for help or see those in need. God’s treasures come in many different ways. Maybe today we can make a new commitment to set our hearts and minds on things from heaven.

14.g. “For we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”

Malachi 3:13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Exodus 5:2    But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

Isaiah 28:14-15    Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!  Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

Psalms 73:8-13    They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.  They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.  Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them.  And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”  Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

Zephaniah 1:12     At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Psalms 10:3   For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.

Psalms 73:12     Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.

When our eyes to our hearts see things of this world that are pleasing they need to be viewed through the lens of God’s Word. It is easy to get lost and off-path with our lives when this lens is set aside. This lens of God’s Word keeps us revived and renewed in our walk with Him. The prince of this world would love to blind us with the glory and riches of this world. Sad to say but many are easily distracted and set aside God’s Word for the shiny things of this world. The void that is created is filled with things that seem right but are just right in the eyes of the prince of this world and those who are led astray. The void is filled with deception, false hope, and lies of promised satisfaction apart from Jesus Christ. This void leaves the heart empty and seeking more but never finding it. This void makes promises of joy, peace, rest, prosperity, and hope but never fulfills any lasting satisfaction. This void gives the heart a false sense of purpose.

A good gage of your heart can be and is revealed in and through God’s word. Through His Word we find purpose and meaning, temporal and eternal, wrath and love, anger and mercy, helplessness and courage, weakness and strength, worldly and Godly, sin and righteousness, deception and truth, evil and holy, judgment and forgiveness, lost and found, death and life, defiance and obedience, demons and angels, Satan and Jesus Christ, immorality and morality, dishonor and honor, criticism and praise, false and truth, despising and worshiping, pride and humility, greed and giving, vanity and worthy, hate and kindness, neglect and service, rejection and acceptance, etc…… When we spend time in God’s Word our lens through which we see our lives this side of eternity will make things of this world grow dim and things of Jesus Christ grow bright. There are no shortcuts or lukewarm complacent paths to the understanding and application of God’s Word in our lives. Spend time in His Word, seek it with a desire to know Him, and ask that your eyes to this world be opened to see all of its lies and deceptions.

12.w. “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.”

Psalms 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Proverbs 8:10-11    Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,  for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Job 28:12  “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.

Proverbs 3:13-15    Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,  for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.  She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 16:16     How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Jeremiah 15:16  Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

If God’s Word was removed from you would you miss it? Would your soul feel hunger pangs? Whenever you sit down and open your Bible, you’re feasting on something that is “more… desired… than gold… sweeter… than honey”, When people lose their appetites, we worry about them. As Christians, we should have a hearty appetite for God’s Word and for the kind of righteous living it produces. Hungering for spiritual food is a good indication of our walk with God. We lose our appetite for God’s Word there is a health decline in our hearts, minds, and souls. Our understanding of the spiritual things of God is lost. Our knowledge of His great and precious promises is lost. Our ability to see spiritual battles and lies of Satan is lost. Our ability to honor, worship, glorify, follow, obey, trust, and rely on God is lost. If you have no hunger and appetite for God’s Word there is a good chance you are nearsighted, blind, and have forgotten the great price that was paid through grace, mercy, and love for you. Your walk will have the appearance of godliness and your words will have the sound of godliness but in your spirit, you are dying or dead. God’s word is not to be taken lightly. How are you to claim promises you never know? How are you to fight spiritual battles you never see? How are you to recognize sin in your life? How are you going to be able to walk by faith? How are you going to encourage, build-up, and strengthen yourself, your family, your church, and the lost? Without an appetite for God’s Word, you are becoming nothing more than walking dead.

Peter said: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of a reminder since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

12.f. “He cannot save himself by his treasure and his prosperity will not endure.”

Habakkuk 2:6 “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

Job 20:15-23 He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up. He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading. For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build. “Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure. Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure. In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him. When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows on him.

God addressed the greedy man, and told him that he was ripe for judgment. The greedy man did his best to protect himself (set his nest on high), yet all his best defense would come to nothing. The greedy man thinks in terms of nothing but gain, but ends up losing his own soul. Luke 12:16-21– 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, [and] be merry.” ‘ 20 “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So [is] he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Pride and greed are tempters of all. they equally find home in the rich and in the poor. Pride and greed will never object to where they reside. They are sticky like glue and can attach to the surface of our hearts, minds, and souls with ease.

The Word of God exposes these life sucking leeches within our heart and mind. The Word of God will set us free from the bondage of their grip in our lives. The Word of God in a humble servant will do more good in this world than money from all the richest men combined.