Riches Without Sorrow

A. Prov. 10:22, “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.” Solomon
knew as much as anybody has ever known about wealth, possessions and pleasure — and
whether, or not, they can deliver on their promise of genuine fulfillment and enjoyment in life.
Eccl. 2:1?11. Solomon knew that, under certain conditions, the things and activities we think
will bring pleasure can be not only empty, but actually self defeating and frustrating, vexing,
Eccl. 5:10?12. When we depend on the physical things of life to bring fulfillment they can
have the opposite effect. Sometimes life can be “less than zero.” In Prov. 10:22, he said,
“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” What does that
mean, and what can we learn from it?
1. First, we must recognize that apart from God, life is vain. The Latin Vulgate translation of Ps. 127:1, says, “Nisi Dominus Frustra.” That translates into English as “Without God, it is vain.” Ps. 127:1-2, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat.” What does that mean? “Vanity” is the result of pursuits where God is left out.
a. Sometimes “vain” means “without result.” God does not let a project reach it’s completion.
The Tower of Babel, Gen. 11:1?9. Sometimes “vain” means God does not let people get
the result they’re looking for as with Balaam the prophet, Num. 22:5?35. In 2 Peter
2:13?16, the apostle talks about Balaam and the reward of people like him who profess
to be Christians but who live carnal lives and cause problems for God’s people. “They will
be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse
shamelessly. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast
with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable;
they are experts in greed. They are an accursed brood! They have left the straight way
and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of
wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing.” What was Balaams sin? He loved fame and fortune and the company and approval of powerful people who could prosper him and he worked both openly and secretly, in defiance of God, to attain it.
(A) There are two kinds of riches in this life. Temporal/Physical and eternal/spiritual. Matt 6:19?21. "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.”
(1) 1 Tim. 6:17?19. Without God the striving for earthly degenerates into an unfulfilling “work of gathering and collecting.” Eccl. 2:26, “To the man who pleases God, He gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” When you live for the things of this earth all you become is the “janitor of our own possessions.” How many times have you cleaned out your garage, shop, storeroom, closet and it’s still cluttered?

(a) Understand. Not all pain is “bad.” And by the same token, not all pleasure is “good.” It is very possible for many pleasures turn out to have a “down side.” It’s not at all impossible for pleasures to include dissatisfaction, emptiness and frustration. And even worse, pleasure may involve guilt, loss of self?respect, physical damage.
(b) Whatever may be the immediate gratification, what we ultimately have to come to terms with is what happens “at the last.” Solomon says that some pleasures can “In the end bite like a snake and poison like a viper.” Prov. 23:32. Listen to Paul’s question in Rom 6:20?21,
”When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. But, what benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!”
(2) If you are going to seek and pursue pleasures in life they must be sought on God’s terms, not your own. That begins by being careful and prudent about what you want. Some things are inherently wrong. Some things are dangerous to want. Did you ever read the Holy Spirits statement on this in 1 Tim. 6:8-10?
(a) You need to be careful what you want in life, and of equal importance, you must be careful WHY you we want it. Jas. 4:1?3. Puts the spotlight of shame on the reasons there are power struggles, splits, dissensions and clicks in congregations.
(b) Go home and read about King Ahab in 1 Kgs. 21:1-25. and then ask yourself, “Do you think King Ahab really got much enjoyment out of Naboth’s vineyard?”
(B) Be careful what you want in life and be doubly careful how you go about getting what you want. We are accountable to God for both our thoughts and our deeds.
(1) Don’t worship the things of this world, don’t be controlled by them and learn to be content with what you have and who you are.
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 06/15/03 pm