What other scriptures warn against greed and its consequences? Setting the Stage with Proverbs 1:19 “Such are the ways of all who are greedy for gain; it takes the lives of its possessors.” (Proverbs 1:19) Greed Exposes the Heart • Greed is not a harmless desire; Scripture treats it as a life-stealing force. • From Genesis to Revelation, God links covetousness with idolatry, exploitation, and judgment. Old Testament Echoes • Exodus 20:17 — “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” • Psalm 10:3 — “For the wicked man boasts of his craving; the greedy man curses and reviles the LORD.” • Jeremiah 6:13 — “From the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.” • Micah 2:1-2 — Greed drives oppression: seizing fields, houses, and inheritances. • Isaiah 56:11 — False shepherds are “never satisfied…each one seeking his own gain.” Wisdom Literature Warnings • Proverbs 15:27 — “He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household.” • Proverbs 28:22 — “A stingy man is eager for wealth and is unaware that poverty awaits him.” • Proverbs 28:25 — “A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.” • Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 — Loving money never satisfies; increase only attracts more consumers. Prophets Cry Out • Habakkuk 2:5-9 — The greedy enlarge “their appetite like Sheol” and face taunts of woe. • Zephaniah 1:18 — “Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’s wrath.” Jesus’ Direct Teaching • Matthew 6:24 — “You cannot serve both God and money.” • Luke 12:15 — “Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” • Luke 12:20-21 — The rich fool’s barns could not save him when God required his soul. Early Church Reminders • Ephesians 5:5 — A greedy person “has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” • Colossians 3:5 — Greed is “idolatry.” • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 — The love of money plunges people “into ruin and destruction…pierced themselves with many sorrows.” • Hebrews 13:5 — “Keep your lives free from the love of money…‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’” • James 4:2-3 — Covetous prayers go unanswered, revealing wrong motives. • 2 Peter 2:3 — False teachers “exploit you” because of greed, yet “their destruction does not sleep.” Consequences at a Glance • Loss of life and spiritual vitality (Proverbs 1:19; Luke 12:20). • Family and community strife (Proverbs 28:25). • Self-deception and idolatry (Colossians 3:5). • God’s disciplinary judgment now and ultimate wrath later (Habakkuk 2; Zephaniah 1; Ephesians 5:5). • Eternal loss of inheritance (1 Corinthians 6:10 echoes the same truth). A Call to Contentment • Contentment grows from trusting God’s presence and provision (Hebrews 13:5). • Generosity, stewardship, and gratitude uproot greed and align the heart with eternal treasure (Matthew 6:19-21). |
    |