Which other scriptures warn against the dangers of ill-gotten wealth like Job 20:15? \Job 20 in Focus\ “ He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.” (Job 20:15) Zophar is convinced that riches gained apart from God’s standards never stay down—they are violently expelled under divine pressure. \Other Scriptures That Sound the Same Alarm\ • Proverbs 10:2 — “Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.” God connects dishonest gain with ultimate worthlessness, while upright living rescues. • Proverbs 13:11 — “Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but he who gathers by labor will increase it.” Easy money disappears; steady, honest work multiplies. • Proverbs 15:27 — “He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.” Ill-gotten gain poisons even family life. • Proverbs 20:17 — “Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel.” Short-lived pleasure, long-term misery. • Proverbs 21:6 — “Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.” The fortune evaporates; the pursuit proves fatal. • Proverbs 28:8 — “He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.” God ultimately transfers corrupt gain to the righteous. • Proverbs 28:16 — “A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment, but one who hates ill-gotten gain will prolong his days.” Leadership that rejects corruption enjoys God-given longevity. • Ecclesiastes 5:10 — “He who loves money is never satisfied by money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This too is futile.” Craving wealth breeds perpetual emptiness. • Jeremiah 17:11 — “Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is a man who makes a fortune unjustly; in the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be a fool.” Unjust wealth walks away mid-life, leaving shame behind. • Micah 6:11-12 — “Shall I acquit a man with dishonest scales…? For her rich men are full of violence… their tongues are deceitful.” God refuses to overlook systemic corruption. • Habakkuk 2:6 — “Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long?” A divine “woe” hangs over every crooked profit. • Luke 12:15 — “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Jesus dismantles the myth that more money equals real life. • Luke 16:13 — “You cannot serve both God and money.” Split loyalties are impossible; money makes a cruel master. • James 5:1-3 — “Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over your misery… Your gold and silver are corroded…” The ill-used riches themselves testify against their owners. • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 — “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation… For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil…” Desire for wealth opens doors to ruin and destruction. \Shared Threads You’ll Notice\ • Fast gain, faster loss: what is seized without God’s blessing decays or is stripped away. • Collateral damage: households, communities, and even nations suffer under corrupt wealth. • Divine audit trail: God personally intervenes—forcing riches out (Job 20), transferring them (Proverbs 28:8), or letting them corrode (James 5). • Heart exposure: greed betrays divided allegiance and an unsatisfied soul. • Ultimate reversal: the unjust wind up empty-handed, while the righteous inherit abiding treasure. \Living It Out Today\ • Inspect income streams: are they transparent, lawful, and aligned with God’s character? • Choose contentment: celebrate honest work and God’s provision rather than shortcuts. • Reject bribery and manipulation in every form—business, politics, even family favors. • Invest in eternity: generosity toward the poor and the spread of the gospel converts earthly wealth into lasting reward (cf. Matthew 6:19-20). • Cultivate single-hearted service to God; money then becomes a tool, not a tyrant. \Closing Thought\ Scripture speaks with one voice: wealth outside God’s ways is a ticking time bomb. Honest gain brings His smile; dishonest gain brings His sure undoing. Choose the path that lasts. |
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