Which other scriptures warn against the dangers of wealth and indulgence? Setting the Stage with James 5:5 “You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.” (James 5:5) Echoes in the Words of Jesus • Luke 6:24 — “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” • 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.” • Luke 12:20-21 (Rich Fool) — “‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” • Luke 16:13 — “No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and money.” • Luke 16:19-25 (Rich Man & Lazarus) — v.25: “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.” • Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” • Matthew 19:23-24 — “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” • Mark 4:19 — “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Apostolic Warnings • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 — “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap…For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” • 1 Timothy 6:17-19 — “Command those who are rich…not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is uncertain, but to put their hope in God.” • Revelation 3:17-18 (Laodicea) — “You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Prophetic Voices from the Old Testament • Amos 6:4-7 — “You lie on beds inlaid with ivory…You drink wine by the bowlful…Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting will end.” • Isaiah 5:8-11 — “Woe to you who add house to house…Woe to those who rise early to chase strong drink.” • Zephaniah 1:12-13 — “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps…Their wealth will be plundered, and their houses laid waste.” • Ezekiel 16:49 — “Behold, this was the guilt of…Sodom: she and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” • Hosea 13:6 — “When they had pasture, they became satisfied; and being satisfied, their hearts became proud; therefore they forgot Me.” Wisdom Literature on Wealth’s Traps • Proverbs 11:4 — “Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Proverbs 11:28 — “He who trusts in his riches will fall.” • Proverbs 23:4-5 — “Do not wear yourself out to get rich…Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone.” • Proverbs 28:20 — “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” • Ecclesiastes 5:10 — “He who loves money will never be satisfied with money.” • Psalm 49:16-17 — “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich…For when he dies, he will carry nothing away.” • Psalm 62:10 — “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Threads that Tie These Passages Together • Wealth invites a false sense of security that can displace trust in God. • Indulgence dulls spiritual alertness, leading to complacency toward sin and the needs of others. • Judgment is a recurring consequence—whether exile, spiritual barrenness, or eternal separation. • The consistent antidote is generosity, humility, and a heart “rich toward God.” Living It Out Today Scripture’s chorus is clear: hold possessions loosely, steward them faithfully, and keep your deepest satisfaction anchored in Christ, not in the comforts of this passing world. |
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