Topical Bible: Forsaking God: Prosperity Tempts To

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Topical Encyclopedia

The theme of prosperity leading individuals or nations to forsake God is a recurring motif throughout the Bible. This concept is rooted in the understanding that material wealth and success can lead to a sense of self-sufficiency and pride, causing individuals to forget their dependence on God. The Scriptures provide numerous examples and warnings about the spiritual dangers associated with prosperity.

Biblical Warnings and Examples

1. Deuteronomy 8:11-14: In this passage, Moses warns the Israelites about the dangers of prosperity as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. He cautions them, "Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

2. Proverbs 30:8-9: The writer of Proverbs expresses a desire for balance, recognizing the potential pitfalls of both poverty and wealth. He prays, "Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion, lest I become full and deny You, saying, 'Who is the LORD?' or lest I become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God."

3. Hosea 13:6: The prophet Hosea highlights the tendency of Israel to forget God in times of abundance. "When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result, they forgot Me."

4. Revelation 3:17: In the message to the church in Laodicea, Jesus rebukes them for their complacency born out of wealth. "You say, 'I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing,' but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

Theological Insights

The Bible consistently teaches that prosperity can lead to spiritual complacency and a false sense of security. This is not to say that wealth is inherently evil, but rather that it poses a unique set of spiritual challenges. The heart's inclination to rely on material wealth rather than on God is a form of idolatry, as it places trust in created things rather than the Creator.

Historical Context

Throughout Israel's history, periods of prosperity often led to spiritual decline. The reign of Solomon is a prime example, where immense wealth and success eventually led to idolatry and the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 11:1-13). Similarly, the prosperity of the Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam II was accompanied by social injustice and spiritual apostasy, as denounced by prophets like Amos and Hosea.

Practical Application

Believers are called to maintain a posture of humility and gratitude, recognizing that all blessings come from God. The New Testament encourages Christians to be generous and to use their resources for the advancement of God's kingdom (1 Timothy 6:17-19). By doing so, they guard against the temptation to forsake God in times of prosperity and instead remain faithful stewards of His gifts.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, that flows with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn to other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 32:15
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: you are waxen fat, you are grown thick, you are covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... Danger, seeking, tempting God, [1009]520. Daniel and St. Paul, [1010]423. ... Devil,
the, how he tempts, [1079]314; the, called a lion, [1080]491. ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

The Epistle of St. James
... it is so for God and it must be so for His People, not outward calm or prosperity,
but the inward ... In the OT the sin of forsaking the true God for idolatry ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the epistle of st james.htm

Book Ten from Autobiography to Self-Analysis. ...
... and a third, from the desire of prosperity"because adversity ... of the things they make;
but inwardly forsaking Him by ... I beseech thee now, O my God, to reveal ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book ten from autobiography to.htm

part i
... "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent.""John 17:3. ... And God requires our hearts. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part i.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... all, so that the generality of men prefer to wander up and down, forsaking the fountain ...
one in a hundred is moved to come into the presence of God, though he ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... who adorn this country and feed its prosperity, so few ... heads; as that cursed monster
the pope, forsaking the garden ... said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

part ii
... "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent.""John 17:3. ... My heart ought to cling to God alone. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... wicked's prosperity, he would lay this down as an indubitable truth, that his judgments
were righteous (Jeremiah 12:1). And his end was not to charge God, but ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... therefore, he is thus off, if he makes not speed to the Son of God for life ... 5. Coming
to Christ is attended with an honest and sincere forsaking of all for him ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... are introduced; some from that singular compilation, Clarke's looking-glass for
Saints and Sinners; others from 'Beard's theatre of God's Judgments' and many ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm