WHAT ARE THE TRUE RICHES TO BE FOUND ON THE EARTH?

Matthew 13:44-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

     In each of these parables Jesus is referring to Himself as the “treasure hid in a field” and the “pearl of great price.” This is not conceit, but a necessity to redeem the children of men from the curse of sin. Because He “taketh away the sin of the world” as “the Lamb of God” Jesus has gathered the whole human race unto Himself. He said it plain enough: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” Jn.12:32. These words of Christ not only address the heart issue of His demonstration of carrying out the Father’s love for His children in sending “his only begotten Son,” but also the legal side of salvation as the Apostle Paul addressed: “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” I Cor.15:21-26. As all men were once “in Adam” to condemnation, now all men are “in Christ” to justification. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” Jn.1:12.

     The guideposts of salvation are all there for the Bible student. And the wealth of their lessons cannot be estimated. And this includes the many snares the Enemy of souls has placed throughout the nations of Earth: all of which have been used repeatedly and successfully to lead men to stand condemned in their sins. And we are called to grow in our knowledge and discernment of where each of these snares are laid.

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.” Prov.3:13-15.

     The prosperity doctrine taught in the church today is as prevalent as it was when Christ walked the Earth. There are numerous stories of world leading evangelists who have abused their stewardship as GOD’S messengers. The “Oral Roberts” of this world, who claim GOD as some common mobster and thug who collects protection money. The “Osteens” who lavish 10.5 million on a home that could shelter a hundred homeless men. The “Schulers” whose crystal cathedral maintenance costs ran up a tab of 30 grand a month just for the electric bill. Illiterate are they to the great lesson in the Scriptures on the wise attainment and use of His riches.

     But everything on Earth belongs to GOD! And he delegates what He owns to His children’s stewardship. He said it plain enough: “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.” Ps.50:11,12.

     The stewardship GOD has given to men has been abused in every conceivable way: from lying and theft, to open murder. In the days when Christ walked the Earth, the Jews were adamant in their superiority over all men, even though they were under the yoke of Rome. (We see this same pride today, even among the Messianic Jews). Their manmade religion that Christ rebuked due to their neglect of “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matt.23:23) thrived on a very corrupt notion. They promoted an evil philosophy with the equation: To be rich equals GOD’S blessing and approbation. And to be poor and sickly is to receive GOD’S curse and disdain. This flattery of the wealthy class of men filled the coffers of the temple. But it also led the wealthy to stand condemned in their sins, as Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt.19:23.

     There are many verses of Scripture where GOD promises riches and wealth to those who walk in the path of godliness. And the blessings GOD brought to the great patriarchs from Job to Abraham and the prophets from Joseph to Solomon reinforce these assurances of prosperity in GOD’S Word.

     But herein lies the danger: where men have maligned GOD’S intended lesson on the stewardship of money and therefore use the blessings of GOD for selfish ease and gain. Many even get rich under the most unethical means, and whose characters are unbecoming to those with common courtesy. Read Psalm 73 to see the core of the sinful heart when it comes to the riches of Earth. Many a man has displayed a pompous heart while laying up treasures for himself. Jesus addressed this spiritual danger that many of us face in our lives: “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Lu.12:16-21.

     This is a great trap of the devil for those with enormous wealth who have the ability to bless the lives of the poverty stricken and to soften the blow of their afflictions. But instead the rich turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the call of GOD on their hearts, to extend themselves for the needs of others. It is to these men and women that Jesus gave the command: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast , and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Matt.19:21. In this posture of indifference they deny the call of GOD for their own salvation, because their cruel indifference to the needs of others is a sin against the Sixth Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” Ex.20:6. The breadth of this commandment goes beyond raising your hand to take another’s life. When one has opportunity to prevent hardship in another’s life, charity should be extended to meet their needs: to lift them from the pit of poverty and despair. In other words, any neglect to save life is to kill.

     Long ago the LORD warned the children of Israel of the danger of the ease-loving heart who neglects the needs of others, whether for their temporal or spiritual needs. GOD makes this point very plain: “And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” Deut.6:10-13.

     The moral of this lesson on the riches of Earth is that there is a heaven-ordained order through which riches are rightfully gained and utilized. First and foremost is to seek the knowledge of the truth of GOD’S salvation and the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ. Once sufficient understanding of the controversy between sin and righteousness is gained, then the provisions GOD opens the door to receive may be rightly distributed. Jesus said it plain enough: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt.6:33.

     But this is the system the world refuses to honor. And as a result, the needless loss of innocent life—souls that could be won to the Gospel of Christ’s salvation and therefore saved for His coming kingdom are lost. Their lives come to an end: to an eternal grave: to never live, love, or share in life again—forever. This makes the rulers of the world guilty of murder and therefore guilty of sin against the Sixth Commandment. And without repentance they will share in the eternal death of those they helped to push into an eternal grave.

“Behold , I stand at the door, and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev.3:20.

Psalm 112 “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.”

Solomon summed it up: “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Prov.13:16.