I have had it said that Jesus was poor. Interesting! The Son of El Shaddai, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills; who owns the gold and the silver, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof, poor? Think again! If that were true, why did He need a treasurer? How was He able to engage in charitable works which, He obviously engaged in or some of His disciples would not have thought that He had sent Judas on such an assignment on the day He was to be betrayed?”
As I asserted last week, God did not mince words about His desire for His children to prosper materially. As we saw from the Bible, when He created man, he provided abundantly for Him. He did not intend for him to live in lack. He didn’t stop at providing him with the essentials, he placed precious stones at his disposal.
When man fell, it was not through the so called corrupting influence of prosperity, it was through that of misinformation. That most probably explained why he did not hold back His material provision from Noah and his descendants in the post-diluvian age. Instead, He blessed them the same way, He did Adam at creation.
Last week’s piece concluded in these words: ‘Anyone faintly acquainted with the Bible knows about Abraham, the Abrahamic covenant and the great material prosperity that accrued from it. That he “…was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Genesis 13:2), even as Abram did not hinder his destiny as “father of many nations” Such was his material state that the Bible said of him towards the end of his earthly sojourn: “And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things (Genesis 24:1). And if you thought that was vague, listen to this testimony of his servant: “And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses” (Genesis 24:34-35).’
Continuing the authentication of God’s delight in the material and financial prosperity of his children, let’s see what the Bible records about Abraham’s immediate descendants. The story of Isaac, Abraham’s son, is in particular currency today because of the global financial meltdown. Everywhere the word is preached in the current economic situation, he is the poster boy of prosperity in famine. And for good reason too.
The 26th chapter of Genesis tells the astounding story of how Isaac prospered right in the midst of famine in these words: “And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…And Isaac dwelt in Gerar…Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him” (verses 1-4, 6, 12-14).
This is yet another proof that God said what He meant and did what he said. Stay where you are and I will bless you, He told Isaac and when Isaac did, the Bible did not say that he became a spiritual giant, which he may well have been; the good book records instead that he waxed great materially “for he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants…”
Jacob, later known as Israel followed in the footsteps of both his grandfather, Abraham and his father, Isaac. In Genesis 32, we saw him returning home after his sojourn abroad a prospered man who could send a message to his estranged brother, Esau in these words: “… I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight (verse 5).” Not only that, he was able to offer a “present for Esau his brother; (of) Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals” (verses 14 &15).
In his latter days, when drought once again came upon the land and Egypt was the food storehouse of the entire region, he could afford to buy at any price from wherever else in the world. The Bible’s account of preparation for his children’s second journey to buy food in Egypt includes this revealing episode: “And their father Israel said unto them…take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight” (Genesis 43:11 -12).
This is not the place to recall how Israel and his children ended up in Egypt where Joseph, who had been sold into slavery by his brothers and whom the father believed was dead, held sway all through famine. But the reader might want to recall that even in Egypt they prospered materially continually. Pharaoh offered them and Joseph settled them in the choicest real estate and agricultural land available in Egypt, a place called Goshen (see Genesis 47:6, 11). And of their material state, the Bible reports first in Genesis 47:27: “Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly” and in Exodus 1:7: “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.”
It is a well known part of Jewish history that on account of their prosperity, their Egyptian hosts became hostile and under a new Pharaoh, “which knew not Joseph”, as the Bible puts it, they were enslaved for a season. It is however also part of Bible-recorded history that they did not leave the land of their enslavement in penury. The Bible chronicled their eventual dramatic exit this way: “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children… and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle (Exodus 12: 35-37).
Lest we forget, I launched into this rehash of Biblical history to clear whatever doubts anyone might have about material prosperity as an integral part of God’s plan for His children. It is also to counter any notion that when God talks prosperity and/or blessing, He is being spiritual! God indeed is a Spirit, but He created the material, located them here for the use of His children whom He has placed here to occupy till He comes.
I have had it said that Jesus was poor. Interesting! The Son of El Shaddai, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills; who owns the gold and the silver, who owns the earth and the fullness thereof, poor? Think again! If that were true, why did He need a treasurer? How was He able to engage in charitable works which, He obviously engaged in or some of His disciples would not have thought that He had sent Judas on such an assignment on the day He was to be betrayed? Chapter 13 of the Book of John recorded how Jesus abruptly announced that one of those seated at table with Him was set to betray Him. Asked which of them would dare do a thing as dastardly as that, the Lord Jesus indicated it was Judas. The Message rendition of the Bible conveys this clearly: “Jesus said, ‘The one to whom I give this crust of bread after I've dipped it.’ Then he dipped the crust and gave it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. As soon as the bread was in his hand, Satan entered him. ‘What you must do,’ said Jesus, ‘do. Do it and get it over with.’ No one around the supper table knew why He said this to him. Some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, or that he should give something to the poor (verses 26-29).”
No, Jesus couldn’t possibly be poor! And so shouldn’t be any of His siblings. (Continues).
Pix: Lt Col Tony Nyiam...his serial inspired this.
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