“Does God want us to have the best things in life? Or does God want us to suffer now and enjoy ourselves when we get to heaven? As children of a great God who is immeasurably rich, isn’t it our right to be rich?”
Some have said that it’s wrong for a Christian to enjoy luxury, while some others say it is a ‘sin’ for a Christian to be poor. Is it possible the truth lies midway?
Let’s look at two people God loved who had the chance to enjoy luxury..
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1. King David’s Luxury:
This was a man after God’s heart long before he even attained his position as king. He conquered nations for God’s kingdom and never lost a battle! He plundered cities he defeated so he was very wealthy.
1 Chronicles 18:11 Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
But David’s heart was not in this achievement. His heart was fixed on God. He is known for his great love for God and the oral proof is in the Psalms. As the deer pants for water, so did his soul pant for God (Psalm 42:1). The physical proof came later.
The measure of David’s wealth was unknown until it was time for him to donate to the building of the temple of the God he loved so much and lives for.
1 Chronicles 29:2-5 With all my resources have provided for the temple of my God-gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble-all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”
2. King Solomon’s Luxury:
Immediately succeeding David was Solomon who God named, “beloved of the Lord” – Jedidiah. Solomon had the opportunity to choose from God’s abundant and endless riches and chose wisdom. His request pleased God so much that He added riches, honour, and peace to him.
Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, besides what he collected from the merchants, traders, Arabian kings, and governors of the land.
The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold… There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.
All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. Since silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time, There were no silver items, for . Every three years the fleet came, with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. King Solomon was wealthier than any of the kings of the earth. (Ref: 1Kings 10:14-27)
Solomon’s money-making machinery enabled him to:
i) live in great opulence and,
ii) stash large amounts away in ‘vaults’. (Ref: 1 Kings 10:14-29)
Later on in life we see a heart turned away from God who set up idolatrous altars for his numerous wives and concubines who sacrificed to their bloodthirsty and disgusting gods.
Let’s continue thinking on this next week!
References:
– Acts 13:22
– 1 Samuel 13:14
– 1st Kings 18:1-11
– 1 Samuel 30:26
– 2 Samuel 3:22
– 2 Samuel 12:24
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