What is a Biblical outlook on Money?

A Godly View Toward Money:

Few concepts are harder to keep in righteous perspective than Money. Like food, we cannot do without it. Yet we are commanded sternly not to love it:

By the passage I Tim 6:

[9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
[10] For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Here we see that money can have a seductive quality that baits the snare of materialism. In contrast, we also see Ecc 10:

[19] A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

If money solves so many problems, why should we not make “being rich” a goal? In order not to “Pierce ourselves thru with many sorrows.”

In the Old Testament, many Patriarchs were wealthy by the standards of their day. Abraham, Israel, Job and Solomon, to name a few. If money “answereth all things,” Why should we moderate the pursuit of it? One important passage to keep in mind about this is Ecc 7:

[11] Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
[12] For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
[13] Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
[14] In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Here we see that wisdom is needed to govern the use and direction of Material Wealth - Money. Consider Pr 14:

[24] The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

Here we see that money, even in the largess that qualifies as “Riches” can be a crown. Contrast this with vs 18 from the same chapter:

[18] The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

So we see riches being a crown, and knowledge being a crown. As long as we are talking “crowns,” knowledge should be equally desirable(Pr 15:[2] The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. So we see wisdom and speaking of knowledge are closely related.)

We have long known that money cannot buy happiness. However, it should be allowed in all fairness that poverty doesn’t make you happy either. Pr 10:

[15] The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Compare Pr 18:

[10] The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Again, we see riches being a “defence,” but the poor righteous can also have a strong well defended tower... The name of the Lord.

As we proceed then, we see that most things that money can do for us, can be accomplished by wisdom as well. Furthermore, we know by many repetitions that Mt 6:

[19] Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

[20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

[21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The wise man also asked the LORD Pr 30:

[8] Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
[9] Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

How “convenient” is this food to be? Pr 22:

[29] Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Mean here means 'average.' Diligence has its place too. Pr 10:

[4] He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
[5] He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Building yet another syllogism, “If Wise then gather in summer, and gather in summer then?” While gathering in summer may be from wisdom it might also be from greed. However, it is clear that wisdom does cause one to “make hay while the sun shines.” This diligence will in turn lead to plenty. In Pr 3:

[9] Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
[10] So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
[11] My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
[12] For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

We see precedent for giving not only to the poor or our neighbor, but also to the Lord, FIRST!

So where the rubber meets the road, what should all of this mean to the common Christian? While we all purpose to give “a day’s work for a day’s pay,” there is an end to “the second mile.” Asking for a raise does not represent making riches a figurative altar in our hearts. Observe in Lk 10:

[7] And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house

I Tim 5:

[18] For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

(Context can be helpful for this passage.)

Christian’s are expected to provide for their own (I Tim 5:[8] But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.) And to give to others Eph 4:[28] Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

We should observe that this is also a command simply to work. There is another command in the bible that we commonly think is a command to work. It is II Thess 3:

[10] For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Is actually only a command not to let someone eat. It is probably best to stick to a pro-active command, if we are trying to motivate a despondent person.

If we want to start a business, we should always remember Pr 16:[26] He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

Observing these things then, we should conclude that we must give some attention to acquiring money, if we want to use money to do the good works that we have devised. To that end, we must spend some of it in our youth, in order to learn the proper exercise of it... but not too much, or there will be none left at the end of our lives to take care of ourselves and of our children, much less do charitable things.

Pr 19:[14] House and riches are the inheritance of fathers and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Shows that we need to be able to leave house and riches for our children. In mentioning “the proper exercise of it,” we should also note that the attitude toward money is not only for ourselves. If we devise good, and use money to go about its discharge, then we should not be naive in thinking that all people share our Godly views. In most cases, if money is the carrot, the people who show up to assist us may be those who themselves love money. If this is the case, in order to prevent that tree called evil from taking root, we must “weed them out,” if not unkindly, rather like you weed a garden. No one likes weeding, but no one expects any given plot to be weed free either!

Let’s consider also that too many times, we expect to see wisdom have the causal effect of wealth. In I Ki 3:

[11] And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

[12] Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

[13] And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Here we see that Solomon did not ask for riches, and was given a wise and understanding heart according to his request. However, over and above this, he was ALSO given riches. So we see that wisdom does not cause wealth, else, by tautology, “If wise then wealth, and not wealth, then not wise,” no poor man could be wise. This is demonstrated false by Ecc 9:

[13] This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
[14] There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

[15] Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Here we see a poor wise man.

In closing let’s re-iterate. You can be poor and love money just as much as a rich person. Or you can be an exception to the rule, and be rich, but not seduced by the stuff. It is our attitude toward money that makes or breaks us in God’s sight.