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Hello <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>,
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As we turn our attention to the next section of Genesis (26:12-35), I want to draw our attention to the first two verses. It reads, “And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy” (vv. 12-13). The key thing I want us to take away from this is that it is the Lord who blesses Isaac with wealth and there is no indication that it is out of compulsion, but rather out of his own choosing. We unfortunately live in a day in which promises of wealth are often times attached to becoming a Christian, however this is not what we see in the Scriptures.
Many have fallen victim to the preaching of many televangelists who promise them health and wealth if one simply has enough faith, faith which usually requires making a donation of a large sum to their ministry. Lives have been ruined, relationships destroyed, and a false gospel has been believed because of these different prosperity teachings
Can God bless someone with wealth? Our passage today affirms that he can and does! The Scriptures tell us that Isaac became “very wealthy.” However, two key points need to be taken from these verses. The first is what we can learn about God and the second is what we learn about what is required of us.
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First, it is worth noticing that God blessed Isaac based on God's own plan and desires. God chose to bless Isaac with great wealth and nothing Isaac did forced God or enticed God into doing this. God is the one who decides when he will bless, how he will bless, and who he will bless.
The second point is that Isaac “sowed in the land” before his blessing. Isaac worked hard and was blessed, but he worked hard before the blessing. As image bearers of God, who have been called to take dominion over the earth, we are to be a hardworking and diligent people. Our status in this call does not change according to our wealth.
If you have experienced great monetary wealth, have you thanked God as the giver of all good things? If you haven’t experienced great wealth, have you thanked God for the other ways in which he has blessed you? Is the gospel you believe and share with others based on reconciliation with God or having your best life now? Let us be sure to never pollute the gospel by adding some false promise of health and wealth, but rather that we would emphasize its goodness in that through Jesus we can be reconciled in our relationship with the Father.
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Text By: Miguel Benitez, Jr.
Photo from:
http://www.raanetwork.org/media/image-11.jpeg
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