Wealth...The Mark of the Covenant

I can't tell you how many sermons I've heard on Deuteronomy 8:18.

'But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.' [NAS]

And every one of them was explaining that the only reason God wants to prosper Christians is so they can give to establish His covenant on the earth...and we'd better not keep too much back for ourselves!

It's a great idea—surely the New Testament encourages giving. And giving should come naturally to us, because we're the love children of a Love God Who gives us all things richly to enjoy! He gave us the kingdom...even His Son, as the sacrifice to redeem or buy us back!

But that's not what this verse means, and when it's used incorrectly, it's usually accompanied by guilt and condemnation...a sure sign of legalism!

The KJV says that God gives power to get wealth to establish His covenant. Both versions are correct: the Hebrew word quwm [pronounced 'koom'] means to establish, confirm, to make binding, to carry out, to fulfill—to prove, ratify or make valid.

In other words, the power to get or make wealth is a fulfillment of the covenant that He made with Israel's fathers...Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is a blessing that is binding upon Him to carry out, to prove or validate His covenant. It is, in reality, ratifying or proving a covenant that is already in effect.

But That Doesn't Apply to Us...
Yes, it does. Galatians 3 spells it out pretty clearly:

'Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham...So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer...Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"--in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

'And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.'

So the covenant that God made with Abraham is binding upon us as well. Romans 11 teaches that we have been grafted into Israel, and as brethren of Jesus, descendant of David, we are of the ruling tribe of Judah.

Wealth has always been a mark of God's covenant with man, from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Job to David to Solomon and beyond…right down to us. It ratifies, or confirms His covenant...it is not a cause of the covenant but an effect.

'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.' [2 Corinthians 8:9]

We've all heard how this verse is only talking about spiritual wealth. But the first Greek word for rich, describing Jesus, is plousios, which actually means wealth, abounding in material resources. Sounds like the Son of God to me...

The Greek word for poor, ptochos, means reduced to beggary, destitute of wealth, influence, position, honor...helpless, poor, needy. That pretty much describes someone nailed to a cross!

And the second Greek word for rich, referring to us, is plouteo, meaning to be rich, to have abundance of outward possessions.

This is material wealth anyway you slice it. Wealth is a blessing...contrary to popular belief, it is not earned, but bestowed as a mark of the covenant. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. [Proverbs 10:22]

Yes, with our wealth we are to administer the kingdom. But that is not the only reason God desires to prosper us...it's not even the first reason He blesses us! He desires to prove what His good and perfect and acceptable will is, that in all respects we should prosper and be in good health, just as our souls prosper! [3 John 2] He desires to demonstrate His love for us, and through us to the world.

‘He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?’ [Romans 8:32]

And here’s one no one dares preach…

‘Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the ABUNDANCE OF ALL THINGS; therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.’ [Deuteronomy 28:47,48]

Many well-meaning preachers have credited Abraham’s great wealth to his giving a tenth of spoils to Melchizedek, but it was the blessing of the Lord that made Abram VERY RICH, before He ever changed his name to Abraham. In fact, he and his nephew had so many possessions the land couldn’t sustain them both. [Genesis 13]

And we’ve been made Abraham’s heirs—heirs of the world! [Galatians 3:9,13-14; Romans 4:13-25]

Heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ! [Romans 8:14]

In fact, Proverbs 15:6 says ‘Great wealth is in the house of the righteous…’ and that’s us! Not because of anything we’ve done but because Jesus has made us the righteousness of God! And Proverbs 8:21 declares that Wisdom endows those who love her with wealth! Jesus has became to us wisdom! [1 Corinthians 1:30]

So the next time some preacher tries to talk you out of your wealth, don't pay any attention. It's the mark of the covenant!

Hallelujah!