October 20, 2023 – Devotions – Does the Bible Say…?

Does the Bible Say “Money is the Root of All Evil?

“Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10

We might call this kind of use of scripture as a “Pocket Verse” – you know, when someone needs some scripture to support their argument, they reach into their pocket and pull out a line of scripture, a card to play and throws it in your face. After all, if it is in the Bible, it must be true, right? Look, we all know that money can be used in evil ways. Money can cause people to seek evil outcomes, and to do evil things. And, in the ever “soul-crushing” desire to have more and more “stuff”, some people will be lured into evil deeds and decisions. But, my friends, money is not the root of all evil – that is not what Paul is saying. When you read the scripture, you see that he says “…the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”

Paul does teach people to be content with what they have, not to get lost in seeking more and more, for “…there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it”. In other words, empty handed have we come into this world, and we will go out of this world empty handed, as Martin Luther so famously said: “We are all beggars”.

My friends, we all need money to live. But, we are not to live for money. Paul does not teach that rich people are going to hell, or that rich people should become poor to be closer to G-d. He does teach that those who have should be generous with and toward those who do not have – and that we must always thank G-d for the abundance of blessings, material and spiritual, that we have been showered with. Money must not become a “god” for us – but we always thank G-d for the money we have – and then pray for the strength and guidance to share out of our abundance.

Pastor Dave

October 19, 2023 – Devotions – What If…?

What if They Couldn’t Find One Good Woman?

“The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it. Then Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers who have oversight of the house of the Lord.” Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” Shaphan then read it aloud to the king. When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her. She declared to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the Lord, I will indeed bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. Because they have abandoned me and have made offerings to other gods, so that they have provoked me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.” 2 Kings 22:8–20 (not inclusive)

It appears that Huldah is one good woman – and isn’t it interesting that they have to go to a woman to determine the veracity of the book of the law they have found. But what is the significance of finding the book of the law? We have to go back a few hundred years to understand – actually more than that. In the 17th chapter of Deuteronomy, we read these words:

“When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me’…Also it shall be, when he [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes…”

800 years passed from the writing of these words to the birth of the prophet Jeremiah, who was born during the reign of King Manasseh. Manasseh’s reign as the King was awful – he did more to repress the teaching of the law and living as people of the law than many of the kings before him. As such, very few kings had written their own copy of the book of the law, what was either the Book of Deuteronomy, or the Torah. So it is no wonder that when this book was found, no one knew whether it was the real deal or not. And if it was the real deal, then what the book instructed was surely disaster for the people – for they were not following the teachings and instructions of the law.

King Josiah could have sent for any number of people – but he sends for a woman, Huldah. She attested to the genuineness of the scroll, and prophesied ruin for the people for not following the commands of G-d. And not only did she confirm the veracity of the book, her actions sparked a revival by the king and the people — Josiah would bring about many necessary reforms as determined by the laws, commandments, decrees and statutes of G-d. As they say, it takes just one good woman.

Pastor Dave