Is ‘Prosperity’ Biblical? An Open letter to ‘Anti-prosperity’ Christians! -8

  Literally…the entire Bible is filled with evidence for prosperity!! Yet, one could persuasively argue that Proverbs leads the way. Proverbs is one of the Bible’s greatest books because its wisdom applies not only to everyday life, but across the Old and New Testaments*.
   Some of Proverbs greatest evidence for financial prosperity is its explanation of ‘why’ the poor are poor!** In other words, the wisdom of Proverbs teaches us why or how the poor become poor, for the express purpose of encouraging us to avoid the behavior (or thinking) that creates the poverty! Remember, there is only ‘ONE’ way for the poor to shed poverty: prosperity! No human being has ever been delivered from financial poverty except through financial prosperity! There are no exceptions to this fact!!
   On the contrary, if you reject prosperity, you’ve just created catastrophic philosophical, practical, and theological problems! Here are just two:
       i.You can never help the poor. Any help to the poor, in any area
          (spirit, soul, body, or  financially), prospers them!
       ii.Because the poor exist, poverty must be God’s will! And because
           you cannot help the poor without prospering them, the poor are
            forever doomed to their poverty!***
  
   The good news is, contrary to the ‘anti-prosperity’ doctrine is the wonderful wisdom of Proverbs:
1.“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”    (KJV)
“A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
    (ESV)
               -Pro10:4
   Very plainly this verse teaches a reason for poverty: laziness. The ESV does not mince words, using the word “cause”, to inform us that the “slack hand causes poverty.” Interestingly, the word for “causes” (ESV) or “dealeth” (KJV), is the Hebrew word ‘asah’; which is used in Genesis 1:26: “Let us make (asah) man in our image”. So, like God created man, laziness creates poverty!
   Therefore, for all who choose to believe, Proverbs 10:4 teaches five very obvious points:
            i.a reason for poverty: laziness
            ii.do not be lazy
            iii.hard work (“diligent hand”) is the foundation for riches
            iv.work hard so you will be rich, and not poor
            v.it is God’s will to be rich. If the hard worker creates riches, hard
               work is obviously God’s way to riches.
 
   According to this divinely inspired text, we are taught that poverty originates in laziness, which means poverty is an evil consequence of choosing an ungodly behavior. Then, in the same verse, we are taught to work hard to attain riches. How can God want us to be poor, and then inspire a text which teaches us how to avoid poverty?!?!
 
2.“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall
   be honoured.”          (KJV)
-“ Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is
   honored.”     (ESV)
                                                -Pro13:18
 
   This passage could not be more clear; a straightforward reading links poverty and shame.
i.The obvious first point is that poverty and shame/disgrace are negative, i.e.bad; i.e.to be rejected; i.e.not God’s will.
ii.Furthermore, to link these two together is irrefutable evidence that poverty is evil. The Bible does not link good and evil together, for example, mercy and shame; or grace and shame; or love and shame. The fact that Proverbs 13:18 links poverty with shame/disgrace is proof that neither are godly!
iii.Finally, this text plainly teaches poverty and shame are negative consequences of a willful choice to reject instruction! Most interestingly, the same Hebrew word for ‘instruction’ is used in Proverbs 1:7, teaching us that “fools” despise it(reject it)!
   How can the anti-prosperity proponents explain the fact that the Hebrew word used to call a person a “fool” for rejecting ‘instruction’ in Proverbs 1:7, is the same word used to teach us that those who reject ‘instruction’ in Proverbs 13:18 create poverty for themselves?!?!
   There are many other witnesses in Proverbs explaining why people are poor****. Yet, all with one voice scream:
               “DON’T DO ‘A CERTAIN THING’ AND YOU WILL NOT BE
                 POOR!”
               “DO ‘A CERTAIN THING’ AND YOU WILL BE RICH(prosper)”
 
   It is not God’s will for any person to be poor! Poverty is a curse (Deut28)! Proverbs teaches us the way out of poverty—prosperity!
   I thank God for His incredible tender compassion toward us!!  He sends people to help us, if we are poor (Gal2:10; Jms1:27)! And subsequently, He teaches us to profit(Is48:17;Deut8:18)!
 
 
*Which refutes one of the anti-prosperity proponents’ greatest claims: “Prosperity applies only to Israel.” If it were true that prosperity applies only to Israel, why should not Proverbs also apply only to Israel? Is not Proverbs part of the Torah…which was given to the Jew/Israel?
**And what’s more, it calls poverty a negative or evil consequence. If poverty is an evil consequence, how can it be God’s will?
***Yet, the Bible declares that God desires to help the poor: Ps34:6; Gal2:10
****a.Explains poverty:Pro10:4,15; Pro13:8,18;Pro14:23; Pro20:13; Pro21:17; Pro23:21; Pro24:34;Pro28:19,22
b.Calls poverty an evil consequence: Pro10:15; Pro11:24; Pro13:7;Pro13:23;Pro14:20; Pro19:4; Pro22:2,7,9,16,22,23;Pro28:6,8,11
 
Tidbit
"If you would lift me up, you've got to be on higher ground" -unknown