Our Attitude about Wealth

6 min read

12 But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 13 “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Kabul, a name they have to this day. 14 Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents of gold.
— 1 Kings 9:12-14

King Hiram and Tyre partnered with King Solomon and Israel in helping them establish the wealth of the kingdom. Later on, we find Israel and Tyre partnering to acquire 420 talents of gold from Ophir. So just in this passage, Israel possessed at least 540 talents of gold.

The price of gold today is $2,313.89. So in today’s market 540 talents of gold is worth $1,517,911,840.00 (about $1.52 trillion). As king, Solomon owned all of that. The US collected about $4.5 trillion in revenue in 2023.

Solomon became filthy rich. Israel was filthy rich, there was peace on all sides, and God’s inheritance in the promised land was unfolding right before their eyes. Hallelujah!

But when Solomon gives 20 towns to Hiram as a thank-you gift, he complains and calls them Kabul, which means “good for nothing.” It may be that Solomon gave Hiram the worst of his towns.

Isn’t it interesting and sad how wealth always builds up greed, dissatisfaction, and conflict?

Being wealthy is obviously not a sin. God promised to make Solomon wealthy. God has never promised to make me wealthy, at least not in terms of finances. And yet, my life is so wealthy.

CJ and I have always tried to be generous in terms of giving to the kingdom and the church, especially when we were earning decent incomes, and I am convinced that God continues to bless us for our generosity.

One rule we always kept in mind was to trust in the Lord with whatever we give. We never fretted about how our giving would be used. Our wealth, like Solomon’s, comes from God, not from us. Of course, if we suspected abuse, we would not sit around and do nothing. But that has never been the case.

There are two kinds of people who will never be blessed by their wealth: those who treat money as a goal and not a tool for the kingdom of God, and those who treat money as a limited resource like toilet paper during COVID.

Obviously, we do need to be wise with the wealth that God gives us. One of the most puzzling passages in the entire Bible is the parable that Jesus taught about the shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-9). And the lesson that Jesus leaves us with from that parable is -

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
— Luke 16:9

Using worldly wealth to build up the kingdom of God and the church of Jesus Christ is not irresponsible spending but part of a wise investment portfolio that will reap heavenly rewards (even in this lifetime).

Father, I thank You for always taking care of me and my family. Even in desperate times, You have always provided for us. I pray that You would help me and my family, especially my kids, and our entire Canvas family to trust You always and to have a generous spirit through faith and wisdom. In Jesus’s name. Amen.