Money Is Not God’s Creation

 

2 Timothy 3:1-2 “1But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money...”

 

As these passages say, the reality today is that people feel they need money so much that they think they cannot live without it, and they live as “lovers of money.” But in fact, if we think about it just a little, we can know that the money we regard as so important did not exist from the beginning. In other words, man was originally a being who could live without money.

 

In Genesis 1, we can see that in the beginning God, “by the word,” made light on the first day and divided the day from the night; on the second day, He made the heavens and the sea; on the third day, the land and plants; on the fourth day, the sun, moon, and stars; on the fifth day, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea; on the sixth day, the beasts of the earth and man; and on the seventh day, He rested.

 

Of course, there is no mention of money there at all. This is because money was made by people themselves much later, according to their own need. In the end, people have become bound by what they themselves made. And because imperfect people make, manage, and use money, problems constantly arise because of money. In severe cases, people even take another person’s life, or take their own life, because of money. The natural things God created by His word are given fairly to all, but money is often used unfairly because of human greed.

 

Matthew 5:45 “that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.”

 

Proverbs 17:23 “A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of justice.”

 

No matter how much people love money and have made a world that runs on money, the God we believe in is far greater than money. Therefore, we must not be bound by money, but must overcome the world by faith.

 

1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.”

 

This is because, although outwardly it may seem that people live in this world “by money,” in reality this is not so. Jesus spoke about this as follows.

 

Matthew 6:24-33 “24No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 26Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 28And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

 

When we think again of Genesis 1 mentioned earlier, we can know that God made man on the sixth day, the last day of creation. This was so that man might be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over every living thing (Gen. 1:26-28). In other words, after preparing every environment in which man could live, God made man last. Therefore, our heavenly Father knew from the beginning what man needed and what man must have. Would not the Creator who made man naturally know man well?

 

Therefore, man does not live by money made by man, but “by the word of God.” This is the “faith” we must have.

 

1 Corinthians 9:14 “Even so did the Lord ordain that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.”

 

Matthew 4:4 “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

 

If we do not believe this fact and come to love money instead of the word of God, then because of that money we will rather fall into many sorrows and destruction.

 

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

 

Therefore, we must not desire to be rich, but must have a humble heart that knows how to be content if we have food and covering. For this reason, the content of our prayer should be like Proverbs 30:7-9.

 

1 Timothy 6:7-9 “7for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; 8but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. 9But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition.”

 

This is because desire gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth “death.”

 

James 1:14-16 “14but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death. 16Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.”

 

Therefore, even if riches increase, we must never set our heart upon them.

 

Psalm 62:10 “Trust not in oppression, And become not vain in robbery: If riches increase, set not your heart thereon.”

 

Since riches can make wings at any time and easily fly away from us, we must not set our eyes on that vain thing. Otherwise, our life too will become vain in the same way.

 

Proverbs 23:5 “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.”

 

Therefore, now we must no longer live pitiful lives bound and imprisoned by money, which did not come from God but from the world. Rather, having been made free by the truth (John 8:32), we must become blessed people who live according to the word of God, which is far better than money (Ps. 119:72; Ps. 1:1-3). The result of this is “eternal life” (1 Pet. 1:9). As mentioned earlier, the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. This is because only the words of Jesus are eternal, and therefore the person who walks with that eternal word also becomes eternal.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.”

 

1 Peter 1:23-25 “23having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. 24For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: 25But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you.”

 

Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

 

1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.”

 

Amen.