Money or wealth can be looked at in two ways for the Christian—positively or negatively. By it, treasures can be laid up in heaven or by it, self can be gratified with waste and ruin will be the result. The first time money is mentioned in the Bible is in Gen. 17, and the last mention is in Acts 24 where Felix hoped that money would be paid to him as a bribe for Paul's release.
Gen. 23 tells us that Abraham bought a field of Ephron for four hundred shekels of silver, "current money with the merchant." So today we use the word currency to describe effective bills in use at this time.
On the positive side it is a great and wonderful thing that Christians can now lay up treasures in heaven where moth does not corrupt nor thieves break through and steal. The main teaching of Luke 16 is the instruction to use the present wisely in view of the future. A good translation of verse 9 is, "I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that, when it fails, ye may be received into the everlasting abodes." It is something like banking in heaven. How very wise this is, for in 1 Tim. 6:77For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7) it says, "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." No, we can not take anything with us when we leave, (and leave we all shall) but now through wise use as guided by Scripture, we can store our treasure in heaven.
On the negative side, another verse in 1 Tim. 6 sounds this warning to us, "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." verse 9. And further on it says, the love of money is a root of all evil. This shows itself in the first two failures that came into the Church. The first was the case of Ananias and Sapphira desiring and keeping back a part of the money (Acts 5). The second was the murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration, (chapter 6). These are very solemn lessons for us and we should learn from them for our profit.
Solomon, a rich man, was much tested and wrote instruction and guidance for our benefit. For us it surely would be good if we would pray his prayer recorded in Prov. 30:8, 98Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. (Proverbs 30:8‑9); "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
The value of the money of the nations changes continually. The insecurity of these different currencies provides an object lesson for us almost daily and certainly from year to year. We cite this example: Rather recently a woman from Bolivia said that a few years earlier she bought a new Toyota car for the same price that she now paid for a loaf of bread.
In the last few years Bolivia, Peru and Brazil have each changed the name of their currency and in so doing have dropped several zeros at the end of the figure. For example, 1 now equals what formerly was 1000 or even more.
In the terrible time of the judgments that are coming upon this earth after the Lord has taken all His redeemed out of this world, even silver and gold will lose their value and attraction. Isaiah writes of that day when the Lord arises to shake terribly the earth and says, "In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold... to the moles and to the bats." Isa. 2:2020In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; (Isaiah 2:20).
Money in this world means power. Wars are fought with money and today's wars cost billions upon billions of dollars. The most powerful nations spend staggering amounts upon defense. Political campaigns cost large amounts of money.
The third world is supported by tremendous loans of which many are never repaid in full. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Monetary System are grand united financial institutions designed to help control the monetary stability of the various currencies in which world trade is carried on. The immensity of the world's financial transactions boggles the mind and we doubt that even the most astute money moguls understand all of what goes on or even exactly how it works. Referring back again to Luke 16:99And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. (Luke 16:9), "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness [money]; that, when [it] fails," we know that one day the whole system will break down. Money will fail.
Power is necessary to sustain the value of any nation's currency. When the nation falls, so does its money. This has been demonstrated many times in history.
We do not pretend to prophesy exact coming events but we, as Christians, do have a certain hope. We expect the Lord to come for us first, and then soon there will be the collapse of the world's grand money systems. Ed.