“cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”
There is a lot of tempting sins but one that promises wealth may be up there near the top for a lot of people. Isn’t that ultimately what all sin promises, some type of reward in the end? Wisdom comes as we truly own the reality that no sin ends well. It’s just not possible for sin to bring good. In this verse we find Solomon in the midst of describing the kind of person we are to avoid if we want to be a wise follower of God. This group is in contrast to what we see in the early church. This group robs together and then divides the spoil. The early church combined their earnings and goods and shared as any had need. It is yet another example of how the Kingdom flips the ways of the world on its head. In the writers time it was seen as a clear choice everyone had to make: rob and divide or live in community and share. To us the sharing community sounds almost socialist. It isn’t. This might get me in trouble, however this is a good time to mention that as much as I would like to believe it is, capitalism is not necessarily a biblical economic model. It is certainly desirable over socialism, but building a biblical basis for it is shaky at best. It is also not an unbiblical economic model. Lots of passages imply it. Biblically we are to work to eat but we are also to use what we earn to meet the needs of others. The bottom line is stealing is wrong. Sharing to help others in need is commanded. Today work diligently and meet the needs of the less fortunate. #BeTheEdge
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
