You say po-tay-toe, I say po-tah-toe…do they really mean the same thing?

Probing Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

           

It has been stated that “words matter!” That is true to a point; still I have found that meanings matter most. Words change, evolve due to culture, or usage. In 1987 I moved from Hawaii to Pastor a church in the Bible belt. I did not come from a Christian background, so I did not know some of the traditions of the church. I had been in the area for about a month and attended a meeting with a number of Pastors. One still spoke the King’s English...literally!  He was describing to me about high school camp, which I had led many times in Hawaii, but the church in Hawaii was very different than the Bible belt of America. It did not have quite the same history and depth of traditions that the Bible belt had. So when this Pastor said that his favorite part of camp was the last night when they had their “faggot burning” service! Flabbergasted, I asked what he meant. He explained that they would build a bon fire and would burn “fagots!’ Confused, I said, “Excuse me?” He said they all went out and got fagots and threw them in the fire! I was bewildered. I said, “I don’t understand.” One of the other men said, “He means sticks!” The other Pastor said, “of course I meant sticks, what else would I mean?” I said, “Brother you go to Hawaii and say that…you will end up in the fire!” 

What I did not know was the word “faggot” was an archaic word from England that meant “sticks.” For many years in the South this night was known by that term. In Hawaii we also had a bon fire where the teens would make a decision, and throw a stick in the fire as a testimony of their decision. However, for me, the word “fagot” had always been something demeaning and derogatory. That’s why for me, I pay more attention to what the words are meaning to those that are using them, than the words themselves. Manipulation of words is a major tactic of the enemy. With one little word he has killed millions: “Oh, we are not killing babies, we are just getting rid of “fetuses!” That is about as honest as “the shooter did not kill that person, the bullet did!” So it is important that we understand the full meaning behind a word.

This Proverb requires that! Charlatans throughout the centuries have twisted words to use the Scripture to enrich themselves, and led many astray by appealing to their greed. Today it is a plague on society. The one organism that is suppose to guide people to freedom from sin and toward a life with God…the Church…is full of these liars that portray God as a genie that is at the command of humans to enrich themselves with “things.” They make Him a god obsessed with material things and promises to make His followers just as obsessed. He guarantees all happiness, which means their circumstances must remain always good, because happiness is based on emotions. Plus, everyone is promised health…but here is where their god really fails, because people keep getting sick and dying! Oh yea, they handle that also though, if you get sick it is because YOU lack faith!

This Proverb states that: The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich. Rich…what does that mean? Obviously from the Scripture it includes the meaning of money. Many verses talk about both the blessing and cursing of wealth. So there is no doubt this Proverb is including the fact that God’s blessings can benefit us financially, but do not limit the idea of “rich” to only temporal things. Consider these Scriptures also in our meaning of rich:

Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 2:4–7  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

When God blesses His children, His riches minister to the whole person! The riches of character fruit, wisdom and eternal life are worth far more than any temporal “thing,” no matter how enjoyable it may be. The great thing about our Lord is much of the time He blesses with both the eternal and temporal! Whenever God is the One that blesses with temporal riches, there is no sorrow…because He will not bless with that, unless you can handle it?

Consider: What are the “riches” in your life? How are you using the Temporal ones? How are you using the Eternal ones? What do you feel you lack? What are you doing to change that?