Question received:
Hi Pearl. Just a quick question if I may. Proverbs 3:9. I am busy reading tonight for the first time in a long time. I am establishing my relationship with God. I would like to know how this particular scripture is applied practically in this day and age?
My reply:
Good question!
We may recall during our previous association with the Watchtower organization, that one of their exhortations was, "Make friends by means of unrighteous riches.". They cited Luke 16:9 and Prov.3:9.
When I was a member, they often claimed that the friends we should strive to make by means of our material assets, are God and Jesus. Their simplified way to make spiritual friends that reside in heaven (according to Watchtower doctrine), is to hand over your earnings, to them!
How fortunate for the organization, because like Judas, they happen to hold the money bag for God and Jesus (John12:4-6). Although they claim to be using those funds to provide places of worship for those poor in spirit ("those conscious of their spiritual need/poverty" -Matt.5:3); ...the treasurers dwell in shameless luxury (Rev.18:7,17) while the genuine house of God, lies in ruins.
(Deuteronomy 10:14; Haggai 2:8-9; Mark 14:58; John2:21; 1Cor.12:27; Isa.66:1; Acts 17:24; Heb.8:1-2; 1Pet.2:4-5; 1Cor.3:16; Acts 7:49; Heb.12:22-24; Eph.2:20-22,10; John4:21-24) (Dan.8:11-13; Luke 21:24; Rev.11:2; Haggai 1:3 - Haggai 1:4NKJV ; 1Cor.3:16; 2Thess.2:3-4; Mark 13:14; Matt.24:15-16; Heb.10:29; Matt.25:45).
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If it were true that God desires literal riches, then of course we should seek divine approval by heeding such indebtedness. But before we are sheared like sheep which so many religions are guilty of causing; let's be sure that Luke 16:9 actually means that
the friendships which we need to buy with cash, are really those of God and Jesus (Deut.10:17; Acts 8:20).
Jesus did not connect money with God, but rather, he emphasized the distinction between the two (Mark 12:17).
Micah 6:8; Hosea 6:6; James 1:27; Isa.1:17,23; Ecc.12:13NIV
Here is an excerpt from the blog which explains Luke 16:
The section below is taken from the blog linked above***, and covers some of Luke 16:8-9
sons of light: those who have no interest in position or a tyrannical type of stewardship over God's household. Their only concern is in pleasing the Master and promoting his interests of truth. They wish to work under a loving spirit of cooperation and mutual respect (1Thess.5:5). How these are treated, will determine how others are judged (John20:23; Matt.25:40,46).
friends for yourselves: favor with other anointed, who may later prove to judge the steward who had exalted himself over them
(Matt.23:12; John20:23; 1Cor.6:2-3).
Un-righteous riches: power and authority over the anointed household of God
(1Cor.4:8; Mark10:42,43,44; Luke 12:45).
when such fail: the end of this religious system, which will make way for the Kingdom administration of Eph.1:10 and Rev.21:2.
(1John2:17; 2Pet.3:11; Isa.2:11-12,17; Luke 16:19-21,22-23,24-25).
they* may receive you: that *the faithful anointed may welcome the Steward into the "tent of God" (Rev.22:14; 2Pet.1:11; 1Tim.6:17) to which the faithful ones belong; rather than complaining to the Master for justice
(Luke18:7; Matt.24:22; Luke21:28; Rev.6:10).
[note: the "friends" that the steward stands to gain by cancelling debt (by means of "unrighteous riches"), is the debt of the other slaves who will then become the stewards friends (Luke 16:5). The friends to be gained are not the Masters (Jesus and YHVH, for these two are not indebted to anyone). Those whose debt is cancelled by the steward, are those whose debt the steward manages and cancels--that of the other slaves whose debt is to the master.]
The "unrighteous riches" that are used to cancel what the debtors owe the master, would only detract from the wealth of the Master, Christ. Yet it would aid the steward, to make friends of the debtors.
[So this is not talking about making friends with YHVH and Jesus, by means of donating money to the WT (as has been taught by the WT).]
[So this is not talking about making friends with YHVH and Jesus, by means of donating money to the WT (as has been taught by the WT).]
everlasting dwelling places: the Kingdom inheritance that lasts forever. (Matt.25:34)
As done by so many religious organizations throughout time, the spiritual hunger of humanity or it's fear of divine condemnation, are often exploited for material gain.
Genuine slaves of Christ abstain from that temptation (2Cor.2:17; 2Pet.2:1,3; John7:18; Matt.20:25-27). Material empires are not needed for the will and purpose of God to be fulfilled (1Cor.4:9-11,12-13; Titus 2:12; Matt.19:16,21-22,23-24; 6:25,31-32; 8:20; John6:63)(Col.1:23).
In fact, material empires are in opposition to spiritual wealth
(1John2:15-16; James 2:1-2,3,4-5; Luke 4:5-6,7-8; 1Tim.6:5-7,8-9,10-11; 2Tim.2:4; Rev.3:17-18).
With that long introduction out of the way, your question arises.
What is meant at Proverbs 3:9 and how can we follow it's direction?
Prov.3:9 reads;
"Honor the Lord with your possessions
and with the first produce of your entire harvest"
Well, let's look first at our "possessions".
First we remember that Jesus said that the spirit is the source of life and the flesh amounts to nothing (John6:63). He points us to the importance of spiritual meanings, rather than the physical (Matt.13:10-11,34-35; John6:26-27).
So let us consider, spiritual possessions.
At Rev.3:18 Jesus advises us to "buy gold" from him. We learn that this "gold" we need to make sacrifices to pay for,
is a refined heart (Prov.17:3; Job 23:10)(Jer.23:29; Zech.13:9), made such by taking in and applying Christ's treasure of truth.
He sources the treasure he offers, from God (John12:49; Ps.119:162NKJV ; John17:8).
Once we refine our heart by taking into it, the teaching of Jesus, our heart contains that treasure (Luke 8:11,15; John17:3; 1Cor.2:12)(Ps.90:12; 119:11).
So, what would our spiritual possessions or "gold" be?
Divine truth, in our heart.
Jesus said;
"45 A good man out of the good treasure (gold) of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45).
So, does the heart contain the treasure of truth, or a storehouse of lies?
Will a person's teachings be sourced in a treasure store of divine truth, or demonic deception?
Which teachings can honor God?
The two verses before verse 45, (Luke 6:43-44)... Jesus just got done referring to this treasure in the heart, as the fruit of a tree.
From our heart, we produce words... just as a tree produces fruit.
So whatever is in our heart (truth from Christ OR false doctrine), that's the fruit that our mouth produces... the teachings we speak.
We either have truth in our heart, and speak it (fine tree/fine fruit),
or, we have doctrinal error in our heart, and that's what we are teaching (rotten tree/rotten fruit).
Whatever is in our heart, that is the teaching that we treasure and believe in.
Moving on...
Prov.3: "9 Honor the Lord with your possessions
and with the first produce (fruit) of your entire harvest;"
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What we learned about our "possessions"
ties in perfectly with the second part of Prov.3:9...
"Honor the Lord with.... the first produce of your entire harvest".
"The first produce" is a symbol of the best that is going to be produced, and that rightly belongs to God (Neh.10:35; Deut.18:4; 26:10; Prov.3:9; etc.).
That symbol even applies to the Chosen from among mankind (James 1:18; Rev.14:4).
An additional thought about spiritual fruit, is Heb.13:15 which reads;
"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of *praise to God, that is, the *fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
So,
putting this all together, lets look at Prov.3:9 again.
"Honor the Lord with your possessions (treasure in your heart)
and with the first produce (or firstfruits) (*SPEECH/Teachings) of your entire harvest"
Can you see that we are being requested to honor the Lord of truth and light with the treasure we have in our heart? (Ps.15:2; 51:6; Isa.63:8).
We can only so honor Him, if what we have in our heart and mouth, is His truth. The treasure of our heart can only have value, if it contains the truths of God. (Ps.119:162NKJV)
We can only possess fine treasure, IF we have acquired, learned, and taken in the Truth ourselves.
What do we do with that treasure of truth?
How do we "honor God" with the symbolic first produce/fruits. of our heart's true faith/treasure? (Prov.3:9)
Of all our heart has harvested from the gospel of Christ, we choose the best of it, and speak it to others, thereby producing fine fruit from the treasures of a fine heart.
"Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure, things new and old.” (Matt.13:52)
Luke 6: "43 “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. 45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart."
Prov.3: "9 Honor the Lord with your possessions (the treasure in your heart)
and with the first fruits (best lessons for teaching) of your entire harvest"
Psalm 86:11
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