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{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…
Exhortation and Counsel to Earthly Traders
Counsel Three: Search for the Cause of Your Afflictions
Cause: God Does It to Bring People to His Feet and to Himself}
Another reason why God consumes people’s concerns and brings disaster on their trade seems to be this: that by this means He might bring them down to His feet and bring them back to Himself. Prosperity in people’s lives feeds their pride and makes them too high for God’s use and pleasure. Riches do puff people up. “By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches, And your heart is lifted up because of your riches” (Ezekiel 28:5 NKJV). “Behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, The most terrible of the nations; And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, And defile your splendor. They shall throw you down into the Pit, And you shall die the death of the slain In the midst of the seas” (Ezekiel 28:7–8 NKJV). People are apt to glory in their wealth and to give that respect to wealth that is due to God;1242 this He will not bear, but comes out in indignation against people’s idols (Jeremiah 9:23).1243 Abundance of earthly interests also makes people unfit for God’s use and delight and makes them rich in goods, but poor in grace. Prosperity in the world cools people’s hearts toward God and makes their feet lame in His way. It is the poor of the flock that wait on God (Zechariah 11:11),1244 work in His vineyard, and bear the heat and burden of the day (Jeremiah 52:16).1245 When people grow full [have abundance], they are lazy, and when great, they become fearful to venture out for God. Epaminondas said to his servant who had gotten a great sum of money, “Give me your shield, for now that you have become rich, I am sure you will not venture into dangers.” Smyrna was the poorest of the seven churches in Asia but was richest in grace and usefulness for God. “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9 NASB). This may be one reason why the Lord makes this nation poor: that by this He might make us pure. He melts away our dross that we may be more refined and takes away our lovers [idols] that we might cease serving them and worship and serve Him instead. “Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths. She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now’” (Hosea 2:6–7 ESV). People seldom fully return to God until they are stripped of other comforts. Neither do they see that God is best until their condition in the world is bad. Therefore, God removes these mountains of earthly concerns so that His people may better see and go after Him.
1242One way to give respect to wealth instead of God is to disobey God for the sake of material things.
1243“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches’” (Jeremiah 9:23 NKJV).
1244“So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord” (Zechariah 11:11 NKJV). Most versions have something similar to the poor of the flock, but some versions have something similar to shepherds or sheep traders. The Hebrew is difficult in that place.
1245“But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen” (Jeremiah 52:16 NASB).
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