Proverbs 23.4-5
Do not toil[1] to acquire wealth; be discerning[2] enough to desist.[3] When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.[4]
The acquisition of wealth, in and of itself, is a moral neutral in the Bible. It is the how and why we acquire wealth that make the difference in how God views our wealth-building activities. When wealth is acquired through righteous ways, such as diligence (10.4) or self-control (21.17), then it is a blessing (see 3:16; 8:18; 14:24; 10:22; 12:27; 14:23; 22:4; 28:20). But when wealth is acquired in godless ways, it becomes a curse (10:2; 11:4, 18; 20:17; 22:4; 28:20).[5]
This saying sharpens the focus of self-control on acquiring wealth. It is in our human nature to seek security in money. The more money we have, the more security we have—or so we think. So we work harder and harder to build more and more security. But security is an elusive thing. You’ll never really have enough security if you’re only trusting in money. No matter how much you have, you’ll always be disappointed.[6]
In order for us to desist—to put limits on our productivity even though we could work more and produce more wealth—we must have a visceral trust in the Lord which forms the basis of our security.[7]
Like power and influence, wealth is temporary and fleeting.[8] We place our eyes on our wealth and then we watch it fly away. The very security we worked so hard to acquire just flies away. It is folly to make our life goal the acquisition of money or to make the accumulation of wealth the organizing principle for our lives.
When we balance work with rest, then we can enjoy our work. But when our work consumes us, then we endlessly toil and we’re never content with our wealth (Ecclesiastes 4.8). The purpose of work is to steward well that which God has entrusted to us. We work with excellence because our work is worship before God. We work to provide for our families. We work because it is a gift from God. It provides dignity, purpose and meaning. We develop professionally so that we can be more skilled in our stewardship of God’s entrustments.
Yet, we do not work to the point of exhaustion. We show wisdom by restraining our impulses to keep working. When we rest, then we have time and energy to focus on God. We have cycles to give to prayer, the study of God’s word and enjoying His presence. And honestly, is this not the chief end of man (Ecclesiastes 12.13)?
The American “good life” offers us a life of working harder and harder to achieve more and more so that we have more and more wealth to spend on ourselves. It is an endless treadmill which never stops. We keep feeding the beast because the beast is never satisfied. The lie is that we’ll be happier when we have achieved more and more and more.
The life of trust and honesty makes our relationship with God the organizing principle of our lives. We trust Him for our future financial security. We rest in the notion that even if we go bankrupt, He will provide for our needs. We desist from working too hard, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11.29–30). We throttle ourselves so we can have time and energy to enjoy His presence.
So let’s not wear ourselves out to acquire that which is so easily lost. Let’s not toil more and more to gain that which we cannot keep. Instead, let’s balance our work and show that because of our faith, we have the self-control and the wisdom to rest and enjoy the presence of God.
[1] “Do not toil”:אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע, do not become depleted of strength or energy (Logos). To labour, especially with effort and toil, and so as to become weary (Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). This is in contrast to Proverbs 10.4, “the hand of the diligent makes rich”.
[2] “discerning”: מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥, out of a cognitive condition of someone who understands. The Hebrew word also has the second person masculine pronoun suffixed to it, you. Hence, have your own understanding, be discerning.
[3] “desist”: חֲדָֽל, to put an end to a state or an activity.
[4] ESV Proverbs 23.4–5
[5] Waltke, 240.
[6] Lennox, 240.
[7] The Scriptures are replete with examples and instructions about God providing for our needs. For example, some would refer to the “manna principle” in which God provided for the daily needs of Israel while they were in the desert. If you took more than you needed, then the extra would rot overnight (Exodus 16.1-36). An example of a direct instruction is found in Philippians 4.19: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (ESV) When we keep striving for more and more, we betray that we lack trust and confidence in God’s provision.
[8] Kidner, 143.
