“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”
— Proverbs 10:22
Hello, Friends. Here’s a scripture that has been misapplied and misunderstood for generations about the true meaning of what is the blessing of the Lord.
So, let’s dig right in….
Definitions—
The basic definition of the word “blessing” from Ancient Hebrew is used “in the sense of bringing a gift on bended knee.” But, in our focus verse the blessing from the Lord is “liberal” — “more than enough without being excessive.”
The phrase “maketh rich” means, “to be wealthy.” This particular type of wealth refers to the Lord Jesus Christ … “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3). The true (eternal wealth of) riches!
Consider how that God is liberal with His giving:
- (James 1:5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- (James 1:17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
- (James 3:17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- (1 Chronicles 22:12) Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.
- (2 Chronicles 1:10) Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
- (Proverbs 2:3-6) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
- (Isaiah 55:6-7) Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
- (John 15:7) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
- (1 John 3:22) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
- (1 John 5:14-15) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Eternal Blessing—
We have learned there is a most important blessing from the Lord which is one eternal blessing … it is not the blessing of worldly goods. It is to repent and believe the gospel; to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). Jesus said:
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” — Luke 11:11-13
For every one to be baptized of the water and of the Spirit (Holy Ghost) is the greatest blessing from the Lord that maketh rich. It is the eternal richness from Him “…In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” — Ephesians 1:13-14
Maketh Rich—
This is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich from a spiritual and eternal perspective, and He addeth no sorrow with it. According to Ancient Hebrew, the word “sorrow” in Proverbs 10:22, refers to “grief or heavy toil” …and… in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, it means “(painful) toil; a pang (whether of body or mind).”
No Ill-gotten Gain—
God does not addeth (or giveth) the sorrow of painful toil, nor painful emotions, nor the pain of ill-gotten gain with His blessings. Ill-gotten gain, for instance, is NOT blessed of the Lord — His foundation is pure and righteous …but… the foundation of ill-gotten gain is defilement and corruption. No one can receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost by any ill-gotten means (as in, asking Jesus to come into their heart). One must believeth on the Lord Jesus as the scripture says (John 7:38); one must asketh the Lord Jesus for the Holy Ghost (Luke 11:13); and one must obey the Lord Jesus and those whom He gave as overseers (Acts 5:32) — or else one will not receive this baptism. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.(Romans 8:9). The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Ghost.
Special note: There is no record in scripture of any person asking Jesus to come into their heart; it is a false doctrine and an act of unbelief that is punishable by death—eternal judgment. Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17); and faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
God’s Riches Without Sorrow—
Riches from God are without the sorrow of ill-gotten wealth. One cannot be blessed by God by attaining riches or increases through any ill-gotten means.
Let’s look a little further into the word “ill-gotten” from Merriam-Webster:
- acquired by illicit or improper means;
- not permitted: unlawful;
- not in accord with fact, truth, or right procedure;
- not in accord with propriety, modesty, good manners, or good taste;
- not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation.
Here are scriptures related to sorrow:
- (Proverbs 20:21) An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
- (Proverbs 28:22) He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
- (Joshua 6:18) And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
- (Ephesians 5:11-12) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
- (James 5:1-2) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
- (1 John 5:21) Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
No Blessing With Unjust Gain—
As we have read, there is no blessing to get things greedily sought after by unjust means; there is no blessing to hasteth to be rich through covetousness and envy; there is no blessing to take the accursed thing (that is, a doomed object from God’s perspective); there is no blessing to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness which have no godly benefits; there is no blessing to be rich by corrupt means; and there is no blessing to have any image or representation of God.
Other related scriptures includes:
- (Ecclesiastes 2:21-23) For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
- (1 Timothy 6:9-10) But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
- (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
The Sorrows—
Herein is wisdom … the wisdom of God. The sorrow of a laborer is their portion to be left to someone else; the sorrow of those who will be rich are the temptations, snares, foolish and hurtful lusts, destruction, and perdition; the sorrow of those who are rich are high-mindedness, trust in uncertain riches.
However, let us submit to the Lord for His true riches of wisdom, knowledge, equity, understanding, holiness, etc. Let us be rich to trust God; rich to do good; rich in good works; rich to distribute and willing to communicate (fellowship). This is a good foundation work to lay hold on eternal life.
Conclusion—
We are exhorted to take full advantage of the prescribed word of God, and live. If you have received the blessing of the Lord, know that it is the true riches the world cannot reproduce, nor offer again, because the Lord’s blessings are exclusive. Only He maketh rich — and His riches fadeth not away!
In Christ We Do Remain
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