Affluence

A Chicken in Every Pot

Peace and prosperity are the goals of many countries today. When a nation enjoys such blessings, it has much for which to be thankful. But with affluence and power comes a temptation to forget that God is the source of every good thing. We see this in Israel's history.

Under Solomon, Israel briefly emerged as a powerhouse of wealth and military might. Its influence extended from the Euphrates to Egypt (1 Kin. 4:21) and its affluence to a majority of its citizens, whose prosperity is summarized as “eating and drinking and rejoicing” (4:20). As Solomon's reign put a temporary stop to threats from without and strife from within, everyone lived in safety, “each man under his vine and his fig tree” (4:25). In twentieth-century terms, David's successor put “a chicken in every pot.”

Yet storm clouds were brewing. The cost of maintaining Solomon's court was enormous (4:22–23). His many building projects, including his gilded temple and his even more lavishly appointed palace, required increased taxes that created unrest and ultimately led to a tax revolt (10:14–15; 12:4, 18).

The system also created a two-class society of privileged citizens and menial workers, an underclass made up mostly of foreigners (9:15, 20–23). And while trade was lively (9:26–28; 10:22–23), it contributed to the depletion of natural resources.

However, these problems remain in the background of 1 Kings 4–10, which describes the general peace and prosperity that Israel enjoyed after so many years of turmoil. Glowing reports of the empire's power and prestige cascade from the text until the beginning of chapter 11, where the good news suddenly comes to a halt with the transition, “But King Solomon loved many foreign wives” (11:1).

Things head downhill from there as Solomon turns away from the Lord to idols (11:4–8), God pronounces judgment on him (11:9–13) and raises up adversaries against him (11:14–25), Jeroboam rebels (11:26–28), and the kingdom divides after Solomon's death (12:1–19).

What happened? Why did Solomon's brilliant reign end on such a tragic note? How could the wisest king who ever ruled (3:12; 10:3, 6–7, 24) violate the Law so foolishly and blatantly by accumulating wives who would lead him into idolatry?

One answer is that times of prosperity can easily dull the spiritual sensitivity of even the most devoted of God's people. It's not that prosperity is evil in and of itself. But Jesus described the “deceitfulness” of riches which can choke the spiritual life out of a person (or a nation; Matt. 13:22). Likewise, the New Testament warns believers to stay alert and spiritually vigilant, lest they fall into temptation (1 Cor. 10:12–13; 1 Pet. 1:13; 5:8).

What happened to Solomon and Israel can happen to any of us. We who live in relative affluence are especially vulnerable to losing touch with God, even as our possessions and power multiply. Perhaps Israel and its king should have paid more attention to the warning signs that it was headed for spiritual disaster. Can you detect warning signs in your own life and country?

National Prosperity

What is it that causes a nation to prosper? For Israel, national prosperity was directly linked to its moral and spiritual health, as measured by adherence to the Law (Deut. 11:13–17). If the people obeyed the Lord and followed His ways, the Lord promised to bless their lands with abundance. If they forsook Him and turned to other gods, He threatened to cause drought and economic ruin.

Does the same relationship between obedience and prosperity hold true for nations today?

Our reading of this promise and others like it is informed by the fact that Deuteronomy defines a special covenant between God and a people of His choosing. The Lord has never entered into a similar agreement with any other nation. The promises were made to Israel and fulfilled just as they were given. They cannot be transferred to other nations.

Even so, there are tremendous benefits to a nation that fears God. All nation-states are ultimately accountable to Him. Therefore, He pays attention to what governments and their citizens do. He will not allow evil to go unchecked; neither will He reward faith and obedience with unmitigated disaster. There is a general correspondence between honoring God and prospering as a people.

The Dangers of Success

Doing well has its dangers. Success can bring changes for the worse in one's values and behavior. Isaiah tried to alert the wealthy people of ancient Israel to what was happening to them as a result of their financial success (5:8–10). They were accumulating houses and lands, but losing their ethical integrity. The same kind of thing can happen to us, too:

• We can start resorting to unethical practices to increase our gains (1:23; 5:20, 23).
• We can turn away from caring about the poor, such as orphans and widows (1:23; 3:14–15).
• We can heap up material things far beyond what we really need (2:7; 3:18–24; 5:8).
• We can begin to worship our own accomplishments (2:8; 5:21).
• We can start abusing people (3:15).

We may not even recognize these patterns as we get caught up in hard work and success. Nevertheless, we can experience the impact of these attitudes and behaviors in powerful ways:

• Our children can become spoiled and insolent (3:5).
• We can experience a breakdown in leadership (3:6–7).
• Wars can break out (3:25–26; 5:26–30).
• We can experience the loneliness of the wealthy (5:8).
• Self-indulgence can replace work and lead to failure (5:11–13, 22).

Does this describe your life? If you are prospering materially, you are at risk for the temptations and dangers of affluence. Maybe you need to pause and take stock, lest your blessings turn out to be snares.

For more on this topic, see PLEASURE, “Self-Indulgent? Who, Me?”; SELFISHNESS, “The Delusions of Affluence”.