Riches, in the biblical context, often refer to material wealth and possessions. The Bible provides numerous teachings on the nature of riches, emphasizing their perishable and transient nature. This entry explores the biblical perspective on the impermanence of earthly wealth and the spiritual implications for believers.

Biblical Warnings Against Trusting in Riches

The Bible frequently warns against placing trust in material wealth, highlighting its fleeting nature. In Proverbs 23:4-5 , it is written: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle toward the sky." This passage underscores the elusive and temporary nature of riches, cautioning believers against exhausting themselves in pursuit of wealth that can vanish swiftly.

Similarly, in 1 Timothy 6:17 , the apostle Paul instructs: "Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." Here, Paul emphasizes the uncertainty of riches and encourages believers to place their hope in God rather than in material possessions.

Riches and Spiritual Deception

Riches can also lead to spiritual deception, drawing individuals away from their faith and reliance on God. Jesus addresses this in the Parable of the Sower, where He describes the seed sown among thorns: "But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful" (Mark 4:19). The deceitfulness of wealth can hinder spiritual growth and fruitfulness, as it distracts from the eternal truths of God's Word.

The Temporary Nature of Earthly Wealth

The temporary nature of earthly wealth is further illustrated in James 5:1-3 : "Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days." This passage vividly portrays the decay and ultimate worthlessness of hoarded wealth, serving as a stark reminder of its impermanence.

Eternal Riches in Christ

In contrast to perishable earthly riches, the Bible points believers toward the pursuit of eternal riches found in Christ. Jesus advises in Matthew 6:19-20 : "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." This teaching encourages believers to focus on accumulating spiritual wealth that endures beyond this life.

The apostle Paul echoes this sentiment in Colossians 3:1-2 : "Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." By directing their focus toward heavenly treasures, believers align themselves with eternal values and priorities.

Conclusion

The Bible consistently portrays earthly riches as perishable and warns against placing trust in them. Instead, believers are encouraged to seek eternal riches in Christ, which offer true and lasting value. Through these teachings, the Scriptures guide Christians to prioritize their spiritual well-being over the pursuit of material wealth.Jeremiah 48:36
Therefore my heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and my heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he has gotten are perished.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

First Communion and Confirmation
... for, in my simplicity, it seemed to me that the greatest sinners would be converted
if they but heard her, and that, forsaking the perishable riches of this ...
/.../martin/the story of a soul/chapter iv first communion and.htm

First Communion and Confirmation
... for, in my simplicity, it seemed to me that the greatest sinners would be converted
if they but heard her, and that, forsaking the perishable riches of this ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/therese/story of a soul/chapter iv - first communion.htm

Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
... two masters, that is to say, God and Mammon, or the riches of this ... pertinent figures,
when, forbidding us to be anxious about earthly and perishable things, he ...
/.../xxiv sermon for the fifteenth.htm

Thou Spreadest Before Me a Table in the Presence of Mine Enemies.
... Some are entangled in perishable riches and cannot leave their possessions; others
are preoccupied with worldly affairs and must not neglect their business ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/ix thou spreadest before me.htm

The Gains of the Faithful Steward
... you have been living faithfully as stewards in your handling of earth's perishable
good, or ... the charge that we trust not in the uncertainty of riches, but in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the gains of the faithful.htm

The Service Common to Two and Many Nuns.
... The beauty of this world ye have forsaken, O holy ones, having exchanged the perishable
riches for those that never pass away and are clearly ever present ...
/.../anonymous/the general menaion/chapter xxiii the service common.htm

Psalm XXXVII.
... "Trust in the Lord" (ver.3). For they too trust, but not "in the Lord." Their hope
is perishable. ... "And thou shalt be fed in its riches." What are the riches of ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxvii.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xvi. 9, "Make to Yourselves ...
... the Lord their God." Thus then thou hast heard of the true riches, make friends ... from
these earthly, and most vain, and transitory goods of this perishable life ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxiii on the words.htm

The Requirements of the King
... whose mighty grace, breathed into our feeble wills and treacherous hearts, is the
only force which can overcome the attraction of perishable riches, and make ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the requirements of the king.htm

For Though a Man Should be by no Means Greatly Advantaged by ...
... its shadow. For the life of man hath its excellence [87] not in the acquisition
of perishable riches, but in wisdom. And who shall ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter vii for though a.htm

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