A21. Fleeing from Love of Money and Pursuing Godly Virtues. [Make a Comment]
We are to flee from love of money and are to pursue Godly Virtues.
This precept is derived from His Word (blessed be He):
Key Scriptures
Matthew 6:19
Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust
destroy, and burglars break in and steal.
1 Timothy 6:10-11
For the love of money is a root of all the evils; because of this craving,
some people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves to the
heart with many pains. But you, as a man of God, flee from these things;
and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness,
gentleness.
Supportive Scriptures - Fleeing from Love of Money
Deuteronomy 7:25
You are to burn up completely the carved statues of their gods. Don't
be greedy for the silver or gold on them; don't take it with you, or
you will be trapped by it; for it is abhorrent to ADONAI your God.
Ecclesiastes 5:12(13)
Here is a gross evil which I have seen under the sun: the owner of wealth
hoards it to his own hurt.
Matthew 6:24
No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and
love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You
can't be a slave to both God and money.
(see also, Luke
16:13)
Matthew 19:23-24
Then Yeshua said to his talmidim, "Yes. I tell you that it will be very hard
for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Furthermore, I tell you that
it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich
man to enter the Kingdom of God."
1 Timothy 3:2-3
A congregation leader must be above reproach, he must be faithful to his
wife, temperate, self-controlled, orderly, hospitable and able to teach. He
must not drink excessively or get into fights; rather, he must be kind and
gentle. He must not be a lover of money.
2 Timothy 3:1-2
Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-hayamim will come trying times.
People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy ...
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Righteousness
Isaiah 56:1
Here is what ADONAI says: "Observe justice, do what is right, for my
salvation is close to coming, my righteousness to being revealed."
Jeremiah 22:3
This is what ADONAI says: "Do what is right and just; rescue the wronged
from their oppressors; do nothing wrong or violent to the stranger, orphan
or widow; dont shed innocent blood in this place."'
Hosea 10:12
If you sow righteousness for yourselves, you will reap according to grace.
Break up unused ground for yourselves, because it is time to seek ADONAI,
till he comes and rains down righteousness upon you.
Zepheniah 2:3
Seek ADONAI, all you humble in the land, you who exercise his justice; seek
righteousness, seek humility - you might be hidden on the day of
ADONAI's anger.
Psalm 34:16(15)
The eyes of ADONAI watch over the righteous, and his ears are open to their
cry.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well.
Romans 1:17
For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in his sight; and from
beginning to end it is through trust - as the Tanakh puts it, "But the
person who is righteous will live his life by trust."
2 Corinthians 5:21
God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union
with him we might fully share in Gods righteousness.'
2 Timothy 2:22
So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord
from a pure heart, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Godliness
Ephesians 4:22-24
... and clothe yourselves with the new nature created to be godly, which
expresses itself in the righteousness and holiness that flow from the
truth.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
But refuse godless bubbe-meises, and exercise yourself in godliness. For
although physical exercise does have some value, godliness is valuable for
everything, since it holds promise both for the present life and for the
life to come.
1 Timothy 6:3-4a
If anyone teaches differently and does not agree to the sound precepts of
our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and to the doctrine that is in keeping with
godliness, he is swollen with conceit and understands nothing.
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
2 Peter 3:11-12a
Since everything is going to be destroyed like this, what kind of people
should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives, as you wait for the Day
of God and work to hasten its coming.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Faith
Romans 1:17
For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in his sight; and from
beginning to end it is through trust - as the Tanakh puts it, "But the
person who is righteous will live his life by trust."
Romans 10:10
For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward
righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public
acknowledgement and thus continues toward deliverance.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, behave like a mentsh, grow strong.
2 Corinthians 5:7
... for we live by trust, not by what we see.
Ephesians 6:16
Always carry the shield of trust, with which you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
Galatians 2:15-16
We are Jews by birth, not so-called 'Goyishe sinners'; even so, we
have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the
ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the
Messiah Yeshua's trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our
trust in Messiah Yeshua and become faithful to him, in order that we might
be declared righteous on the ground of the Messiah's trusting
faithfulness and not on the ground of our legalistic observance of Torah
commands. For on the ground of legalistic observance of Torah commands, no
one will be declared righteous.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Faithfulness
Exodus 19:5
Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant,
then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the
earth is mine
Deuteronomy 19:8(9)
Therefore, observe the words of this covenant and obey them; so that you
can make everything you do prosper.
1 Kings 2:3-4
Observe the charge of ADONAI your God to go in his ways and keep his
regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is
written in the Torah of Moshe; so that you will succeed in all you do and
wherever you go. If you do, ADONAI will fulfill what he promised me when he
said, 'If your children pay attention to how they live, conducting
themselves before me honestly with all their heart and being, you will never
lack a man on the throne of Isra'el.'
Ezekiel 18:9
"In short, he lives according to my laws and observes my rulings, so as to
act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and he will certainly live,"
says Adonai ELOHIM.
Hosea 2:22(20)
I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you will know ADONAI.
Psalm 78:8
Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn, rebellious
generation, a generation with unprepared hearts, with spirits unfaithful to
God.
Psalm 101:6
I look to the faithful of the land, so that they can be my companions;
those who live lives of integrity can be servants of mine.
Matthew 25:21
His master said to him, 'Excellent! You are a good and trustworthy
servant. You have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in
charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master's
happiness!'
(See also, Luke 19:17)
Revelation 2:10
Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Adversary is
going to have some of you thrown in prison, in order to put you to the test;
and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful, even to the point
of death; and I will give you life as your crown.
Revelation 17:14
They will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because
he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and
faithful will overcome along with him.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Love
Leviticus 19:18
Don't take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people;
rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am ADONAI.
Deuteronomy 6:5
... and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being
and all your resources.
Deuteronomy 7:9
From this you can know that ADONAI your God is indeed God, the faithful God,
who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe
his mitzvot, to a thousand generations.
Proverbs 10:12
Hate stirs up disputes, but love covers all kinds of transgressions.
Mark 12:29-31
Yeshua answered, "The most important is, 'Sh'ma Yisra'el,
ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, O Isra'el, the LORD our God, the
LORD is one], and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your understanding and with all your strength.'
The second is this: 'You are to love your neighbor as yourself.'
here is no other mitzvah greater than these."
John 13:34-35
I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the
same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other.
Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love
for each other.
John 14:23
Yeshua answered him, "If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my
Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
John 15:13
No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his
friends.
1 Corinthians 13:13
But for now, three things last - trust, hope, love; and the greatest of
these is love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let everything you do be done in love.
Colossians 3:14
Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything
together perfectly
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved friends, let us love one another; because love is from God; and
everyone who loves has God as his Father and knows God. Those who do not
love, do not know God; because God is love.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal
gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who
keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Steadfastness
Psalm 108:2(1)
My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and make music with my glory.
1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers, stand firm and immovable, always doing the Lord's
work as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the Lord your
efforts are not in vain.
Galatians 6:9
So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we don't give
up, we will in due time reap the harvest.
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith.
James 1:4
But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and
whole, lacking in nothing.
James 1:12
How blessed is the man who perseveres through temptation! For after he has
passed the test, he will receive as his crown the Life which God has
promised to those who love him.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Gentleness
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle response deflects fury, but a harsh word makes tempers rise.
Ephesians 4:2
Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love
...
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.
1 Thessalonians 2:7
As emissaries of the Messiah, we could have made our weight felt; but
instead, we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother feeding and
caring for her children.
1 Timothy 3:2-3
A congregation leader must be above reproach, he must be faithful to his
wife, temperate, self-controlled, orderly, hospitable and able to teach. He
must not drink excessively or get into fights; rather, he must be kind and
gentle. He must not be a lover of money.
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
2 Timothy 2:25
Also he should be gentle as he corrects his opponents. For God may perhaps
grant them the opportunity to turn from their sins, acquire full knowledge
of the truth ...
Titus 3:1-2
Remind people to submit to the government and its officials, to obey them,
to be ready to do any honorable kind of work, to slander no one, to avoid
quarrelling, to be friendly, and to behave gently towards everyone.
1 Peter 3:3-4
Your beauty should not consist in externals such as fancy hairstyles, gold
jewelry or what you wear; rather, let it be the inner character of your
heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. In
God's sight this is of great value.
Supportive Scriptures - Pursuing Eternal Life
John 3:14-16
Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be
lifted up; so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life. For God
so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone
who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly
destroyed.
John 4:14
... but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty
again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water
inside him, welling up into eternal life!
Romans 5:21
All this happened so that just as sin ruled by means of death, so also grace
might rule through causing people to be considered righteous, so that they
might have eternal life, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord.
Romans 6:23
For what one earns from sin is death; but eternal life is what one receives
as a free gift from God, in union with the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
1 Timothy 1:16
But this is precisely why I received mercy - so that in me, as the number
one sinner, Yeshua the Messiah might demonstrate how very patient he is, as
an example to those who would later come to trust in him and thereby have
eternal life.
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which
you were called when you testified so well to your faith before many
witnesses.
1 John 5:11-13
And this is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son
of God do not have the life. I have written you these things so that you
may know that you have eternal life - you who keep trusting in the person
and power of the Son of God.
Commentary
"Love of money" is a short way of saying "love of what money can buy". One naturally thinks of money buying goods and services and these alone are enough to ensnare those who are susceptible. However, there is a far greater evil in natural man's quest for money; it is that money can buy the power of men's obedience, and preoccupation with power is the opposite of trusting God and submitting to His power. Wanting to be powerful as God was what brought down Lucifer, and the idolatry of it can bring us down as well. The draw of money and what it can buy is so strong, so seductive, that we are commanded to flee from it. Pursuing godly virtues is the opposite of (and the antidote for) pursuing love of money, and is the reason that these two are linked in 1 Timothy 6:10-11.
Commentary by Daniel C. Juster
There are some exceptional people who can buy anything they want, but just love to see their financial worth grow and grow; they are in love with it. The Bible does not say that it is wrong to get rich, but rather that one must not be in love with money; money should primarily be used to advance the Kingdom of God by the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Scripture, the standard for acquiring money seems to favor modesty.
Classical Commentators
This Mitzvah is not addressed by any of the Jewish classical commentators.
NCLA: JMm JFm KMm KFm GMm GFm