Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. Psalm 62:10
“There is an old saying that whoever craves wealth for its own sake is like a man who drinks sea water, the more he drinks the more his thirst increases until finally he drinks himself to death.”
Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 22.
Most people in modern times read “extortion” as “wrongful taking” from others. That’s the ancient biblical meaning. But most miss the biblical message implied by putting “vain hope in stolen goods.”
Brace yourself. It means “wrongful keeping” from others. As God owns everything, when we have surplus, it does not belong to us. We get in trouble when “riches increase” and we set our hearts on them thinking they are ours.
And Selwyn gives us a pictures of how this craving for the wrong thing destroys us. By seeking satisfaction in having things, rather than using them, it ultimately destroys us.
Don’t crave wealth. If you do, wrongful taking or wrongful keeping will destroy you. See wealth as a tool for enjoyment and sharing. And remember to share generously at year end.