It’s Your Economy that is the Problem.
“It’s the Economy, Stupid!” This buzz phrase become very popular during the first President Bush’s administration, and could easily be used today. Today let’s take a look at God’s spiritual economic plan for His people. Let’s start with something we all need, and that is an occupation. The word occupation is a derivative of the word “occupy.” The word “OCCUPY” only occurs twice in the bible, in Ezekiel 29:9 and Luke 19:13. Let’s take a look at both of these passages.
Ezekiel 27:9
9The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy calkers: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise.
St. Luke 19:13
3And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
Ironically the word means the same thing in both passages. It means to busy oneself with, that is, to trade:—occupy.
1The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus; 3And say unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, which art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. 4Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty. Ezekiel 27:1-4
Tyrus was a city in Palestine. It was situated to the west at the entrance of the sea, and was a merchant’s paradise. It was a beautiful thing. Have you ever been in a time in your life where things were just going good? It seems liked just everything was going right. Kids were getting good grades, marriage / relationship was going good, you had extra money, and life was just good! You come home from work; dinner was ready (men or women). He or she jumped up to see you, and said, “How was your day, honey?” Life was good! It was a beautiful thing!
Then one day suddenly you realize things have changed! You come home and walk over to get a kiss or a hug, and hear, “Excuse me can you get out of the way, I’m trying to watch this?” “Are you hungry?” Okay, well it hasn’t gotten that bad, until you hear, “Yeah, me too, can you go get something to eat, Victor and Nikki are about to get back together, I love the Young and the Restless, I got to see this!”
NEWS FLASH: These people are not real! They are actors.
Well the same thing happened to the city of Tyrus. Look at Ezekiel 27:27 – 28.
27Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
Here’s how you know things are really bad. It begins to affect the other folks in the suburbs. As long as the problem is in the city it’s all right, but when problems come to the suburbs, well now we have a problem.
28The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.
Our government didn’t think about any bail out plan until it affected them, or as they call it WALL Street. The poor get a stimulus, but the rich get a bail out plan. The word stimulus means spur, incentive, or to motivate. On the other hand, the wealthy get an entire plan to completely bail them out of the mess they created. Things have been messed up on my street seems like forever, but now that things are messed up on WALL Street, there is a problem.
Here’s the lesson. According to Matthew Henry Commentary, those who live at ease are to be lamented, if they are not prepared for trouble. Let none reckon themselves beautified, any further than they are sanctified. The account of the trade of Tyrus informs us, that God’s eye is upon men when employed in worldly business. Not only when at church, praying and hearing, but when in markets and fairs, buying and selling. In all our dealings we should keep a conscience void of offence. God, as the common Father of mankind, makes one country abound in one commodity, and another in another, serviceable to the necessity or to the comfort and ornament of human life. See what a blessing trade and merchandise are to mankind, when followed in the fear of God. Besides necessaries, an abundance of things are made valuable only by custom; yet God allows us to use them. But when riches increase, men are apt to set their hearts upon themselves, and forget the Lord, who gives power to get wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant”
I am fully convinced that God pays us according to our work. Some people think that because they are busy that they are working. There is a big difference in being busy and putting in the work. Remember what the definition of “occupy” means? It means to busy oneself with, that is, to trade:—occupy.
Let’s go to our other scripture in St. Luke 19th chapter. Verse 12 says, “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” (Look at your neighbor and say RETURN.)
This parable is about Jesus, and he is the nobleman. Notice that even the nobleman believes in getting a return. He already has a kingdom, but he is going to receive another kingdom, and that called a ROI, which is a return on investment. Anything we do in life should have an ROI factor on it. He was to get a return. You pay taxes, but what you look for is what? The Tax return. In the morning you leave home and go to work, but what you look forward to is the return home. So in everything we should look for a return. I know this is a little out of context.
The nobleman gave each of his servants 10 pounds, and told them to “Occupy until I come back.” What does occupy mean? It means to busy oneself with, that is, to trade:—occupy. Not just being busy, but busy with purpose and direction.
Verse 14: tells us everyone is not going to like you when you “occupy yourself with God’s work, but don’t worry about the haters. They won’t take your advice but are the first ones begging for money after you become success.
Verse 15 – He wanted to know how much that had gained by TRADING.
God has given each of us talent, and He wants to know how have you gained interest by trading your talent.
Verse 16 – 17: Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Here is how God’s economic plan works. When we are faithful over one area, god given authority over other areas. Authority means jurisdiction. When you are faithful in one area of God’s work, He blesses you take have authority over others. Your not tithing, and now Your finances are affecting your romances. Your money is affecting your honey. When you handle God’s business, God will give more businesses for you to handle. How do we do it? Occupy til I return. What does occupy mean? It means to busy oneself with, that is, to trade:—occupy. God gave you talent, so use it for His glory and for yourself.
Verse 20 - And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
Here is my last point:
There is no sense getting mad at someone else whom God has blessed, because it could have been you.
Refused to use the God given talent that he had, and as a result he lost it, and it was given to who? The one with ten. Why? Because if you aren’t going to use your talent, God will give it to someone else who will use it and appreciate it. You get mad at church and leave, and when you come back someone else is singing your song, better than you.
Use what God has given you, and Occupy until He returns.
