HoHum:
Amanda Krill- It’s not personal, it’s just business. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase. They say it a lot in the movie The Godfather. But that’s a movie about the mafia, and I’m pretty sure we can all agree their ethics are questionable at best. In my experience, what you do in your business is a very good example of how you really are. For me, there is no gap between business and personal. My business IS personal. I take pride in my business, and in my work, and I don’t want anyone to say, “She does good work, but she’s kind of a jerk…” I think this huge discrepancy between business and personal is the exact reason why so many businesses are failing these days. If you can’t be ethical in your business, I don’t think you can be ethical in your life.
WBTU:
Today’s business leaders hold a great deal of sway in our society. America has long celebrated the spirit of men and women who have launched innovative and successful companies. In generations past, honest and generous CEOs were rewarded with loyal employees, customers and clients. In recent years, however, greater numbers of large corporations are becoming characterized by deception, greed, and even fraudulent activity.
This Labor Day we need to pray for our workplace, our businesses and our economy. Integrity is important to a strong economy. Great deal of business is based on trust.
Thesis: Let’s talk about riches badly used, badly made, and badly ended from Hosea 12:7-9
For instances:
Notice how many times Ephraim used person pronoun in vs. 8. Everything focused on self.
“I did it all by myself. I am a self made man or woman.” Two problems with this idea.
1. No recognition of others who helped.
Riches are almost always combined efforts of a group of people. One with riches does not think of the toil, the sweat, the exhaustion of those who have helped to put it into their hands.
Daniel 4:29-32: as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
2. No appreciation or acknowledgment of God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18: You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth”
They trust in their riches more than they trust in the Lord. Don’t even need the Lord. 1 Timothy 6:17-19: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Take little thought of the life to come!
Riches badly made
1. By fraud Vs. 7-
If the riches amassed through fraud were suddenly taken away, how great would be the economic crash throughout the world!
Amos 8:5-6: “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”—skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
Boosting the price, literally “making the ephah small, and the shekel great”. In other words, the buyer gets less product than he should. When selling to merchant he get less money than he should.
Cheating with dishonest scales, rigging the scales in the merchants favor. Archaeologists in Tirzah, a ancient city in Israel, made an interesting discovery. Two set of weights were found, one for buying and one for selling. Dishonesty in favor of the merchant.
Buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals- By cheating the man they made him so poor that he had to sell himself into slavery. For the smallest debt- a pair of sandals- the poor were sold into slavery.
Selling even the sweepings with the wheat- This person thinks that he is getting good wheat for his hard earned money. However, really he is getting inferior quality of wheat. Selling him the wheat that was so bad usually it was given to the animals, too much chaff.
2. By oppression (KJV) He loveth to oppress, vs. 7
Think of those in sweatshops and how the working conditions are so bad. Much worse than not having air conditioning.
Overcharging, shortchanging, poor quality products, exorbitant interest rates, laying off employees not long before retirement- oppression here.
3. By cunning- Vs. 8- With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.
They will stoop to illegal and immoral methods to get ahead. Legally they believe that they are above the law. They can fix the books, pay off a few officials, and everything will be fine. Even if it is brought to court, the wealthy can afford the best lawyers.
They are many things that are not illegal but immoral.
Take for instance coin buying and selling. If selling coins, go to a reputable coin dealer that is approved or has a membership in a numismatic association or society. They are held to higher standards. Take coin into sell and the dealer will look at them and give prices for all of them based on price guides. From these price guides and their experience they will quote prices and you can take it or leave it. There is a price to buy and a price to sell for the dealer (they have to make profit). They are working off of buying guides (also based on condition, but not get into that right now). Probably go below price guide because they have a lot of those coins, don’t like those coins, etc. However, they should be able to give a reasonable answer to why they will buy it at that price. Might even show you price guide.
That is a fine deal. Let talk about bad one. A widow is needing money and she has 20 silver dollar coins. She goes to a pawn shop or flea market to sell them. Guy there looks at coins and offers her $500 for all 20. After all a silver round goes for about $15 and this guy is offering $25 for each coin. She gladly takes money. Seems like good deal, doesn’t it? Not so! This guy knows a lot about coins and in these 20 silver dollars he sees one that is extremely rare and in good condition. He knows he can get a lot out of that one. He sells it for $10,000. He makes $9500 in profit on that one coin. This deal is legal, yes; but is it moral, I say no!
Proverbs 20:14: “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase.
This situation about the widow some would say is cunning, it’s a good business deal, she should have known better, looking out for the bottom line, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, there’s a sucker born every minute, etc.
Jeremiah 17:11: Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool.
Riches badly ended
The feast of tabernacles celebrated how the Lord provided for the Israelites during their wilderness wandering. Vs. 9 is a reference to this harvest festival.
The Lord is going to do this again. Israelites will be taken into captivity and they will again be dependent upon the Lord to supply their every need. The Lord is going to take away their wealth that they depend upon and make them depend upon Him again. Might happen to us!
James 5:1-6: Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and selfindulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
The late Francis Schaeffer was an insightful student of our culture. Just before he died he said, “It is my observation that Americans are driven by two things—that we are driven by affluence and personal peace.” To put it in more common terms, what makes the American culture tick is the drive for cash and comfort. Now understand, I have nothing against cash and comfort. Compared to poverty and pain, cash and comfort are great. The rub comes along when you have to choose between cash and comfort and following Christ.
1 John 2:17: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
