God, Money, and Me: A Book Review

Interpretation Mistake 1: The Temptations of Jesus

The book claims that Jesus's temptations after 40 days of fasting were primarily about money:

1. Temptation in the desert to transform stone into bread — the test of provision.
2. Temptation at the pinnacle of the temple to jump and let angels catch Him — the test of security.
3. Temptation to worship the devil — the test of lordship.

In Genesis, when Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, Scripture says: "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom." Here we see three distinct elements. Similarly, in 1 John 2:16 we read: "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn't from the Father, but is from the world." Again, three elements appear.

Jesus likewise faced three temptations that parallel these patterns. Therefore, I cannot accept interpreting Jesus's temptations primarily as tests about money when they clearly mirror the three fundamental human vulnerabilities described in Genesis and 1 John. While money might enable these temptations, they exist regardless of one's financial status.

Interpretation Mistake 2: The Offerings

The author cites Malachi to emphasize our obligation to give offerings. However, this overlooks the broader biblical context. References to offerings appear 15 times in Exodus, 36 times in Leviticus, 35 times in Numbers, and 10 times in Deuteronomy. Nearly all these references describe offerings for purification and sanctification—not simply as free-will donations to the temple, with only a few exceptions.

Yes, Christians need to give offerings, but the author missed the opportunity to address correctly the necessity of offering as described in James 2:14-16: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"

Interpretation Mistake 3: Bring the Tithes to the House of God

The book states that you need to tithe in your church. However, Jesus taught: "For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Matthew 12:50). The house of God is not merely a physical building, but everyone striving to follow Jesus.

You shouldn't feel guilty about giving your tithes to your missionary brother in Africa when you question why your church spends so much on things you consider unnecessary. Ideally, there would be agreement with your pastor and community, but remember: the house of God is not limited to the building you visit on Sundays. Your tithes should support God's family throughout the world.

The Fundamental Mistake: Not Understanding God's Timing

The author selects numerous Bible verses to demonstrate that we should seek financial blessings. I have no doubt that God wants to bless us. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are God's children, and like any loving parent, He desires to give us the best.

This raises crucial questions: What constitutes God's "best" for us? Is it financial prosperity? If so, why do so many faithful believers lack material wealth?

Among the verses the author cites, I've selected a few to highlight contradictions:

The author references 2 Corinthians 9:8: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."

Yet in Revelation 2:9, Jesus says: "I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."

What, then, is "sufficiency" and "abundance" if Jesus acknowledges His church's poverty while simultaneously calling them rich?

From Proverbs 8:17-21, the author quotes: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths, of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries."

But critical attention to this verse reveals the phrase "better than gold...than choice silver." Gold and silver were the primary symbols of financial wealth in biblical times.

Money holds no intrinsic value to God. What God truly desires is to bless you and impart value to your life. If God's purpose is to give you value, and money itself has no value to Him, we must ask: what are His true priorities? What constitutes His genuine blessings? Could it be that His primary concern is that you discover your intrinsic worth rather than accumulate wealth?

God as a father certainly wants to give you the best—quality of life, good food, joy, and abundance. As the author demonstrates with many biblical verses, the principal question isn't whether God wants to bless us, but when He chooses to do so.

The author states from Proverbs 11:10-11: "When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked."

This indicates that living in a just society leads to wellbeing, while living in an unjust one creates hardship. The issue isn't about individual righteousness or wickedness—we don't live in isolation. It's about our surrounding environment. If you doubt this, observe that the most developed countries generally maintain stable justice systems.

Just three verses earlier, Proverbs 11:8 states: "A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place." You can confidently believe that God wants to bless you, but you must equally accept that we will face troubles in this life.

The author cites 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

Yet the author neglects 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ."

The author also quotes Psalm 112:1-3: "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth, the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever."

The author emphasizes "wealth and riches will be in his house" but fails to comment on "his righteousness endures forever." The word "forever" suggests God's promises extend beyond this life into eternity.

Prosperity is a Matter of Timing

In 2 Kings 5:25-27, we read: "But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, 'Where did you come from, Gehazi?' He said, 'Your servant went nowhere.' He said to him, 'Didn't my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.' He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow."

The crucial question is posed: "Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants?"

For Abraham, David, and Solomon, it was time to have abundance in this life. For Abel, many prophets, and Jesus himself, it was not. God's blessings aren't exclusively financial or material, nor are they guaranteed within our earthly lifetime.