Riches do not profit in the day of wrath... - Geneva College
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Riches do not profit in the day of wrath...

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Biblical Wisdom

Proverbs 11:4 – “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

In Psalm 90, as Moses meditates on life’s shortness, he asks God, “Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you (Psalm 90:11)?” Death is the debt owed to God’s justice, not to nature. Since God made man in His image, to be loved and to love forever, death is not “a part of life,” as materialists prattle, attempting to quiet their own fears. Because of sin, death unnaturally ends life, so that since sin entered the world, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).”

When one stands before God’s appointed judge (Acts 17:31), riches will not help. In this life, riches command respect, buy the best lawyers, and may even bribe the judge. But in the day of wrath, riches will not sway the Judge, nor remove the sting of God’s wrath. The only help in the day of wrath is righteousness. If God is for us, then who will be against us (Romans 8:31)? The second death will not hurt us, so the judgment presaged by the first death will not alarm the righteous, whose goodness will deliver them from death.

Here the proverb ends, but since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)” and “there is none that does good, no, not one (Romans 3:10, Psalm 14:1),” the proverb provokes a deep and serious question. How can anyone be righteous before God and survive His judgment? If animal sacrifice is the answer, then Jews, Christians, and everyone else are in great danger. Jewish animal sacrifices ended when Rome destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D., and wherever news about Jesus Christ has gone, animal sacrifices for believers and non-believers alike have ceased. Nevertheless, the Bible assures us often that God mercifully forgives sin, or how could anyone stand before Him (Psalm 130)? Only by the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The news about Christ, proclaimed by the Church since the Day of Pentecost, announces the victory of the Son of David over sin and death. As the Hebrew Scriptures prophesied, Jesus voluntarily died on a cross, the Lamb of God given for the sins of His People. The King of kings is also God’s Priest and final Sacrifice. After three days, He rose to life again, appearing to many chosen witnesses; after 40 days, He ascended to heaven to rule all nations for the sake of His Church. At the Resurrection, He will return as Judge and Savior, with forgiveness for all who have repented and believe in Him. When we are united to Him by faith, God counts our sin to Him and His righteousness to us. Yes, righteousness, not ours, but Christ’s imputed righteousness received as a free gift by faith alone, delivers from death on the day of wrath, when riches will be of no use.

Dr. Bill Edgar, former chair of the Geneva College Board of Trustees, former Geneva College President and longtime pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

May 1, 2018

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