Renunciation of Wealth

Lore & Background

Across the passages, wealth is portrayed as something that can be violently taken away, as when Jacob's sons plundered Shechem (Genesis 34:29) or when Menahem exacted money from the wealthy of Israel (2 Kings 15:20). This underscores the vulnerability of material riches. The Psalms and Proverbs repeatedly warn against placing trust in wealth, noting that even the wise die and leave their wealth to others (Psalms 49:10), and that wealth gained by vanity diminishes (Proverbs 13:11).

Yet wealth is also presented as a divine gift. God tells Solomon that because he did not ask for riches, God will give him riches and wealth (2 Chronicles 1:11-12). Deuteronomy 8:18 explicitly states that it is God who gives the power to get wealth. Ecclesiastes 5:19 affirms that the ability to enjoy wealth is itself a gift from God, while Ecclesiastes 6:2 warns that God may give wealth but withhold the power to enjoy it, calling this vanity.

The motif of renunciation is implicit: the righteous are not to seek the wealth of the heathen (Ezra 9:12), and Mordecai is praised for seeking the wealth of his people (Esther 10:3), suggesting that wealth is to be used for communal good rather than personal aggrandizement. The rich man's wealth is called his strong city, but this is presented as a conceit (Proverbs 18:11), and the wealth of the sinner is ultimately stored for the just (Proverbs 13:22).

Reader's Guide

The passages portray renunciation of wealth not as a blanket rejection of material goods, but as a disciplined posture of the heart. Wealth is consistently shown to be temporary and unreliable: it can be plundered (Genesis 34:29), taxed away (2 Kings 15:20), or left to strangers (Psalms 49:10). The wealthy are warned not to boast in their own power to acquire it (Deuteronomy 8:17) or to trust in it (Psalms 49:6). Job explicitly states he did not rejoice because his wealth was great (Job 31:25), modeling a detachment from riches.

At the same time, wealth is not inherently evil. It is given by God (Deuteronomy 8:18; Ecclesiastes 5:19), and the righteous may have wealth in their house (Psalms 112:3). The key is the source and purpose: God gives the power to get wealth to establish his covenant (Deuteronomy 8:18), and wealth is to be used for the good of others, as Mordecai sought the wealth of his people (Esther 10:3). The renunciation is of trust in wealth, not of wealth itself. Proverbs 13:11 contrasts wealth gotten by vanity (which diminishes) with that gathered by labor (which increases), suggesting that honest work is compatible with godliness.

Thus, the scriptural motif calls for a renunciation of reliance on wealth, a recognition of its fleeting nature, and a commitment to use it in service of God's purposes, while acknowledging that God alone is the ultimate source and sustainer.

Did You Know?

• The wealth of the sinner is said to be laid up for the just (Proverbs 13:22).
• God gave Solomon riches and wealth because he did not ask for them (2 Chronicles 1:11-12).
• Mordecai is praised for seeking the wealth of his people, not his own (Esther 10:3).
• Ecclesiastes 6:2 notes that God may give wealth but withhold the power to enjoy it, calling this an evil disease.