The bible say’s “For the love of money is the root of all evil:” 1Ti 6:10. From that verse we can derive that the foundation of all evil stems from the love of money or merchandise, traffic, and trade.
The word “evil” is mentioned in 60 of the 66 books for an exact total of 613 times which also happens to be the exact number of commandments from the Mosaic law. Concerning the law, Paul says “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” Rom 3:20
In Gen 2:9 we have the first use of the word evil: “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil“. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from this tree, but clearly they had a “love” for the merchandise of that tree and ate of the fruit.
All evil is sin, but not all sin is necessarily evil. Sin is to violate a revealed divine truth from the word of God or to not apply a revealed divine truth from the word of God, while evil is a system of thinking that opposes divine truth in belief and behavior. The serpent in the garden convinced Eve into thinking that knowing good and evil and having her eyes open was better than the divine truth from Almighty God. Since the tree of knowledge of good and evil already existed in the time of Adam and Eve, they could not have been the first to oppose divine truth in thought and behavior. Is it possible to trace back to the original act of evil?
Nowhere in the bible is there an evil example of thinking that opposes divine truth better portrayed than what we see in Isaiah with the fall of the Cherub known as Lucifer (Satan).
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High Is. 14:12-14.
The anointed cherub, leader of the other cherub and angels, was perfect until iniquity or unrighteousness was found in him and the “love” of merchandise caused him to sin.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of
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. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee Ez. 28
Not only was Lucifer the leader among the angels and cherub, but he was also the high priest as he had sanctuaries where the angels and cherub worshiped Almighty God, but his thought process of opposing divine truth and his greed for power and love of “money” created iniquity in him leading to his fall from the highest position in the universe under Almighty God, Possessor of Heaven and Earth.
Today is no different. The accumulation of vast wealth and power causes one to think it is their key to being untouchable. In these final days, the “love of money” is what moves the grand scheme of the enemy.
Half of world’s wealth now in hands of 1% of population – report
Richest 62 people as wealthy as half of world’s population, says Oxfam
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days James 5:1-3.
The definition of evil (to oppose divine truth) is summarized well by Jesus in the book of John chapter 8:
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
God say’s the riches belong to him and that they are no safe haven in the day of His Wrath.
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. Zep 1:18
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:8
How do you view what God has given you? Are you a wise steward of what you have been given? One must choose between God and money lest the latter corrupt you to evil in opposing divine truth.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon Mat 6:24
Looking for that Blessed Hope! 