Financial Security is not Eternal Security

Rembrandt 1627,  The Parable of the Rich Fool

'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Luke 12:15

There is a unique slang in the Hokkien dialect which has come into use in the Singaporean-Malaysian Chinese community to welcome prosperity, 'Huat Ah!' It has also become a greeting among friends, much like the US battle cry 'Hooah!' We now use 'Huat Ah!' when we toss the customary Chinese New Year dish/salad, 'Yu Sheng.' 

Yu Sheng is a dish made of ingredients with symbolic meanings to usher in prosperity at the start of the Chinese New Year. It is served on the seventh day of the New Year which is everyone's birthday renri (人日everyman’s birthday). Because this dish is so popular, it is now served from the eve to the 15th day of the New Year. The symbolism and meaning of the ingredients, unfortunately, may underlie our obsession with material wealth. 

• The greetings at the start of dish gongxi facai (恭喜发财 wishing you wealth and good fortune) and huat ah (prosperity)
• Raw fish with the words which nian nian youyu (年年有余 abundance through the year)
• Dried orange peels over the fish daji dali (大吉大利 which is luck and auspicious value)
• Liberal dash of pepper and 5-spice powder over the ingredients zhaocai jinbao (招财进宝  greater prosperity and fortune)
• Pour oil, circling the ingredients with words yibenwanli (一本万利)and caiyuan guang jin (财源广进) to wish profit and money flowing in from all directions.
• Add carrots and green and white radish to the fish, indicating hongyun dangtou (鸿运当头 ), feng sheng shui qi (风生水起), bubu gaosheng (步步高升) to bring blessings of good luck, prosperity in business and promotion at work
• Dust ground peanuts on the dish, jinyin manwu (金银满屋 a household filled with gold and silver)
• Sesame seeds follow, symbolising growth in business shengyi xinglong (生意兴隆)
• Finally abundance of pillow-shaped deep-fried flour crisps to literally mean that the whole floor would be filled with gold, biandi huangjin (遍地黄金)

In an age of affluence and plenty, want has become need and luxury a necessity. Although the Chinese may be very dramatic in their wishes for wealth and materialism, it is the same for almost all the modern cultures living in cities. Enticed by consumerism and fueled by avarice, we buy and spend much much more than we need. 

Jesus Christ warned, a man may store up things for himself but is not rich toward God. We are in danger of becoming the rich fool mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

'And He told them this parable. The ground of a rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, "What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops." Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store my surplus grain. And I'll say to myself, You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" This is how it will be for whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.' Luke 12:16-21  

Like that rich fool, misled by the comforts and satisfaction riches can bring, we equate financial security with eternal security. That would be a mistake.

A man who understood what it means to live life depending on God’s faithfulness rather than financial security was Thomas Chisholm. Rev Chisholm wrote more than 1200 poems, many were written into hymns including Great is Thy Faithfulness.

In a letter dated 1941, Mr. Chisholm wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health, but I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.”

Thomas Chisholm, living in a state of “just enough” learned a lesson of dependence on God’s faithfulness which the rich fool in the parable did not.

Why is that farmer in Jesus' parable such a fool?

• He sacrificed living for God by living for himself.
• He confused surplus for security
• He lived for time and not eternity
• He assumed he had lots of time

In contrast, we should live our lives dependent on the blessings of God, a useful lesson as we step into 2022.

'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' Lamentations 3:24

Thomas Chisholm's lyrics were derived from Lamentations 3 and were set to music by William Runyan. From the heart of a Methodist minister, 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' has inspired countless believers to trust their faithful God.

'Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:21-23

Great is Thy faithfulness O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changed not, Thy compassions, they fail not 

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside! 

How many times have we stood in church and along with the congregation sang this great hymn? Did we not feel warmness of heart and realise that our life is abundant only by God's great faithfulness?  

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Mar 2007

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Jeremiah by Rembrandt

 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your Faithfulness.' Lamentations 3:22-23

The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, described this painting by Rembrandt of the lament of the prophet Jeremiah as 'The crestfallen Prophet Jeremiah rests his weary, old head on his hand. He laments Jerusalem going up in flames - in the background - whose destruction he had prophesied. Rembrandt heightened the sense of drama with powerful contrasts of light and dark.' (Ref 1)

A truly dramatic portrayal of the Lamentations of Jeremiah. 

Equally artistic but lost in English translation, is the Biblical Book of Lamentations. It is a collection of poems attributed to the prophet Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonian Conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar. Rev (Dr) Gordon Wong, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, pointed out the intricate Alphabet Acrostic Songs of the first four chapters of Lamentations. 

An acrostic is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. An alphabet acrostic spells out the letters of the alphabet e.g. ABCDEF. Since the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, Lamentations 1,2 and 4 have 22 verses whereas Lamentations 3 has 66 verses, with a triplet of 3 verses beginning with one letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Whatever the artistic rendering, we should not miss the Bishop's message in which he contrasted two opposing realities especially apt in these times; where there seems to be  hopelessness, God renders hope by His faithfulness. 

The Bishop contrasted Lamentations 1-3

'I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath; He has driven and brought me without any light; surely against me he turns His hand again and again the whole day long.'

with Lamentations 3:21-23

'But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.'

The Hebrew name of the Book of Lamentations is Ekah which can be translated as alas or how. Chuck Swindoll wrote, 'Lamentations pictures a man of God over the results of evil and suffering in the world. But at the heart of this book, at the center of this lament over the effects of sin in the world, sit a few verses devoted to hope in the Lord. This statement of faith standing strong in the midst of the surrounding darkness....'  (Ref 2)

These are bleak times too. The delta variant of the Covid-19 virus is raging unrelentingly worldwide and Singapore is no exception, notwithstanding the high vaccination rates. During such times, we are wont to ask of God, in the Singlish vernacular of Singaporeans "How Ah?" as the Hebrew title of Lamentations suggested. But rather than wallow in despair at the apparent staying of God's hands, it may do us well to read and re-read Lamentations Chapter 3. Then, between adversity and hope, we will be encouraged by the  faithfulness of God which has been showered on us time and time again and renewed every morning. 

• Lost in Suffering - 'I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His affliction.' Lamentations 3:1

• Hope in Silence - 'Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust - there may yet be hope.' Lamentations 3:28-29

• Found by Love - 'For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He causes grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast Love.' Lamentations 3:31-32

• Refreshed by Faithfulness - 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness.'  Lamentations 3:22-23

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning, new mercies I see

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord, great is Thy faithfulness!

Lionel

Inspired by a Sermon of Bishop Dr Gordon Wong entitled My Redeemer Is Faithful And True

Ref 1: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/SK-A-3276

Ref 2: https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-major-prophets/lamentations