Have you noticed the increasing number of commercials on TV and Radio, urging people to buy gold? On Tuesday this week, the Federal Government announced that the Federal debt hit $16 trillion, and is still rising at a meteoric pace. Why does it matter? Ultimately, excessive debt results in bankruptcy—for either a family or a nation. And when it even looks like this might happen, a country’s money loses its value, making things cost more, i.e., a price of a loaf of bread increases from $2 to $5. High inflation brought on by excessive debt was one of the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire.
But the Bible often uses gold as a metaphor for that which has no lasting value. James says in the last days, gold and silver will be worthless (James 5:3). Peter says our faith is far more precious than mere gold (1 Pet 1:7). Jesus tells the wealthy Laodiceans to buy gold from Him. His gold is a metaphor for faith which needs to be purified by fire, just like gold (Rev. 3:18). Inflation or not, it is always time to buy this type of gold and grow rich in faith!
Hi Dr. Greg,
ReplyDeleteGood post. Thank you.
Gold is a way of protecting value and is based in fear, not increasing value (which is based on greed). One of the things that will happen near the end times is hyper-inflation.
A friend tells me stories of hyper-inflation times in Germany where it took bucketfuls of nearly worthless paper money to buy a chicken, or eggs or wheat. It made the country ripe for Hitler, who became a messiah figure.
But as the old joke goes, when a rich man was going to heaven and wants to take it with him (the u-haul behind the hearse), the angel asks him, "Why would you bring paving bricks to heaven?" What is valued here on earth is either decoration or utility there. What matters for eternity is what is of value there, and bringing that kind of value with you (hint: it won't travel in a u-haul trailer).
Godspeed! Larry Q