Scripture Reading: Zech. 5:5-11; Rev. 18:2-5, 9-20; Luke 16:13; Heb. 13:5a
Ⅰ
The vision of the ephah vessel signifies the wickedness of business, or commerce, on the earth—Zech. 5:5-11:
A
Commerce seems to have a proper appearance; actually, commerce is evil, full of wickedness—vv. 7-8.
B
The woman sitting within the ephah vessel signifies the wickedness contained in commerce, such as covetousness, deceit, and the love of money—v. 8a.
C
This vision corresponds to that of Babylon the Great in Revelation 18; these two visions show that in the sight of God the wickedness contained in commerce is a form of idolatry and fornication:
１
The beginning of commerce is connected with Satan, and its end, with Babylon—Ezek. 28; Rev. 18:
ａ
Ezekiel 28 is the beginning of world commerce, and Revelation 18 is the consummation, the peak development, of world commerce.
ｂ
The most severe judgment from God will be brought against Babylon because it will be the consummation of aggrandizement by trade and the epitome of sin—vv. 2-3, 5, 15-17a, 20.
２
Commerce is the field in which, more than any other, "the corruption which is in the world by lust" (2 Pet. 1:4) relentlessly pursues even the most high-principled of Christians and can easily overtake them to their undoing—Neh. 5:1-13; 13:10-14.
D
Building a house for the woman in the land of Shinar signifies that God's sovereignty will cause wickedness in business, which the people of Israel learned from the Babylonian captivity, to go back to Babylon—Zech. 5:9-11.
Ⅱ
We need to be delivered from the commercial mind—Matt. 19:27—20:16:
A
Satan is a businessman, a merchant, and his thought is according to his commercial principle—Job 1:9-11; Ezek. 28:16, 18; cf. Rev. 18:2-5, 9-19.
B
Peter's concept in dealing with the Lord in Matthew 19:27 was commercial, according to the principle of work; in His answer to Peter the Lord strongly indicated that His reward is not commercial but according to His desire and grace—v. 28—20:16:
１
Peter's natural concept, representing that of all believers, was commercial—vv. 11-12.
２
The Lord's word in verse 14 shattered Peter's natural, commercial mind and destroyed his concept of commerce—16:23-26; 2 Cor. 10:4-5.
Ⅲ
"No household servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"—Luke 16:13:
A
Mammon stands in opposition to God, indicating that wealth, or riches, is the opponent of God, robbing God's people of their service to Him.
B
To serve the Lord requires us to love Him, giving our heart to Him, and requires us to cleave to Him, giving our entire being to Him—Matt. 6:1-21:
１
In this way we are released from being occupied and usurped by mammon, that we may serve the Lord wholly and fully.
２
In order to serve the Lord we must overcome the enticing, deceitful mammon of unrighteousness—Luke 16:9, 13; Matt. 13:22.
C
Giving money and material things in resurrection is a strong indication that we are under God's administration in resurrection and have overcome the possession of material riches—1 Cor. 16:1-3; Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35.
D
We need to give as the Lord has prospered us; in budgeting our finances, we should increase our giving yearly according to the prosperity provided by the Lord—11:29; 1 Cor. 16:2.
E
If we fully offer to God what belongs to Him that the church may be richly supplied, God will open the windows of heaven to us and pour out a blessing for us, which there will not be enough room to contain—Mal. 3:10.
Ⅳ
"Let your way of life be without the love of money"—Heb. 13:5a:
A
Those who intend to be rich fall into a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin—1 Tim. 6:9.
B
Because of the love of money, some have been led away from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many pains—v. 10.
C
We must not set our hope on the uncertainty of deceitful riches but on God, who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment—vv. 17-19.
Ⅴ
We need to have a change in our concept of value and cultivate a divine sense of value—Luke 16:15b:
A
Before a person believes in the Lord, his concept of value is perverted, but once a person is saved, his concept of value changes—19:2, 8-9.
B
The Bible has much to say concerning a change in one's concept of value—Psa. 118:22; 1 Cor. 1:18; Matt. 6:32-33; 10:37-38; 16:26; 18:8-9; 20:25-27; Job 22:23-28; Heb. 11:24-26.
C
God requires that we bring out the precious from the worthless so that we can be His mouth—Jer. 15:19.
D
If we have a thorough change in our concept of value, we will know to choose the most excellent portion—Luke 10:41-42; Matt. 26:6-13; Phil. 3:7-11.