The Coin and the Coffer
Rejecting the Wealth of Babylon
Throughout human history, the clash between spiritual values and material wealth has been evident. The Bible emphasizes the concept of two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. These two realms operate on fundamentally different principles. In the kingdom of the world, power, wealth, and material success are sought after as signs of security and control. In contrast, the Kingdom of God calls for humility, charity, and reliance on God's providence. Jesus Christ, through His life and teachings, modeled a life of poverty, simplicity, and complete dependence on God. This essay explores the dichotomy between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, the stark contrast between Jesus’s poverty and the world’s wealth, and how Christians are called to embrace poverty, trust in God, and practice charity.
Contrasting Kingdoms
The Bible delineates two spiritual realms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. Each kingdom has its own set of values and priorities. The Kingdom of God, as depicted by Jesus Christ, is centered on love, charity, humility, and absolute dependence on God. It is not bound by material wealth, earthly status, or power. Jesus Himself made this distinction clear in His conversation with Pontius Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36). In this verse, Jesus highlights the nature of His kingdom—it is not worldly, and its values transcend material concerns.
In contrast, the kingdom of the world, as seen throughout history, operates on the accumulation of wealth, power, and control. This kingdom values self-reliance, pride, and material success, often at the expense of moral and spiritual values. This worldview is rooted in human desires for safety, control, and self-preservation. Wealth, in the kingdom of the world, is seen as a means to achieve power and influence. It creates a false sense of security, leading individuals to place their trust in possessions rather than in God.
However, the Bible warns against the seduction of worldly wealth and power. Jesus repeatedly spoke about the dangers of wealth and the need to prioritize spiritual riches over material ones. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” This statement captures the essence of the tension between the two kingdoms—one cannot pursue wealth in the kingdom of the world and expect to remain faithful to the principles of the Kingdom of God. The Christian is called to a higher standard, one that requires a detachment from worldly wealth and an attachment to God.
The Poverty of Jesus vs. The Wealth of the World
Our Lord came into the world not as a wealthy king or a powerful ruler, but as a humble servant. His birth in a manger and His upbringing in the modest town of Nazareth serve as profound symbols of His choice to embrace poverty. Jesus’s life was a testament to the fact that true spiritual wealth is not found in material possessions, but in one’s relationship with God. In 2 Corinthians 8:9, Paul writes, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” This verse encapsulates the heart of the Christian understanding of wealth—Jesus voluntarily embraced poverty to enrich humanity spiritually.
Jesus’s poverty was not just about material lack; it was a radical statement about His complete trust in God. Throughout His ministry, Jesus demonstrated that true security does not come from wealth but from faith in God’s providence. He taught His disciples to rely on God for their daily needs, as seen in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Jesus’s message was clear: God provides for His children, and there is no need to amass wealth for security.
In contrast, the wealth of the world is rooted in a desire for control, power, and self-preservation. The accumulation of wealth is often driven by fear—fear of poverty, fear of losing status, and fear of uncertainty. People pursue wealth to ensure their safety and to exert control over their circumstances. Yet, this pursuit is ultimately futile, as no amount of wealth can protect against the uncertainties of life. As the book of Proverbs reminds us, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Proverbs 23:4-5). Wealth is temporary and unreliable, and those who place their trust in it are setting themselves up for disappointment.
Jesus’s response to wealth was to live simply and to give freely. He told His followers, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). The message here is clear: worldly wealth is fleeting, but spiritual wealth is eternal. Christians are called to focus on the latter, placing their trust in God rather than in material possessions.
The Roots of Wealth
The desire to accumulate wealth is often rooted in the human need for control and safety. From the earliest times, wealth has been viewed as a means to secure one’s future, to provide a buffer against the uncertainties of life. In the modern world, wealth is often equated with success, security, and power. People believe that with enough money, they can control their circumstances, avoid hardship, and live comfortable, trouble-free lives.
However, this desire for control is, at its core, a rejection of trust in God. When individuals rely on wealth for security, they are essentially saying that they do not trust God to provide for their needs. They take matters into their own hands, seeking to protect themselves through the accumulation of resources. This mindset leads to a self-centered approach to life, where the focus is on personal security rather than on loving and serving others.
The Bible repeatedly warns against the dangers of trusting in wealth. In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus tells the story of a man who amassed great wealth and believed he could relax and enjoy life. However, 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?” (Luke 12:20). The rich man’s mistake was that he trusted in his wealth rather than in God. His desire for control and safety led him to neglect his spiritual life, and in the end, his wealth could not save him.
Trusting in wealth for safety is ultimately a form of idolatry. It places material possessions above God, giving them a place of prominence in one’s life. Yet, no matter how much wealth a person accumulates, it can never guarantee safety or control. Only God can provide true security, and Christians are called to place their trust in Him rather than in material wealth.
Insecurity
At the heart of the desire to accumulate wealth is a lack of trust in God’s providence. People seek to gather wealth because they do not believe that God will provide for their needs. This lack of trust leads to anxiety, fear, and a relentless pursuit of financial security. Yet, the Bible teaches that God is faithful and will provide for His children. Jesus addressed this issue directly in His Sermon on the Mount: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).
Jesus’s message is clear: we are to trust in God for our needs, just as the birds of the air trust in Him. Accumulating wealth as a means of self-protection is a failure to recognize God’s sovereignty and care. Christians are called to live in faith, trusting that God will provide for their needs, even when the future is uncertain.
Moreover, the pursuit of wealth often leads individuals away from God. As people focus on accumulating money, they become more concerned with their own desires and less concerned with the needs of others. This self-centeredness is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, who called His followers to love and serve others. In Matthew 19:21, Jesus said to the rich young man, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The young man’s refusal to part with his wealth revealed where his true allegiance lay—not with God, but with his possessions.
The Wealth of Babylon and Its Path to Destruction
Babylon is a symbol of human ambition, pride, and the pursuit of power through wealth. In the Old Testament, the historical kingdom of Babylon was known for its immense wealth, military power, and dominance. The rulers of Babylon used wealth to assert their control over nations, to subjugate people, and to build monuments to their own glory. The story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9 illustrates the human desire to achieve greatness, which ultimately leads to rebellion against God. The people of Babel sought to build a tower “that reaches to the heavens,” a metaphor for human ambition and self-sufficiency. In doing so, they rejected dependence on God and placed their trust in their own power and wealth.
The Babylonian Empire, under rulers like Nebuchadnezzar, grew powerful through conquest, but its wealth became synonymous with excess and pride. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar’s pride in his wealth and achievements led to his downfall when he claimed, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). God humbled him, stripping him of his power and wealth as a reminder that human glory and riches are fleeting in the eyes of the divine.
Babylon’s use of wealth for dominance and control mirrors the way in which the kingdom of the world operates. In the same way that Babylon used its wealth to build an empire, today’s worldly systems often use wealth as a means to exert power, control, and influence. Corporations and nations accumulate vast resources, often exploiting others, in the pursuit of more wealth and power. Babylon’s downfall serves as a warning against the dangers of such unchecked ambition and the pride that comes from reliance on material wealth.
The Excess of Babylon: A Symbol of Worldly Corruption
In the book of Revelation, Babylon is portrayed as a city of great excess, immorality, and idolatry. Revelation 18 depicts the fall of Babylon, symbolizing the judgment of a world system that places wealth and luxury above spiritual values. In this chapter, Babylon is described as “the great city that ruled over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18), but it is also a city that seduces the nations with its wealth and leads them into corruption.
Babylon’s wealth is described in vivid detail: “The merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries” (Revelation 18:3), and “the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore—cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble” (Revelation 18:11-12). This imagery reflects the excessive materialism and opulence that characterized Babylon’s wealth. The city’s riches become its defining trait, and the nations and kings of the earth are drawn to Babylon’s wealth, becoming entangled in its corruption.
The wealth of Babylon, however, does not bring security or salvation. Instead, it leads to destruction. Revelation 18:8 declares, “Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” The swift downfall of Babylon underscores the impermanence of wealth and the dangers of placing trust in material riches. The very wealth that once brought Babylon power and prestige becomes the cause of its ruin.
The wealth of Babylon is contrasted with the values of the Kingdom of God, which prioritizes humility, charity, and reliance on God’s provision. Babylon’s fall is a stark reminder that worldly wealth is temporary and that those who place their trust in it will ultimately face destruction. The pursuit of wealth leads to a false sense of security, which can blind individuals and nations to the moral and spiritual consequences of their actions.
Modern Examples of the Babylonian Spirit
The spirit of Babylon—using wealth for power, indulging in excess, and ultimately being led to destruction—can be seen in many aspects of modern society. Consider the rise and fall of financial empires that, for a time, seem invincible due to their wealth and power, but eventually crumble due to corruption, greed, or moral decay.
One such example is the 2008 financial crisis, which revealed the extent to which financial institutions had engaged in reckless behavior to amass wealth. The collapse of major banks and financial firms, like Lehman Brothers, sent shockwaves through the global economy, leading to widespread loss and hardship. The financial institutions that had once been symbols of power and success, amassing immense wealth through complex financial products, were undone by the very greed and corruption that had fueled their rise. The crisis demonstrated how the pursuit of wealth, without regard for ethics or responsibility, leads to destruction. Like Babylon, these financial empires fell because their foundation was built on materialism and a desire for control, rather than on values that promote justice, fairness, and humility.
An ancient example would be the city of Pompeii. The archaeological sites show a city of immense wealth and excess. But in one moment all of that wealth was covered in volcanic ash as the city was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
These examples reflect the biblical warnings about the dangers of wealth when it is pursued for selfish purposes. Wealth, when used to exploit others or to maintain control, ultimately leads to destruction. The spirit of Babylon continues to manifest in various forms, but the lesson remains the same: wealth without moral and spiritual grounding leads to downfall.
Babylon’s Fall: A Warning Against the Love of Wealth
The story of Babylon’s fall is a profound warning to Christians about the dangers of placing too much trust in wealth. As Revelation 18:19 states, “They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’” The suddenness of Babylon’s destruction reveals the fragility of wealth and the folly of trusting in it for security. Those who depend on wealth for their salvation will find themselves empty-handed when it is taken away.
Babylon’s wealth brought with it arrogance, indulgence, and a disregard for God’s authority. This is a powerful contrast to the values that Jesus taught. Where Babylon indulged in luxury and excess, Jesus lived a life of humility and service. Where Babylon amassed wealth for self-glorification, Jesus taught His followers to give generously and to trust in God’s provision. The fall of Babylon is a reminder that wealth is not inherently evil, but the love of wealth—when it becomes an idol—leads to destruction.
As Christians, we are called to reject the ways of Babylon. We are called to live simply, to trust in God’s provision, and to use our resources for the good of others rather than for self-gain. The story of Babylon serves as both a warning and an invitation: a warning against the perils of wealth and an invitation to live according to the values of the Kingdom of God, where humility, charity, and faithfulness to God are the true treasures.
The Call to Charity
In the Kingdom of God, giving is a central principle. Unlike the kingdom of the world, where wealth is hoarded for personal gain and security, the Kingdom of God operates on the principle of generosity. Jesus taught that those who give will receive, and that God rewards those who are charitable. “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
Charity is not just a moral obligation for Christians—it is an expression of faith in God’s provision. By giving generously, Christians demonstrate their trust in God’s ability to supply their needs. They recognize that all they have comes from God and that they are merely stewards of His gifts. As such, they are called to use their resources to bless others, rather than to hoard them for themselves.
In giving, Christians also store up spiritual treasures in heaven. Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-20 emphasizes that the wealth of this world is temporary, but the rewards of generosity are eternal. When Christians give to others, they are participating in the work of the Kingdom of God, and their reward is not just in the blessings they receive in this life, but in the eternal life to come.
God’s faithfulness is evident in His provision for those who are charitable. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Paul writes, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” This passage highlights the reciprocal nature of charity: those who give generously will be blessed by God, not necessarily in material wealth, but in the sufficiency of His provision and the abundance of His grace.
Conclusion
The contrast between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world is stark. While the world seeks wealth, power, and control as a means of self-protection and security, the Kingdom of God calls for humility, trust, and charity. Jesus Christ, through His life of poverty, demonstrated that true wealth is not found in material possessions, but in a life lived in faithful dependence on God. Christians are called to reject the values of the world, to place their trust in God, and to practice generosity. In doing so, they participate in the eternal Kingdom of God, where the rewards of charity and faithfulness far surpass the fleeting riches of the world.
Have you found yourself relying on the wealth of Babylon—seeking security, control, and success through material possessions and worldly power—rather than living in the charity, humility, and faith of the Kingdom of God? If so, take a moment to reflect and turn your heart toward God in prayer, asking Him to help you trust in His provision and live according to His values.
Heavenly Father, I come before You recognizing the ways in which I have placed my trust in the things of this world. I have sought security in wealth, control in material possessions, and success through the standards of the world. I confess that I have looked to the wealth of Babylon instead of relying fully on Your goodness and provision.
what Lord, I repent of my desire to control my life through worldly means, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Help me to turn away from the temptations of materialism, pride, and greed. Teach me to live in humility, as Jesus did, and to trust You for my daily needs.
Father, open my heart to the needs of others. Guide me in acts of charity and generosity, knowing that You are faithful to provide. Let my wealth be used to serve others and to bring glory to Your name, not for my own gain. Transform my heart so that I may store up treasures in heaven and not in this fleeting world.
Thank You for Your grace and for the promise that when I give, You will provide. Help me to walk in the values of Your Kingdom, living in faith, love, and service to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Bibliography
Holy Bible, New International Version
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. SCM Press, 2001.
Keller, Timothy. Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters. Dutton, 2009.
Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. Eerdmans, 1994.
Stott, John. Basic Christianity. InterVarsity Press, 2006.
Footnotes
John 18:36 (NIV).
Matthew 6:24 (NIV).
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV).
Matthew 6:11 (NIV).
Proverbs 23:4-5 (NIV).
Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV).
Luke 12:20 (NIV).
Matthew 6:25-26 (NIV).
Matthew 19:21 (NIV).
Revelation 17-18 (Babylon’s fall and wealth)
Daniel 4:30 (Nebuchadnezzar’s pride in Babylon’s wealth)
Genesis 11:1-9 (The Tower of Babel as a symbol of human ambition)
Matthew 6:24
Luke 6:38 (NIV).
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV).