Proverbs 20:21
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
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Easy come, easy go. These words are a true financial rule from this and other proverbs. God sent Solomon to warn that get-rich-quick schemes of various kinds will not work.
If you cheat in any way to quickly advance professionally or get rich financially, you will not succeed or survive in the long run. God will blast you; men will take your gains.
This proverb assumes a violation of the rules of wisdom to get quick profits, but the success will not last, for God and good men will not favor your unrighteous cause. You may get ahead temporarily, but the end of your career will be painful poverty. Believe it.
God may bless a man to advance or profit quickly, like Isaac (Gen 26:12), Joseph (Gen 41:38-45), Mordecai (Esther 6:1-11), Daniel (Dan 1:17-21), and others. Estates and inheritances in such cases are blessed and will be blessed while God favors the man.
If you want to be as successful as God intends, there are godly and right ways to pursue your profession and manage your finances. Faithful conduct in your business will build an inheritance, all other things being equal (Pr 10:4; 11:25; 13:4,22; 19:14; 22:29; etc.).
However, any compromise of God’s rules for business, even if you think it will get you ahead, will certainly get you behind. God’s way is not only the best way; it is the only way. Set your heart and mind this very day that you will never cheat at all to get ahead.
Solomon knew more about fast career progression and huge investment returns than any man, but his were from God. He is the one God chose to warn you that any foolish haste to succeed will take you down (Pr 28:20,22; 21:5; 10:2-3; 13:11,22-23; 14:23; 28:8).
Consider risk, like commodity trading. Solomon warned you to minimize risk (Pr 6:1-5; 22:3). If you are one of the very few that initially hit a few trades right, the leverage of the futures market will make you rich – then the sword’s other edge will take it all back.
Consider giving. You know the Bible’s example of tithing 10%. But you choose to invest that 10% for ten years at 10% – a return of 160% – an inheritance hastily gotten. You tell your conscience you will give then. God laughs (Pr 3:9-10; 11:24-26; Mal 3:8-12).
Consider vanity. You quit your paying job, because you attended a network marketing meeting, where a slick dude with a rented Rolex talked about getting rich selling overpriced soap to a pyramid of suckers. God laughs (Pr 12:11; 13:23; 14:23; 28:19).
The world admits, Haste makes waste. But they only see natural laws at work like attention to detail and doing a job right. There is much more against haste – God will not bless the hasty man, for he is clearly breaking a rule God has established (Pr 19:2).
Consider the words, “Shall not be blessed.” These words are a figure of speech called meiosis or litotes, an exaggerated understatement, the opposite of hyperbole. Rather than only missing God’s blessing, you will get God’s blasting (Hag 1:5-11; 2:16-17).
But there is an inheritance you will get quickly that you should aggressively pursue. For the faithful few that obey this proverb and the rest of scripture, God will soon send Jesus Christ to gather you to heaven to be joint-heirs with Him of the universe (Rom 8:14-23).
His glorious return to burn up this earth and raise the dead will occur in an instant (I Cor 15:51-58; I Thess 4:13-18; II Thess 1:7-10). Jesus declared He is coming quickly – with haste (Rev 3:11; 22:7,12,20). How should you respond? Even so, come, Lord Jesus.