The Wealth of the Generations Part 2
You can read part one of this series here.
Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…”
What is meant by an inheritance?
Today, we typically think of inheritance as physical possessions or money passed down from older relatives toward the end of their lives or at their death. This is indeed a type of inheritance.
The Hebrew word for inheritance simply means “to take as possession.” Sometimes, it is translated as “heritage.”
In modern times, “heritage” captures a more holistic sense of inheritance as laid out in Scripture. We often hear people speak of their European, Western, Appalachian, or even Christian heritage. This is a type of possession passed down from one generation to the next, but it’s not a physical possession—it’s a cultural or religious possession.
There are multiple dimensions to the inheritance, or wealth, we lay up for future generations.
First and foremost, we lay up a spiritual inheritance by disciplining our children and grandchildren in the word of God.
Listen to the heart of David in Psalm 71:17-18:
O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
And then in Psalm 119:111, David says:
Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
David prays for long life to pass down his “heritage,” which consists of God’s testimonies. He wants future generations to know of God’s goodness and truth. This is similar to Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
All of life is dedicated to handing down this spiritual heritage. We tell them the truth and call them to faith. There is no greater inheritance than that of Biblical Christianity.
Conversely, one of the greatest generational tragedies is recorded in Judges 2:6-10:
When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.
And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years.
And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance.
And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
Somehow, the cultural and spiritual inheritance of the previous generation did not stick. Somewhere along the line, it wasn’t properly handed down or, perhaps, properly received. The exact reason in this particular case isn’t clear, but what is clear is the consequence of lacking such an inheritance.
Judges 6:11-23 says:
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them.
I believe it was Luther who said that every church is only one generation away from apostasy. How can a generation take a baton that is never handed to them?
In Proverbs 22:28, it says, "Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.”
Yet, the younger generation will be tempted to move or remove an ancient landmark if they don’t understand why it was put there. You have to tell them. What a terrible thing it would be to plant a Cooper Beech Tree as an inheritance, only for the next generation to cut it down in ignorance when it is only 30 years old.
Teach and reteach God’s truth. Sing it. Pray it. Decorate your house with it. Let it always be on your lips. Never pass up an opportunity to teach the generations about God.
And don’t do it in an impersonal way. Tell them how the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has delivered and blessed you. Do it with the exuberance of Psalm 145:
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Amen?
Now, this inheritance isn’t only spiritual; it also refers to actual possessions, real-world resources, and generational wealth.
We have a very unbiblical view of wealth. I think this comes from two sources: 1) an overreaction to prosperity teaching, which claims that wealth is guaranteed in the gospel, and 2) a misreading of verses like 1 Timothy 6:9-10:
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Passages like these can lead Christians to believe that wealth is intrinsically bad. It isn’t. It can be both a great blessing and a great snare. Note that the problem is wanting to get rich. We must remember there are four Scriptural categories of people in relation to wealth:
1. The Righteous Rich - This person has much because of diligence and God’s blessing. He uses his riches for the glory of God and the good of others (e.g., Abraham, Joseph).
2. The Unrighteous Rich - This person has much due to wicked motives and methods. He does not use his riches for the glory of God and the good of others.
3. The Righteous Poor - This person has little despite diligence. He is grateful for what he has and is as generous as he can be.
4. The Unrighteous Poor - This person has little due to sloth. He is lazy, ungrateful, and self-consumed.
The biblical ideal is found in Proverbs 30:8-9:
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord?'
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.
Also, Scripture doesn’t view wealth merely as money or currency. It has a much broader perspective on wealth. One of my church members, reflecting on this idea, expressed it well:
I think passing on ones faith, trade, skills and values to your children is as honorable as it gets. Teaching and requiring our children to respect and care for our parents, their grandparents, gives children depth. Unity among siblings creates strength. Relations with their aunts, uncles and cousins creates roots that keeps them from getting to carried away during rebellious years. And they grow into adult who teach the same and treat their in-laws well. Family is good.
We need to think broader about the wealth we can transfer to the next generation. Family traditions are transferable wealth. Knowing how to dress, dance, and act is transferable wealth. The ability to drive a nail straight, change the oil, and fix a leaky faucet is transferable wealth. Gold, property, bitcoin, and cash are also forms of transferable wealth.
So, be as productive as you can be and leave the outcomes to God. It’s glorious to be a producer who generates so much that he can share with others, including his own grandchildren.
And, despite the claim of liberals, leaving an inheritance for your children’s children is the opposite of the love of money. It requires discipline. Again, Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” Note the word “good.”
It requires moral virtue to discipline yourself not to overconsume and to set aside money not just for your future but for future generations. It is a holy effort to devote the time needed to pass down skills, habits, and traditions. Proverbs 21:20 says, “Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person, but a fool consumes them.”
The Christian household is not a consumptive household but a productive one. When things are working well, it produces all sorts of wealth for future generations. So, don’t let pagans guilt-trip you or let the world distract you. Lay up wealth for the generations.