But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’”
-Genesis 14:22-23
We live in a climate and culture of exponential entitlement and handouts. This malady is a global epidemic. It’s certainly not unique to Western culture. It’s something quite contrary to the holy and noble character endowed by our Creator. One might be inclined to assume reference to entitlement and handouts of purely the social variety, i.e. welfare, healthcare and other various forms of socialism. These symptoms are unmistakably the manifestation of the core issue - human depravity.
In a climate and culture where God is declared impotent, incompetent or dead, and where “separation of church and state” is parroted by clueless lemmings ignorant of context and meaning, the mutating social expressions (entitlement and handouts) of human depravity persists.
The delineation between church and state is illusionary. The whole of creation was accomplished by God. Fantastic theories and endless speculation to the contrary are debunked time and again. Theories and “proofs,” once cutting edge, repeatedly fall on the waste heap of human denial. The eternal Sovereign established a theocracy of life-giving paradise in Eden for humanity’s benefit. Despite faithless rebellion and self-worship, our intrinsic value remains. Our Creator has seen fit to pursue us relentlessly in order to reconcile and redeem. Christ Jesus, our Sovereign Creator, accomplished precisely that at the Cross.
Amazingly enough, we freely embrace, relish and promote and accept various forms of social entitlement and handouts. We recognize the vast disparity between is and ought, i.e. the glaring gap between the way things are and the way they should be. Yet, rather than pursuing truth, rather than humbly accepting the grace gift of faith, rather than ushering in Christ’s theocratic paradise, we prostitute our divine image and likeness to maintain faithless autonomy while simultaneously begging for handouts.
Within the biblical record, two men evidence opposition to such pathetic and inglorious deaths. The first man, Abram (later Abraham), was called by God to “Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you…” The historical narrative informs us, “Abram went.” Abram brought his wife and nephew, Lot, along. Upon arrival, Lot immediately rejected his uncle. Abram’s greedy, rebellious and licentious nephew migrates to Sodom and eventually becomes a prisoner of war. Upon hearing of his nephew’s plight, Abram takes a mere “318 trained men from his household” to liberate Lot from Kedorlaomer and his coalition of royal superpowers. The Bible states, “He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.” Then we read, “The king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh… (and) said to Abram, ‘Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.’”
It is here, in Abram’s response to the king of Sodom, we see the radiant brilliance of resolute faith expressed through character in action. In our proclivity toward entitlement, in our “Go ahead! You deserve it!” culture of privilege and prerogative, how many would vehemently decline such an offer? How many would have the foresight and mettle to refuse any handout - never mind one of epic magnitude. How many would rationalize it as deserved or warranted? So we read Abram’s response:
But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing…”
The second man is David. In 2 Samuel 24 we read that David was tested by the LORD, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” Unlike Abram and his mere 318 men, David trusted in manpower and numbers rather than God’s faithfulness and omnipotence. Following the census, which the LORD indeed requested, David was conscious-stricken and prays, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
In our depraved culture of entitlement and handouts, this narrative is nonsensical. Foolhardy readers likely argue either: A) God ordered the census. To refuse would have been disobedient, i.e. the exact same folly responsible for humanity’s expulsion from Eden, or B) it’s just a silly census. Where’s the harm in that? They would argue, neither option rightly justifies God’s decree of either a three-year famine, three months of terror, or three days of deadly plague!
David opted for the “get it over quick,” band-aid ripping, three-day plague option. Then we read, “When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.’” When the LORD relented, David approached a man named Araunah in order to buy his land to offer up sacrifices to God. The Bible states, “Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king… May the Lord your God accept you.’”
David was tested by God and was found lacking. Unlike the handout-seeking, entitled and blame-deferring masses of our diseased culture, David owned it. David recognized his failure of faith. He opted for the quickest punishment. He recognized the failure as his own. As Israel’s shepherd and king, David intervened. Then, when faced with the opportunity to utilize Araunah’s resources, David declined stating, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
God has established and ordained a distinct culture for those born-again by faith. Just as in the lives of Abram and David, that faith-culture is to be expressed through character in action. This is true not only on a personal level but on a community level as well. Not only do we, as individuals, live contrary to faith-model demonstrated by Abram and David, which rejects handouts and personal entitlements, but our churches do as well.
How many churches and building campaigns have begun through the solicitation of funds and intentional targeting of the wealthy? Does the Senior Pastor of your church spend more time hosting dinners for the “big givers” than with the sheep of the flock? Does he even know your name? Does the finance committee accommodate and senior leadership cater to the affluent? What kind of census have they been provoked to take? What gifts from the King of Sodom have they accepted and justified?
Humanity’s adoption and promotion of diseased culture and ideologies are not contemporary trends. They are simply manifest in new ways. Many of which under the semblance of good, righteous and pious endeavors.
We live in a climate and culture of exponential entitlement and handouts. God tests us to determine whether or not we truly are living by faith. He does so not out of some sick compulsion, but rather in order to expose the reality of our unregenerate hearts and pervasive sin therein. When tested, we can either respond in faith, like Abram, and reject any notion of prerogative or entitlement - or we can be found wanting. If such is the case, then we, like David, have to opportunity to recognize our sin, own it fully, and find redemption in Christ’s perfect payment.
Put yourself in Abram’s shoes. If offered a vast treasure, would you honestly reject it? Of what value is something obtained without faith? Put yourself in David’s shoes. If offered the land, the equipment, and the animals, would your demand to pay for it? Of what value is something offered that cost you nothing?
Are the foundations and fruit of your faith built upon entitlement and handouts or has every thread been established and woven by God Almighty?
“...and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
-Romans 14:23b
Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
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