Genesis c. 14

v.22-23 …Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God most high, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, “I made Abram rich.”


A Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone.
You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.' "
The man replied, "Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments."
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me."
But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.
Luke 18:19-23


It is sad when riches become the master. The Jewish leader who asked Jesus what he must do to be saved, when answered by Jesus that he must give up his riches, became sad, why? Because he had forgotten Abram’s word, “You will never be able to say that, ‘I made Abram rich.’” The Jewish leader did not have the heart to leave his treasures because he thinks he made himself rich.

Abram recognized the blessings that God gave to him thus he was able to give back his riches. But if man starts to believe that his riches are not God given, self earned, it is difficult to give up these riches for the Lord. But remember Abram (Abraham) when asked by God to give up his most important treasure, Isaac, he did not hesitate to do it knowing that God giveth and God taketh.