Here we see three different kinds of occupations. One is to trade, another is to work, and the third is to produce. The highest occupation God has ordained in the Bible is the one that produces. Since Adam, God’s eyes have been on occupations that produce, because production increases the abundance of the earth rather than imposing poverty on others. If I raise a hundred sheep and after a certain number of years they have become four hundred, I have increased by three hundred sheep. This increase does not decrease a single dollar from any brother’s or sister’s pocket. How much money you have at home will not change. You will not have less just because my sheep has brought forth lambs. This is the basic scriptural principle of occupation. I should always be increasing and should always be adding to riches. I may sell my sheep and receive money. But in so doing, I have not made anyone poorer.
If a new believer has the chance to choose his own occupation, I hope he will choose one that will increase goods rather than increase his money. To increase money but not goods is very selfish. We need to learn to increase the things of the earth, not to increase our personal wealth. There is a great difference between the two.
Paul’s tentmaking shows us another principle. He did not increase the amount of cotton, silk, or fabric. But because of his cutting, sewing, effort, and energy, he increased the value of the raw material. According to Bible scholars, tents at that time had to be dyed. Dean Alford told us that when Paul said, “These hands,” in Acts 20:34, he was referring to the unavoidable stain of the dye of the tents on his hands. Paul’s tentmaking was something that increased the value of goods.
It is good to increase the riches of the earth. It is also good to increase the value of goods. Suppose I make a chair from a piece of wood. This is good, because by doing so, I have increased the value of the wood. Although I have not increased the abundance in nature, the world has one more chair through me. The world had one more tent when Paul made a tent. This does not benefit oneself at the expense of others. One can make a tent; he can turn a cheap fabric into a valuable tent. Turning fabric into a tent increases the goods of this world. This is also an occupation that is acceptable to God.
A new believer must see that there are two criteria to a proper occupation. One must either increase the abundance of the earth or increase the value of goods. Actually, when one makes a tent, he is also increasing the abundance of the world. Because of the work of one’s hands, the number of tents in this world has increased. Therefore, it is also right to say that this increases the abundance of the world. This is the basic principle of God’s ordained occupations for men.
I have studied economics a little. I know that there is the need for commerce. But I am a Christian; I am not an economist. While the Lord Jesus did say that we needed to do business until He comes (Luke 19:13), that verse means that we should give ourselves to our work like a businessman giving himself to his business. We know that a businessman has to devote himself to his business. He will get into any situation as long as there is money in it for him. The Lord meant that we should grasp every opportunity. We must give ourselves to our work in such a way.
Commerce began with Tyre, and it ends up in Babylon. We find this from Ezekiel 28 to Revelation 18. The one who invented commerce is the prince of Tyre. Ezekiel 28 shows us that the prince of Tyre represents Satan. “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned” (v. 16). Bear in mind that commerce always makes money for oneself at the expense of others and at the expense of decreasing the riches of the world. This is not the kind of occupation that God wants. This is the occupation which belongs to Satan. The principle behind such an occupation is wrong.
The principle of commerce is to increase the money in one’s pocket by decreasing the money in another’s pocket. Once the idea of making money comes into a person’s mind, the result is very simple—one will get more money while another will have less. Once someone’s money increases, there must be others whose money decreases. Suppose there are only twenty-one billion dollars in the whole world. Whether you are rich or poor, the total amount of money remains the same. The total amount of money in the world is limited. For my money to increase, I have to take it from others. This is pure commerce. I am not saying that after catching some fish, one cannot sell it. Neither am I saying that after harvesting a crop, producing a lamb, or making a tent, one cannot sell it. I am saying that making tents, raising lambs, harvesting crops, and catching fish are not pure commerce. Those occupations exchange production for money. I derive my benefit from nature. The abundance I receive comes from nature. It is nature that gives me the abundance; I do not become richer by making others poorer.
Christians must not try to make money from other people. Never harbor any thought of taking advantage of others. As God’s children, we have a high standard. It does not look good for us to try to rack up the lowly money of the world. Suppose the president of a foreign nation comes to Kuling and finds a local native infected with malaria. Suppose he tries to sell him some quinine pills, saying, “I bought them for five dollars per pill. Now I am selling them to you for six dollars per pill.” What kind of story would that be? It does not match the status of a nation’s president to earn a dollar from a coolie. For a Christian to earn someone else’s money is even worse than a president taking money from a coolie. Our status is different. We cannot make money from anyone.
Christians are noble people; we have our dignity, our standing, and our principles. It is a shame for us to make money from anyone. We cannot increase our wealth this way. I would rather be a farmer who tills and plants. This is more glorious than making money from others. God has prepared nature to work for us, and we will be more noble if we do not try to make money from others. Christians must have the thought that they will not earn money at the expense of other human beings.
Any occupation that increases the quantity and value of goods is acceptable to God. But pure commerce is not acceptable to God. Please pay special attention to Ezekiel 28. The principle of aggrandizement through trade began with the prince of Tyre. God rebuked him, saying, “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence.” In Revelation 18 the world has come to an end and the kingdom is about to begin. There we see Babylon being judged. Commerce continues throughout history until the end of Babylon. All the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for Babylon. There we also see all the goods of the earth. The first is gold and the last are the souls of men. Everything is open for purchase and for sale, from gold to the souls of men. Man always thinks of making money and becoming rich. But brothers and sisters, we must flee from this low occupation.