Physical First, Then the Spiritual

Ezekiel 28:25-26 says: Thus says the YHWH, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My being set apart in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am YHWH their Elohim." There is a two step process involved in YHWH's deliverance of His children. Physical safety, bodily, and economic well-being come first. Then, spiritual wholeness is manifested. He knows our needs and our wants. He knows that it will be difficult to get our full attention if we are concerned about our ability to make a living. Elohim cares about our economics. That is why He brought the children out of Egypt before He gave them the Torah.

One of the many problems with Greek thinking is that it ignores the sacred nature of every day tasks. Abraham Heschel said, "In our relations to the immediate, we touch upon the most distant. Even the satisfaction of physical needs can be a sacred act. Perhaps the most essential message of Judaism is that in doing the finite we may perceive the infinite." We need to understand that economics is not dirty. Yes, some use religion to "fleece the flock." However, to Elohim, He cares about our standard of living. The psalmist said that he had not seen the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread. When we embrace the position that YHWH considers the satisfaction of physical needs as something sacred, we will understand why He desires to meet our needs.

I hear too often people embrace poverty. They speak of it as an instructional method to teach a life lesson. They dare not speak of prosperity as they fear they will appear to be irreligious. YHWH wants to move in your life to set you free; He wants you free from sin, poverty, and sickness. Look at how He treated the children of Israel in their deliverance from Egypt and you will understand His will. Were they poor when they left? No, they had Egypt's silver and gold. Were they sick or diseased? No, they were in good health. They had to be for the journey ahead. Remember that it was after physical well-being was achieved that the Torah was given. The physical preceded the spiritual. That is YHWH's plan.