REQUESTS FOR MONEY TO SUPPORT MINISTRIES NEVER ENDS
The financial demands for operating a church, synagogue or independent ministry never end. Rents, utilities and salaries must be paid in a timely manner or they will close up. This dynamic creates a lot of pressure on religious institutions to ask for money and on donors to give it. There is a kind of unwritten law that requires people to keep feeding their religious idols with money. This is the kind of situation God has in mind when he discusses food sacrificed to idols.
The food, of course, is not natural food, but it is fleshly food that makes people feel satisfied with their religious activity because they are faithful to pay their tithes and offering to their favorite religious organizations. There is no small amount of pride that accrues to people who know that they have done their part to keep their church, synagogue or favorite ministries going financially. They think that they are doing God some kind of favor by paying their ten percent, or whatever they are able to give.
We saw in Psalms 50:9-15 that God does not get hungry and that he does not feed on animal flesh. It should be clear to us then that he also does not need money, but religious leaders continue to say or imply that money is necessary to carry out God’s various ministries. They are like beasts with mighty appetites for money as well as power.
Isaiah 56:11 9 All you beasts of the field, come to devour–all you beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. The shepherds also have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. 12 “Come,” they say, “let us get wine, let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.
COMMENTARY: This is a scathing rebuke of God’s watchmen (spiritual leaders), including shepherds (priests, clergy, etc.) whom God calls greedy dogs. God says they have no understanding and have gone their own ways instead of functioning as God has commanded. Receiving money for ministry is one way that they have gone astray.
Wine and strong drink are symbolic representations of pride in spiritual knowledge and influence in the religious community. The mighty appetite that the watchmen have includes spiritual pride for being a spiritual leader to whom people will pay money for instruction and the material possessions and influence in the world that such influence enables.
The reference to personal gain first applies to payments received for spiritual services which should be given without expectation of compensation. Some will argue that this rebuke is for Israel’s wayward leaders alone. It is sheer arrogance, however, to say that it cannot also be directed to contemporary religious leaders.
Personal gain may also include spiritual pride that comes from having people believe in you and trust you enough to give you money to continue or expand your ministry. It is a heady business to have so many people place such confidence in your spiritual abilities. It is also a dangerous trap and strong drink.