9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Verse 9 stands in contrast to verse 8. The opposite of those with contentment are those who pursue riches as their primary goal.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare,
If the desire to be rich is the primary motive of believers, then they will fail in their Christian lives. This sentence does not say this person “might fall” but will fall. God will disciple them with trials. It would not have been necessary for Him to do this, but they left no option to God.
“Temptations” cause people to covet the wrong things, creating a “snare.” Those who prioritize material things are like caged animals trapped in materialistic attitudes and actions.
and into many foolish [irrational] and harmful lusts
In addition, they will enter the realm of irrational and harmful lusts.
which [lusts] drown men in destruction [ruin] and perdition.
Sinful living in greed will ruin believers. The point is that not all Christians will be brought to ruin, but those obsessed with riches. These people “drown” or plunge themselves into irrational and harmful lusts.
“Destruction” is a temporal failure that destroys well-being, not the end of existence. “Perdition” means something destroyed so that it no longer exists. The combination of these two words means an irretrievable loss of well-being. Instead of “gain,” they end with loss.
PRINCIPLE:
Greed is the root of many kinds of evil.
APPLICATION:
Obsession with wealth leads to ruin. Some Christians desire to be rich; that is their passion and obsession. Their whole ambition revolves around that one goal. God views this obsession as “irrational.”
Greed is a link to other evils; it gives people access to sins they would not otherwise have. Craving for riches puts people on the course of destruction. Putting money at the center of one’s life leads Christians into (1) temptation, (2) a snare, and (3) many foolish and harmful lusts.
