The Foolish Rich Man — A Presumptuous Planner

From Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” Luke 12:20

What He Did

He forgot God.

Why It Was Idiotic

To forget the One who gave us life is a violation of God’s Law. It is a serious sin.

Here’s the Scoop

Jesus told a parable about a rich man whose land yielded an abundant harvest. The man thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he decided to pull down his barns and build bigger ones to store all his grain and goods. He said to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”

“The reason we should remember God is because, on the Day of Judgment, He will hold us accountable for every sin.”

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But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” Jesus concluded His story by saying, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

***

This man’s sin doesn’t seem serious until we look closely at the demands of God’s Law—we are commanded to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That is the first and greatest Commandment. So it’s clear that if it’s the greatest Commandment, perhaps the greatest sin is the failure to do so—to simply forget about God.

Look at these frightening words from Scripture:

Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.
(Psalm 50:22–23)

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
(Psalm 9:17)

Look also at Solomon’s warning:

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened…
(Ecclesiastes 12:1–2)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
(Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)

The reason we should remember God is because, on the Day of Judgment, He will hold us accountable for every sin—including the sins of ingratitude and un-thankfulness. And yet millions are building bigger barns. What matters to them most isn’t God or His will but the making of money. Their own happiness is their number one priority. And if questioned about it, they will not see it as any sort of sin. To them, it’s their God-given right.

From Idiotic Things People Did in the Bible