A young lady by name Dominion was sentenced to death by hanging. She was found guilty of murdering 85-year old Madam Igbinedion, the mother of the former Governor of Edo State, Nigeria, Lucky Igbinedion. The incident occurred on December 2, 2021. In her confession, she said mama did her no wrong. Her move was informed by greed. She said that while mama was sleeping, she hit her on the head with a weapon and later suffocated her. She then made away with one hundred thousand naira, a wristwatch, and mama’s jewelry. She fled to Cross Rivers where she was eventually nabbed by the police.
Dominion’s story re-echoes what has been for the most part of man’s history – the extent people go to enrich themselves. Joseph’s brothers sold him just for twenty pieces of silver, never realizing that he was to be their saviour. He became a type of the Lord Jesus whom Judas sold for thirty pieces of silver. The Scripture and our current world are replete with stories of atrocities of people in their quest for money. This brings our text to the fore. When money becomes the object of love, it becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of evil. Ritual killings, kidnapping, internet fraud and a lot more are all offshoots of the love of money. The Bible is unequivocal on the end of those who greedily pursue money – they will stray from the faith and pierce themselves with many sorrows.
Proverbs 28:20 tells us that “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.” The New King James says those who are in a hurry to be rich shall not go unpunished. The time-tested way to riches is diligence at a noble, creative venture done over a long period. Anything other than this is a hoax and dangerous.
