5242 buying and selling

Buying and selling are an integral part of the everyday life of the world. Scripture makes it clear that God expects moral dealings by his people in this area of life as in every other.

Some biblical transactions

The first recorded transaction Ge 23:3-4 Many other transactions had obviously taken place before this, from the earliest times.

Transactions in land See also Ge 47:20-22; Ru 4:3; Pr 31:16; Jer 32:9-10; Mt 27:7; Lk 14:18; Ac 4:34

Buying animals Lk 14:19

Buying food and drink Ge 41:57; Dt 2:28; Jn 6:5; Jn 13:29; Rev 6:6

Transactions in other goods Rev 18:11-13

Buying of slaves Ge 17:12; Ex 21:2; Lev 25:44-45; Hos 3:1-2

The labour market Lev 25:39-40; Mt 20:1-2

God’s standards in buying and selling

Fairness Ge 23:5-13; 2Sa 24:24

Honesty Lev 19:35-36 See also Ge 23:14-16; Dt 25:13-16; Pr 11:1; Pr 16:11; Pr 20:10,23

Sins to avoid in buying and selling

Dishonesty Pr 20:14; Am 8:5; Mic 6:10-11

Greed Pr 11:26

Exploitation Lev 25:14 See also La 5:4; Am 8:6

Extravagance Lk 15:13

Desecration of the Sabbath Ne 10:31; Ne 13:15-22; Am 8:5

Desecration of the temple Mt 21:12-13 pp Mk 11:15-17 pp Lk 19:45-46 The merchants were operating within the outer court of the temple, itself consecrated as a place of prayer and worship. See also Jn 2:14-16

Worldliness Eze 7:12; 1Co 7:29-31; Jas 4:13

Oppression through the control of buying and selling

Rev 13:16-17

Spiritual transactions

Sinners sold to sin See also 1Ki 21:20; Ro 7:14

Israel sold and redeemed Jdg 2:14; Ps 44:12; Isa 43:1; Isa 50:1; Isa 52:3

Jesus Christ has bought his people Ac 20:28 See also 1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23; 1Pe 1:18-19; 2Pe 2:1

Spiritual wealth to be bought Pr 23:23 See also Isa 55:1; Mt 13:44-46; Mt 25:9; Rev 3:18

Gifts money cannot buy Job 28:12-19; Ps 49:7-8; Mk 8:37; Ac 8:20

See also