The Bible uses the term “prosperity” rather than “success.” In Hebrew, “prosperity” is called “tzalah (צלח).” Although prosperity and success may seem like the same thing, they are distinctly different.
The dictionary definition of “prosperity” strongly implies “success,” meaning that “everything goes well according to one’s will and one achieves one’s goals.” A store thrives and sales increase. A child enters a prestigious university on a full scholarship. After graduation, they join a well-known company and rise through the ranks. They get married and have a beautiful grandchild. We refer to this as environmental prosperity.
However, the biblical concept of prosperity is fundamentally different. The Bible states that “God being with us” is prosperity itself. It illustrates this through the life of Joseph. It says that Joseph prospered because God was with him, no matter what situation he was in.
Although Joseph was sold into slavery, he became a prosperous man. From our perspective, “slave” and “prosperity” do not seem to match. Nevertheless, the Bible records that his life was not one of “grief” but of “prosperity.” This implies that true prosperity exists when God is with one, even when facing hardship like Joseph.
The word “prosperity”—*tzalah* (צלח)—used for Joseph means “to rush forward, to break through.” We, too, sometimes encounter difficulties while living in this world. We fail and stumble. We may close our businesses or quit our jobs. At times, we may lose our health. We struggle with monthly rent and loan repayments. There are times when we lose sleep due to business difficulties or even losing our jobs and having to find new ones. From the world’s perspective, these are hardships, difficulties, failures, and frustrations.
However, the reason he is described as a prosperous man despite his “grief” status as a slave lies in the fact that “the Lord was with him.” It points out that God’s presence is the touchstone of prosperity.
** “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. He was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made him prosper in everything he did (Genesis 39:2-3).”
“The jailer did not look into anything he had entrusted to Joseph, because the LORD was with Joseph, and the LORD made him prosper in everything he did” (Genesis 39:23).
Finally, Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt at the age of 30, the age at which one could ascend to a government post. If we are settling for environmental prosperity today, we must transform into biblical prosperity. Prosperity is seeing God with us as we pass through hardship, even while we are in the midst of it.
“If you prosper spiritually, you prosper in human relationships, and eventually, you prosper materially.”
God the Father,
May the spiritual prosperity of Immanuel lead to human relationships and material prosperity.
Thus, enable us to walk in the Lord’s ways,
and to dream God’s dreams, fulfill them, and share them.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
By Rev. Jaewoong Chang
