Hebrew Class and Facebook Mark

Last night I caught a portion of the 60 minutes interview with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. The interview was thoroughly interesting to say the least, but I was especially shocked when they informed viewers that Mark's personal net worth is nearing 7 billion dollars. [insert awkward silence] That's right, B-I-L-L-I-O-N with a capital "B," and not just one, but seven big fat billion dollars. This does not represent the value of the entire company (much higher), just his personal assets.

First of all, I can't even conceive of this much money. I can't image what it would look like if you brought that much money together and stacked it in $100 bills. Maybe something like this...

Can you image what it would be like to have this much money? You could afford to buy more products and services than you could ever want or need: the latest cell phones and tech devices, cars, clothes, houses, vacations anywhere in the world, perhaps your own private jet, assistants to wait on you hand and foot...In fact, I'm not sure most of us would even know how to spend it all up if we wanted to.

So, you might be thinking, "I read your title and I am still wondering what on earth Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook have to do with Hebrew class?" I am glad you asked.

This morning in Hebrew we were looking at Psalm 119:72 which says, "The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold." (NIV) I immediately thought of Facebook Mark, and how deep down my greedy materialistic self couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have great wealth like him.

I was forced to ask myself a tough question. Is God's Word more precious, more valuable to me, than any amount of money I could ever possess? Is it more valuable to me than all the things I can and do buy with money? Will I spend as much time thinking, pondering, strategizing over how I can know and obey God's Word, as I do thinking about material things and wealth, and how I might acquire them. Lord help us, for it is more difficult to inherit the kingdom when we are drawn by the lust of our wealthy existence.

God, may we value your Word infinitely more than the stacks of bills pictured above.