Let’s stop pretending this doesn’t sound weird.
If the God of the Bible created the heavens and the earth, spoke light into existence, and sculpted humanity from dust — why does He want gold? Why does He claim silver as His own? Why, in the middle of a military conquest, does He demands that all precious metals be set apart for Him?
In Joshua 6:19, after the fall of Jericho, the command is clear:
“All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” — Joshua 6:19 (NIV)
Excuse me? God has a treasury?
What does an omnipotent, omniscient, eternal being need with a pile of shiny rocks?
The God Who Created the Universe… but Needs a Bank?
This isn’t the only place where God seems surprisingly interested in earthly wealth. Throughout the Old Testament, God demands tithes, sacrifices, and the dedication of physical goods — crops, livestock, metals — as offerings. And while that made some sense in the context of community support or priestly maintenance, the language often goes far beyond practicality.
The items aren’t just needed. They’re holy, sacred, belonging to God.
But why?
Wouldn’t a truly all-sufficient deity be, well… self-sufficient?
Sounds Less Divine… More Human
Let’s entertain a possibility that religious people avoid like fire: Maybe it wasn’t God who wanted the gold. Maybe it was the people claiming to speak for Him.
A wandering tribe conquering cities in a brutal ancient world? Suddenly they hear from their prophet that all the treasure should go “to the Lord” — conveniently ending up in the hands of the priesthood or temple.
This wouldn’t be the first time divine authority was used to justify greed. Nor the last.
Throughout history, religion has repeatedly been used as a cover for wealth accumulation. “Give to God” has often meant “give to us.” Whether it was the ancient Levites, medieval popes, or modern televangelists, God has always had strangely expensive tastes.
The Illusion of Spiritual Value
And yet, we’re told God is beyond material things. He doesn’t care about riches. Jesus said not to store up treasures on earth.
So why does the Old Testament God treat gold like it’s holy?
If God can create gold out of nothing, why hoard it?
If He owns the universe, why demand tribute from humans?
Maybe the answer is simple: God doesn’t care about gold. People do.
And invoking divine will was — and still is — the most powerful way to get people to give it up without question.
God Doesn’t Need Gold — But Religion Does
If you’re still wondering why a god would have a treasury, maybe ask yourself: Who built it? Who controlled it? Who had access to what went in?
The answer isn’t “God.” The answer is people.
So next time someone tells you to give “for the kingdom of God,” maybe ask who’s really collecting the silver.
Spoiler: it’s probably not heaven.
Want to believe in a divine being? Fine. But don’t forget: even the holiest words can be used to mask the oldest motivations — power and profit.
