Discussion
I have been thinking about this in terms of game theory. In any competitive system, strength provokes counter strength. When a person or nation becomes powerful, others feel threatened and begin to form alliances or build defences in response. The more wealth or influence one accumulates, the more others are motivated to take it, undermine it, or regulate it. In game theory language, visible success increases the incentive for others to defect. What appears to be security quickly becomes vulnerability.
That is why the teachings of the Bible are so unexpected. The New Testament never tells believers to store up wealth or seek power. Instead, it teaches submission to rulers, discourages debt, and warns that riches can destroy the soul. At first this seems like poor advice if the goal were worldly prosperity. Yet from God’s perspective, the purpose is not to build empires but to build faith and loyalty.
Wealth can always be taken, but devotion cannot. When a person’s strength lies in faithfulness to God, it cannot be stolen, taxed, or corrupted. Material strength always invites challenge, while spiritual strength creates stability. In game theory terms, loyalty to God changes the whole equation. Instead of competing for limited resources, the believer cooperates with divine order. This removes the incentive for conflict and replaces it with trust.
For God, success is not measured by the number of followers or the size of their armies. Success is genuine worship, hearts that choose to love freely. A kingdom made of hearts cannot be invaded or overthrown. It spreads through transformation, not conquest. That is a far more durable strategy than any empire built on wealth or force.
When King David counted his armies, he was trying to measure security. In doing so, he revealed mistrust. Numbers give the illusion of safety, but they also make others calculate how to overcome them. Trust in God removes that competition entirely. It turns the game from one of fear and rivalry to one of cooperation and faith.
In game theory, wealth and power are unstable assets that attract opposition, while faith and worship are unshakable. God’s plan is not to create an empire of power but a community of loyalty, a kingdom of hearts that cannot be defeated because its victory is within.
This is the mistake that the Israelites made in the bible and the error that Israel is repeating now...
I think the opposite. Bitcoiners don't love money. They see more clearly than anyone that money is dangerous, and can explain in detail how the corruption of money leads directly to the corruption of culture. And then Bitcoiners liberate themselves from money by saving in bitcoin and focusing on things that matter, instead of stupid fiat jobs.