August 6, 2008
(This
was originally written in September of 2007 and I never sent it out. After
yesterdays devotional I thought now was the right time for this one.)
Giving
There
is much debate in the Christian church about giving. Is the tithe a valid New
Testament concept or was it Old Testament only? Both camps will give you a
detailed biblical analysis as to why their position is the correct one.
If
the tithe is valid, do we tithe on gross or net? If the tithe is valid where
should it be directed? What about offerings? What about designated offerings?
What
about the call to test God with our giving in Malachi? What about the storehouse
principle?
The
questions are real and the answers are important, but as we get wrapped up in
our own theologies of giving we forget a foundational principle. We are called
to give from the heart. Jesus loves a cheerful giver. A begrudging offering made
out of legalistic obligation will not be acceptable before the Lord.
Now
wait a minute Darrel. If you start throwing out the rules for giving, the church
will go broke and missionaries will go unsent. I think that when we get a true
grip on giving from the heart there will be so much that we will be struggling
to deal with surplus rather than begging for scraps to meet budgets. God
provides the ultimate example of this in His Word.
The
setting: in the desert after the Exodus. God has spoken to Israel through Moses
and instructed them to build a tabernacle for Him to dwell in.
Exodus
35:4-29, 36:2-7 NIV
Moses said
to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded:
From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone
who is willing is
to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and
scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea
cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for
the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod
and breast piece.
"All
who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has
commanded: the
tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and
bases; the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that
shields it; the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the
Presence; the lamp stand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil
for the light; the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the
fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle;
the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its
utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; the curtains of the courtyard with
its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the tent
pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; the woven
garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary--both the sacred garments for
Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests."
Then
the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence, and everyone who
was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD
for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred
garments. All
who were willing,
men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches,
earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering
to the LORD. Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or
goat hair, ram skins dyed red or hides of sea cows brought them. Those
presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the
LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it.
Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun--blue,
purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. And all the women who were willing and had
the skill spun the goat hair. The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to
be mounted on the ephod and breast piece. They also brought spices and olive oil
for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. All the
Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings
for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do...
Then
Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had
given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from
Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of
constructing the sanctuary. And
the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So
all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left
their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for
doing the work the LORD commanded to be done."
Then
Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or
woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so
the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was
more than enough to do all the work.
Who
was to give? Everyone
who is willing. [35:5]
Who
gave? Everyone
who was willing and whose heart moved him. [35:21]
What
was the result? And
so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had
was more than enough to do all the work. [36:6-7]
When
the hearts of God's people are right there
is an outpouring of generosity that cannot be measured.
When
their hearts are not right they can be manipulated, cajoled into and coerced
into giving, but there will never be enough and the results will always be
second rate.
I
have my own thoughts and beliefs about whether the tithe is valid or not and all
those other issues, but far more important than my stance is my heart in
following them.
Look
at your heart. Does your generosity to the work of God match the level of your
enthusiasm for the things of God and your gratitude for His mercy in your life?
Until
next time, may your heart be soft and generous and your offerings well pleasing
unto the Lord.
Darrel
Mason