51.g. Wilderness – 15.m. “Every man shall give as he is able”

 

Deu 16:17  Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.

 2 Corinthians 8:12    For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

 2 Corinthians 9:6-7    The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Money bestowed in charity, may to the carnal mind seem thrown away, but when given from proper principles, it is seed sown, from which a valuable increase may be expected. It should be given carefully. Works of charity, like other good works, should be done with thought and design. Due thought, as to our circumstances, and those we are about to relieve, will direct our gifts for charitable uses. Help should be given freely, be it more or less; not grudgingly, but cheerfully. While some scatter, and yet increase; others withhold more than is meet, and it tends to poverty. If we had more faith and love, we should waste less on ourselves, and sow more in hope of a plentiful increase. Can a man lose by doing that with which God is pleased? He is able to make all grace abound towards us, and to abound in us; to give a large increase of spiritual and of temporal good things. He can make us to have enough in all things; and to be content with what we have. God gives not only enough for ourselves, but that also wherewith we may supply the wants of others, and this should be as seed to be sown. We must show the reality of our subjection to the gospel, by works of charity. This will be for the credit of our profession, and to the praise and glory of God. Let us endeavour to copy the example of Christ, being unwearied in doing good, and deeming it more blessed to give than to receive. Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of his grace, whereby he enables and inclines some of his people to bestow upon others, and others to be grateful for it; and blessed be his glorious name to all eternity, for Jesus Christ, that inestimable gift of his love, through whom this and every other good thing, pertaining to life and godliness, are freely given unto us, beyond all expression, measure, or bounds. (Henry)

The idea is, that God will bestow rewards in proportion to what is given. These rewards may refer to results in this life, or to the rewards in heaven, or both. All who have ever been in the habit of giving liberally to the objects of benevolence can testify that they have lost nothing, but have reaped in proportion to their liberality. This follows in various ways.

(1) in the comfort and peace which results from giving. If a man wishes to purchase happiness with his gold, he can secure the most by bestowing it liberally on objects of charity. It will produce him more immediate peace than it would to spend it in sensual gratifications, and far more than to hoard it up useless in his coffers.

(2) in reflection on it hereafter. It will produce more happiness in remembering that he has done good with it, and promoted the happiness of others, than it will to reflect that he has hoarded up useless wealth, or that he has squandered it in sensual gratification. The one will be unmingled pleasure when he comes to die; the other will be unmingled self-reproach and pain.

(3) in subsequent life, God will in some way repay to him far more than he has bestowed in deeds of charity. By augmented prosperity, by health and future comfort, and by raising up for us and our families, when in distress and want, friends to aid us, God can and often does abundantly repay the liberal for all their acts of kindness and deeds of beneficence.

(4) God can and will reward his people in heaven abundantly for all their kindness to the poor, and all their self-denials in endeavoring to diffuse the influence of truth and the knowledge of salvation. Indeed the rewards of heaven will be in no small degree apportioned in this manner, and determined by the amount of benevolence which we have shown on earth. (Barnes)

The problem is that we keep too much to ourselves buying things we put in front of giving to God and then we “give as we are able” afterwards. Giving should always be first in our minds before we spend money we don’t have. Be in the practice of setting aside both the tithe and offerings and benevolent giving before thinking about other stuff.

 

44.d. “Wilderness” – 8.k. “From every man whose heart moves him”

 

Exodus 25:1  The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Exodus 35:5    Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

 Exodus 35:21    And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.

 1 Chronicles 29:9    Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD.

 1 Chronicles 29:14   “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

 1 Chronicles 29:17    I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.

 2 Corinthians 9:7    Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Our giving should not be primarily because of need. We should primarily give because our willing heart compels us. God only wanted contributions from those who gave willingly. God is not interested in coerced or manipulated giving. (Guzik)

This offering was to be given willingly, and with the heart. It was not prescribed to them what or how much they must give, but it was left to their generosity, that they might show their good-will. (Benson0

The best use we can make of our worldly wealth, is to honour God with it in works of piety and charity. We should ask, not only, What must we do? but, What may we do for God? Whatever they gave, they must give it cheerfully, not grudgingly. (Henry)

If I choose to spend more than I make on things I want rather than need, I will find at the end of the month there is little to be given to God let alone to those in need. This type of giving is out of what is left rather than upfront and gives a good indication of where the heart and mind are focused. Giving out of what is left shows where God is in a person’s life and what priority they have placed on things of God. 

God instructs Moses to tell the people of the need and allow their generosity of heart to guide them in this giving. There was no set limit, ie.. 10%. Give as they were moved to give. I think we have fallen into wrongful thinking when we limit our giving to 10%. When you think about those who are living on very little and they cheerfully choose to give 10% off of the top of what they have and compare this to those who have much more than they need to live, it is obvious who has given more. Do not limit your giving to 10%. Our giving should not be limited to this. 

When our hearts and minds are focused on living so that all we think, say, and do is done for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ, things of this world will grow dim and our giving will be as we are led by the Holy Spirit to do so out of cheerfulness, and without limit.

25.r. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked”

 

2 Corinthians 9:6  The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

 Psalms 41:1-3    Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;  the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.  The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

 Proverbs 11:24  One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

 Proverbs 19:17    Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

 Proverbs 22:9    Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

 Galatians 6:7-9  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

A farmer sowing seed may feel he loses seed as it falls from his hand to the ground, and we may feel we are losing when we give. But just as the farmer gives the seed it in anticipation of a future harvest, we should give with the same heart.

What do we reap when we give? We reap blessings that are both material and spiritual. Materially, we can trust that God will provide for the giving heart. The promise of Philippians 4:19 (my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus) is made in the context of the generous hearts of the Philippians (Philippians 4:15-18). If we give to God, He will give to us materially.  Spiritually, we can trust that God will reward the giving heart both now and in eternity. Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 19:29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Jesus obviously did not mean that we would receive a hundred houses if we gave up our house for Him any more than He meant we would receive a hundred wives if we gave one up for Him! But He did mean that we are never the losers when we give to God. The Lord can never be in debt to any man, and we should never be afraid of giving God “too much.” Spiritually or materially, you can’t out-give God.  Every Christian should be a giver. Because of small resources some cannot give much but it is still important that they give, and that they give with the right kind of heart.

Giving should be motivated by the purposes of our own heart. It should never be coerced or manipulated. We should give because we want to give and because God has put it in our own heart to give. This can also be said in the sense that our giving reveals the purposes in [our] own heart. If we say we love the Lord more than surfing, but spend all our money on surfboards and do not give as we should to the Lord’s work, then the way we spend our money shows the purposes of our own heart more accurately than our words do. Jesus said it simply: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. God does not want our giving to be grudging (reluctantly, regretfully given with plenty of complaining) or of necessity (given because someone has made us or manipulated us into giving).  Some people talk of the tithe as what they are giving but this I think is wrong.  The tithe was an expectation God has place on us.  Giving is separate from that.  Giving is not given because it is an expectation but freely from the heart.  Give some thought to this and ask God to reveal if you are giving out of love for Him or out of expectation. 

1.n. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

1 Chronicles 29:6  Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

2 Corinthians 9:7-8   Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

1 Kings 8:61    Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Exodus 25:2     “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.

Luke 12:48    Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Exodus 35:5    Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

Proverbs 22:9    Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

Acts 20:35    In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

For they had given willingly and with a whole heart they offered freely.  This must have been a great day to be part of and witness the hearts of all men freely giving and rejoicing.  This was not a tax by the King but an offer to the people to freely give toward the work that was to begin.  Gold, refined sliver, iron, bronze, precious jewels were all given freely for the work that for the house of the Lord.   

Presently giving is something that appears to be an afterthought rather than a forethought or something predetermined and purposed in and from the heart.  That is where giving takes root, is in the heart.  Out of the heart will a person freely give.  Out of the heart will a person greedily withhold.

Scripture is full of examples of being greedy to the detriment of the person.  To those who freely give they will have an abundance and to those who greedily hoard will never be satisfied.  They will be forever trying to satisfy the craving for more.  They will have no joy from it and it will become a burden to them.  Withholding from fellow man is one thing but withholding from God is totally another level of neglect.  A cheerful and generous giver has reason to rejoice and give thanks because they have shared what God has given to them.  This is the point we all need to take to heart – we own nothing – we deserve nothing – what we have has been given and entrusted to us by God – It is not ours but we have been given free will to choose what we do with it.  We can choose to be greedy and hoard or to be generous and freely give.  Spending all we have so that we have nothing to give is robbing God.  Be mindful of what He has entrusted with you.

8. Whoever is of a generous heart

Exodus 25:1   The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me

Exodus 35:5-29    Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

Deuteronomy 16:16 They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.  Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.

1 Chronicles 29:1-30  Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

Exodus 35:21    And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution

1 Chronicles 29:9    Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD.

2 Corinthians 8:12    For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

2 Corinthians 9:7    Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Mark 10:19  And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

A generous heart is a choice to give of what has been given to you by God.  Do we sometimes think we have worked for what we have and it is ours, all ours, with no thought of it being a gift from God?  Our brains, our job, our physical ability, our place in life is all from God, apart from those consequences of choices we have made outside of honoring, serving, following and obeying God. What we have are blessings and gifts from God.

I was thinking about Job and how he was blessed and then it was all taken away.  Some may look at this and say that it is not fair.  But if we were able to speak to Job I think he would tell us even when it was taken away he was blessed by a deeper understanding and knowledge of God.  In the end all and more was given back to Job.

We look at what we have and think it is not enough.  We strive to get more and more to buy more, travel more, experience more and more stuff that will never satisfy our soul.  We keep, we hoard, we want.

What would happen if we chose to be generous with what we have been blessed with?  What would our lives be like free from want and filled with giving?  A heart choice to be generous with our time, talent, and money are never bad.  However, a choice to not be generous leads us down paths that could end up not honoring or serving God.