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During
our worship service, in connection with the people
giving to support the synagogue (by the way, we
don’t “pass the plate.” Instead,
we have a donation box in the back so that people
put their contributions in it), we may teach on
one of these various aspects of giving before
praying that the Lord would direct us what He
might have us give to support the work of Congregation
Shema Yisrael.
The New
Covenant Community is not the nation of Israel
living under the Covenant made at Sinai, nor are
our rabbis the Levitical Priests, nor do we offer
bulls, goats, lambs and other offerings as the
sons of Aaron did at the Jerusalem Temple, nor
are we are living under the same economy as the
nation of Israel from Sinai to the Destruction
of the Second Temple. Rather, we are a religious
community living within another nation - the United
States, with it’s own government and financial
and social system. For these reasons, we don’t
teach tithing as was commanded to the Jewish people
under the Torah. Nor do we support our congregation
like non-Messianic synagogues do, charging their
members annual dues. We depend on the members
to systematically contribute as God prospers them.
We teach generous, cheerful giving, not giving
grudgingly or because you feel forced to give,
because the Lord loves a cheerful giver. We recommend
- we don’t demand, we only suggest - that
ten percent is a reasonable amount to try and
give if you are able to do so.
Giving
is part of worship which delights the Lord: Do
not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such
sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:16).
Giving is like the sacrifices that were offered
in the Holy Temple, which rose up and made a delightful
aroma in the nostrils of God. Paul, writing to
the Philippians, tells them that their giving
to support his service to the Lord was an acceptable
sacrifice: I am amply supplied, having received
from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant
aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing
to God (Philippians 4:18).
Giving
honors God. Kabed - honor the Lord from your
wealth and from the first of all your produce
(Proverbs 3:9). When we give to the Lord, it brings
Him kavod - honor and glory. He provides everything
for us, and He deserves something in return. He
deserves the first and the best, not the leftovers.
During the revival under Hezekiah, the sons of
Israel provided in abundance the first fruits
of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the
produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly
the tithe of all (2 Chronicles 31:5).
We are
to give generously, willingly and cheerfully:
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully
will also reap bountifully. That’s
generous giving! Each one must do just as
he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
That’s voluntary, cheerful giving!
We are
to give generously, willingly and cheerfully:
Moses spoke to all the congregation of the
sons of Israel, saying, "This is the thing
which the Lord has commanded, saying, 'Take from
among you a contribution to the Lord; whoever
is of a willing heart, let him bring it as the
Lord's contribution ... Then all the congregation
of the sons of Israel departed from Moses' presence.
Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone
whose spirit moved him came and brought the Lord's
contribution for the work of the tent of meeting
and for all its service and for the holy garments
(Exodus 35).
Giving
shows our appreciation to the Lord. When we are
invited to the home of a friend we reciprocate
by bringing a gift to show our appreciation for
his hospitality and graciousness. The Lord has
been so good to us! The Lord said to Israel: Three
times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me.
You shall observe the Feast of Matzah; for seven
days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded
you, at the appointed time in the month Aviv,
for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall
appear before Me empty handed. In addition,
Moses commanded us: Three times a year all
your men must appear before the Lord your God
at the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles.
No man should appear before the Lord empty handed.
Giving
shows gratitude for God’s grace; for the
forgiveness of our sins and for victory. During
the very successful war with Midian, not one Jewish
soldier went missing (Numbers 31)! But, Moses
became angry with the officers of the army for
sparing the Midianite women, since they had already
seduced us away from faithfulness to God, and
he knew they would cause us to be unfaithful to
the Lord once again. The officers of the army
brought an offering to the Lord from the spoils
of the war to make atonement for themselves. When
the Lord forgives you and grants you success,
it is proper to show Him gratitude by giving Him
part of your wealth.
Giving
to the Lord should be a priority. Then the
word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying,
“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell
in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?
Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Consider
your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little;
you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied;
you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk;
you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough;
and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse
with holes.’” Thus says the Lord of
hosts, "Consider your ways!” The
Lord’s House and His Kingdom and the work
He wants to accomplish should be as important
to us, if not more important, than our own houses
and plans for ourselves.
The Word
of the Lord encourages us to give generously to
support His work: While we were in the wilderness
building the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the skillful
workers received from Moses all the contributions
which the sons of Israel had brought to perform
the work in the construction of the sanctuary.
And they still continued bringing to him freewill
offerings every morning. And all the skillful
men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary
came, each from the work which he was performing,
and they said to Moses, “The people are
bringing much more than enough for the construction
work which the Lord commanded us to perform.”
So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation
was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let
no man or woman any longer perform work for the
contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the
people were restrained from bringing any more.
For the material they had was sufficient and more
than enough for all the work, to perform it (Exodus
36:3 7).
The Word
of the Lord encourages us to give generously to
support His work and other good causes. One
man gives freely, yet gains even more; another
withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous
man will prosper; he who refreshes others will
himself be refreshed (Proverbs 11:24 25).
The Lord said to Israel: “Bring the
whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there
may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,"
says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open
for you the windows of Heaven and pour out for
you a blessing until it overflows”
(Malachi 3:10). Generous giving may result in
the Lord blessing the giver - perhaps in this
life, but for sure in the Life-To-Come!
Generous
giving pleases the Lord and may result in Him
blessing us - if not in this life, then definitely
in the Life-To-Come! Solomon offered a thousand
burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord
appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream,
and God said, “Ask for whatever you want
me to give you” (1 Kings 3:4-5). Messiah
taught us: “Give, and it will be given
to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure
pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
For by your standard of measure it will be measured
to you in return” (Luke 6:38).
When we give to the work of God (with the right
motivation), the Lord increases the rewards in
our heavenly account. There were times when Paul
had very little money. Writing to the Philippians,
he commended them for the generous way they helped
him. They had done well by giving gifts to help
him meet his needs. Their generosity made him
happy because he knew that the Lord would reward
them. The Rabbi made it clear that he did not
seek the gift itself, but the profit which would
increase to their heavenly account (Philippians
4:15 19).
We are
to give systematically and regularly - not haphazardly.
Rabbi Paul was very concerned about the well-being
of the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem, who
were being persecuted and impoverished, and so
he raised funds from the communities that were
prospering financially, to help the poor Messianic
Jews. Writing to the congregation in Corinth,
he instructed them: Now concerning the collection
for the saints (poor Messianic Jews in Jerusalem),
as I directed the congregations of Galatia,
so do you also. On the first day of every week
each one of you is to put aside and save, as he
may prosper, so that no collections be made when
I come (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). That’s
systematic, regular giving.
We should
want to give generously to support the work of
the Lord. There are times when we may even want
to give sacrificially. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
Now, brothers, we wish to make known to you
the grace of God which has been given in the congregations
of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction
their abundance of joy and their deep poverty
overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
For I testify that according to their ability,
and beyond their ability, they gave of their own
accord, begging us with much urging for the favor
of participation in the support of the saints,
and this, not as we had expected, but they first
gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will
of God (2 Corinthians 8:1-5 ).That’s
sacrificial giving!
We are
to give as privately as possible: Messiah instructed
us: Beware of practicing your righteousness
before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you
have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet
before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets, so that they may be honored
by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward
in full. But when you give to the poor, do not
let your left hand know what your right hand is
doing, so that your giving will be in secret;
and your Father who sees what is done in secret
will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4).
We can
only give according to our ability. The Lord knows
that we can’t give what we don’t have.
Every man shall give as he is able, according
to the blessing of the Lord your God which He
has given you (Deuteronomy 16:17). The wealthy
Jewish people were required to offer bulls; ordinary
Israelis lambs and goats, and the poorer Jewish
people could offer doves (Leviticus 14:30). According
to their ability they gave to the treasury for
the work (Ezra 2:69). In the proportion
that any of the disciples had means, each of them
determined to send a contribution for the relief
of the brothers living in Judea (Acts 11:29).
For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable
according to what a person has, not according
to what he does not have (2 Corinthians 8:12).
We teach
generous, cheerful giving, not giving grudgingly
or because you feel forced to give, because the
Lord loves a cheerful giver. We recommend - we
don’t demand, we only suggest - that ten
percent is a reasonable amount to try and give
if you are able to do so, as so many have done
before us. After Abraham’s return from
the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were
with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him
at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread
and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram
of God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth;
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered
your enemies into your hand." And Abraham
gave him a tenth of all (Genesis 14:17-20).
We teach
generous, cheerful giving, not giving grudgingly
or because you feel forced to give, because the
Lord loves a cheerful giver. We recommend - we
don’t demand, we only suggest - that ten
percent is a reasonable amount to try and give
if you are able to do so, as so many have done
before us. Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
"If God will be with me and will keep me
on this journey that I take, and will give me
food to eat and garments to wear, and I return
to my father's house in safety, then the Lord
will be my God. This stone, which I have set up
as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that
You give me I will surely give a tenth to You"
(Genesis 28:20-22).
We teach
generous, cheerful giving, not giving grudgingly
or because you feel forced to give, because the
Lord loves a cheerful giver. We recommend - we
don’t demand, we only suggest - that ten
percent is a reasonable amount to try and give
if you are able to do so, as so many have done
before us. All the tithe of the land, of the
seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree,
is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord (Leviticus
27:30). Messiah rebuked some Pharisees with these
words: You Pharisees clean the outside of
the cup and of the platter; but inside of you,
you are full of robbery and wickedness. You foolish
ones, did not He who made the outside make the
inside also? But give that which is within as
charity, and then all things are clean for you.
But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of
mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and
yet disregard justice and the love of God; but
these are the things you should have done without
neglecting the others (Luke 11:39-42).
Out of
appreciation for the goodness of God, and as part
of our expression of worship, we may want to give
generously to the work of the Lord, as others
have done before us. At the dedication of the
First Temple, king Solomon and all Israel with
him offered sacrifices before the Lord. Solomon
offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to
the Lord: twenty two thousand cattle and a hundred
and twenty thousand sheep and goats (1 Kings 8:62-63)!
As they were bringing the ark of the covenant
to the new Temple, King Solomon and the entire
assembly of Israel that had gathered about him
were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep
and cattle that they could not be recorded or
counted (2 Chronicles 5:6).
The Lord
is not impressed with the amount that we give,
but the generous and sacrificial heart that loves
God that results in generous giving. Messiah commended
the poor widow above the rest. While He sat at
the Temple, He looked up and saw the rich
putting their gifts into the treasury. And He
saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor
widow put in more than all of them; for they all
out of their surplus put into the offering; but
she out of her poverty put in all that she had
to live on'' (Luke 21:1-4).
The Word
of God makes it clear that we are to give to our
congregation so that the leaders who are serving
the Lord can be supported. The elders who
rule well are to be considered worthy of double
honor, especially those who work hard at preaching
and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You
shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing”
and “The laborer is worthy of his wages”
(1 Timothy 5:17-18). The elders rule congregation.
Those who lead well are entitled to receive double
honor - referring to financial compensation.
We should
give because giving is part of God's nature. Love
and goodness are two of the attributes that describe
the nature of God. Love and goodness both imply
giving. For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but
have eternal life (John 3:6). It is God’s
nature to look outside of Himself and seek to
give. On the other hand, fallen human nature is
consumed with selfishness. It wants to take. When
we give out of love, we become more like God.
We become givers, not takers. Truly it is more
blessed to give than to receive.
Giving
is an evidence of God’s activity in our
life. Now, brothers, we wish to make known
to you the grace of God which has been given in
the congregations of Macedonia, that in a great
ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and
their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of
their liberality. For I testify that according
to their ability, and beyond their ability, they
gave of their own accord, begging us with much
urging for the favor of participation in the support
of the saints (2 Corinthians 8:1-4). It was
the grace of God working in the Macedonian congregations
that produced this generosity, this tangible expression
of love.
Giving
reveals where our heart is really at and produces
eternal dividends. Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. But store
up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not
break in or steal; for where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). |
