108 Offering and Tithes

Think about this: Christ loved us so much that he gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering to God.¹ He made the ultimate sacrifice for you on the cross, loving you to death and beyond. Even as time marches on, His love stays constant.

It's so important for you to grasp that the biggest sacrifice has already been made. But now, you get to be a pleasing offering to God, too. Let your service, your honor, and your giving be a delight to your Heavenly Father. Know that Jesus has given you everything, and anything you offer pales in comparison to His love.

Giving to God, supporting His work, it's an expression of love. Don't see it as a burden or an obligation, but as a response to God's love and Jesus' sacrifice. It's a way of saying "thank you" for everything Heaven has poured into your life.

¹Ephesians 5:2

he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce;

He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the Lord's; they are holy to the Lord.

But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!”

He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?

all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.

Take from among you an offering to the Lord; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord's offering: gold, silver, and bronze;

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Set apart a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field.In the presence of the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose as a dwelling for his name, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, your wine, and your oil, as well as the firstlings of your herd and flock, so that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come.

He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth;these kings made war with King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one tenth of everything.

It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.

Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want.A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury;Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.This will give you an opportunity to testify.So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance;for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.You will be hated by all because of my name.But not a hair of your head will perish.By your endurance you will gain your souls.he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it;for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written.Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people;they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees;He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them;as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called.And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

Faithfully they brought in the contributions, the tithes and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with his brother Shimei as second;

Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.

Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.

In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me.

When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it,So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year (which is the year of the tithe), giving it to the Levites, the aliens, the orphans, and the widows, so that they may eat their fill within your towns,then you shall say before the Lord your God: “I have removed the sacred portion from the house, and I have given it to the Levites, the resident aliens, the orphans, and the widows, in accordance with your entire commandment that you commanded me; I have neither transgressed nor forgotten any of your commandments:I have not eaten of it while in mourning; I have not removed any of it while I was unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God, doing just as you commanded me.Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey.”This very day the Lord your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances; so observe them diligently with all your heart and with all your soul.Today you have obtained the Lord's agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him.Today the Lord has obtained your agreement: to be his treasured people, as he promised you, and to keep his commandments;for him to set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honor; and for you to be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.

This “King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him”;for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one according to the order of Aaron?For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.Now the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.It is even more obvious when another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek,one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life.For it is attested of him, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual(for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God.and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.”

All day long the wicked covet, but the righteous give and do not hold back.

Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take 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.

The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, but the righteous are generous and keep giving;

Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light;but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.

and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.”

for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.

So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing;for what they had already brought was more than enough to do all the work.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.

But those who are noble plan noble things, and by noble things they stand.

Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is sacrificed on the altar?In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.

Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households, but those who hate bribes will live.

Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.

The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching;for the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves to be paid.”

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, “Who is the Lord?” or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.

They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing.

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone.For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.

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:

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble.But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me.But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.The Lord protects them and keeps them alive; they are called happy in the land. You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia;And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something—now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance betweenyour present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have.For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord.With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news;and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill.for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering,for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of others.And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you.As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means,begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,

and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him one tenth of everything.

Then the people rejoiced because these had given willingly, for with single mind they had offered freely to the Lord; King David also rejoiced greatly.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.

And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem.If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.

You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us;

when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,

He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

See how great he is! Even Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils.

Prayer