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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
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.
Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now with this, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
And Jesus saith to him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.
His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.Then he who had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed:
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or by constraint: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.And he called his disciples, and saith to them, Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more, than all they who have cast into the treasury.For all they cast in of their abundance: but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase:So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy to the LORD.
But I will sacrifice to thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye give to others, it shall be measured to you again.
For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not.
Take ye from among you an offering to the LORD: whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come from thee, and of thy own have we given thee.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no collections when I come.
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:And blessed be the most high God, who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone.
And he looked up, and saw rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.And he saw also a certain poor widow, casting in thither two mites.And he said, Of a truth I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.For all these have of their abundance cast in to the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
And brought in the offerings and the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Conaniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
I have shown you all things, that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.
And whoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, I say to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou shouldst bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou shouldst cover him; and that thou shouldst not hide thyself from thy own flesh?
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.
Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
And it shall be, when thou hast come in to the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go to the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
Whatever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to thy fathers, as it is this day.
I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, who are present here, to offer willingly to thee.
Sell what ye have, and give alms: provide yourselves bags which become not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Therefore, when thou doest thy alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Verily, I say to you, they have their reward.But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:That thy alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself will reward thee openly.
And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth to thee.
For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor of the saints who are at Jerusalem.
And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
Do ye not know that they who minister about holy things live from the things of the temple, and they who wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?Even so hath the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.
Jesus said to him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD.And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel, and to his offering:But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Give to the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give to the LORD glory and strength.Give to the LORD the glory due to his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless return with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.
The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring to the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.
Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
And the king will answer and say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.
And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.
Now, ye Philippians, know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity.
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He that giveth to the poor shall not want: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own possessions, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,
And if thou shalt draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in the time of trouble.The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Thou shalt surely give him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest to him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand to.
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;That in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded to the riches of their liberality.For to their power, I bear testimony, and even beyond their power, they were willing of themselves;Praying us with much entreaty, that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God:
And blessed be the most high God, who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.
Who executeth judgment for the oppressed: who giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality to Jerusalem.And if it be proper that I should go also, they shall go with me.
He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth to the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
That which thou givest them, they gather: thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.
If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.