Sunday, May 6, 2018: Giving from a Generous Heart Commentary. Sunday, May 6, 2018

Transcription

1 Sunday, May 6, 2018 Lesson: Exodus 35:20-29; II Corinthians 9:6-8; Time of Action: The first section in 1445 B.C.; The second section around 56 A.D.; Place of Action: The first section at Mount Sinai; the second section in Macedonia Golden Text: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (II Corinthians 9:7). I. INTRODUCTION. The beauty of the account of the children of Israel s provision for the tabernacle is seen in their spirit of willingness to give. They found delight in providing for the tabernacle where God would dwell in their midst. They gave so generously that they had to be told to stop (see Exodus 36:5-7). I wonder how many of our churches have this problem. This week s lesson examines giving hearts, first by the Israelites who built the tabernacle in the wilderness, and then by the Corinthians who participated in the Apostle Paul s offering for those suffering in Jerusalem.

2 II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. In the third month after leaving Egypt, Moses and the children of Israel reached the Sinai wilderness where God made His covenant with Israel (see Exodus 19:1-6). While there, God gave the people the Ten Commandments orally (see Exodus 20:2-17), laws regarding master and servant relationships (see Exodus 21:1-11), personal injuries (see Exodus 21:12-36), property rights (see Exodus 22:1-15), crimes against humanity (see Exodus 22:16-23:9), laws concerning the land and the Sabbaths (see Exodus 23:10-13), three national feasts (see Exodus 23:14-19), and instructions and promises concerning the conquest of the land of Canaan (see Exodus 23:20-33). After sharing all these words and judgments with the people, they agreed that they would do everything the Lord had said (see Exodus 24:3). Then Moses wrote down all of God s words and offered a sacrifice to bind the covenant that God had made with Israel (see Exodus 24:4-8). Following this, the Lord called Moses to come up Mount Sinai where He would be given tablets of stone, the law and the commandments which God had written so that Moses could teach them to the people (see Exodus 24:9-18). In Exodus chapters 25-28, as God met with Moses on Mount Sinai, He also gave him the directions for building the tabernacle, the place where God would dwell among His people. In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses comes down from the mountain and shares with the people what God had told him. In Exodus 35:4-9, Moses asked the Israelites to bring gifts and offerings for the tabernacle structure and its furnishings. Moses also asked for skilled workers to construct the tabernacle, its furniture and the priest s garments (see Exodus 35:10-19). This is where our lesson begins.

3 III. GIVING WITH GENEROUS HEARTS (Exodus 35:20-21) A. The people prepare to give gifts (Exodus 35:20). Our first verse says And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. After requesting the people to freely bring gifts for the tabernacle (see Exodus 35:4-5), Moses listed the materials needed to build and operate it (see Exodus 35:3-9). Then all the people left Moses presence and went home to gather the gifts and offerings that were needed to build the tabernacle. B. A summary of the people s willingness to give (Exodus 35:21). This verse says And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. After gathering the items they would give toward the tabernacle construction, one thing is clear; those who gave were unified in their willingness to give. The phrase every one whose heart stirred him up means that something deep down within prompted them to do as Moses had requested. The phrase and every one whom his spirit made willing means that not only were the people stirred up to give, but they were also willing to give. Moses never tried to force them to give. He simply asked them to give, and then only if they were willing (see Exodus 35:5). Giving toward the tabernacle was strictly voluntary, and the people responded just as God had earlier

4 requested willingly (see Exodus 25:2). With willing hearts, the people brought the Lord s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. These gifts are referred to as the Lord s offering because everything was for the Lord, in gratitude for the great things He had done for them and faith in His promise of what He would further do. The phrase the work of the tabernacle of the congregation refers to the construction of the building. The phrase and for all his service refers to the furnishings in the tabernacle to be used in the priest s service. The holy garments refer to the priests uniform worn when they served in the tabernacle, usually when offering sacrifices. IV. GIVING GENEROUS OFFERINGS (Exodus 35:22-29) A. Offerings of gold (Exodus 35:22). This verse says And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. We are told that both men and women brought their gifts. This verse then says something very interesting. It says that as many as were willing-hearted brought their offerings. This seems to indicate that there were some who were not willing to bring any gifts. No doubt there were some who loved their gold better than their God, and would not part with it, not even for the service of the

5 tabernacle. They were still Israelites, but they were not moved by the good examples of those around them, to part with anything in the interests of God s kingdom. There are many Christians like that today. They are all for true religion, but only when it is cheap and won t cost them anything. Those with a willing heart brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord. All of these items offered were made of gold. We can t be sure what the tablets were, but most Bible students agree that they were probably necklaces or beads. However, in Isaiah 3:20, the term tablets in many Bible translations (see NIV, Living Bible, Amplified Bible) is translated as perfume or perfume boxes. What we do know is that since all of these items were made of gold they were very valuable. Note: One might wonder where the Israelites got all this gold as well as the silver and brass since they had only recently been slaves in Egypt. Most, if not all of these items came from the Egyptians when the Israelites left Egypt (see Exodus 12:35-36). Moses told the people to ask for those items before they left Egypt (see Exodus 11:23). God gave them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians so they willingly gave the Hebrews what they asked for. Therefore, it was highly fitting that they should devote a part of it to the service of God to whom they owed it all. So, the principle here is that every man should give according as God has prospered him (see I Corinthians 16:2). Extraordinary successes should be acknowledged by extraordinary offerings. The gold was necessary because it was used to make the mercy seat and the cherubim above it (see Exodus 25:17-21), the lamp

6 stand (see Exodus 25:31-39), and the items to be placed on the table of showbread (see Exodus 25:29). Gold was also used to cover the Ark of the Covenant (see Exodus 25:10-16), the altar of incense (see Exodus 30:1-5), and the poles used to carry the furnishings (see Exodus 25:13, 28; 30:5). B. Offerings of linen and animal skins (Exodus 35:23). This verse goes on to say And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers skins, brought them. In addition to the gold that the people brought willingly, those who had it also brought blue, and purple, and scarlet which probably refers both to yarn and fabrics of those colors. These fabrics along with the fine linen or the best linen, was used for curtains to cover the outer court (see Exodus 27:9-15) and for the inner veil (see Exodus 26:1, 31). The blue, and purple, and scarlet fabrics were also used for Aaron s holy garments that he wore when he served as high priest (see Exodus 39:1). The people also brought goats hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers skins. These skins were used as a protective covering for the tabernacle structure itself (see Exodus 26:14). Note: In the Bible, only the skin of badgers is mentioned but what it refers to is questionable. The Hebrew word tacash is translated badger skins, but no one really knows what the Hebrews meant by this word. Other translations render it as goatskins (RSV, NLT), porpoise hides (NASB), or durable leather (NIV). It s possible that this Hebrew word tacash did mean badgers. Coarse

7 badger hair would certainly be a protective cushion between the fine fabrics in which the articles of worship were wrapped for travel in the wilderness. The KJV translates the word as badgers skins in Ezekiel 16:10 when referring to a covering for the foot. It is probably best to understand badgers skins to refer to a type of leather since it was used to cover the tabernacle. C. Offerings of silver, brass, and wood (Exodus 35:24). This verse says Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the Lord s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it. Those who had it brought an offering of silver and brass for the Lord s offering. All the valuable items, the gold, the different color yarn and fabrics, and the silver and brass as mentioned earlier, most likely came from the Egyptians (see note on verse 22). The silver was used for the sockets or bases on the boards (see Exodus 26:19-25). The brass or bronze was used to make the laver which was to be used by Aaron and his sons to wash their hands and feet before they could offer sacrifices (see Exodus 30:17-21), and also to overlay or cover the altar of burnt offering (see Exodus 27:1-8). Everyone who had shittim wood also brought it for any work of the service, meaning for use in any part of the construction of the tabernacle. Shittim wood was actually acacia wood. This was a large thorny tree with rough bark. The wood was orange-brown and hard grained and repelled insects. Many species of acacia grew in the Sinai desert, in southern Palestine and in Egypt. Acacia or

8 shittim was the wood used to build the tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant (see Exodus 25:10-11), the altar of burnt offering (see Exodus 27:1), the altar of incense (see Exodus 30:1, 3), the poles for carrying the furnishings (see Exodus 27:6-7) and the pillars (see Exodus 32:1). All of these except the tabernacle itself were to be overlaid with gold. The acacia tree or wood is called shittim and shittah in the KJV (see Exodus 25:5, 10; Isaiah 41:19). It s interesting that the people who gave willingly gave so much of the requested materials that Moses had to tell them not to bring any more offerings because they already had too much (see Exodus 36:3-7). The people actually gave more than enough! D. Skilled workmanship by the women (Exodus 35:25-26). 1. (vs. 25). This verse says And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. The words wise hearted mean skilled. All the women who were willing and skilled in sewing and spinning prepared blue, purple, and scarlet thread and cloth, and fine-twined linen, and brought them to Moses. These women also skillfully wove cherubim (angels) into the curtains and the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place, or the holy of holies (see Exodus 26:1). 2. (vs. 26). This verse continues to say And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats hair. The phrase whose heart stirred them

9 up simply means that the women were willing. So, in addition to spinning the different colored cloths, in wisdom the women also spun or wove goats hair into curtains for the tabernacle (see Exodus 26:7). Note: Those women who spun cloth made a beautiful contribution to the tabernacle. Good workers take pride in the quality and beauty of their work. This applies to Christians even more. Everything we do reflects on our God and should be done for Him (see I Corinthians 10:31). God is concerned with the quality and beauty of what we do. Whether we are corporate executives or drug store cashiers, our work should reflect the creative abilities God has given us. E. Offerings from the leaders (Exodus 35:27-28). 1. (vs. 27). This verse says And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate. There were also rulers or tribal leaders who willingly gave their offerings of onyx stones to be set in the high priest s ephod which was a vest-like piece of clothing (see Exodus 28:6-7). Two onyx stones were to have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on them; six names on each stone (see Exodus 28:9-12). In addition to the onyx stones the leaders also brought other stones to be set in the high priest s breastplate which was attached to the front of the ephod at the shoulders (see Exodus 28:5). The additional stones were sardius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, diamond, ligure or jacinth (a yellow-orange form of the mineral zircon), agate (a form of quartz), amethyst, beryl,

10 and jasper. All these valuable stones were to be set in gold in the priest s breastplate (see Exodus 28:15, 16-20). 2. (vs. 28). This verse goes on to say And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. In addition to the different stones or gems willingly given by the leaders, they also brought spice to mix with the sweet incense used on the altar of incense. The oil that the leaders brought was (see Exodus 27:20) olive oil and it was to be used for the light or the lampstand, and for anointing the priests. F. Willing offerings brought (Exodus 35:29). This verse says The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. This verse summarizes the way in which God s people, The children of Israel gave offerings to the Lord freely and willingly. The key to it all was having a willing heart to give, for it was every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work for the construction of the tabernacle which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. In other words, everyone willingly gave to help Moses fulfill God s command to build the tabernacle (see Exodus 25:1-9). V. GIVING GENEROUS GIFTS (II Corinthians 9:6-8).

11 The second portion of our lesson is taken from Paul s second letter to the believers in Corinth. The first portion of our lesson from the Old Testament was an excellent example of generous and willing giving that honored and praised the Lord. The remainder of our lesson will reveal New Testament instructions about generous and willing giving. It seems that the year prior to Paul s letter, the Corinthian believers had started collecting money to send to the poor Christians in Jerusalem (see Acts 11:27-29), but for some reason they didn t complete the collection (see II Corinthians 8:10). In order to encourage the Corinthians to finish the offering they had promised to send to the needy saints in Jerusalem, Paul spoke of how the churches in Macedonia, though they were in poverty themselves, willingly and generously sent a collection to the poor saints in Jerusalem (see Romans 15:25-28; II Corinthians 8:1-6). In chapter 9 verses 1-5, Paul attempted to encourage the Corinthians to finish the collection he knew they wanted to send to Jerusalem. But he also let them know that he had boasted to the churches in Macedonia about the Corinthians desire to give and if they failed to do so, he would be ashamed of his boasting. Paul led up to our text in verse 5 by saying That s why I thought it was necessary to urge these brothers to go to you before I come, and make arrangements in advance for this generous, previously promised gift of yours, so that it would be ready, not as something extorted or wrung out of you, but as a voluntary and generous gift (Amplified Bible). This is where the second portion of our lesson begins. A. Christians should give generously (II Corinthians 9:6). This verse says But this I say, He

12 which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. After encouraging the Corinthian believers to give generously, Paul compared giving to farming. First, he said He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. A farmer s harvest is directly in proportion to the amount of seed he or she sows or plants. The farmer who sows a little seed will receive a tiny harvest. Then Paul said and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. On the other hand, the farmer who sows or plants seeds generously will reap a bountiful harvest. The point is that the stingy giver receives little in return, but the generous giver will receive much in return in the form of God s blessings. The truth is, we reap what we sow (see Galatians 6:8). Paul was applying the principle of sowing and reaping to the collection for the Jerusalem church. The bountiful gift to the Jerusalem charity was a form of sowing. It would result in a rich harvest of blessing for those who contributed. However, this does not mean that we should give simply to get more from God. Indeed, the blessings we receive may not be more material blessings at all. God s blessings can come in any form. B. Christians should give cheerfully (II Corinthians 9:7). This verse says Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. Paul was well aware that people could give generously, but not because they really wanted to give. No one should give out of pressure. The phrase Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give

13 refers to the amount each member of the Corinthian church had originally committed to give before they became slack in fulfilling their commitment. Besides, as Paul noted in II Corinthians 9:5, it was their own decision to give to the famine-stricken believers in Judea; they were not coerced to do it. The phrase purposeth in his heart implies that the giver has taken time to think about his or her gift, and has made a decision. Paul did not tell any of them how much to give. That was up to them. The same thing is true of believers today. Giving should be a personal decision between the giver and God. We should decide in our own hearts what to give and feel peaceful and happy about the decision. Otherwise, a person might become hypocritical in his or her giving by wanting to impress others. The Pharisees were guilty of this (see Matthew 6:1-4). In I Corinthians 16:2, Paul urged the Corinthian Christians to set aside some money on the first day of every week. Likewise, we should have a regular plan for giving and not give randomly, all willy-nilly. Paul also said that these believers should not give grudgingly meaning giving reluctantly or really not wanting to give. Neither were they to give out of necessity. This refers to being compelled or forced to give when it s against one s preference to give. Most, if not all of us have felt the stress of a high-pressure pitch for donations. Those who give in to such appeals do it with a mixture of resentment and guilt. That s exactly the opposite of what God wants. This is why the apostle said for God loveth a cheerful giver. Of course God loves all of His children, even those who don t give. The point here is that when we give willingly with inward joy, God is pleased with our attitude and our gift regardless of the amount. A cheerful giver is more than someone who fakes a smile on

14 his or her face as the basket goes by. The Greek word for cheerful is hilaron which is the word from which we get our word hilarious. A cheerful giver is one who gives from his or her heart, and sees God s blessings in everything that he or she has, and they enjoy it whether it s a little or a lot. Note: When giving, how much to give is often the main question raised. Israel was supposed to give a tithe or one tenth of their income or substance. There were also offerings beyond the tithe that they were to give. The first recorded instance of tithing in the Bible occurs in Genesis 14:17-20 when Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. Abraham gave this amount freely because there is no record that he was commanded to give the tithe. Neither is an explanation given about why Abraham gave the tithe to Melchizedek. The Law of Moses prescribed tithing for Israel in some detail in Leviticus 27: Numbers 18:21-32 stated that the tithe in Israel was to be given to the Levites because they didn t receive a land inheritance like the other tribes of Israel. The prophet Malachi indicated that Israel had robbed God by withholding tithes and offerings; therefore they were exhorted to bring their tithes into the storehouse in order to enjoy God s blessing (see Malachi 3:8-12). In the Old Testament, the purpose of the giving of a tenth was to meet the material need of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless (orphans), and the widow (see Deuteronomy 26:12-13). In the New Testament, the word tithe and tithing appear only eight times (see Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; 18:12; Hebrews 7:5-6, 8-9). But all of these passages refer to Old Testament usage and to current Jewish practice. Nowhere does the New Testament

15 expressly state that Christians must tithe. Giving for Israel was the tithe and offerings, but the Bible does not give a set amount that Christians are required to give. However, as believers, we are to be generous in sharing our material possessions with the poor and for support of Christian ministry or service. Jesus Christ is our model in giving which should be voluntary, willing, cheerful, and given in light of our accountability to God. Giving should be systematic or planned and by no means limited to a tithe of our income. The Christian who gives because he or she feels duty-bound to tithe is not meeting the New Testament requirements for giving. Our attitude when we give is more important than the amount we give. We don t have to be embarrassed if we can only give a small amount. God is concerned about how we give from the resources we have (see Mark 12:41-44). So, when it comes down to how much Christians should give, II Corinthians 8:12 gives the best answer: For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. In other words, if you are willing and want to give, whatever you give will be accepted because what you give will be judged by what you have, not by what you don t have. C. Christians will reap abundantly (II Corinthians 9:8). Our final verse says And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Paul, therefore, assures the Corinthians that their generosity does not come at the risk of future poverty. On

16 the contrary, generosity is the route we can take to prevent our own future poverty because God is able to make all grace abound toward you. But what form does God s grace or favor take? Is Paul talking about spiritual benefits or material blessings? The focus in the context is clearly on material blessings or money, but spiritual blessings are certainly included. Here, grace refers to the ability to give (see II Corinthians 8:1, 6-7, 19; 9:14). Giving is a grace or favor bestowed on others. God gives us the ability to earn money so that we can give, and we owe Him thanks for that. If we are concerned that giving to God from what we earn will leave us broke, or seems to be too much, we should remember that He is able to give us enough to make it with what is left over after we give. This same thought is found in proverbial form in the teaching of Jesus: Freely you have received, freely give (see Matthew 10:8). The order here is important. It is only as we have freely received that we can, in turn, freely give. So when we give freely of what we earn, God is able to cause us to earn more so that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. In other words, when we give generously, God will see to it that we will always have sufficiency or enough of everything, so that we may share abundantly in every good work or good deed. Our giving is a good work. Note: Although Paul is clearly speaking of material generosity and blessing, we must be careful not to turn God s assurance of provision into an expectation of getting rich. God is not a pyramid scheme and following Jesus Christ is not a moneymaking scheme! The abundance Paul speaks of means having enough of everything, not getting rich.

17 The so-called prosperity gospel profoundly misunderstands passages like this. This passage obviously applies to giving from the fruits of our jobs that is, donating or giving money and other resources. But it can also apply to giving of ourselves on our jobs. We don t have to fear that by helping others succeed at work we will compromise our own well-being. God has promised to give us all sufficiency or all that we need. We can help others look good at work without fearing that it will make us look lackluster in comparison. We can compete fairly in the workplace without believing that it takes a few dirty tricks to make a living in a competitive business. We can unselfishly pray for, encourage, support, and even assist our rivals because we know that God, not our competitive advantage, is the source of our provision. We must be careful not to turn the promise of II Corinthians 9:8 into the false gospel of health and wealth as many have done. God does not promise true believers a big house and an expensive car just because we give generously. But He does assure us that if we look to the needs of others, He will make sure that our needs will be met in the process. In verses 9 and 10 which are not part of our printed text, Paul assures those who sow or give generously to the poor that God will provide them with enough seed for that sowing, and also provide bread for their own needs. Paul emphasizes this when he says, You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us (see II Corinthians 9:11). This is a promise that includes and goes beyond material

18 blessings. VI. Conclusion. The story is told of a father who wanted to develop his son s character. As they were leaving for church he gave his son a penny and a quarter and said Son, you can put whichever one you want in today s offering. After the service, the father asked his son which coin did he give. His son replied, Well, just before the ushers came around, the pastor said, The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and I knew I would be a lot more cheerful if I gave the penny and kept the quarter. I m sure many of us can sympathize with the young boy. Learning to give graciously and cheerfully takes time as one grows in faith and in the understanding of the Word. Giving is an act of faith. If we believe God is able to provide for our needs (and He is), we can give without fear. Giving is also voluntary and depends on our decision to participate. Giving can involve things other than money. We can give goods and services (time and talent). Giving should flow from a delight in sharing rather than from compulsion. Giving causes us to rely on God, trusting Him to care for us. Truly, giving cheerfully is an action God loves. ***The Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Union Gospel Press***