ECONOMY 18 – GIVING IN THE BIBLE
GOD IS GIVING
… promised land
Ge 12:7, 13:15, 15:7, 17:8, 24:7, 26:3, to Jacob 28:13, 35:12, 48:4, Ex 6:4, 8:6, 12:25, 13:5, 13:11, 32:13, 33:1, Le 14:34, 20:24, 23:10, 25:2, 25:38, Nu 13:2, 14:8, 15:2, 34:13, De 1:8, De 1:25, 1:35, 1:36, 1:39, De 2:5 (Esau), De 2:9 (Moab), 2:19 (Ammon), 2:31, 4:38, 5:31, 6:10, 6:23, 7:13, 10:11, 11:9, 11:21, 19:18, 20:16, 26:3, 28:11, 30:20, 31:7, 32:49, 34:4, Jo 1:2, 1:6, 5:6, 9:24, 21:2, 21:43, 1 Ch 16:18, Ne 9:8, Ps 105:11, Je 11:5, 32:22, Ez 20:42, Ez 47:14, Ac 7:5… After exile: Ez 11:17
… countries, inheritance
Ge 26:3, 26:4, Ps 2:8, Ps 111:6, Je 3:19, Ez 16:61 Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, 44:28, Ez 47:23 give sojourner inheritance, Ac 20:32
… victory, protection, help
De 23:14, De 31:5, Jo 8:18, Ju 7:2, 1 Sa 17:47, Ps 86:16, 91:11-12, 108:12, Is 62:8, Je 30:16, Je 44:30, Mt 26:53, Lu 10:19
… strength, power
1 Sa 2:10, 1 Ch 29:12, Ps 29:11, Ps 86:16, Re 11:3
… leadership, authority, charge
… dew, fatness of earth, rain in season, increase, fruitfulness
Ge 27:28, 28:13, Le 26:4, De 11:14, De 28:12, 1 Ki 8:36, Ps 85:12, Is 30:32, Ze 10:1
… provision
Ex 16:8, Nu 11:18 (quails), Nu 21:16 (water), Ne 9:15 bread & water, Ps 78:20 water, bread, flesh, Ps 78:20 water, bread, flesh, 104:11 water to wild animals, 104, 27 meat to animals, Is 43:20, Is 55:10, Mt 6;11 … Lu 6:38 Give and it shall be given to you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall be poured into your lap.
… wealth, treasures, riches
… honor, a name, a heritage
… a son
Ge 17:8, 17:16
… favor
Ex 3:21, 1 Ki 8:50
… law, commandment
Ex 24:14, Ex 25:22, Nu 27:9, Jn 13:34 (new)
… ability to speak, words to say
… answer, sign
Ge 41:16, Is 7:14
… wisdom, understanding, knowledge, revelation
1 Ch 22:9, 22:12, 2 Ch 2:10, Ps 72:1, Ps 119:34, 119:73, 119:125, 119:144, 119:169, Pr 1:4, Ecc 2:3, Ec 2:26, Jer 3:15, Da 9:22, 2 Co 4:6, Eph 1:17, 2 Ti 2:7
… perfect heart to keep commandments, to know God, one heart
… scroll to eat
… judgment
De 28:65, Is 3: 12? , Is 19:4, Is 30:20 Jer 4:12, Je 8:10, Je 9:15, Je 15:13, Je 16:7, Je 17:3, Je 17:10, Je 19:7, 20:5, 22:25, 24:8, 25:31, 32:3, 32:19 (good & evil), 32:28, 34:2, 34:18, 34:20, 34:21, 44:30 Hophra, Ez 7:21, 15:6, 16:38-39, 23:31, 21:27, 23:46, 25:10, 33:27, 39:4, 39:11, Da 8:13, Joel 2:17, Ho 9:14, Mi 5:3, 6:14, Re 16:19, 18:7
… warning
… division
Lu 12:51
… salvation, forgiveness, light, repentance, mercy, kingdom
Lu 1:77, 1;79, 12:32, Ac 5:31, Ep 5:14, 2 Ti 1:16, 2 Ti 2:5
… good news, his Son, his life, with him all things
Is 41:27, Is 42:6, 49:6, Mt 20:28, Mk 10:45, Jn 6:51, Jn 17:2, Ro 8:32
… living water, well, eternal life, assurance
… rest / peace, respite, reviving, restoration, hope, future, beauty
Ex 33:14, Le 26:6, Nu 6:26, 1 Ch 22:9 Solomon, Ps 94:13, Is 14:33, Is 61:3, Je 29:11, Je 50:34, Ez 9:8-9, Ho 2:15, Ha 2:9, Zech 3:7, Mt 11:28, Jn 14:27 Jesus giving peace, 2 Th 3:16,
… grace and glory, good things
Ps 84:11, Ps 85:12
… desires of one's heart, joy
Ps 37:4, Ecc 2:3, 2:26
… reward, crown
Eat of tree of life, crown of life, white stone, new name, power over nations, morning star Mt 25:28, Mk 9:41, Lu 19:24 (talent parable), 2 Ti 4:8, Re 11:18, 22:12, Re 2:7, 2:10, 2:17, 2:26, 2:28
… men for you, people for your life
Is 42:4
… whatever we ask
Jn 15:16, 16:23
… promises
Ac 13:34
… Holy Spirit, Comforter
Jn 14:16
… authority, throne, all to Jesus
… God doesn't give his glory to another
HUMANS ARE GIVING OR SHOULD BE GIVING
… thanks, glory, honor, praises to God
2 Sa 22:5, 1 Ch 16:8, 16:28-29, 16:34-35, 16:41, 25:3, 2 Ch 31:2, Ne 12:24, Ps 29:1, 29:2, 30:4, 30:12, 30:12, 35:18, 18:49, 57:7, 75:1, 79:13, 92:1, Ps 96:7-8, 97:12, Ps 105:1, 106:1, 106:47, 107:1, 108:1, Ps 115:1, 118:1, 118:29, 119:62, 122:4, 136:1-3, 136:26, 140:13, Is 42:12, Je 13:16, Ma 2:2, Lu 17:18, 1 Co 10:30, Eph 1:16, Co 1:3, 1 Th 1:2, 1 Th 5:18, 2 Th 2:13, Re 4:9, 11:7, 14:7, 16:9, 19:7
… tithes, sacrifices, first fruits
Ge 28:20-22 Jacob vowing to give tenth for God’s protection, provision
Le 23:38 gifts, vows, freewill offerings which you give to LORD
Ex 30:12-15 Each one give ransom for his soul half a shekel
Nu 3:9 Give Levites to Aaron … they are wholly give to him
Nu 15:2 , 18:28 Give a heave offering to the LORD from the first of you dough
De 16:10, 17 Give a freewill offering at feast of weeks according to blessing received
De 18:3 Sacrifices > shoulder, two cheeks, maw to priests
De 18:4 Give first fruit of corn, wine, oil, first fleece of sheep
1 Sa 2:28 Offerings to priests
2 Ki 4:42-43 people giving to prophet Elisha & Co.
2 Ch 30:24 Hezekiah sacrificing 1000 bulls
2 Ch 31:4, 31:19 Give their portions to Priests & Levites > encouraged in the law
Ez 43:19 give to priests and Levites offering
Ez 44:30 give to priests > first fruits, oblation, first of dough
Ez 45:13 give the sixth part of an ephah of a homer of barley
Ez 45:16 give oblation for prince in Israel.
Ez 46:5, 46:11 give as he shall be able to give.
Lu 18:12 I fast twice I the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Nu 35:2 ,4-8, Nu 35:13 Give cities to the Levites, including 6 cities of refuge
Lu 10:7 eating such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his hire.
… what is asked
Mt 5:42, Lu 6:30 Give to him that asks of you and from him that wants to borrow of you,
do not turn away
Mt 7:6 Give not what is holy to dogs, don’t cast your pearls before swine
… giving to others
Mt 7:9-11, Lu 11:11-13 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Mt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, freely you have received, freely give.
Mt 10:42 And whoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall I no wise lose his reward.
Mt 14:16, Mk 6:37, Lu 9:13 But Jesus said unto them, They need no depart, you give them something to eat.
Ac 3:6 Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but but such as I have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk.
Ro 12:20 If your enemy is hungry, feed him, if he is thirsty, give him to drink for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.
… giving to poor & needy
Mt 19:21, Mk 10:21 Jesus said unto him, If you want to be perfect, go sell all you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven and come and follow me.
Lu 12:33-34 Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, and unfailing treasure I heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Lu 19:8 Zacchaeus … Half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore it fourfold.
Jn 13:29 Judas … assumption: Jesus telling him to give something to the poor
1 Co 13:3 And though I give all my possessions to feed the poor and give my body to be burned and have not love, it profits me nothing.
2 Co 9:7 Every one should give according to what he purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, or by force, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Ep 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour, working with this hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that is in need.
Jm 2:16 ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled’, but do not give them in need
… giving in attitude
De 15:10 Give to God joyfully
Ps 51:6 You don’t desire sacrifice, else I’d give them, you don’t delight in
Pr 3:9-10 substance, first fruits to God
Mi 6:7 (don’t) give my first born for the transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul
Mt 16:26, Mk 8:37 What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Lu 11:41 But rather give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.
Lu 16:12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?
Ac 20:35 Words of Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
G2842 – ‘koinonia’ – 20x – partnership, participation, social intercourse, benefaction, communication, communion, distribution, fellowship
Ac 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship (koinonia), to breaking bread & prayers.
Ro 15:26 Macedonia & Achaia have been pleased to share their resources (koinonia) with the … saints in Jerusalem
1 Co 1:9 By him you were called into the fellowship of his son, Jesus Christ…
1Co 10:16 communion … sharing in the body of Christ
2Co 6:14 what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?
2 Co 8:4 begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing (koinonia) in this ministry to the saints
2Co 9:13 you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel …and by the generosity of your sharing with them and will all others
2Co 13:14 the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you
Gal 2:9; James, and Cephas and John … gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles…
Ep 3:9 make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages
Php 1:5 I thank God because of your sharing / partnership in the gospel
Php 2:1 It then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit; any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind …
Hp 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death
Phm 1:6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you
perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.
Heb 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
1Jn 1:3; we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1Jn 1:6-7 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true. 7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
- “share resources”, “contribution”, “fellowship”, “partnership” are all translations of the one Greek word G2642 koinonia
- fellowship with Christ, partnership in the gospel, God’s mystery purposes and helping poor brethren is all the same word!
- What is the NT application of the tithe laws? Churches, ywam tends to be legalistic on this law even if declaring all other law to be abolished. Why this? With what authority? What is the NT application?
- NT command is generosity, not tithe, and even less so first fruit … and how do we apply the sacrifices?? But then why should we do less than OT?
- Ariel about Fiji: tithe and first fruits are very strictly followed and enforced, but attitude is wrong … one more thing God can claim but then the rest is really mine!
- What God really looks for is an attitude: thankfulness, awareness and acknowledgment of the Giver, awed at God’s bounty, honored by his trust, careful and inquiring and accountable steward over even more things, asking God to use things well, aware that 100% is a gift, 10% is only the preliminary tithe payoff, an ‘untouchable’ devoted thing.
- Tithe and first fruits and sacrifices are all to teach me the right attitude. How can I increase in wealth and not be spoiled by it? How can I escape growing independence from God and others, self-pleasing, self-secure, security in riches / the wrong thing, slowly weaned by affluence into a godless attitude of self-merit and pleasure seeking? > this is what the tithe and first fruit laws are trying to teach
- So: not ‘have to obey the letter of the law’, but seeing God’s wisdom and the need to live by the Spirit of the law.
- Jesus is the gift, the Giver, lives the ultimate giving. Christianity is a giving in itself. Giving oneself is foundational for everything