Teaching on Offerings
This is one of the ways of expressing our love to God. First & foremost, offerings & tithes are to God. The heart of tithing was to honor the name of the Lord, teaching us to always fear the Lord God. (Deut 14:22,23)
There is a difference between tithes & offerings.
Tithe is a ‘tenth’ of what is produced by you given to God. God sees it as belonging to Him & “holy to the Lord” (Lev 27:30). It is His desire that the tithe is set apart for special purposes. The origins of tithing are rooted in the Old Testament & was part of life as early as Abraham (Gen 14:20). In the Scriptures we are told of the following tithes:
*A tithe for the Priests & Levities - people set apart to worship, minister to God & administer the Tabernacle/Temple (Num 18:21-24, Deut 14:27-29)
*A tithe for the use in the temple & the great feasts (Deut 14:22,23)
*A tithe for the poor (Deut 14:29)
Offerings:
Offerings on the other hand, are sowing out of your place of need, even in the place of not yet having it. We see this in Luke 21:1-4
“While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people putting their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two pennies. “I assure you,” he said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
The first mention of offerings is in Genesis 4 when Cain gives an offering to God. It is not “respected by God”, but Abel’s offering is. The difference in this story is that Abel gave to the Lord the first of his ‘fruit’ as an offering. It leaves us with the question what did Cain give as his offering to the Lord? The first fruit feast was one of the key feasts that God asked the people of Israel to observe every year (Ex 23:19). The significance of this feast was that offerings given to God were the first of the harvest. It was ALL that was available at this time of the begining of the harvest. They had to trust God more would come from their crops for themselves. It was primarily a gift given in faith that God is who He says He is – our provider.
Practically:
Ask God, “How can I love/trust you in this area of my life?”
Ask him ‘specifics’:
1. Do you want me to tithe? how much? When? To whom? How often?
2. Do you want an offering from me? How much? When? To what? How often?
We have found a great key here is freedom (2Cor 3:17). Look for options that give you joy & peace ie. ‘the fruit of the Spirit of God’
This is what the Lord promises as we develop a culture & heart of giving…
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day & night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper & succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8
“I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.” Mark 10:30
You can’t out give God!