An Offering To The Lord / Una Ofrenda Para El Señor

Introduction

There are a few topics that are considered off limits when it comes to public conversation:

Religion

Politics

Money

There is something about the topic of money that tends to make many of us uncomfortable. There are many reasons why this is the case:

Some have it.

Some do not have enough.

Some feel they need much more.

Some feel they have made bad decisions when it comes to money.

Some feel that if others knew how much money they had, they would be a prime target.

Many people are also apprehensive or suspicious about the fact that during a church service we collect an offering.

The offering has been part of the worship of the people of God ever since the book of Genesis.

We worship God through the fruits of our labor.

During the month of June we want to consider the topic of money. We will consider:

The Christian and Debt

The Love of Money

Good Stewardship

Today we will start to look at money from the perspective of money being used as an act of worship through our offering.

The worship of God through our offering is voluntary

The value of an offering is not determined by its amount

God provides so that we may give back to him

I. We can worship God through a voluntary offering

I. Podemos adorar a Dios mediante una ofrenda voluntaria

The setting of our Scripture reading is the dessert.

Moses has lead the people out of Egypt.

They have left the house of slavery to the the Promised Land.

They are in the middle of the wilderness. There are no homes, no rivers, many wild and dangerous animals around them. They are facing the harsh dessert heat.

The Lord speaks to his servant Moses:

Exodus 35:4–5 NIV

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze;

Exodus 35:4 NIV

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded:

Exodus 35:4–5 NVI

Moisés le dijo a toda la comunidad israelita: «Esto es lo que el Señor les ordena: Tomen de entre sus pertenencias una ofrenda para el Señor. Todo el que se sienta movido a hacerlo, presente al Señor una ofrenda de oro, plata y bronce;

The Lord is commanding that they take up an offering - an offering from all those who are willing.

This is not an obligatory offering.

This is not a mandatory offering from each one of the freed Israelites.

The purpose of this offering is to build the tabernacle.

Exodus 35:10–11 NIV

“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases;

Exodus 35:10–11 NVI

»Todos los artesanos hábiles que haya entre ustedes deben venir y hacer todo lo que el Señor ha ordenado que se haga: el santuario, con su tienda y su toldo, sus ganchos, sus tablones, sus travesaños, sus postes y sus bases;

Exodus 35:10

The tabernacle was a tent-like structure where the Israelites would come to worship God.

This was the place where God would dwell in the midst of his people.

After all, the reason why God liberated the children of Israel was so that they could freely worship God.

The offering that would be taken up would be used for building this structure.

We see the people of God respond generously.

Exodus 35:20–21 NIV

Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.

Exodus 35:20–21 NVI

Toda la comunidad israelita se retiró de la presencia de Moisés, y todos los que en su interior se sintieron movidos a hacerlo llevaron una ofrenda al Señor para las obras en la Tienda de reunión, para todo su servicio, y para las vestiduras sagradas.

Exodus 35:20-

We see the people come “willingly” and because their “heart” was moved to act in this way.

They were not giving an offering because:

Guilt

Shame

To gain something from God

To twist God’s arm in doing something for them

They were bringing their offerings as a result of God’s work in their hearts.

The New Testament speaks to us in the same way. We bring out offerings to God as a result of a willing and open heart.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7–9 NIV

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 NVI

Cada uno debe dar según lo que haya decidido en su corazón, no de mala gana ni por obligación, porque Dios ama al que da con alegría.

We give voluntarily - not based on what others are giving, not based on rule that is imposed on us, not reluctantly, or because of a sense of obligation.

We give because we know God “loves a cheerful giver”.

We should never feel manipulated to give an offering to the Lord.

If we are being manipulated to give, or we are being told that we are not spiritual because we do not give a certain amount - then we should run as fast as we can.

We are free in Christ to give a voluntary offering knowing that by it we give God glory and praise. It is an act of worship.

II. The value of an offering is not determined by its amount

II. El valor de nuestra ofrenda no depende de la cantidad

In the construction of the tabernacle there was going to be need for many different types of materials:

Verse 5 speaks of various metals: gold, silver, and bronze.

Verse 6 speaks of various types of cloth: blue, purple, scarlet yarn and fine linen

Verse 7 speaks of various types of hides: goat hair, ram skins

Verse 9 speaks of natural substances: olive oil and spices

Verse 10 speaks of various stones: onyx and other gems

It is important to understand that the poorest and most well-off Israelite could contribute something to the construction of the tabernacle.

Those with less means could give the less costly materials whereas those with more could contribute more costly materials.

It could be that there were those that could not give anything. Not to fear! These Israelites could give of their talent:

Verse 35 speaks about those who were endowed by God with great skill: engravers, designers, embroiders, and weavers who would contribute their talent for the glory of God.

When we bring our offering unto the Lord we should not think that because it is much that it will be more acceptable than those who give less.

We should not think that because we do not have much to give that God will not take into account our small offering.

In fact, in the Bible the only time we see the Lord singling out someone who gave an offering - he singles out the poor widow.

Luke 21:1–4 NIV

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Luke 21:1-4

Luke 21:1–4 NVI

Jesús se detuvo a observar y vio a los ricos que echaban sus ofrendas en las alcancías del templo. También vio a una viuda pobre que echaba dos modenitas de poco valor. —Les aseguro—dijo—que esta viuda pobre ha echado más que todos los demás. Todos ellos dieron sus ofrendas de lo que les sobraba; pero ella, de su pobreza, echó todo lo que tenía para su sustento.

There were many rich people that were giving out of the abundance of their own riches. When they would deposit their offerings into the bronze containers they would make a loud noise.

Nevertheless, this poor widow gave out of her poverty. If there was anyone that could not afford to give an offering - humanly speaking - it was the widow. But Jesus recognizes this woman’s offering as an act of worship.

Whether or not our offering is pleasing unto the Lord does not depend on the amount, but rather it depends on the attitude of our heart.

III. God provides so that we may give back to him

III. Dios provee para que podamos ofrendar

Do you remember where the Israelites were when they were called go give an offering unto the Lord?

They were near the dessert.

They were not employed.

They were not in the Promised Land.

They were in the middle of a treacherous wilderness.

How could God be asking his people to give knowing the situation they were facing?

We may be thinking that the Israelites had nothing to offer. The reason for this is we forget of a very important verse in the Bible that is related to the Israelite’s preparation to leave Egypt.

Exodus 3:22 NIV

Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Exodus 3:22 NVI

Toda mujer israelita le pedirá a su vecina, y a cualquier otra mujer que viva en su casa, objetos de oro y de plata, y ropa para vestir a sus hijos y a sus hijas. Así despojarán ustedes a los egipcios.

Exodus 12:35–36 NIV

The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

Exodus 12:35–36 NVI

Después, siguiendo las instrucciones que Moisés les había dado, pidieron a los egipcios que les dieran objetos de oro y de plata, y también ropa. El Señor hizo que los egipcios vieran con buenos ojos a los israelitas, así que les dieron todo lo que les pedían. De este modo los israelitas despojaron por completo a los egipcios.

Exodus 12:

The Lord had prepared the children of Israel so they would not leave Egypt empty handed.

They were to go to their Egyptian neighbors who would in turn give them all sorts of goods, including gold, silver, and clothes.

God was preparing the offering that his people would eventually offer unto him.

In other words, we give not out of the abundance of what we have but rather we give out of the abundance that God has granted us.

We do not offer God because he has any need of it.

We do not offer God out of our own possessions. As Christians, we recognize what we have has been granted to us by God.

He is the source of all we have.

Conclusion

So if God, has no need of our offerings why would we give offerings to God?

So if God, has no need of our offerings why would we give offerings to God?

We give because we recognize everything belongs to God.

We give because we recognize we have recieved abundant blessings from God.

We give because our heart has been changed by God such that we value God more than we value earthly possessions.