Generosity
Notes
Transcript
SR
“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.
In Malachi 3 there’s a conversation between God and his people. It’s sort of a “pseudo-dialogue” because it’s not really a true back and forth. It’s God talking the whole time, but he’s filling in for Israel what they think and how they would respond. We’ve done this before in our conversations/arguments. “Whenever I say this, you say this” or “If I do this, you’ll say . . .” God is doing the same thing here.
First thing he says is I do not change.
“Change”
Jeremiah 2 God has a lot to say to the people about the way they constantly change their allegiances and follow after other ways of living:
Israel used to be holy, the first fruits of God. But somewhere along the line, they seemed to find fault with God an started following after other gods—worthless idols, even though it was God who brought them out of Egypt. He says he’s bringing charges against them. They have committed two sins: 1) forsaken God and 2) built their own cisterns. God goes on and on in this chapter mocking them, rebuking them, asking them scathing questions. You say to the wood (idol) “ you are my father” and to the stone “you gave me birth.” Where are your idols now?
Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.
So Israel really hears it from God and then he asks this:
Why do you go about so much, changing your ways? You will be disappointed by Egypt as you were by Assyria.
“Changing”
Word in the ANE about this: “altering contracts, agreements, words, and texts.”
Very close to the word in Psalm 89:
but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness— and I will not lie to David—
In using same word here, God explains that he won’t violate or “alter” what he has said. He has sworn and he doesn’t lie. God doesn’t change. (idea of “covenant love” we talked about last time.) The word for love here is the “covenant love” so often expressed in Hebrew scripture.
The love God has for us is based in his agreement that he will not change or alter. That’s better than any box of chocolates or flowers.
We ended in the scripture reading, but Malachi continues . . .
“You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’ ”
Here is the flip flopping and waffling that God is so tired of. So God starts with: “I don’t change. You do.” And you should be glad so that the descendents of Jacob are not destroyed. Basically, if I changed and waffled around like you, you wouldn't even be around. If I was a capricious wishy-washy god like you, I would have been over you a long time ago, I wouldn’t have put up with your unfaithfulness and all the things Jeremiah was talking about. I would have been done.
Have you ever felt that way about someone? I know today is Valentine’s day . . . Wow, how many chances do you want? How much do I need to keep forgiving, putting up with your nonsense, I’m done with you!
God is sort of feeling that way, (“Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them.”) but then reminds them that he doesn’t change. Though he may remind, rebuke, discipline, punish he doesn’t give up on us and he doesn’t altar his stance toward us. He disciplines to offer us a chance to course correct and get back on track.
OK, that’s a lot of commentary on two sentences in the Bible.
So what are the people to do?
Return to God. Turning / Returning an important concept. The path we’re walking needs to be continuously monitored so we can be confident we’re headed in the right direction (map and compass skills, picking a far off object and walking towards it but need to keep checking because even a few degrees compounded over a long distance you can end up way off the mark).
Good metaphor for life.
So Deuteronomy, Joshua, 2 Kings, Hosea all have similar admonitions such as:
So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Continual reminders in scripture, “stay on target” because we can step off the path.
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Few wake up in the morning with an intention to turn their backs on God and walk away from the Christian faith. Doesn’t seem like you woke up that way this AM or I doubt you’d decide to join us. Often it’s a matter of drifting, a step or two off the path which can begin a long journey. A boat untied from the dock that slowly, almost imperceptibly floats off beyond the horizon. The Christian life is often a matter of small course corrections, a constant turning back to God.
Nietzsche (not necessarily talking about the Christian journey)
“The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.”
So the Christian’s job day to day is to stay on the path and if we have strayed to return.
Back to Malachi:
“But how are we to return”? you ask. Quit robbing God, God says, you ask “how are we robbing God”? Tithes and offerings. Nutshell definitions: Tithe— “religious act of giving a tenth of what you produce for religious reasons.” Offerings, all sorts of religious ceremonies require certain amounts of sacrifices offered for various reasons including forgiveness of sin, etc.
There is a financial holding back that really stems from a turning away from God. This is what the “health and wealth” guys seem to be missing (guy who wants a plane, empty envelopes). God wants the people to “return to him.” A gift to God is not a coin in a slot machine guaranteed to come up with three lucky 7’s. There is a generosity God is calling for, but it stems from a desire to once again be on the right path with God.
Now, this is not a sermon asking you to put “more into the plate” Not sure how we do that over Zoom . . .
What is this generosity about? What were the tithes and offerings for?
Recall that the tithe went to the benefit of other people. Religious leaders (levites who didn’t own land, widows, orphans.) There was a collection and it was distributed. Offerings were generally for sin / atonement both personally and for the nation.
Communal benefit from generosity. Not an individual “winning the lottery” from God.
I’m wondering how we can be more generous people: 1) the obvious ones are money and time, 2) how about our stuff? 3) how about our spirit?
Are we generous with our finances? Not just on Sunday but with others?
Are we generous with our stuff? How much stuff do you have and how much do you really need? I’m not talking about the bag of stuff you take to Good will once in a while. *Wouldn’t it be weird if someone was at your house (after COVID) and someone said oh that’s a pretty vase, oh that’s a beautiful picture, that’s a cool coin in your coin collection” and you said “you can have it.” Maybe we could find a young couple and just take them out to the garage and say whatever you want, just take it.
Are we generous in spirit? Do we give the benefit of the doubt? Do we practice “benevolent assumptions” (someone is late) Meaning when someone says something or takes a stand we don’t agree with, do we automatically criticize or think “you’re dumb.” Are we gracious in giving to others not only money and stuff but the grace and forgiveness extended to us? Are we generous in spirit?
Rick and Paula firewood
Ultimately generosity is our attitude toward resources.
Sometimes it’s easy to harbor a “scarcity mentality.” Meaning we’re not sure if there’s enough to go around for everyone so I better get mine. But in truth, everything we need is already held in God’s hand. His challenge to Israel and his challenge to us is “test me.” Oh don’t give in hopes that you’ll just get a bigger paycheck down the road because you “had faith.”
The outcome of God throwing open the floodgates of heaven and pouring out so much blessing there isn’t enough storage space, is that so the nations all around will say, wow look at them. They’re blessed. Their God is a great God.
One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.