Bible Study: Spiritual Disciplines

Giving

Giving can come in many different forms. We often think of giving as our money, but it can be our time, our talents and our treasure.

Cain and Abel

In Old Testament times, giving was established before the Law. If we go back to Genesis 4, Cain and Abel decided that they wanted to give a sacrifice to the Lord. God was pleased with Abel’s but not with Cain’s. It may have been the attitude, or the quality. but we know that Abel gave the best that he had.

Genesis 4:3-7

Genesis 4:3–7 NIV

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Noah

After Noah got off of the ark, he sacrificed to the Lord.

Genesis 8:20-22

Genesis 8:20–22 NIV

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Abraham

In Genesis 14:20, Abraham gave 1/10th of all the goods he had recovered after he rescued Lot. He gave it to Melchizedek, King of Salem, peace and righteousness.

The Law of Moses

We know that there are many sacrifices and feasts to the Lord. Leviticus 23 speaks of these.

Of all the tribes of Israel, there was one that wasn’t given land. They were given pasture land around cities of refuge, but the Lord was their allotment. The Lord commanded the other tribes to take care of the Levites, so they were to give the tithe.

Leviticus 27:30-33

Leviticus 27:30–33 NIV

“ ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’ ”

Tithe is ten percent of our income and offering is what we give over and above. Alms was what people gave to the poor. It would be like our benevolence.

What does the New Testament say about giving?

The Apostle Paul wrote about the concept of sowing and reaping

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 NIV

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Luke 6:37-38

Luke 6:37–38 NIV

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

God wants us...

When we give, it’s really and act of obedience to God. God doesn’t need our money. It’s not that He really needs us to do anything.

He has given us everything: Our abilities, our time, the things that we have.

James 1:17

James 1:17 NIV

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

God wants us to be sold out to Him. he owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He spoke the worlds into existence, and yet He created us for relationship. We have been created for His glory.

When we serve the Lord with our time, and our talents, and even our treasure, it pleases God.

He blesses us so that we can bless others.

Jesus scolded the religious leaders because they did the Math but missed out the more weighty matters of the law.

Matthew 23:23-24

Matthew 23:23–24 NIV

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Two laws that sum up the law is:

Love God and love your neighbour as yourself

Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Let’s not neglect our giving, but let’s remember in all things love.