How would you feel if your most recent tithes and offerings were listed among the gifts described in Numbers 7? Numbers 7:1-11
“When Moses finished setting up the Holy Tent, he gave it for service to the Lord by pouring olive oil on the Tent and on everything used in it. He also poured oil on the altar and all its tools to prepare them for service to the Lord.”
“Then the leaders of Israel made offerings. These were the heads of the families, the leaders of each tribe who counted the people.”
“They brought to the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—each leader giving an ox, and every two leaders giving a cart. They brought these to the Holy Tent.”
“The Lord said to Moses, “Accept these gifts from the leaders and use them in the work of the Meeting Tent. Give them to the Levites as they need them.” So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, which they needed for their work. Then Moses gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, which they needed for their work. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, directed the work of all of them. Moses did not give any oxen or carts to the Kohathites, because their job was to carry the holy things on their shoulders. When the oil was poured on the altar, the leaders brought their offerings to it to give it to the Lord’s service; they presented them in front of the altar. The Lord told Moses, “Each day one leader must bring his gift to make the altar ready for service to me.””
Numbers 7:4-11 NCV
https://bible.com/bible/105/num.7.4-11.NCV
How would your gifts stack up against the offerings of the tribal leaders of Israel?
In Old Testament days, giving was fairly simple. The gifts were to be brought to the tabernacle (and later, the temple) where they would be administered by the Levites and priests. As Christians, that means giving 10 percent to the church they attend and giving additional offerings to other organizations as they are able and feel prompted by God.
It’s important to remember that we do not give to the church but rather we give to God through the church. We do not give to Christian organizations but rather give to God through Christian organizations.
Christians who recognize that everything we have is a gift from God express this reality by giving out of what we have received. Such giving is an expression of gratitude. The amount we give and the channels through which we direct our giving will vary, but the attitude is always the same: “Thank You, Father, for Your goodness to us.”
Thank God for His goodness to you and your family. Name specific areas in which you’ve been especially blessed recently. Ask the Lord to help you model an attitude of giving for your kids to follow.
Reflect on these questions:
What does your attitude toward giving say about your relationship with God?
What have your kids (or other family members) learned from your example of giving?
If you wanted to change the example you set, what area of giving would you need to work on first?
Consider these passages for further study on Tithing:
Genesis 28:20-22
“Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “I want God to be with me and to protect me on this journey. I want him to give me food to eat and clothes to wear so I will be able to return in peace to my father’s house. If the Lord does these things, he will be my God. This stone which I have set up on its end will be the house of God. And I will give God one-tenth of all he gives me.””
Genesis 28:20-22 NCV
https://bible.com/bible/105/gen.28.20-22.NCV
Leviticus 27:30
““ ‘One-tenth of all crops belongs to the Lord, including the crops from fields and the fruit from trees. That one-tenth is holy to the Lord.”
Leviticus 27:30 NCV
https://bible.com/bible/105/lev.27.30.NCV
Malachi 3:6-10
““I the Lord do not change. So you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Since the time of your ancestors, you have disobeyed my rules and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord All-Powerful. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’ “Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me. “You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ “You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops. So a curse is on you because the whole nation has robbed me. Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord All-Powerful. “I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.”
Malachi 3:6-10 NCV
https://bible.com/bible/105/mal.3.6-9.NCV
It’s an attitude that we can see around us to do the right thing toward giving. Great thoughts and guidance from Gary Chapman. Have the plan to keep growing with Christ and it shows in our giving.