So often my flesh wants to give just enough to the Lord. Truthfully, I do want to serve the Lord, but I also want to sleep in on Saturday morning when there is soul winning. I want to give my money for the Lord’s work but I also really like my “toys” too. I like to go to church, but I like my family time away from everyone too. I want to serve my God but how should I behave my in Christian giving of myself and my resources?
One of the the most amazing concepts to me in all God’s Holy Word is David’s mindset when it came to his giving to the Lord, whether it was his direct service or his resources. Let’s consider for a moment this.
While David was fleeing from King Saul’s wrath in 2 Samuel 23, he and his mighty men were seeking to help Israel defeat the Philistine army which had surrounded Bethlehem. Obviously since David knew Bethlehem well, he knew there was a well of water that he loved the taste of and was thinking out loud about when he says in verse 15, “Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” He was not asking his men to get him this water, but longed for it and they knew this. When three of his mighty meant heard this, out of love and respect for David they went through the Philistine lines and got David a measure of this precious water and brought it back to him. But when when David saw what they had done, he refused to drink it and poured it out as an offering to the Lord (verse 16) because the gift was too great for him to receive. He knew these men had risked their lives and that sacrifice was worthy only to be given to God.
Then again in 1 Chronicles 21 we find that David sinned in numbering the people and God’s judgment came because of this disobedience. But when David saw his sin and the judgment on the nation, he begged for God’s forgiveness. He went to the threshing floor of Ornan to face the angel of the Lord who had stopped there. David planned to offer sacrifice for his sin and to appease the wrath of judgement. When David arrived he asked Ornan if he could build the altar and make sacrifice on the threshing floor before the angel of the Lord. Ornan immediately replied, “Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.” In other words, Ornan was saying “Your majesty, it’s all your’s. I give it all to you without any charge or cost.” But David replied in verses 24, “Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.” David was saying I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing.
What a heart David had and what a testimony it must showed to others! And that testimony must have been seen by Solomon on a daily basis as it made an impact which we can see in 1 Kings 8. Because here we find Solomon dedicating the Temple to the Lord after seven years of construction. Now we must understand than there is no direct command of what or how much to offer at the Temple’s dedication, yet we find that Solomon offers 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep in a single offering to show that the greatness of God was worthy of such as sacrifice. In fact, the Bible says in 1 Kings 8:64 that Solomon had to turn the entire middle court of the Temple into an altar of sacrifice because, “the brazen altar was too little to receive the burnt offerings….” Where did Solomon learn this concept of giving? I believe from his father, David.
As I close let me give one final illustration of this kind of heart where David might have learned this kind of sacrifice. You see, when Moses was commanded to collect from the people the needed resources to build the tabernacle, it is said of their sacrificial giving in Exodus 36:5, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work.” Did David learn his giving from that? I do not know. But I do know that God is worthy and that my desire should be that I would be willing to give with that kind of heart and that kind of sacrifice.
May my altar be too small!
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