Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. [2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV)]
In the midst of all the tedious and repetitive regulations regarding sacrificial offerings in Leviticus, we find evidence of God’s love and mercy. For several sacrifices, a distinction was made between offering requirements for the wealthy and the poor. Called korban oleh v’yored, there was a sliding scale for sacrifice based on a person’s economic position. In Luke’s gospel, for example, we learn that Mary and Joseph brought two birds as their sacrifice after Jesus’ birth. Had the family been wealthier, they would have brought a one-year-old lamb and a pigeon or dove and, had they been poorer, they would have brought only two quarts of choice flour.
We see Jesus applying the same principle in the gospels of Mark and Luke. While in the Temple, He watched people put their offerings in the offering box. The wealthy put in large sums but then a poor widow put in two copper lepta. The smallest of Roman coins, those two lepta were worth about 1/64th of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer). Put another way, those two coins were worth less than 10-minutes of work! Rather than commending the wealthy for their large donations, Jesus called over His disciples and told them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” [Mark 12:43-44]
While others certainly had given more than the widow, her gift was far more valuable than the gifts of the wealthy. The woman’s offering was greater than all the others both in proportion and in the spirit in which she gave. The wealthy gave from their abundance but they didn’t sacrifice any of their abundance, while the poor woman sacrificed all she had.
The purpose of the many tithes, offerings, and sacrifices in Leviticus was to strengthen man’s relationship with God, not to impoverish him. Our sacrifices are to be offered lovingly, humbly, obediently, joyfully, and willingly; that can’t be done if we can’t afford what we’re offering. Rather than suggesting we sell our homes, clean out our savings, 401(k)s, and investment accounts and give it all to the church, I’m saying our giving should be proportional to our gifts. Do we really give according to our income? What if God made our income proportional to our giving?
When a nearby church embarked on a massive building program several years ago, Pastor Ted asked the members to prayerfully reach deep into their pockets to pay for the new sanctuary. Each was asked to give only as he or she was able and the pastor reminded them that the amount given would vary considerably among his parishioners. For an elderly widow, an extra twenty-five cents a week might constitute a greater sacrifice than a $25,000 check from a retired CEO.
The Magi arrived in regal robes and offered expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. Neither the little drummer boy nor the littlest angel from Charles Tazwell’s story were at the nativity. Nevertheless, had they been there, the drummer boy’s best “Pa rum pum pum pum” and the littlest angel’s “treasure” box with its robin egg, butterfly, two white stones, and half-chewed dog collar would have been as valuable as those lavish gifts from the Magi. God in His grace does not discriminate against the poor or the rich. The ancient sliding scale of sacrifice God gave Israel tells us that the pleasing aroma of sacrifice has nothing to do with the size of the sacrifice but rather with the heart that accompanies it.
Not, how much of my money will I give to God, but how much of God’s money will I keep for myself? [John Wesley]
Earlier this week, I wrote of the Levites’ failure to protect Judah from idolatry but one Levite stands out in his loyalty to God and commitment to the temple: Jehoiada the priest. When Judah’s King Ahaziah died, his mother, Queen Athaliah seized Judah’s throne. The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, she was as evil as her parents and tried to kill all of her son’s heirs. Unknown to her, Ahaziah’s infant son Joash was hidden by his aunt and survived. Raised by the high priest Jehoiada, the boy’s existence was kept secret while the priest plotted to put him on the throne. When the boy was seven, Jehoiada made a pact with five army commanders who covertly travelled throughout Judah to summon the Levites and leaders to a meeting at the Temple.
Proof of the truth is no substitute for our faith; nevertheless, it is important to know the truth of what we believe. At some point, we will ask ourselves how we can believe the validity of what we’re reading in our Bibles. Fortunately, we have Christian apologists to help us see its truth. Rather than offering apologies for the wrongs committed by evil people in the name of Jesus, apologists share the objective reasons and evidence that Christianity is true and should be believed. The Apostle Paul was probably the first apologist when he showed that Jesus’ fulfillment of Scripture’s prophecies proved He was the Messiah. Paul knew that the truth could stand up to scrutiny and it still does today. As for those prophecies: by conservative estimate, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies while on earth.
Because the literacy rate in the 1st century was around 10 to 15%, only a few people could read the Hebrew Scriptures or Apostolic letters. By necessity, the new faith came about through public reading and preaching. In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul warned of a time when sound doctrine would no longer be tolerated. Rather than reproof, rebuke, exhortation, and instruction, people would want to have their itching ears knéthó (meaning tickled or scratched). Rather than knowledge and doctrine, they’d be more interested in myths, sensationalism, and viewpoints suiting their desires. I fear that time has come!
Those four verses are some of the most confusing ones in Scripture. Who are the sons of God, the daughters of men, the Nephilim, and how did they come to be mighty men (or as some translations say giants)? The Nephilim appear to be a race of formidable beings associated with extraordinary physical stature and fearful reputation. Mentioned briefly twice in Scripture, we find them in Genesis, just before the flood, and again in Numbers (post flood). Nephilim comes from naphal, meaning to fall. One school of thought holds that the “sons of God” were fallen angels who mated with human women (the daughters of man) and produced a hybrid race of giants called Nephilim. The apocryphal book of Enoch claims these offspring were giants standing thee hundred cubits (450 feet) tall. They had such insatiable hunger that they ate humans as well as one another. Having taught humans medicinal magic, astrology, divination, and other sinful practices, it was their evil ways that caused the flood! Written around 300-100 BC, the book of Enoch never was accepted as part the Hebrew Scriptures and never has been in the Christian canon.
Today’s socks tell me, “I am perfectly made” and remind me of Psalm 139’s affirmation that, “I have been remarkably and wondrously made.” All of my low-cut athletic socks have pithy affirmations woven into the toes. Depending on what pair I choose, I’m reminded that I have hope or that I’m loved, brave, strong, grateful, kind, powerful, blessed, or thankful. My favorite pair, however, tell me, “I am with you always!” It may seem silly, but there are times, especially during difficult days, when I recall the day’s affirmation on my feet and I stand a little more assuredly.
Devotions of the Heart 