Chapter Eight
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHAT IS MEANT BY GIVING TO GOD?
Holy Scripture will help us in answering this question, and so we first turn to the Old Testament. Offering to God did not mean placing the offerings before Him and then using them for oneself. The devout Israelite gave to God in three ways:
(1) For the worship of God; (2) for the support of the Priest and the Levite; and (3) for the poor. These were all reckoned as Giving to God Himself.
The worship of God required in early days a Tabernacle, and in later times a Temple. 'The erection of these sanctuaries was made possible by the generous free-will offerings of the people. We have already noted these gifts in Chapter 6.
| Besides these places of worship, the continual maintenance of worship needed accessories which had to be provided by the people's gifts. The oil for the lamps, the incense for the Altar (Exodus 30 :36), the shewbread for the Holy Table (Leviticus 24 :9) and the animals for the daily sacrifices (Exodus 29 : 39-42)—these and other things necessary for worship under the Old Covenant could be obtained only through outlay of money, or as gifts in kind from the faithful. In one way or another, all were provided by the people. Malachi probably refers
| to these when he speaks of "food" in God's house (Malachi 3:10), The ministers of God had to be sustained by the gifts of the people. The Levites and the Priests had no inheritance in the land; and, since they gave themselves wholly to the service of 'God and His sanctuary, every Israelite had to share a portion of his income with the Levite.
God accepted this as given to Himself. " To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, their service in the tent of meeting. ..
. The tithe of the people of Israel . I have given to the Levites for an inheritance: therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel" (Numbers 18:
21-24), Deuteronomy makes some additions to this:
'' The Levitical priests, that is, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. .
. And this shall be the priests' due from the people, . . . the shoulder... the first fruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you shall give him" (Deuteronomy 18: 1-5).
The poor had also a claim on the gifts of the Israelite.
In his festivals the Israelite had to share his gifts with the fatherless, the widow and the poor (Deuteronomy
16:11; 24:19; Leviticus 19:9, 10). Deuteronomy taught that " at the end of every three years" the people ~*suld
— bring all the tithe of their increase and set it apart by itself, and "the Levite .
. and the fatherless and the widow, . . . shall come and eat and be filled "' (Deuteronomy 14 :28, 29). "I command you, You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in the land " (Deuteronomy 15:11).
But how do all these commandments Fae to Christians? Admitting that it is the duty of the Christian to give to God, what are the objects to which he should give, in order that he may satisfy himself that he is discharging his duty in this respect?
__ There are, for the Christian, too, three objects to which he must give, if he desires to fulfil his duty to God in this respect.
The Worship of God and the Maintenance of Mis Ministry CuurcHES. Among us Christians, too, the due wor- |
ae of God as befits Him and His majesty demands a separate place of worship. This is in no way because
God cannot be found except in a church building. No.
Where two or three are gathered together, there He is in their midst. But a place set apart for God's worship increases in the worshippers the sense of His presence, aids reverence in the approach to Him—that reverence and awe which are due to God from man, to the Creator from the creature, to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from His redeemed children; and it helps a congregation of the faithful to experience that inspiration and spiritual glow which come through fellowship in common wor- — ship. The church building is the one place in which the family of God can come together as a family.
We need not labour this point in India. " In a village where there is no temple, never seek to build your house " is a well-known South Indian proverb. Church-building enterprises are as a rule most enthusiastically supported
-by Indian Christians. We know of Christians taxing themselves for years to raise money for churches. This should always be encouraged by leaders of Churches and Missions. The natural enthusiasm of indigenous
Christians should be allowed to have the fullest outlet in church-building enterprises.
Not only is a place required, but a certain amount of money is needed for the MAINTENANCE of the building and the continuance of its worship. The lighting of churches, provision of furniture—reading desk, Holy
Table, Altar linen, etc., books for the reading of services, — the elements for the celebration of the sacraments—all these require funds; and these must be provided by the faithful.
The MINISTERS need support. If they devote themselves wholly to the ministry of the Church and the people, their stipends have to be provided, and that not on a niggardly scale, demanding of them sacrifices which the people themselves do not make, but on a generous scale, enabling them to live free from worry, to entertain
the stranger, and to give adequate education to their children. Their travelling, too, has to be provided for, if they shepherd more than one congregation.
The Poor In the time of the Apostles, most people were poor, and the gap between the rich and the poor was very great, as it still is in many parts of the world. To-day, modern methods in agriculture and industry have made it possible to raise the standard of living far higher than would have been thought possible even a hundred years ago. There is a world-wide movement in favour of equality and a fairer distribution of wealth. There is a new sense that each member of the community is responsible for the welfare of all, and must try to see to it that to each is given according to his need. Great plans have been put in force by governments to care for children, the sick and the old, and to guard against sudden disasters. 'The Christian can only give thanks for all these things. Christians ought to take the lead in every movement for social justice and better living standards. 'They ought to be interested in such things as better use of the land and increase of its products, so that there may be a larger share for all. They should be working for a time when there will no longer be any poor.
But it will be a very long time before that happy state is reached. Until then, care for the poor and needy will be a great Christian responsibility, and the object of much Christian giving.
The first duty of Christians is towards the members of the Christian family. The widows and the helpless must become the care of the local Churches. The example
~ of the Jerusalem Church is well known (see Acts 6:1).
The Relief Fund for the Jewish Christian poor, organized and administered by St. Paul, is a notable instance of this same Christian duty to the Christian poor, even beyond the local jurisdiction of the giving Churches.
The Lord had said: "As you did it to one of the least
of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew Bat 40); and Christians were always urged to recognize that the poor among the brethren should be their special care.
(See also James 2:15; Hebrews 13 :16; Galatians 6 : 10.) For a Christian to go about begging should be considered a disgrace to the Christian Church. In order to avoid the evil of relief given without due thought and knowledge, it is advisable for all Christian people to contribute to a Church Poor Fund, and to place the Fund at the disposal of the Minister or a Committee, for fair and equitable administration among the poor and helpless Christians of the Church of the locality.
But we must not limit our sense of duty only to the Christian fellowship. All who are in need have a claim on our sympathy and our service. Sometimes the very best form of Christian witness is loving help to those who are not Christians. The one who receives the help may then ask: " Why do you do this for me? I am not one of your people." This opens to us the door to tell him of the one loving Father, who cares for all alike, and has taught us to show forth our faith by our works.
The Furtherance of the Gospel The commission to preach the Gospel to every creature, like the promise of Christ's presence with His people, was given to all Christian people living in all ages to the end of the world. This is the Church's mission.
This is the reason for its existence. When Christians are gathered into the community of believers in any locality,
— they are not only called to be Christ's witnesses in their — own immediate neighbourhood (in Jerusalem)—they — must also in some way discharge their obligation to those farther away (in Judza and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth). They cannot, of course, witness in these latter regions with their lips; but they can send their representatives—their missionaries—to be witnesses in their stead to those in distant parts. Christians, therefore, are under obligation to set apart some of their gifts
to God for the purpose of the missionary work of the Church in non-Christian lands. This was how the Church in Philippi was able to have " partnership" (with the Apostle) in furtherance of the Gospel "from the first day " (Philippians 1 :5; 4:15). Foreign missions—that is, the organization for evangelizing outside the area of the Church—thus have a claim on all Christians. Support of foreign missions ought not to be the hobby of a few pious people; it ought to be the glad duty of all who bear the Name of Christ; it ought to be an integral part of all Church work; it ought to be felt as a duty by everyone who is a follower of Christ.
The other question that requires an answer in this connexion is: How much should a Christian give?
We shall again first study the law and custom of the Jews to discover what their practice was.
It is very difficult to ascertain how much the Jew gave in all to the three objects we outlined before. We may be sure, however, that at least in later times the faithful
Israelite was expected to give in the following proportions :— A Tenth of all his Produce There are several references to the Tithe in Mosaic legislation. The following are typical :
Leviticus 27 : 30,31. "All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. If a man wishes to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it."
Deuteronomy 14 :22, 28, 29. " You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the field year by year. .
. At the end of every three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your produce in the same year, and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite
.. and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow ..
. shall come and eat and be filled."
Numbers 18:21. "To the Levites I have given every
tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, their service in the tent of meeting."
Tithing, as we have already noticed, appears to be a very ancient custom among primitive peoples. Compare the case of Abraham giving tithe to Melchizedek (Genesis
14:20 and Hebrews 7 :2, 4); and that of Jacob vowing to God a tithe of all he might possess (Genesis 28 : 22).
Prophets and priests laid down regulations from time to time, the Levitical priesthood claiming a tithe of all the produce for themselves. The prophet Malachi charged the Jews who had returned from the captivity with having turned aside from God's ordinances, because they did not bring all their tithes to the sanctuary:
" Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How are we robbing thee?' In your tithes and offerings. .
. . Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of Hosts " (Malachi 3 :8, 10).
This practice continued among all pious Jews even in the time of our Lord. The Pharisee in the parable says proudly: "I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get" (Luke 18:12). In our Lord's great rebuke of the Scribes and Pharisees, He referred to their habit of tithing the smallest crops they raised ("' You tithe mint and dill and cummin "'), and condemned them for omitting the weightier matters of the law, " justice and mercy and faith'. "These you ought to have done," said He,
"without neglecting the others" (Matthew 23 : 23).
Firstlings and First Fruits Apart from the tithe there was also an injunction to offer to God all the first-born of cattle and all the first fruits of the field.
The first-born of the oxen and sheep were to be offered to God (Exodus 22 :30). The firstlings among beasts were claimed as the Lord's. If they were of an unclean beast, they had to be redeemed at their price with twenty per
cent added to it (Leviticus 27: 26, 27). These firstlings were to go to Aaron and the priesthood (Numbers
18 :12).
All the first fruits of the land also were to be offered to God. So the Israelites are said to have done in the times of Hezekiah. " The people of Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field" (2 Chronicles 31:5). The ancient legislation ordered: " The first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God" (Exodus 23 :19; 34:26). This was set out more fully in Deuteronomy 26:1-11. All these first fruits were given to the Priests and Levites: "All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the first fruits " of them all were the Lord's, and He gave it to them (Numbers 18 : 12).
Freewill Offerings Apart from these, there were many types of freewill offerings—such as offerings of vows (Leviticus 7 : 16), thankofferings (Leviticus 7:13, 15), and free-will offerings that were to be offered at the Feast of Weeks. " You shall keep the feast of weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you"
(Deuteronomy 16:10).
Someone has said that, if we thus reckon together all that a pious Israelite gave to God and His ministers under the Old Covenant, it would probably work out to be about a third of his total income.
What Should the Christian Give?
The New Covenant is not a covenant of law but of grace. The Christian is not under commandments and regulations, but under the more compelling rule of love.
Consequently, the New Testament never commands the offering of tithes, first fruits or firstlings; but reiterates the principle of freewill offerings, as man's response to
God's wonderful love in Jesus Christ.
Among the disciples at Antioch, every man gave " according to his ability " (Acts 11:29). Christians in Corinth were urged each to set apart Sunday after Sunday, "as he may prosper " (1 Corinthians 16 :2). The Churches of Macedonia were commended because they gave " according to their means" and " beyond their means " (2 Corinthians 8 :3).
So in the New Testament we have examples of carrying out in practice this principle of freewill offering. The Pharisee in the parable gave a tenth (ten per cent) of his income (Luke 18:12). Zacchzeus gave one half (fifty per cent) of all he possessed (Luke 19:8). The widow and Barnabas gave their all (a hundred per cent) (Luke 21 :4;
Acts 4 :37).
| It is urged that the tenth was levied on the Jew because God had given him the land, and that this included the land-tax also. When the Israelites had kings, we may be sure that they levied many other taxes besides land-tax !
| The Christian is thus not under the Law of Tithes, precisely as he is not under obligation to observe the Jewish feasts, or to offer the Levitical sacrifices or to obey the laws of the Sabbath. To enforce, therefore, the Tithe on Christians as a Biblical command involves a misunderstanding of the relationship between the Old
Covenant and the New.
| God has now given man His all. He expects man's relationship to Him to be a relationship of gratitude, thanksgiving and love. Moved by such a love, the redeemed man must determine for himself what his response should be in terms of money. This response is bound to vary for different persons. She loves much to whom much is forgiven (Luke 7: 47). Consciousness or recognition of God's love and forgiveness decides the proportion. Again: " Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more" (Luke 12:
48). Material endowments and spiritual gifts must also determine the proportion. This is Christ's law.
To apply this to ourselves. If Christians recognized in any measure the height and depth of God's love which has made them partakers of the redemption wrought by the Cross, there would be no need to make rules about Giving. If they adequately realized that much of the material prosperity and social opportunities that have come to them as Christians in this world have come to them from the hands of the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, then they would be the first to recognize that of them the more would be expected. Inadequate Giving is positive evidence that this recognition is feeble—or, in other words, that the spiritual life is at a low level.
Missionaries and Church leaders who complain of inadequate Giving in our Churches must ceaselessly agonize in prayer for an infusion of new life among Christians. A new vision of the love of God as shown forth on the Cross, a new assurance of the forgiveness of sins in their own hearts, a new gratitude and thankfulness for all the things that with Christ God has given them—these alone will in the long run result in generous
Giving. The Church where for a whole year Christians were gathered together (for Bible Classes) to be taught
(Acts 11:26) was the Church that organized the first Christian Famine Relief Fund. The Korean Church of to-day gives to God a much higher proportion than many another Church, because it is nurtured and trained in Holy Scripture.
The same will be true of all our Churches to-day, if we can fulfil the same conditions.