Different Kinds of Giving

Saturday, August 12, 2017

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”

Genesis 14:19–21

When Abraham got the news that his nephew Lot had been captured along with the residents of Sodom, he gathered his trained servants and went to war. Despite facing a coalition of five kingdoms, God granted him a great victory. When Abraham was making his way home, he met Melchizedek and gave him a tithe from the spoils of war. In those days, soldiers were frequently not paid a salary, but were instead allowed to take the possessions of their defeated foe as their compensation. Abraham had every right to keep what his men had won in battle, but, instead, he willingly gave ten percent of what they had taken to Melchizedek.

There was no law that required tithing as of yet, but Abraham recognized that since the victory was God’s rather than his, it was only right that he should acknowledge the help he had received by giving back part of what he had gotten. Robert Rodenmeyer wrote, “There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, ‘I have to’; duty giving says, ‘I ought to’; thanksgiving says, ‘I want to’.”

There are few subjects more touchy in churches today than giving. People argue about whether they should tithe, how they should determine how much to give, and what is required. That is the wrong focus. If we are looking at the God who freely saved us and gives us all that we have in the first place, we will be trying to figure out how to give more rather than less.

Today's Growth Principle
A Christian who does not willingly give to God has a heart problem, not a financial problem.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 87-88

PSALM 87

A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.

¹ His foundation is in the holy mountains. ² The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. ³ Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

⁴ I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. ⁵ And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. ⁶ The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. ⁷ As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

PSALM 88

A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹ O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: ² Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; ³ For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. ⁴ I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: ⁵ Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. ⁶ Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. ⁷ Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. ⁸ Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. ⁹ Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

¹⁰ Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. ¹¹ Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? ¹² Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? ¹³ But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. ¹⁴ LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? ¹⁵ I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. ¹⁶ Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. ¹⁷ They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. ¹⁸ Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

New Testament Reading

Romans 13

CHAPTER 13

¹ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ⁴ For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶ For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

⁷ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. ⁸ Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 13

¹ A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. ² A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. ³ He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. ⁴ The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. ⁵ A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. ⁶ Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. ⁷ There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. ⁸ The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. ⁹ The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. ¹⁰ Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. ¹¹ Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. ¹² Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. ¹³ Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. ¹⁴ The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. ¹⁵ Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. ¹⁶ Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. ¹⁷ A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health. ¹⁸ Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. ¹⁹ The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. ²⁰ He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. ²¹ Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed. ²² A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. ²³ Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. ²⁴ He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. ²⁵ The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.