{"id":629,"date":"2024-04-17T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T16:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leadershiponfire\/?p=629"},"modified":"2024-04-22T15:56:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T19:56:38","slug":"biblical-giving-part-3-assorted-offerings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leadershiponfire\/2024\/04\/biblical-giving-part-3-assorted-offerings\/","title":{"rendered":"Assorted Biblical Offerings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

So far, we\u2019ve examined a general concept of Biblical giving<\/a> and the specifics of tithing<\/a>. We\u2019ve learned about the different requirements for giving, why tithing was (and remains important), and the different form tithes took in Biblical history. In this installment, we are going to learn about different types of offerings: specifically, firstfruits, almsgiving, and general offerings. In moving between both Old and New Testament giving, we will see the wide variety of options that exist for Christians who seek to be a blessing in God\u2019s Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Firstfruits<\/h3>\n Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/paying-with-cash-4968385\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \ When we are deep in worship, we often sing about giving God the \u201cbest\u201d of what we have. Sermons abound telling us to put \u201cGod first\u201d in our lives. I have yet to meet anyone who disagrees with these sentiments. We agree with them, but life has a way of tempting us to justify our idolatry. Whether it\u2019s skipping church, loving our spouse or children just a little more than we should, or pursuing our interests while cutting devotional or spiritual times, it\u2019s too easy to put the invisible God behind things more visible to us. This is truer nowhere than our finances. It\u2019s easy to cut our giving without a second thought, thinking nobody will notice.<\/p>\n \ Thing is, God notices. Our temptations toward covetousness drive us to selfish pursuits, leading us away from God. How do we prevent such things? Is it as simple as automatically drafting our tithe payments? While such definitely helps, we challenge selfishness through bigger gestures. In the case of Bible history, it was through the practice of firstfruits.<\/p>\n Giving from the first part<\/h4>\n Also known as the Feast of Weeks and Pentecost<\/a>, firstfruits was an entire holiday of \u201cfirst giving.\u201d Celebrated seven complete weeks (or fifty days) after Passover, firstfruits is exactly what it sounds like. During firstfruits, people offered the first and best parts of any harvest to the Lord.\u00a0 Exodus 23:16 and 19<\/a> tell us:<\/p>\n Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.<\/em><\/span>..<\/em>Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord<\/span> your God.<\/em> (NIV)<\/span><\/p>\n Firstfruits demonstrated obedience and reverence, giving God what was first rather than leftover. No other crops were harvested until firstfruits were presented. Offerings included grain, olive oil, new wine, honey, wool, herds, and flocks.<\/p>\n Almsgiving<\/h3>\n Almsgiving is a fancy term for \u201cgiving to the poor.\u201d The Bible doesn\u2019t state how much one should give to the poor, but rather, it focuses on how such is given. Deuteronomy 15:7-8,10-11<\/a> says:<\/p>\n If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord<\/span> your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.<\/span> Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need\u2026<\/span>Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord<\/span> your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.<\/span> <\/em>There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.<\/em> (NIV)*** ***\n<\/span><\/p>\n The Bible acknowledges that sometimes people are down on their luck or have circumstances that require assistance. In the ancient world, people were the responsibility of their families; there was no such thing as welfare or a disability system. Charity helped others achieve self-reliance and was done regularly, without asking, and without fanfare.<\/p>\n Determining where to give<\/h4>\n These principles demand we consider our giving beyond just handing out money or goods. First, we should consider there are more \u201ccauses\u201d in this world than those that might be common or popular. It\u2019s not just about the charities with the biggest names. Many large charities suffer from overfunding<\/a>, which means the money donated isn\u2019t going to the function or purpose of the organization, but high overhead costs created by excessive donations. Second, we should consider the ultimate life-changing purpose of a group\u2019s goals. Medical research, for example, is a great thing\u2026but people often need help in the immediate rather than a long-term goal. Third, what kind of difference does this contribution make? Are the considerations of charity met, or is something else at work?<\/p>\n Also worth considering: charitable programs don\u2019t always have to be about homelessness to count. Advocacy for marginalized groups, domestic violence, suicide prevention, clean water programs, literacy\/education, and mental health awareness all meet the criteria to better the lives of others and help foster self-reliance.<\/p>\n Making these considerations ensure where we give matters, touches lives, and accomplishes more than just providing a tax write-off.<\/p>\n Offering<\/h3>\n The term \u201coffering\u201d is used a number of different ways in Scripture. For example, the book of Leviticus<\/a> is full of specified offerings to address different things. These offerings were made, sometimes obligatory and sometimes voluntarily, for the sake of reconciling different situations between God and the Israelites and one another. Sometimes offered for individuals or offered for a group, the concept of an offering suggests worship and sacrifice to make something right.<\/p>\n In the New Testament, the idea of \u201coffering\u201d usually refers to one of two things. The first is the offering, or sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins. Through this action, Christ\u2019s sacrifice made us right with God, ending the need for the Levitical offering system. The second is a financial offering, one that is brought to the church in a few different contexts, but most obviously, so the church can function.<\/p>\n The New Testament doesn\u2019t specify a required amount for offering (although it does echo the idea of leadership provision, as is found in old Testament tithing). Any time we give, if it\u2019s given to the Lord, we make an offering before God. The Bible does tell us, however, how we should give in an offering. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8<\/a> says:<\/p>\n Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.<\/span> Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.<\/span> <\/em>And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.<\/em> (NIV)******* *******\n<\/span><\/p>\n We should give generously, without reluctance or force, trusting that as we give, God also gives to us.<\/p>\n Incorporating offerings into giving<\/h3>\n******* ** So now you\u2019ve learned about different types of offerings. Maybe you\u2019re already a tither, but you want to step up your \u201cgiving game.\u201d Maybe you just want to do more than you\u2019re doing. How can you incorporate different types of giving into your life?<\/p>\n ** \nWhenever you start a new job, donate a special offering from your first paycheck as a firstfruits offering.<\/li>\nOnce per year at a \u201cbeginning\u201d in the year (January, the beginning of the spiritual year in April, your salvation anniversary, the church anniversary, etc.), make a special donation to the church for an upcoming project, an equipment purchase, or just to give a special offering as a firstfruits offering.<\/li>\nPractice the idea of a \u201csecond tithe\u201d in pounding, by purchasing pantry\/food items for a church\u2019s pastor or minister.<\/li>\nCreate \u201cblessing bags\u201d at your church to give out to your city\u2019s homeless population.<\/li>\nStart a \u201cdry goods\u201d pantry with non-food items those in need require (washcloths, sanitary products, shampoo, socks, soap, face masks, etc.)<\/li>\nVolunteer for a specific local program that assists with need in your area (feeding program, homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, etc.)<\/li>\nGive gently used clothing to a local charity<\/li>\nDonate books to a literacy program<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n ** What other offerings can you think to make?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ** *******So far, we\u2019ve examined a general concept of Biblical giving and the specifics of tithing. We\u2019ve learned about the different requirements for giving, why tithing was (and remains important), and the different form tithes took in Biblical history. In this installment, we are going to learn about different types of offerings: specifically, firstfruits, almsgiving, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[134,209,137,53],"tags":[545,536,542,527,539],"class_list":["post-629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-education","category-bible-history","category-bible-study","category-spiritual-development","tag-almsgiving","tag-biblical-giving","tag-firstfruits","tag-giving","tag-offering"],"yoast_head":"\nAssorted Biblical Offerings<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The third part in our series on Biblical giving, learn about different types of offerings, including firstfruits and almsgiving.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leadershiponfire\/2024\/04\/biblical-giving-part-3-assorted-offerings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Assorted Biblical Offerings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The third part in our series on Biblical giving, learn about different types of offerings, including firstfruits and almsgiving.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leadershiponfire\/2024\/04\/biblical-giving-part-3-assorted-offerings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Leadership on Fire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/kingdompowernow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-17T16:00:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-22T19:56:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1922\/2024\/03\/pexels-karolina-grabowska-4968385.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lee Ann B. 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