Our God is a God of creation, He is the one, who created the universe and all things that ever existed and exist still in the universe. Even a tiny speck of dust, He seen it, He made it.
In John 1:3 it says,
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. (KJV)
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (NKJ)
Therefore, God is the one who create and provides for us, who then shall He be in need of? And of what shall He be in needs of? However, throughout the bible, it talks about giving tithes and offerings to the Lord. (Numbers 18:28; 2 Chronicles 31:12; Ezekiel 20:40)
Everything, with something to do with money and possession. But is that merely what God is looking at? Just some pieces of spare cash to satisfy His need?
God delights in our sacrifices, not to satisfy His material needs, but to see the heart of His children. A heart that is willing to part with precious belongings in our life, to show our submission and willingness to obey His commandments. In the story of Saul, God revealed to us what He truly wants and hopes from us.
In 1 Samuel 15:3, God speaks to Saul saying:
3 ‘Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy ALL they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’
However Saul did not follow what God has commanded him to do. Instead he spared Agag king of Amalek and kept the best of the sheep, oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good. He was unwilling to destroy them and brought them back to camp.
Saul later claimed that the plunders were meant as sacrifices to the Lord.
However speaking through Samuel, God says in 1 Samuel 15:22,23,
22 Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images).
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.
Obedience! is what God desires in us. God delights in us, His children, to follow His word and commandments. An act of rebellion to the word of God is equal to the sin of witchcraft, just as stubbornness is to iniquity and idolatry. We should obey and listen to the Lord and follow His commandments more so than being a ‘smart aleck’ and assume that our doings are pleasing to God. *By no means, shall the above verses rebuff tithing and giving offerings, for its God’s commandments to tithe and give offerings!
Simply ask yourself, would you want your parents/children to give you wonderful gifts on every other days, but ignore the simple pleads of spending more time with you when you feel lonely and missed home? Would you not hope that every gift you received from the ones you love comes from their heart, with careful planning and are something that is precious to them? Are we following His commandments and calls? Or are we seeking the easy way out by simply giving offerings to Him?
Gifts are a great way of showing your love for a person but it is also one of the easiest and insincere ways especially when they are being abused.
True love and sacrifices to the Lord, only comes when one is willing to obey and look upon God by faith and embark on the narrow path.
Obedience to the Lord is not solely about giving offering and tithes to the Lord, it is also about obeying the commandments of the Lord!
As above, after the Lord has reject Saul as king, He provided for Himself another king, king David.
David was know as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:13-15). He is a humble man, who kept a low profile and was considered as a nobody, even in his own family. However, he has a strong ardent love for the Lord.
Being a shepherd, whenever he brings his flocks to the pasture, he would bring along his lyre and sing psalms to the Lord. Afraid of no wild animals, lions and bear alike, he is a God-fearing man. Seeing the heart of this faithful man, God made him king, to judge over His very own people.
Soon after the death of Saul, David was made king over Israel and with the blessing of God, he finally overtook the stronghold of Zion and renamed it as the City of David. With the establishment of his city, he then decided to bring the ark of God back to his city. Now, with the ark of God in his city and with all the blessings and peace brought forth to him, he hopes to build a house for the Lord.
However, because David was a man of war and had shed much blood, God rejected him and instead He made a covenant with David that, He will establish the kingdom of his seed (Solomon) and that Solomon will build the house for the Lord!
*note: though David was very ‘excited’ about building a house for the Lord, he followed God’s commandments and did not start with the construction.
However, as Solomon was very young when he was appointed king, David made preparation of the building of the Lord’s temple for him.
In 1 Chronicles 22:14,
14 In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them.
*Note the ‘in my affliction and trouble’, David was actually giving more and out of everything he could, to the Lord, when he was in difficulty himself.
Summing up from what that was said in 1 Chronicles 22:14, 1 Chronicles 29:3,4 and 2 Chronicles 3:8 (just to quote some), David and Solomon amassed more than US$60 billion, in today’s value for the building of the house of the Lord!!
So great is the offering to the Lord, and surely God takes great delight in the house as well!
In 2 Chronicles 5:13,14,
13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:
“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”
that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
God takes so much delight in the house, that He, Himself descended and His glory filled the house.
However, if money and precious stones are truly the sole desires of the Lord, what happens to the offering by David and Solomon in the end?
In 2 kings 25:13-16,
13 The bronze pillars in the Lord's house and [its] bases and the bronze Sea the Chaldeans smashed and carried the bronze to Babylon.
14 And they took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, dishes for incense, all the bronze vessels used in the temple service,
15 The firepans, and bowls. Such things as were of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver [he took away] as silver.
16 The two pillars, the one Sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was incalculable.
All the offering and valuables were being looted, and even the temple of the Lord was being burned down by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. All simply because, of the disobedience and defiance to the Lord by the descendants of David.
For in 2 Chronicles 6:16 Solomon prays,
16 "Now Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.'
However, Solomon’s son chose to sin against the Lord instead and snub His commandments, by bowing down to Baal; to the sun and moon; to the constellations; practiced sorcery and divination; consulted mediums and spiritists; spilling innocent blood and many other sins..
Finally, the wrath of the Lord was invoked and He delivered them into the hands of the Babylonians. God takes delight in the obedience and the faithful heart of David and Solomon, more so than the house they built for Him.
Now, even though we are living in era of the New Testament, God still desires us to follow His commandment and that is, to love!
In Mark 12:30,31 Jesus says:
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The ultimate commandment given to us by Jesus is to, love.
In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus talked about the importance of love over sacrifices to the Lord:
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. *First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
True loving, in this context, is to forgive and to reconcile with those who had done wrong against us. Jesus wants us to learn to forgive people for their wrong just like how He did, forgiving us for our sins all because that He loves us! We can’t say we love, until we forgive.
*Note verse 24? First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift – enough said! Love the people, yet not forget about God!
Carry the cross and follow His way, Love Him!! To God be the glory!
In John 1:3 it says,
‘All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.’
And in Genesis 1, the complete chronology of the creation of earth in 6 ‘God-days’ was also being described in detail.
Being the God of creation, He is also the God of abundance and Providence.
In Genesis 22:12-14, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provides, is the very name God revealed to us,
And in Genesis 1, the complete chronology of the creation of earth in 6 ‘God-days’ was also being described in detail.
Being the God of creation, He is also the God of abundance and Providence.
In Genesis 22:12-14, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provides, is the very name God revealed to us,
14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. (KJV)
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (NKJ)
Therefore, God is the one who create and provides for us, who then shall He be in need of? And of what shall He be in needs of? However, throughout the bible, it talks about giving tithes and offerings to the Lord. (Numbers 18:28; 2 Chronicles 31:12; Ezekiel 20:40)
Everything, with something to do with money and possession. But is that merely what God is looking at? Just some pieces of spare cash to satisfy His need?
God delights in our sacrifices, not to satisfy His material needs, but to see the heart of His children. A heart that is willing to part with precious belongings in our life, to show our submission and willingness to obey His commandments. In the story of Saul, God revealed to us what He truly wants and hopes from us.
In 1 Samuel 15:3, God speaks to Saul saying:
3 ‘Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy ALL they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’
However Saul did not follow what God has commanded him to do. Instead he spared Agag king of Amalek and kept the best of the sheep, oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good. He was unwilling to destroy them and brought them back to camp.
Saul later claimed that the plunders were meant as sacrifices to the Lord.
However speaking through Samuel, God says in 1 Samuel 15:22,23,
22 Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images).
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.
Obedience! is what God desires in us. God delights in us, His children, to follow His word and commandments. An act of rebellion to the word of God is equal to the sin of witchcraft, just as stubbornness is to iniquity and idolatry. We should obey and listen to the Lord and follow His commandments more so than being a ‘smart aleck’ and assume that our doings are pleasing to God. *By no means, shall the above verses rebuff tithing and giving offerings, for its God’s commandments to tithe and give offerings!
Simply ask yourself, would you want your parents/children to give you wonderful gifts on every other days, but ignore the simple pleads of spending more time with you when you feel lonely and missed home? Would you not hope that every gift you received from the ones you love comes from their heart, with careful planning and are something that is precious to them? Are we following His commandments and calls? Or are we seeking the easy way out by simply giving offerings to Him?
Gifts are a great way of showing your love for a person but it is also one of the easiest and insincere ways especially when they are being abused.
True love and sacrifices to the Lord, only comes when one is willing to obey and look upon God by faith and embark on the narrow path.
Obedience to the Lord is not solely about giving offering and tithes to the Lord, it is also about obeying the commandments of the Lord!
As above, after the Lord has reject Saul as king, He provided for Himself another king, king David.
David was know as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (1 Samuel 13:13-15). He is a humble man, who kept a low profile and was considered as a nobody, even in his own family. However, he has a strong ardent love for the Lord.
Being a shepherd, whenever he brings his flocks to the pasture, he would bring along his lyre and sing psalms to the Lord. Afraid of no wild animals, lions and bear alike, he is a God-fearing man. Seeing the heart of this faithful man, God made him king, to judge over His very own people.
Soon after the death of Saul, David was made king over Israel and with the blessing of God, he finally overtook the stronghold of Zion and renamed it as the City of David. With the establishment of his city, he then decided to bring the ark of God back to his city. Now, with the ark of God in his city and with all the blessings and peace brought forth to him, he hopes to build a house for the Lord.
However, because David was a man of war and had shed much blood, God rejected him and instead He made a covenant with David that, He will establish the kingdom of his seed (Solomon) and that Solomon will build the house for the Lord!
*note: though David was very ‘excited’ about building a house for the Lord, he followed God’s commandments and did not start with the construction.
However, as Solomon was very young when he was appointed king, David made preparation of the building of the Lord’s temple for him.
In 1 Chronicles 22:14,
14 In my affliction and trouble I have provided for the house of the Lord 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and bronze and iron without weighing. I have also provided timber and stone; you must add to them.
*Note the ‘in my affliction and trouble’, David was actually giving more and out of everything he could, to the Lord, when he was in difficulty himself.
Summing up from what that was said in 1 Chronicles 22:14, 1 Chronicles 29:3,4 and 2 Chronicles 3:8 (just to quote some), David and Solomon amassed more than US$60 billion, in today’s value for the building of the house of the Lord!!
So great is the offering to the Lord, and surely God takes great delight in the house as well!
In 2 Chronicles 5:13,14,
13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:
“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”
that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
God takes so much delight in the house, that He, Himself descended and His glory filled the house.
However, if money and precious stones are truly the sole desires of the Lord, what happens to the offering by David and Solomon in the end?
In 2 kings 25:13-16,
13 The bronze pillars in the Lord's house and [its] bases and the bronze Sea the Chaldeans smashed and carried the bronze to Babylon.
14 And they took away the pots, shovels, snuffers, dishes for incense, all the bronze vessels used in the temple service,
15 The firepans, and bowls. Such things as were of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver [he took away] as silver.
16 The two pillars, the one Sea, and the bases, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these articles was incalculable.
All the offering and valuables were being looted, and even the temple of the Lord was being burned down by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. All simply because, of the disobedience and defiance to the Lord by the descendants of David.
For in 2 Chronicles 6:16 Solomon prays,
16 "Now Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law, as you have done.'
However, Solomon’s son chose to sin against the Lord instead and snub His commandments, by bowing down to Baal; to the sun and moon; to the constellations; practiced sorcery and divination; consulted mediums and spiritists; spilling innocent blood and many other sins..
Finally, the wrath of the Lord was invoked and He delivered them into the hands of the Babylonians. God takes delight in the obedience and the faithful heart of David and Solomon, more so than the house they built for Him.
Now, even though we are living in era of the New Testament, God still desires us to follow His commandment and that is, to love!
In Mark 12:30,31 Jesus says:
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The ultimate commandment given to us by Jesus is to, love.
In Matthew 5:21-26 Jesus talked about the importance of love over sacrifices to the Lord:
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. *First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
True loving, in this context, is to forgive and to reconcile with those who had done wrong against us. Jesus wants us to learn to forgive people for their wrong just like how He did, forgiving us for our sins all because that He loves us! We can’t say we love, until we forgive.
*Note verse 24? First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift – enough said! Love the people, yet not forget about God!
Carry the cross and follow His way, Love Him!! To God be the glory!
