Preschool
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:9
Giving in Faith
Memory Verses
Primary
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:9
Junior
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mark 4:9
Background Scripture: 1 Kings 17
Lesson Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8–16; Luke 21:1–4
Introduction
Giving is a major principle of the Bible and is taught and exemplified from Genesis to Revelation. God gave a beautiful garden to Adam and then provided a helpmeet for him. God has given throughout history for the good of mankind, and the greatest gift He has given is his Son. God taught giving in his precepts to the people in the Old Testament, expecting them to show their faith in him by sharing abundantly their love, devotion, and material blessings, thereby worshipping God.
How can Christians show their gratitude to God in their giving? May the study and review of the Bible’s teaching on giving enliven our faith in God and his providence. May true Christian generosity be active in our lives.
Key Verse
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee (Deut. 16:17).
Lesson Scripture
1 Kings 17:8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
Studying the Lesson
Our lesson setting today takes place in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the reign of King Ahab, with whom Elijah was contemporary. Even though Elijah and Ahab were contemporary in Israel, their lives were vastly different. Ahab, the king of Israel, did more to provoke the anger of the Lord than all the kings of Israel that were before him. He walked in the sins of Jeroboam, married Jezebel the daughter of the king of Zidon, and worshipped and served the false god Baal. The prophet Elijah worshipped the God of Heaven, trusted Him explicitly, and served Him without fear of man. Ahab was politically successful and victorious in his military pursuits, but he was a complete spiritual failure. Elijah’s life was of no consequence in fame or fortune, but he possessed all the good things that God gives.
Elijah appears before King Ahab quite abruptly with the message that there will be no rain or dew for an extended time. This announcement had special significance because Baal was considered the god of the sky and fertility. Although Baal was unable to cause either fire or rain to fall from the sky, the God of Heaven accomplished both. God, knowing the king’s wrath would be inflamed by Elijah’s declaration, commanded Elijah to hide by the brook Cherith. There he drank from the brook and ate the bread and meat that the ravens brought him. When the brook dried up because of lack of rain, God sent Elijah to Zarephath of Zidon. Here he would be provided for and hidden by a humble widow. Elijah, perhaps Jezebel’s most hated enemy, would be living in her home country, securely kept by God. It would be impossible to know the widow’s thoughts when Elijah asked for her last morsel of food and water. But by faith she obeyed, receiving a miraculous daily supply for her and her son’s needs and enough for Elijah as well.
The New Testament account of the poor widow and her offering of two mites follows a day when Jesus had been teaching in the temple. Jesus had confounded the chief priests and the scribes with his questions, which they could not answer, as well as with his wise answers to their crafty questions. Seeing the rich men casting into the treasury of their abundance and the widow offering her very living, Jesus saw an opportunity to teach the people about giving in faith.
Practical Truths for Today
How does giving express our faith in God? Through faith in God we believe the severe judgments of God for sin and that without a remedy we will be under that judgment, but more importantly, faith directs us to unmerited salvation through the shed blood of Jesus. The joy that each newly born-again person finds upon this experience of receiving salvation brings a deep longing to honor his Savior. We please God by freely giving ourselves in deep adoration to Him and by serving others. Faith in God has done this for us, so faith in God is expressed in giving.
The destitute widow of Zarephath was confronted with a test of her faith by being asked to sacrifice the last food she had. Her faith in God prompted her to care for this hungry prophet first, and then bake a cake for herself as Elijah had said. She did not scrutinize her scant provisions first to see if there was enough for Elijah and then enough for herself; she gave it first to him and then returned to find an adequate amount for her and her son.
In the New Testament account, Jesus was touched by the sincere desire of the poor widow to further the cause of temple worship. Perhaps it would mean no money for food tomorrow, but by giving all she had, she expressed her joy to God.
A Christian is a generous person. He is conscious of how unworthy he is of God’s notice and providential care and wants to help others. He gives because he has been given so much and wants others to have these blessings too, especially salvation. One song says, “Oh, to be his hand extended, reaching out to the oppressed.” 1
We can learn a lesson about faithful giving from the widow of Zarephath. The inventory of food in her pantry did not determine whether she would take care of the prophet. She rather looked at his need and gave what she had, expecting God to replenish her resources according to his wisdom. As she baked the cake for Elijah, she may have wondered how it would turn out; nevertheless, she faithfully gave what she had on hand and trusted God for the outcome. God’s daily blessing to her was small, but it was all she needed to meet her needs and the prophet’s needs, one day at a time.
The Scriptures instruct us all to provide both for ourselves and for those entrusted into our care. In doing so we should be careful when making commitments in financial ventures so that when we hear the call for volunteers and want to go, we are not unduly encumbered, hindering our giving. When God calls us to help, let us do so freely, not giving only of our abundance. Often the deeper blessings are found in the “second mile” of giving.
To faithfully give begins with honoring God by living a life that leaves no question as to whom we are serving. Young Christians effectively contribute to the good cause of the gospel as they cheerfully contribute to the welfare of their home. As adolescents mature and begin to earn their way financially, they should contribute from their wages to the home, church, and school. Volunteering for a CPS unit or serving abroad by teaching school for a mission family are ways to give time and resources that the Lord is pleased with.
Some biblical rules for giving:
According to ability—“Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee” (Deut. 16:17).
Not to be seen of others—“But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:3–4).
Generously—“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8).
With simplicity—“He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity” (Rom. 12:8).
Gladly and willingly—“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
Regularly—“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:2).
Sacrificially—“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints” (2 Cor. 8:1–4).
Questions
- What is giving with simplicity?
- Discuss sacrificial giving.
- What is the significance of giving in secret, and what is the reward?
- Discuss how to understand what the Lord is asking of our time, talents, and money. Does a true giver give everything he can, not necessarily asking for particular direction?
- 1 V. B. Ellis (1917–1988), “Let Me Touch Him”
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).