Preschool
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Inspired Giving
Memory Verses
Primary
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Junior
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Background Scripture: Ezra 1-3
Lesson Scripture: Ezra 1:1-8; 2:68-69; 3:6-7
Introduction
What a blessing it is to be inspired by God when there is a task that requires our giving! The prophets were inspired as they wrote and prophesied, expressing the mind of God in words provided by Him (2 Pet. 1:21). What are ways to express the inspiration of the Spirit of Christ in our offerings of benevolence and goodwill?
Key Verse
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not (2 Cor. 8:12).
Lesson Scripture
Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
2:68 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place:
69 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.
3:6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.
7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
Studying the Lesson
In our lesson today, Ezra recounts the history of the returning Jews at the close of their seventy years in the Babylonian captivity. The kingdom over which King Nebuchadnezzar had ruled for many years had ended on a feast night set by Belshazzar when the hand wrote on the wall, and Daniel was called to interpret the writing. The destruction of the kingdom was brought about by Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Persian; this took place about twenty-four years after the death of King Nebuchadnezzar.
As King Cyrus assumed control of the empire, he was stirred in his spirit with compassion for God’s people and desired that they return to their homeland and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It was the hand of God that inspired the king to want the Jews to go back to Judea and to encourage them to provide liberally for the journey. King Cyrus proclamed that all who desired to leave could do so, trusting that their God would go with them. His obedience to this inspiration was a blessing upon the Jews for them to move forward, some in preparation to journey to Jerusalem and some to freely contribute to the necessities of those traveling the long road home. The preparation for a four-month journey by several thousand refugees required the combined effort of many people. King Cyrus had the wisdom to understand that the only way this could happen would be by a generous giving of gifts, money, clothes, food, and building materials.
During the seventy years that had passed, the sacred vessels of the temple had been preserved and were also sent back with the returning Jews. The Israelite captives had tried to maintain their faith in God, and even though they lived in an idolatrous nation, they had continued to worship the one, true God of heaven. Although Daniel did not go back to Judea, he was happy to see God’s people return to the promised land of their fathers.
Practical Truths for Today
What is inspired giving, and how does it enrich my life and the lives of others? How do we find inspiration from God to move by the unction of the Holy Spirit to give? Offerings are announced, and various needs are made known in the congregation, in the conference, and elsewhere. Giving can become a good habit that we give little thought to, a good pattern that we are used to. To give with inspiration should be more than a habit—it is one of the ways we worship God.
Inspiration can be thought of as a mental enlightenment that comes involuntarily and unexpected. When an inspiration from the Holy Spirit comes to us to serve, it is not a happenstance; it is the miracle of God’s personal message sent to awaken our compassion in a special way. A sincere Christian cannot ignore such an inspiration, and he seeks to put that inspiration to work, sharing what he has with cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
Who can receive these inspirations? We all can; God gives them to us as we retain the vision of how unworthy we are of all the favors God has given us. Without these abiding convictions we tend to be selfish and materialistic, which greatly hinders our ability to give as a service to God. Generosity enriches the giver and blesses the recipient, and it unites people as they unselfishly share gifts from the heart.
After being made aware of a need or hearing an offering announced, we consider: should we give, and how much? Is it reasonable to say that if there is a need, and I have time, talent, or money I could give to the cause, I have conviction enough? On the question of how much to give, many have testified that God gave them a clear inspiration of how much to contribute to a need when they asked Him. Perhaps the amount we give is eclipsed by the joy we find in giving and the thanksgiving we feel for the opportunity to give. Although giving is our obligation, God adds joy and fulfillment to that obligation when we give liberally. When we let the inspiration of God direct our giving, we become enthused, and enthusiasm is contagious, and soon others want to help as well. “Not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).
A congregation is blessed collectively in lifting offerings for local needs and also in fulfilling the financial obligations of the conference. Our deacons fill a special place as they help direct our contributions to the situations of need in the conference. We should cooperate with them, helping them minister in the office to which they have been called. May we also be attentive to the needs within the local brotherhood and not be timid in using our time, gifts, and talents in inconspicuous ways to lighten the burdens of others, whoever they are.
Inspired giving is integral to the Great Commission of the church to preach and live the gospel, and all sanctified Christians will desire to take part in this commission. To fervently and willingly leave our agendas and reach out to some downtrodden person takes a vision of how much God longs for the salvation of all people. An inspiration from God to freely give comes to all those who are born again. “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8).
Giving is the work of inspired volunteers in whose hearts God has impressed the value of a human soul. The cause of the kingdom of God is moved forward by inspired giving.
Questions
- How can we tell if we are giving for the wrong reasons?
- Can a Christian give too much?
- If I lack inspiration to give, what is the cause?
- Unsubscribe
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).