God Blesses Generosity

Background Scripture: Haggai 1; Malachi 3
Lesson Scripture: Haggai 1:3-10; Malachi 3:8-10; Proverbs 11:24-26

Introduction

The blessings of God upon those who are generous may not always be recognized or named as such; nevertheless, a reward always follows openhearted charity. Generosity is not limited to giving or sharing money; it is also shown in hospitality, compassion, and concern for our fellowman. There are many ways to be generous. “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16).

The prophet Haggai reproved the people of his day because they were keeping the material things God had given them and using them for their own advantage. This revealed their selfishness and, consequently, God was withdrawing his blessings. He gave them poor harvests and other material deficiencies to show them their underlying self-interest.

Jesus clearly stated that already in this life generous givers will be blessed with abundant reimbursement (Luke 6:38).

Key Verse

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).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Haggai delivered a clear message that identified a problem, determined its cause, and proposed a remedy. By comparing the text in several English translations and several other languages, it appears that the people were taken up with making their houses nice and even luxurious. They apparently justified themselves in working hard and trying to get ahead, but they were ignoring the needs of the Lord’s house. With all their effort, things were not going well for them.

The Lord told them to stop and think about their error with its resulting adverse effects. He counseled them to change their ways and honor Him by giving his work priority.

Approximately ninety years later the prophet Malachi came with a similar message. He labeled the lack of generous giving as robbing God. Then God laid a challenge before them. He said He would bless them abundantly if they would fulfill their tithing and offering. How is it with us?

The lesson text from Proverbs illustrates a seeming paradox. How is it possible to generously scatter good deeds, money, and valuables and yet experience an increase? And how does it work that in looking out for ourselves first, hoarding provisions, and carefully keeping track of personal interests, one is brought to poverty? Proverbs 19:17 adds, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” Perhaps these verses are the solid, scriptural basis for the old saying, “You cannot help others without being helped yourself.”

Practical Truths for Today

Many passages in the Old Testament promise material prosperity in return for righteous living, for being kind and generous to the poor, and for being willing givers to the Lord’s work. In the New Testament there are also some verses that clearly promise material blessings for honest generosity. However, it appears that in the gospel dispensation the rewards for generosity are more about laying up treasures in heaven and gaining personal spiritual blessings than about material prosperity.

Numerous New Testament verses are promises of God’s blessings upon cheerful givers. He blesses those who give their time, talent, and money, and it has been proven again and again in ways beyond expectations. God has the right to send blessings in whatever way He chooses, and his blessings often come in ways that are unanticipated. Being generous with cash might not yield additional cash in return, but the inner joy and sense of fulfillment of having done the Lord’s will is a far greater blessing.

Blessings do not automatically fall into our hands; generally, some effort is needed to step out of our usual pattern to take advantage of an opportunity and receive a blessing. The blessing may come in a way that we do not recognize until much later, perhaps even years down the road. The far-reaching blessings and rewards of God may only be fully revealed in eternity. Nevertheless, there are many testimonies of Christians who have received prompt and definite material, social, and spiritual blessings for generously doing good to others.

Many generous things are done humbly, quietly, and in secret, unnoticed by others. The recognition by others for an act of generosity may be a reward, but it is less valuable than the reward God gives to those who humbly give and are content with not being credited. This is in keeping with Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:1-4.

Opportunities for generosity are not limited to the wealthy. Regardless of our financial circumstances, God wants us to bless our fellow men with our time, money, home, or whatever we have available. The widow gave her living—two mites. Anyone can give a cup of cold water to a thirsty neighbor. These examples show that even small charities yield good and far-reaching rewards. Ronald Reagan, the fourtieth president of the United States, once said, “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”

The Bible has various examples of those who gave of what they had. Mary Magdalene and some other women supported Jesus and the apostles (Luke 8:1-3). Joseph, a wealthy man, provided his own new tomb, which he had chopped out of the rock, for the burial of Jesus (Matt. 27:57-60). Nicodemus apparently supplied expensive spices for Jesus’s burial (John 19:39). Priscilla and Aquilla opened their home to Apollos to tell him about Jesus (Acts 18:26). The Corinthians shared financial aid to help the needy Christians in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8 and 9). Philemon obviously provided his house as a place for church meetings (Philem. 1:2).

Christian believers keep their priorities in place. They think ahead when they make financial plans and obligations, considering how it will affect their almsgiving. Debts and payments need to be paid when they are due, and it is not right to default our creditors in order to do some seemingly noble deed of generosity. If we obligate ourselves to the point of not being able to generously give to others and voluntarily help our neighbor, we will miss the blessing.

We also need to be consistent and unbiased in our giving. Will we be blessed if we are very generous one time for causes that meet our personal approval, and then give nothing the next time for causes we deem unworthy?

Christian hospitality with its spontaneous deeds of kindness is a beautiful way of being blessed. This includes reaching out to needy people and extending sincere and cheerful invitations for dining to visitors and home folks alike.

In different places the Bible teaches and exemplifies cross-culture generosity. On one occasion Jesus taught loving and doing good, even to those who oppose and mistreat us (Matt. 5:43-48). Another teaching in Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good [be generous] unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” The term “unto all men” indicates that we shall be kind and generous to people of all ethnic groups. Doing good “especially unto them of the household of faith” can have the potential of making us selective when and where we are kindly generous; however, our giving must not be with respect of persons.

Illustration

The widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16) was rewarded as she went and did as Elijah said, preparing him a little cake before cooking for herself. The blessing she received sustained her household for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord given by Elijah. Her miraculous blessing reached beyond herself and included her household.

The Shunamite woman and her husband serve as another illustration of God’s blessing on generosity (2 Kings 4:8-17). For their generous deeds to the holy man of God, they were blessed with a son.

A present-era illustration is the account of a young couple of meager means had an impression to give a certain amount of money to a mission project. Within a week, they received an unexpected, after-work job opportunity to do some maintenance work in a neighbor’s house. The earnings from that job more than covered their special donation.

Although our generosity is not always repaid in kind, to be cheerfully generous even if there is no apparent blessing is godly. Sometimes things do not go like we think they should; we do good and receive evil in return. In Job’s case of disappointment, he responded to his wife, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

Questions

1. What was God’s blessing for the widow who gave her two mites?
2. How does God bless generous givers who have more than enough and are giving of their abundance?
3. Will there be a blessing if we are overly concerned about whether a need is worthy of our generosity?
4. Jesus mentioned no blessing on the good Samaritan for his generous treatment of the injured man. What prepares us to do good and not be concerned about being blessed, rewarded, or recognized?
5. What are the blessings later in life for children who learn early how to be generous?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).