p. 6 | Systematic Giving by I. H. Evans

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 28, 1908

Systematic Giving

By I. H. Evans

By systematic giving, we mean giving according to some definite plan. Any plan continually adhered to becomes systematic. A brother who gave twenty-five cents a week regularly to the Sabbath-school was following the plan of systematic giving. Had he not regularly and continuously given the twenty-five cents, it could not be said that he gave systematically. Tithing is a systematic means of supporting God's work. The whole Jewish economy service was a systematic method of giving and worshiping.

When the Lord brought Israel from Egypt, he gave them laws governing their methods of worship, laws which embraced most definite instructions concerning the offerings of the sanctuary and the weekly Sabbath service. The Sabbath service, however, was not simply a continuation of the weekly service. There was more service rendered by the priests on the Sabbath day than on any other day of the week.

As far as men can understand, the whole creation of God is organized according to certain systematic laws. The sun rises and sets every day according to fixed rules. The seasons return with unvaried regularity. All that we know of God and heaven and eternity speaks of order and design. So absolutely certain are the laws of God according to which nature operates that it is possible for men to determine definitely the position of the heavenly bodies for many years in the future. If heaven is so organized that everything is by order and plan, why should not the work and worship and the lives of God's people be the same?

Already God's people are systematic in paying their tithes to the Lord. Week by week the believers in the message are bringing their tithes into the treasury, or if they are not doing it, they certainly should do it. If we have not taken up this blessed privilege, we ought to undertake it at once. In the first place, it is much easier to pay our tithes systematically, to place it in the envelope just as soon as it comes into our hands, and to hand it over to the treasurer, than it is to use the tithes in our own work, and then at the end of the quarter or year have to pay a large sum because of the money which we have used.

To pay a tithe is not making an offering to the Lord. It is our duty to pay a full, honest, tithe into the treasury of God's church, and nothing short of this is acceptable to the Lord. The tithe is holy unto the Lord. God has forbidden men to use it or to touch it, and has commanded that his children bring their tithe into the storehouse for the support of his worship and work.

But, should not our offerings be as systematic as our tithe? We believe that they should. The charge against Israel was, Ye have robbed me in tithes and offerings. They had robbed God not simply in tithes, but in offerings as well. We believe the ten-cent-a-week plan, which has already been adopted by the union conferences throughout the United States, helps to meet the ideal of a Sabbath offering. It is systematic and regular, and helps every one to study and devise plans that he may obtain means for the support of the Lord's work. I like to think of a mission offering in the same envelope with our weekly tithes, all being passed in to the church for the advancement of the third angel's message. Heaven and angels must look with great satisfaction upon this systematic giving for the advancement of the Lord's work. If there are those in the church who have not taken up this offering of ten cents a week, we hope that they will at once undertake to carry out this part of the Lord's work. It is absolutely necessary for the support of the work in foreign fields that our people everywhere take up this systematic giving, or the General Conference will not be able to supply means with which to keep our workers in the field. I. H. EVANS.