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Gospel Finance

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 7, 1903

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 80, No. 14.

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Gospel Finance

By William Covert

WILLIAM COVERT
As robbery in offerings as well as in tithes is the charge made in Mal. 3: 7-11, and the question of tithes has been studied, we will proceed to give some thought to the subject of Bible offerings. It will also be necessary to consider the uses to which these should be applied.
The offerings prescribed in the books of Moses were sin offerings, burnt offerings, trespass offerings, thank offerings, wave offerings, meat offerings, peace offerings, offerings of first-fruits, and a number of other gifts and sacrifices not herein named. All slaying of animals and offering of their blood typical of the one great offering made by Christ, and pertaining to the subject of the atonement through him, are superseded by him, and of these offerings we do not wish to speak in this study. We design here to deal only with those offerings which pertain to the matter of gospel finance.
All agree in the main question as to the responsibility of Christians to support the Lord’s cause with their means. We know that the church of Christ should now give the gospel to all the world, and that large funds are required to do this. All know that Jesus gave this gospel work to his disciples when he ascended to heaven, and that they should go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. When any one accepts salvation from sin through Jesus, he thereby accepts the responsibility of helping to the extent of his ability in the work of saving others.
The tithe in all cases was meant to be a tenth of the income. The offerings were not so specific as to amount. There is quite definite instruction relative to first-fruits, and yet the specific amount to be offered seems usually to have been left for the individual to determine.
Three times in the year ingathering meetings were to be held, and every family was to be represented on these occasions. Of these the Lord said, “None shall appear before me empty.” Every one in attendance was to bring an offering of first-fruits according to the product of the land. The meetings were held “in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field. . . . The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God.” Ex. 23: 16, 19.
Probably these thrice yearly meetings, in which the first-fruits were presented at the Lord’s house, corresponded in a practical way to early, middle, and late harvests. The farmer harvests fruits, grain, and vegetables, and if the Bible idea were observed, there would be offerings of first-fruits made from every harvest. There were special services held when the first-fruits were gathered in. “In the day of the first-fruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation.” Num. 28: 26.
A special account of an ingathering service says, “The children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field, and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.” 2 Chron. 31: 5.
According to the suggestion of Nehemiah, the people arranged to bring the first-fruits of the ground, and the first-fruits of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the Lord. The first-born of their sons were given, but were to be redeemed according to a stipulated price. The firstlings of the herds and the flocks were bestowed as offerings. The people vowed to “bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God.” Neh. 10: 35-37.

The Significance

The first ripe fruit from any plant indicates what the whole of every crop from that one plant is to be. In many Scriptures the first-fruits are cited as a type of Christ. “If the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy,” are the words of Rom. 11: 16. “Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming,” is the language in 1 Cor. 15: 23. This writer refers to the subject of first-fruits in such a manner as to show that Christians should be acquainted with them. As the Lord has given to man the “first-fruits,” so he asks man to give to him the first and best of all the fruit he receives. He says, “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase.” Prov. 3: 9.
The first of everything that ripened in the land of Israel was promised to Aaron and his sons for the service they would perform in the sacred work of the Lord. “And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute forever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine.” Num. 18: 11-14.
The offering of the first-fruits was in ancient times very closely connected with the bringing in of the tithe, and it would seem, when the Lord says he is being robbed “in tithes and offerings,” that the withholding of the first-fruits must be included in the offerings which are kept back.

Free-will Offerings

A free-will offering is an offering which the giver bestows of his own free will. Lev. 22: 18, 19. The gift is prompted by the impulse of an earnest heart. Such offerings, more than all others, are designed to supply the many needs of the Lord’s cause not provided for by the tithes and the first-fruits. The gifts bestowed by Israel for the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, were all free-will offerings. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. . . . And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Ex. 25: 1, 2, 8. The people responded with readiness to this call for means; so it is said, “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Ex. 35: 21.
This willingness on the part of the people proved a very great blessing to the cause, so that the leaders came and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.” And again, “The people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.” Ex. 36: 5-7. If such willingness were always manifested on the part of the people, it would bring with it great joy of heart, and much material as well as spiritual prosperity.
The appropriations made for building the temple at Jerusalem were free-will offerings. At one time when vast treasures had been presented, the record says, “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all thatis in the heaven and in the earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chron. 29: 9-14.
The gold and silver alone in the offerings on this particular occasion, if coined by the United States mints, would amount to $16,750,000. Yet this was but a small part of the great sum of offerings made for the wonderful building. David had previously spoken to Solomon of how he had “prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.” 1 Chron. 22: 14. A talent of gold is estimated to be worth $1,200; a hundred thousand talents of gold would therefore be worth $120,000,000. A talent of silver is probably worth about seventy-five dollars. But as the offering described by David had in it a million talents of silver, it would be equivalent to $75,000,000. The other material, with the whole cost of labor and transportation in building the temple, added to these sums, would, at present values, probably amount to $500,000,000. Where are the people today who give as liberally as did the Hebrews? Even the vast gifts of modern millionaires for charitable and educational purposes are small when compared to the gifts of the Israelites to their institutions.
Concerning the liberality of Christians, Paul said, “Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9: 7, R. V. An offering not cheerfully bestowed can not be acceptable to God.
When Paul was instructing the Ephesian elders, he said of his own work, “In all things I gave you an example, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20: 35, R. V.
Jesus, who, having all things, freely gave all for us, has learned most fully the sweetness which comes from giving. We should ever imitate the example of the great Giver. In this great offering, Christ teaches man how to offer in the fullness of love. This one offering perfects the sum of all acceptable offerings, filling them with the sweetness of this love.
(To be continued)