If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
The world with all its fullness, riches and life belongs to God as its Owner and Lord. He has no need that people could supply, for even if He were hungry He would not have to tell them or ask them for anything. Whatever people control is held in trust from Him and will be accounted for, not owned outright. He calls for gifts and offerings not from need but as an acknowledgment of His ownership and their dependence, and He arranges for human cooperation in His work for their own good, to overcome selfishness and grow in benevolence. His ownership gives full confidence that He can provide for His work, direct His resources where they are needed, and even move upon men of means to give of their abundance.
God Owns Everything
The world is God's, and the fullness of it, the earth with all its riches and treasures, its gold and silver, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, all belonging to Him as Owner and Lord of the whole earth. He does not depend on people or their offerings to meet any need, for everything already belongs to Him. If He were hungry He would not need to tell them or ask them for food or resources, for wealth or material support. He is not dependent on any man's gold or silver for the support of His cause.
Jesus displayed that divine glory and ownership of creation when He provided the tribute money from a fish, showing that as the Son of God He was not obliged to pay tribute to the temple. Before God as heavenly Father, money and worldly honor do not increase a person's moral worth, for it is moral worth that He weighs. Psalm 50 is to be learned together with Psalms 24 and 25, for it teaches the greatness of God. It calls all to take their stand under the rule of Christ rather than working on the side of Satan in anarchy, war, and strife to fearful loss with many souls lost at the last great day.
Stewardship and Provision
What people control they hold in trust rather than own outright, for the world and everything in it belongs to the Lord. Time, strength, intellect, means, property, riches, and abilities are entrusted to them as stewards for His service and the extension of His kingdom. Their use of these entrusted gifts is a test of faithful stewardship, and they are accountable for how they use what has been given them, with each person to answer at Christ's second coming.
Entrusted resources must not be spent merely to suit human judgment or wishes but must be used carefully and willingly to honor God. They are to be used for the needs of His work and His cause, for helping suffering people and advancing the gospel, for feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and housing the homeless. Human cooperation in supporting God's cause and making known His will is arranged for people's own good. It gives them opportunity to exercise benevolence and practice generosity, to keep benevolent affections in exercise, to counteract selfishness, to develop Christian character, and to bind them in sympathy with God and fellow men, and life can be a blessing only as they fulfill that divine purpose in creation.
God could supply His treasury directly from heaven, send angels to preach truth without human agency, speak with His own voice, or write truth across the heavens, but He purposely arranged a necessity for human cooperation and honors people by making them coworkers with Him. He calls for gifts and offerings not from need but to cultivate a spirit of benevolence in givers, as an acknowledgment of His ownership and of human dependence on Him. A gift matters when it expresses love and devotion, and because all belongs to Him He asks for what is His own, not only entrusted means but all that people have and are in body, soul, and spirit, all purchased by the blood of Christ, and He will not accept offerings when self is withheld.
Because all belongs to Him, He can move upon worldly men, even idolaters and men in high places with means and influence, to give of their abundance for His work. His people, while in the world but not of it and sacrificing no principle of truth, are to approach them wisely, set the needs of the work before them in a proper light, give them opportunity and invitation, travail of soul for them, and receive what they give. His ownership gives confidence that He can provide resources for His work, direct His resources as He chooses to fields that need them, and meet the needs of missions, the mission field, and the school. As a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God, He brings help when trusted with living faith in prayer and acted with as He gives wisdom.
His ownership of the world with its abundant resources and His unlimited power give reason to trust Him rather than worry or complain when difficulties come. To leave Satan's service and stand under God's banner is not shame but high honor, to be allowed to serve the Owner of all things including all the gold and silver. Those who spent years as Satan's bondslaves were robbing God of the service they owed Him as His property.
The world with all its fullness, riches and life belongs to God as its Owner and Lord. He has no need that people could supply, for even if He were hungry He would not have to tell them or ask them for anything. Whatever people control is held in trust from Him and will be accounted for, not owned outright. He calls for gifts and offerings not from need but as an acknowledgment of His ownership and their dependence, and He arranges for human cooperation in His work for their own good, to overcome selfishness and grow in benevolence. His ownership gives full confidence that He can provide for His work, direct His resources where they are needed, and even move upon men of means to give of their abundance.
God Owns Everything
The world is God's, and the fullness of it, the earth with all its riches and treasures, its gold and silver, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, all belonging to Him as Owner and Lord of the whole earth. He does not depend on people or their offerings to meet any need, for everything already belongs to Him. If He were hungry He would not need to tell them or ask them for food or resources, for wealth or material support. He is not dependent on any man's gold or silver for the support of His cause.
Jesus displayed that divine glory and ownership of creation when He provided the tribute money from a fish, showing that as the Son of God He was not obliged to pay tribute to the temple. Before God as heavenly Father, money and worldly honor do not increase a person's moral worth, for it is moral worth that He weighs. Psalm 50 is to be learned together with Psalms 24 and 25, for it teaches the greatness of God. It calls all to take their stand under the rule of Christ rather than working on the side of Satan in anarchy, war, and strife to fearful loss with many souls lost at the last great day.
Stewardship and Provision
What people control they hold in trust rather than own outright, for the world and everything in it belongs to the Lord. Time, strength, intellect, means, property, riches, and abilities are entrusted to them as stewards for His service and the extension of His kingdom. Their use of these entrusted gifts is a test of faithful stewardship, and they are accountable for how they use what has been given them, with each person to answer at Christ's second coming.
Entrusted resources must not be spent merely to suit human judgment or wishes but must be used carefully and willingly to honor God. They are to be used for the needs of His work and His cause, for helping suffering people and advancing the gospel, for feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and housing the homeless. Human cooperation in supporting God's cause and making known His will is arranged for people's own good. It gives them opportunity to exercise benevolence and practice generosity, to keep benevolent affections in exercise, to counteract selfishness, to develop Christian character, and to bind them in sympathy with God and fellow men, and life can be a blessing only as they fulfill that divine purpose in creation.
God could supply His treasury directly from heaven, send angels to preach truth without human agency, speak with His own voice, or write truth across the heavens, but He purposely arranged a necessity for human cooperation and honors people by making them coworkers with Him. He calls for gifts and offerings not from need but to cultivate a spirit of benevolence in givers, as an acknowledgment of His ownership and of human dependence on Him. A gift matters when it expresses love and devotion, and because all belongs to Him He asks for what is His own, not only entrusted means but all that people have and are in body, soul, and spirit, all purchased by the blood of Christ, and He will not accept offerings when self is withheld.
Because all belongs to Him, He can move upon worldly men, even idolaters and men in high places with means and influence, to give of their abundance for His work. His people, while in the world but not of it and sacrificing no principle of truth, are to approach them wisely, set the needs of the work before them in a proper light, give them opportunity and invitation, travail of soul for them, and receive what they give. His ownership gives confidence that He can provide resources for His work, direct His resources as He chooses to fields that need them, and meet the needs of missions, the mission field, and the school. As a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God, He brings help when trusted with living faith in prayer and acted with as He gives wisdom.
His ownership of the world with its abundant resources and His unlimited power give reason to trust Him rather than worry or complain when difficulties come. To leave Satan's service and stand under God's banner is not shame but high honor, to be allowed to serve the Owner of all things including all the gold and silver. Those who spent years as Satan's bondslaves were robbing God of the service they owed Him as His property.